Episode 934 Annihilation (1)
Boom… … .
The labyrinth shakes.
I don’t know exactly where it is, but it seems a battle beyond imagination is taking place. There is no doubt that the epicenter is below, not above.
“The slope is downward. I think this is the right way.”“I really hope so.”
Grave flew rapidly through the passageway holding a short sword and a dagger. Aldanis and Eon’s expedition quickly followed behind him.
It feels like the situation has changed rapidly.
The Mummy Knights that had been lining the maze just moments ago have vanished without a trace. Did an exploration team from another faction discover the Dragon Sword?Or perhaps Adrian, acting alone, is approaching the center of the island.
In any case, you must not stop moving.
The expedition’s strength is intact to the extent that a retreat is not even considered.
“?!”“……!”
I encountered a large group in a relatively wide space where passageways intersected. I know who they are. The one at the forefront is the Sword Saint of the Empire.
The exploration teams of the Arnach Empire and Eon, having recognized each other, put the brakes on.
“……I don’t see the War Lord.”
Grave spoke.Sword Saint Frivalt answered briefly.
“Mind your own business.”“Are you looking for a path leading deeper underground, even within the Empire?”
Aldanis put strength into his voice.
We are the same way.
The internal and external relations between Eon and the Arnark Empire were not particularly bad. In fact, they were rather friendly. There was no reason for them to be hostile in the first place.For this reason, Aldanis indirectly proposed a joint exploration.
There are three passages here.
Since the Empire and Eon had each passed through one passage, they were in a situation where they had no choice but to head toward the one remaining passage.
“…….”
Frivalt tapped the sword handle and was lost in thought for a moment.
Due to the mass appearance of mummies, Legrit’s tracks were cut off, and we ended up losing her. To make matters worse, the waves of the labyrinth were reversed once again.
We cannot afford to waste time here.
Although reluctant, Eon is at least a decent force to cooperate with. Frivalt made the most rational judgment possible in his own way.
“Alright. I’ll take the lead—”
Boom.
The labyrinth rang out violently.
what?
The amount of impact is different from before.
A massive earthquake, powerful enough to split the entire island in two, is shaking the whole space. Unable to maintain their balance, the expedition members leaned on the walls or relied on the staff.
Frivalt turned his head sharply toward the third passageway and glared.
‘This spine-chilling wave… surely not.’
Immediately afterwards, Aldanis and Grave also held their breath at the immense magical power piercing through the walls of the labyrinth and turned their gaze straight to the side.
Far away in the darkness───a dark red light leaked out from inside the passageway.
“Th-that is.”“It is Emperor Verden’s magic……!”
The passageway collapsed.
Kwag
The irresistible pressure of wildly fluctuating magic and the subsequent aftershock sweeping through the entire passage struck the two exploration teams.
A magical path connecting the surface and the underground.
A massive thunderbolt that fell from the sky pierced the labyrinth.
* * *
‘The quality of this magical power is definitely not at the same 7th-tier level as me… …! Did you temporarily raise your level? By breaking through the hierarchy of the Transcendents?’
Indren could not even think of pulling out the magic sword stuck in his abdomen, and after paying attention to the changes occurring in Verden, he soon raised his head.
Something is coming.
The ceiling crumbles into pieces.
A thunderbolt descended from the dark red sky covering the island in the Hiaremar Inland Sea, piercing vertically through the underground ruins and reaching the bottom.
A thunderous sound that tears the eardrums.It is hard to even open my eyes.
A lightning strike of a size never seen before, comparable to the collective scale, struck directly over Verden and settled upon
Bendie and Indren drew up their remaining energy and magic power from their positions.They concentrated all their strength on defense.
Their physical injuries were quite deep. Their resistance was weakened as they had been struck twice by the barrage of dark red lightning from the storm alongside Draven.On top of that, Vendie was suffering from the backlash of his transcendental abilities.
“Again, a new super-tier magic… …? No. That’s too reckless. If we’re not careful, it could inflict permanent damage to Verden’s very existence… …!” “If you take a direct hit from Verden’s power right now, you might experience problems with homeostasis.”
The two transcendents felt a much greater sense of crisis from their ally Verden than when they faced Draven, who had transplanted the body of the old king.
