Chapter 363
“Just as the rumors say, you're insane. Go on and try. The one who will die will be you.”
Chris spoke to Idrinne.
“Just handle the bag of bones. I'll take care of the rest.”
He was referring to the Murderer of Silence, the one remaining Archlich.
As he was at the state of low 8-Star, the lowest here, it would be easier for Idrinne to handle him.
“I'll take on that crazy clown bitch as well.”
“No, that’s too much for you.”
The Clown was a mid 8-Star.
Unless she used the power of the devil, it would be a difficult task for Idrinne, who was an 8-Star (advancing).
“There is something you do not know.”
Paat!
Idrinne’s body disappeared and reappeared in front of the Clown and the Murderer of Silence.
[!!]
“I am stronger than you think.”
Fwoosh. A blood-red mist covered them.
A chaotic battle unfolded thereafter.
The Murderer of Silence’s necromantic sword and the Clown’s scythe flashed.
But Idrinne’s rapier showed no signs of being pushed back in the slightest.
‘…Idrinne is the same type as me.’
Idrinne, too, was a figure who was in no way lacking of the title of a genius.
Just as Chris overwhelmed those of higher achievement based on his overwhelming talent, Idrinne showed a similar appearance.
‘Though she won’t be able to last long, since the difference in their states is quite large.’
It was fine.
Because he just had to take care of the Sculptor within that time.
“What are you doing? Didn't you say you would defeat me within five minutes? It’s almost been two minutes already.”
“Ah, it’s fine. I deliberately set the time with some leeway. In truth, three minutes is more than enough.”
The Sculptor frowned deeply.
“Shut up!”
Chaotic Flurry.
The curse that had inflicted a fatal wound on Chris earlier was unleashed.
“No matter who you are, you can’t possibly be able to unfold a miracle-class Medical Sage Qigong like before indefinitely.”
He growled in anticipation of a blood-soaked Chris, but an anomaly occurred.
Chris was perfectly fine.
As if he had not taken any damage at all.
“…What?! How?”
The Sculptor raised his voice as if it were impossible.
It was a curse that harbored ‘absoluteness.’
Unlike ‘inescapable,’ it was impossible to nullify, wasn't it?
“Ah. It's simple.”
Chris let out a smirk.
“The moment the curse takes effect, I just have to overwrite it.”
“!!”
Even for Chris, it was impossible to evade a curse that possessed absoluteness.
And it was also unreasonable to just foolishly heal the wounds as he had done before. No matter how much Chris possessed a Medical Sage-class Medical Sage Qigong, there was a limit.
Instead, Chris had precisely calculated the moment the curse would take effect on his body and had activated his Medical Sage Qigong to match that part.
To cause the power of the curse and the power of healing to cancel each other out.
Thanks to that, the Sculptor’s curse had failed to inflict any damage on Chris’s body.
“Nonsense?! There’s no way such a thing is possible!!”
Just because the Sculptor cut the wooden doll’s neck did not mean the wound would appear in the exact same spot.
It was an impossible feat unless one could calculate all the random, black-magic-related variables that changed in an instant.
“What are you so surprised about over something like this?”
Chris twisted the corner of his mouth.
“You’re going to die soon anyway.”
Flash!
After barely managing to block the holy sword that flew toward him, the Sculptor grit his teeth.
“Shut up. Do not think that this is the full extent of my power.”
Woooong.
A jet-black magic circle appeared around the Sculptor.
A magic circle of an ominous shape that gave one the creeps just by looking at it.
At the same time, a mark of an ominous shape appeared on Chris’s forehead.
Domain of Dominion.
The One the World is Hostile To.
The surrounding air changed.
‘The reception and transmission of energy is being cut off.’
Chris frowned.
That wasn't all.
When he breathed in the air, it felt as if his breath were catching in his throat.
Even moving his hands and feet was not smooth, as if he had fallen into heavy water.
It was the result of the world turning against him.
