Chapter 370
As they exited the mansion, the building collapsed with a roar.
First, Chris struggled out of Idrinne’s arms.
“…We’re out, so put me down.”
“It’s fine!! Your body is in a bad state, so you mustn’t overdo it! What are friends for? It’s completely fine, so please be comfortable!!”
‘I’m not comfortable at all!!’
Chris forced his way down, and Idrinne wore a disappointed expression.
“It was a chance to deepen our friendship, what a shame.”
“…Shame, my ass.”
‘Isn’t she doing this on purpose right now?’
He had always thought of her as just a fool, but for some reason, the thought that something was suspicious brushed past his mind.
“Daughter, stop being so silly. Anyway, now that we’ve caught the Vengeful Spirit, what are you going to do now?”
At Rubinson’s question, Chris shook off his idle thoughts.
“We have to finish what we were doing.”
“What you were doing?”
Chris said as if it were a matter of course.
“It is time to erase the Curse Demonic House.”
***
The battle with the Curse Demonic House was being led by the Lady of Blood, Berling.
As Chris’s party joined in, the tide of the battle completely turned.
In particular, at the fact that the Vengeful Spirit had been defeated, the magi of the Curse Demonic House completely lost their will to fight.
Afterward, as the ordinary true-blood vampires of the Blood Sword Demonic House who had been on standby joined in, a one-sided massacre took place.
“Do not let a single one escape!!”
Normally, Chris did not punish even those who were innocent.
But from one to ten, there was not a single whelp of the Curse Demonic House that could be spared.
Because the house itself was a gathering place of terrible villains.
How much time had passed since then?
It was when all those who had made a name for themselves in the Curse Demonic House were dead.
More than half of the ordinary magi were also dead, and most of those who had surrendered had their cores sealed, putting them in a state that was no different from the annihilation of their house.
“Stop. Halt.”
Kwoong.
A heavy presence pressed down on the arena.
A chill ran down the spines of everyone present.
It was a powerful energy that was not much lacking even when compared to the Vengeful Spirit, with whom they had just fought a life-and-death duel.
As they turned their gazes, they saw a Bone Dragon floating in the air.
And on top of it was a woman with a noble impression, holding a holy sword that harbored the energy of death.
It was Drenne, the Vice-Head of the Necromancy Demonic House.
“Are you trying to interfere in the sacred Life-and-Death Duel between houses, which has been acknowledged by the imperial law of His Majesty the Demon Emperor?”
“Be quiet. As the one who will become the Vice-Lord of the Four Kings' Castle, I will not tolerate this any longer, so stop.”
At that warning, everyone from the Blood Sword Demonic House looked at Christian.
“It is too much to fight Drenne. Everyone is exhausted.”
Rubinson said in a troubled voice.
He wasn't wrong.
No one had any strength left.
‘I, Idrinne, and the Head of the House, Rubinson, have also expended most of our energy fighting the Vengeful Spirit.’
On top of that, Drenne was a super-powerhouse who did not fall far behind even when compared to the Vengeful Spirit.
‘Objectively speaking, the Vengeful Spirit is superior to Drenne, but Drenne is not an opponent to be ignored, either.’
Chris knew about Drenne in detail.
Because unlike the Vengeful Spirit, she had survived for a long time on the side of the Demon King of Dead Blood during the Age of Ruin and had spread a terrible infamy throughout the Alliance.
At that time, Drenne had even ascended to the rank of a 9-Star Demon King.
The Demon King of Holy Cruelty. That was Drenne’s moniker at the time.
‘In the end, she died at Evan’s hands, but he went through a tremendous amount of trouble.’
In their current exhausted state, it was impossible to take on Drenne.
However, from the side, Idrinne whispered something unexpected.
“How about we push ourselves and kill Drenne here?”
Idrinne said in a cold voice.
“If we do not kill Drenne now, she may become an uncontrollable future threat.”
Chris understood the meaning behind Idrinne’s words.
‘Idrinne also knows about Drenne’s special authority.’
Drenne’s current moniker was the ‘Holy Knight of Death.’
It did not suit a magus. It was related to her authority.
Drenne, despite being a magus, wielded the Stellar Power of the Constellations.
To be precise, it was the Stellar Power of a Fallen Star.
She had, unusually, not made a contract with a devil, but with a Fallen Star.
Because of that, she used a necromancy that was on a completely different level from the other magi of the Necromancy Demonic House.
‘With the power of a Fallen Star, she can create undead that retain their characteristics from when they were alive.’
That wasn't all.
It was because she could absorb a part of the power of the dead through a special requiem ceremony that used the authority of the Constellation.
‘The most frightening thing is that she can even fragment and absorb a part of the enlightenment the dead had obtained.’
That was the secret to how Drenne had been able to reach the end of high 8-Star despite her young age.
In other words, this place, where numerous magi of the Curse Demonic House had died, was no different from a grand banquet of fortuitous encounters for Drenne.
‘So that’s why she readily agreed when she heard my plan.’
The reason she had appeared so late, after everything was almost finished, was probably because she had wanted as many people to die as possible.
Of course, these authorities of Drenne’s were not invincible either.
Her absorption of energy from the dead was not highly efficient, as it was through a requiem ceremony, unlike a human sacrifice.
But the number of dead was enormous.
If she were to absorb the energy from just about half of the dead in this place, Drenne’s power would surpass the Vengeful Spirit’s in an instant.
‘She would at least reach the brink of 9-Star (advancing).’
In particular, the most frightening thing was the absorption of enlightenment.