Verden took two flasks out of the subspace and threw them. They landed unbroken at the feet of Bendie and Indren.
“This is a potion crafted with a gift from an elf. Use it to recover.”
In the midst of a devastating lightning strike, Verden gripped his staff tightly.
A series of electric shocks exploded.
The space trembled.
The entire community split.
Verden, assuming the stance of a spear throwing weapon while releasing infinite magical power of destruction, stared directly into the darkness leading to the end of the labyrinth with his dark red demonic eyes.
So that I don’t die even if I get caught up in it.
The moment it pushed off the ground with its hind legs, a turbulence swept across the entire island. As thunder burst forth, a dark red radiance exploded.The concept of destruction illuminating the final passage through which Draben Lemarque had fled.
Verden vanished like a flash of light.
* * *
It was a fierce melee.
Adrian’s lightsaber, targeting only blind spots with invisible speed, and Mauler’s gauntlet, relying on his own resistance to break through the front, relentlessly aimed for Lunesica’s neck along with the Altar of Immortality.
Purple sword energy shoots out wildly.
It was a truly excessive offensive,as if it would split everything in the space, including the altar, not just Lunesica.
Crunch.
Lunesica gritted her teeth and slammed her palm on the floor.
[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!][Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!]
The screams of the souls pierced through the listeners, damaging their mental realms.Ignoring resistance.Although the degree varies depending on mental strength, even a transcendent being’s mind is inevitably damaged. As the two transcendent beings faltered, the Arch Lich unleashed dark magic.
Soul Corruption
Spiritual Delusion
He is not a simple Arch Lich who only handles 6th-tier magic. He is a special entity to which Lunesica was empowered by sacrificing a soul.Although his resistance may be very weak compared to others, he is specialized in inflicting damage on Transcendents by wielding Lunesica’s unique magic.
One: Resistance is a weakness, but it is not a weakness.
Because two specially made Knights of the Apocalypse take over all defenses. These are the three undead guarding Lunesica.
Double Casting: The Army of the Lion
Triple Casting:
Lunesica summoned a number of undead enough to almost fill the space excluding the altar and then infused their morale with madness.
The Knight of the Apocalypse blocks the approach of the transcendents.
The rampaging undead rushed at the Knight of the Apocalypse and the Transcendent, covering them with their entire bodies and transforming into a single seal.
“… … It would have been easy if even one of them hadn’t adapted to transcendence.”
Lunesica bit her lip as she saw the crack in the soul seal.She clenched her hands.
Body Explosion
A furious wind raged inside the cavern due to the massive explosion. Corrupt smoke originating from the aura of death settled down in all directions.
Whoosh!
Adrian emerged through the smoke. After exchanging blows with the Knight of the Apocalypse, he pushed him aside and unleashed four slashes on Lunesica.She defended by erecting a Wall of Souls, leaving a shallow cut on the nape of her neck.
Chain Ring – Mad Wheel
Mauler shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet, leaned forward, and rotated. Fists, forearms, elbows, knees, shins, and even the insteps.Every type of strike possible with his limbs raged like a whirlwind.
Boom!
The Knight of the Apocalypse was slammed into the ground as his armor was dented in places. Mauler’s martial energy passed through Lunesica and struck the altar.
“Tsk, what a troublesome black mage bitch.”“Does it look like an altar that will crumble to you? If that were the case, I wouldn’t have started.”
As soon as Adrian and Mauler invaded, they used three of the five artifacts to strengthen the altar’s morale and covered it with a curtain.
The altar will not be broken.
I have no intention of even giving that opportunity.
The means prepared by Lunesica clashed with Adrian and Mauler once again. As they collided again and again, the wounds on their bodies and minds grew.Since her objective was to thoroughly stall for time, she devoted all her strength to holding on.
It was then.
Boom… … .
The unknown loud noise that had been bothering me for a while suddenly seemed to be getting very close when I leaned in. The cavity trembled from the vibration, and soon a cracking sound brushed past my ears.
Kwaaaaang!
Legritt, having burst through the wall near the high ceiling of the common area, flapped his two wings in mid-air and landed forcefully on the floor.Lunesica, Mauler, and Leonhardt, witnessing the appearance of a dragonman for the first time, opened their eyes wide.