Whether it was the air, gravity, or the energy of nature, it was a terrible curse that made everything in the world hostile toward him.
“As long as you are cursed by the world, it is impossible to pull off any petty tricks. Meet your miserable end.”
As the Sculptor brandished his dagger, paat! blood spurted from Chris’s body.
Unlike before, he could not heal it with his Medical Sage Qigong.
Because the mana of light was also an energy that originated from the world.
“This is the end.”
The Chaotic Flurry was unleashed once again.
Pababat!!
Blood shot up from Chris’s body like a storm. Chris, now in tatters, staggered and stumbled, then eventually could not hold on and collapsed.
“Christian!! No!!!”
Idrinne let out a piercing scream.
“Kek kek, you arrogant whelp. Serves you right for acting so high and mighty.”
The Sculptor let out a laugh, then his face suddenly hardened.
“Wait, don’t tell me?”
Feeling a chilling sense of crisis, he hurriedly twisted his body, but it was too late. An excruciating pain erupted.
Slice!
“Keueuk!”
It was Christian!
He had appeared from behind and cut down the Sculptor.
“H-how?”
“Ah. That one’s a fake.”
The body of Chris, which had been writhing and bleeding on the floor, turned into light and disappeared.
It was the 7-Star Stellar Radiance miracle magic, ‘Replication of Essence.’
A magic that, albeit for a moment, temporarily creates a being identical to oneself in the world.
“Th-that! Impossible?! There’s no way you can use such high-level magic while being cursed by the world?”
“Ah. That’s right.”
The mark of the curse the Sculptor had placed was still engraved on Chris’s forehead.
Even now, the movement of his body and the reception and transmission of his energy were difficult.
“It was difficult, sure. But, well, I managed somehow.”
Chris gave a faint smile.
“Because I’m a little bit awesome.”
“!!”
The Sculptor’s face flushed with anger.
“Shut up!!”
Woooong.
Countless magic circles appeared around the Sculptor.
“This time, it’s truly the end.”
Domain Transformation.
The One the World Denies.
The world around Chris let out a chilling roar.
If before it was merely at the level of hostility, now it was beginning to eliminate him in earnest.
The surrounding air came to a grinding halt.
To prevent him from taking a single breath.
The movement of his hands and feet was also sealed.
Afterward, the ground he was standing on began to collapse.
It wasn't simply the ground crumbling; a jet-black, dark space revealed its maw.
The moment he fell into that bottomless pit, Chris would become a stray of the dimensions and be torn to shreds.
It was a moment of mortal danger, but.
“It may be regrettable, but you’ve picked the wrong opponent.”
From Chris’s core, dark demonic energy came to the forefront of the mana of light.
The darkness stretched out to the surroundings.
It was the Domain of Dominion, the Dominion of the Seven Hues.
“It is useless. A Domain of Dominion is also ultimately based on the energy of the world. How can you properly use a Domain of Dominion when the world denies it?”
However, the Sculptor’s complexion hardened.
An unbelievable sight was unfolding.
The world, which had been fluctuating as if to erase Chris, came to a dead stop.
As if it were feeling fear.
“Ah. It’s certainly difficult to unfold, but it doesn’t matter. Subduing something like this is no big deal.”
“!!”
“Even if you say the world denies it, or whatever, in the end, it’s just the ‘meaning’ of the Domain of Dominion you artificially unfolded, isn't it? Then I just have to crush it with an even more powerful ‘meaning.’”
The Domain of Dominion the Sculptor had unfolded was indeed a wondrous authority. One in no way lacking of the renown of a high 8-Star.
But in the end, it was just a Domain of Dominion.
Chris aimed his sword.
While in the state of having unfolded the Dominion of the Seven Hues, he drew upon the power of Stellar Radiance.
Sword of Stellar Radiance.
The formless sword that severs all concepts received the protection of the Dominion of the Seven Hues and shone brilliantly.
And then.
Slice.