Of course, this, too, was an authority with its limits.
Because she was receiving the enlightenment that was wandering like a lingering thought, in fragments. It wasn't a complete enlightenment, and it was useless if she couldn't digest it herself.
The problem was that Drenne was also the owner of a talent for comprehension that was incomparable to anyone else.
Her age was just barely forty.
And yet, she had reached the end of 8-Star. Although its significance had faded with Chris’s appearance, it was the fastest achievement in the entire Magus Empire.
Even if she possessed a special authority, it would have been impossible without talent.
‘If Drenne succeeds in accepting even a part of the Vengeful Spirit’s enlightenment as her own, she will become tremendously stronger.’
In the worst-case scenario, she could even set foot into 9-Star (advancing).
“Christian, don’t you have to duel Drenne in a week for the Vice-Lord contest? It would be better to kill her now.”
Chris let out a smirk.
Idrinne was afraid that Chris would be killed by Drenne during the contest.
‘Certainly, if I duel Drenne now, I have no chance of winning.’
Even if Drenne didn’t get any stronger than she was now, it would be impossible.
He couldn't even handle the Vengeful Spirit one-on-one in this battle.
But if Drenne were to get stronger from here, it would be a guaranteed defeat.
Although he had Demonic Radiance, it had many restrictions and couldn't be used easily.
“No, we will not fight Drenne today. It’s too much. Let’s back down for now.”
If a fight with Drenne were to break out, the magi of the Necromancy Demonic House would not just stand by quietly.
This time, their side would be the one to be annihilated.
“But!”
“It’s fine. Trust me.”
“!!”
He was saying that he would not lose to Drenne during the duel.
Idrinne bit her lip.
A gaze that could not shake off its worry.
No matter how great Chris was, there was only a week left.
But Chris did not bend his will.
“We will withdraw.”
“Yes, a wise decision. Our Necromancy Demonic House will take care of the aftermath, so disappear at once.”
It meant that she would send them away and dispose of the Curse Demonic House as the Necromancy Demonic House saw fit.
‘To think they would fall into the hands of the Necromancy Demonic House. The Curse Demonic House will be in a state where death would be a better alternative. No, is it useless even if they die?’
As long as they had fallen into the clutches of the Necromancy Demonic House, there was no rest. The dead would become undead, or their souls would be captured and become spirits.
The fate of the survivors was not very hopeful either.
Because there was no way they would treat those who had lost their power well.
From now on, the magi of the Curse Demonic House would be in a state no different from being the slaves of the Necromancy Demonic House.
And so, the magi of the Blood Sword Demonic House pulled out, and it was the moment Chris was about to leave last.
Drenne spoke to him.
With eyes flickering with greed.
“Take good care of your body. From now on, your everything will become mine.”
It meant that she would make Chris her undead after the duel.
Because Drenne’s specialty was to turn her opponents into undead while preserving their appearance from when they were alive.
He had heard that there was a limit to increasing the number of such special undead, but his gaze was that covetous of Chris.
Chris let out a smirk.
“We have something in common, surprisingly.”
“What?”
“I was also thinking of turning you into an undead. Someone of your level would be worth putting to work.”
“!!”
Chris let out a smirk.
“Let’s see in a week. Who will become whose undead.”
***
Afterward, he returned to the Blood Sword Demonic House.
Although they had won a great victory, the atmosphere was not good.
It was because of the contest for the Vice-Lord position that would take place in a week.
News had been delivered that Drenne, as expected, was accepting the power of death through the corpses of the magi of the Curse Demonic House.
The probability of Chris winning against Drenne was already low, but this was news that made it disappear entirely.
“This is enough, so how about returning to the Dark Alliance, Your Excellency? The Four Kings' Castle will never be able to threaten the Dark Alliance again.”
“That’s right, you’ve done more than enough. The Heads of the Houses are worried, too.”
“Uwaah! If something happens to Your Excellency, we won’t be safe either, will we?”
Kashmir, Marie, and Allos said with concern.
“Since it has come to this, I, too, will participate in the contest for the Vice-Lord position! I will weaken Drenne’s strength first.”
“I, too, will lend my strength. Because His Excellency is the savior of our house.”
“No, why us?”
“You be quiet.”
“Father, you be quiet.”
Idrinne and Berling said resolutely.
Rubinson had interjected in the middle and had only gotten an earful.
“Do not worry. I just have to win.”
“…So how do you plan to win? Drenne will now become stronger than the Vengeful Spirit.”
Idrinne said resolutely again.
“It is not too late! I will strike Drenne even now! She should be finishing up the requiem ceremony by now, so if we somehow come up with a vile scheme and stab her in the back, we may be able to eliminate her!”
“…That’s enough of that. I just have to get stronger before the duel.”
“…Do you know that there isn’t even a full week left until the duel?”
“Yes. What about it?”
Everyone looked at Chris with faces that had lost their words.
Everyone now knew that Chris was great. Throughout all of history, there would not be a single person like Chris.
But still, it was not something that was possible.
“Drenne might even set foot into 9-Star (advancing) this time.”
“That could happen.”
Chris did not deny it.
No, he had to assume that was almost certain.
Because in his past life, too, when the Vengeful Spirit had died at the hands of the Demon King of Dead Blood, Drenne had reached 9-Star (advancing) after snatching the Vengeful Spirit’s enlightenment through a requiem ceremony.
‘Even if it’s not completely 9-Star (advancing), I have to assume she’ll at least have a foot in it.’