Along with the sound of something being severed, the Sculptor’s body came to a dead stop.
The Sword of Stellar Radiance had severed the Domain of Dominion the Sculptor had unfolded in its entirety.
“Keo, heok.”
The Sculptor coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell to his knees.
As the Domain of Dominion collapsed, the energy throughout his body flowed in reverse and destroyed the Sculptor’s insides.
A shadow was cast over his head.
It was Christian.
“Do you have any last words?”
It was a sign of respect, in its own way.
It was just that his opponent happened to be Chris; the Sculptor was one of the handful of strongest opponents he had ever met.
The Sculptor let out a hollow laugh.
“…You monstrous bastard.”
That was the last of it.
Flash.
The Sculptor was beheaded and collapsed.
‘What about Idrinne’s side?’
Chris’s eyes widened.
An unexpected sight was unfolding.
“Heehee, m-monster….”
Stab.
Idrinne’s sword was piercing the Clown’s heart.
While being an 8-Star (advancing), she had achieved victory against an enemy of a state two levels higher than her own. And while fighting a numerically disadvantageous battle of two against one, at that.
Even the other enemy, the Murderer of Silence, was in a state of having suffered great damage.
“How was that? I did my best to be of help to you! Am I not also worthy of being your friend?!”
“Yes, you did well.”
“Huhu, this is the power of friendship!!”
“Yes, yes. For today, I’ll let you off for talking like an elementary school student.”
Looking at Idrinne and Chris, the Murderer of Silence wore a deathly pale face.
[How can such monsters exist in the world….]
In that moment, the Murderer of Silence realized.
That accepting Christian had been a terrible mistake on the part of the Four Kings' Castle.
The Four Kings' Castle was certain to fall because of that whelp.
It was a late regret.
“You don’t have any last words, do you?”
[!!]
Chris’s sword flashed, and the battle was finished.
It was the moment that more than half of the Four Kings and Three Abysses, who represented the Four Kings' Castle, were annihilated.
***
The Four Kings' Castle was turned upside down by the annihilation of the Four Kings and Three Abysses.
Everyone reacted with disbelief.
“How could he?”
“Isn't there some kind of mistake?”
“Even if Grand Duchess Idrinne helped him?”
Only then did the magi of the Four Kings' Castle realize that Christian had been hiding his power.
“We must absolutely not let him be!!”
“We must strike him down right now!!”
“This is not the time to be mindful of the Center!!”
They raised their voices in anger, but that, too, was not easy.
“How are you going to strike him down?”
“!!”
Drenne asked in a cold voice.
“He has already hidden himself in the territory of the Blood Sword Demonic House. Unless we wage an all-out war with the Blood Sword Demonic House, it is impossible to strike him down.”
The whelp had cleverly noticed that the authority of the Demon Emperor could no longer protect him and had left his base to take refuge in the territory of the Blood Sword Demonic House.
Although they were a weaker force compared to the Necromantic Curse, the Blood Sword Demonic House was also one of the prestigious magus houses.
It was not a place that could be easily conquered.
Especially in a situation where their strength had been weakened by the loss of a large number of 8-Star magi as a result of this battle.
‘It's not just the Blood Sword Demonic House. With our current forces, we won't be able to handle it if a fight breaks out with the Dark Alliance.’
If that weren't enough, the Necromantic Curse had already suffered great damage to their forces of ordinary magi and 7-Star highest-ranking magi during the last war with the Dark Alliance.
And now that they had lost a large number of 8-Star highest-ranking magi, they could no longer say they had an advantage over the Dark Alliance.
‘How did our Four Kings' Castle end up in such a state. Damn it!’
Kwaaaang!!
Drenne slammed her fist on the table in anger.
‘Christian, you son of a bitch.’
It was all because of Christian.
The whelp who, not content with having interfered with all of the Four Kings' Castle's events until now, was now causing the Four Kings' Castle to decline.
‘I will absolutely not let you be. I will kill you, without fail.’