“What is this?”“I finally found it.”
Legrit let out a deep breath.
I thought I was going to get exhausted on the way.
Following her, the other two who had assisted her also came down together. They looked considerably exhausted from breaking through the labyrinth, but their resolve remained unwavering and strong.
Cardinal of Justice, Gregorvan.The perfect adventurer, Lydian… … Real name Castian.
Ritual of Immortality!
Gregorban, befitting a Cardinal of the Ruas Church, detected a high concentration of fraud. He pointed to the composition of the altar and the coffins lined up beyond it.
“Each body is regressing…! This is a disaster! There isn’t much time left until the ritual ends! We must destroy the altar somehow before then!”
Gregorban gathered divine power and immediately assumed a battle stance. There was no room to spare for the fatigue accumulated layer upon layer, both internally and externally.Rest could wait until all assigned duties were fulfilled!
“Hmm?! How did the Saint get here?!”
Gregorvan was shocked when he realized Leonhardt was sealed in the corner.Meanwhile, Castian was seething with anger.
Lunesica Anternoa.
Castian aimed his sword at the Transcendent being he had seen time and time again at the Xerion Imperial Castle. She did not recognize him because he was wearing a helmet.
Cold sweat ran down Lunesica’s spine.
“You said that roar was the sound of the labyrinth shattering…? Surely this ruin would have limited the detection range. How on earth did they know I was here and come here?”
At this point, the opponent’s increase in power was not anticipated.
It’s a disaster.
Especially a human possessing the characteristics of a dragon… the level of the War Lord of the Arnark Empire is extraordinary. He might even be on par with a transcendent being.
The balance we had barely maintained has been broken.
Luneska stepped back. Just as a minute was divided into 60 parts to become a second, that second was again divided into dozens, and the world flowed slowly.
This… … can’t be stopped.
Luneska revealed his presence at the World Conference.
The enemy was all too clear.
The powerful figures of the continent moved without exchanging many words. Cardinal Gregorban performed a miracle and weakened death.
A chaotic battle broke out.
As weights were added to the shaky balance of the scales, the ambiguous equilibrium vanished, and the flow of the battle unfolded unilaterally.
King Myeongjong
wild dance
A golden thunderstorm erupted from Legrit’s gauntlet and struck the Knight of the Apocalypse. Adrian unleashed a barrage of countless sword energy in an instant.Severing the armor and sword, along with the body, into hundreds of pieces, he left behind afterimages.
Chain Attack – Extermination
Castian, who had positioned himself behind the other Knight of the Apocalypse who was blocking Mauler’s barrage of attacks, pierced the Knight of the Apocalypse’s back with a single blow.Mauler, gripping the blade, twisted his body and pulled his arm up with all his might. The undead, split apart from the chest to the head as if crushed, returned to death.
‘I can nullify a near-instant fatal wound with [Sacrifice] seven times. But even if I come back to life here, I won’t be able to do anything and will just die right away.’
The bracelet [Sacrifice] adorning Lunesica’s wrist transfers the shock received by the owner to the soul contained within the jewel.It was thanks to this ancient artifact that she was able to survive the magic of Verden, which was transmitted from the possessed body to the main body towards the end of the World Conference.
The remaining time, huh?
Lunesica flinched.
“Suddenly, the pace of my consciousness quickened. This, ah, ahh!!! Finally… …”
Shaaaaaa───
From behind, the chilling death licked the nape of her neck. Her body trembled. It was fear, and a joy like never before.
His Majesty has awakened.
It is not she who is currently leading the ritual of immortality, but His Majesty Xerion himself. The True Soul Ritual is merely a stepping stone for His Majesty’s descent.
All that remains is to gather the power to complete immortality.
Lunesica split her soul in two, leading the last remaining Lich.
One serves the role of drawing the enemies’ attention by activating super-level magic, and the other is intended to use the Heart Soul True Emperor as a medium to grant His Majesty an additional power called a soul.
The price for temporarily separating the soul is the death of the body.
I don’t care.
If His Majesty Xerion is resurrected as the King of Death, everything will be resolved. A world will come where only death exists and the concept of life vanishes.
Concentrate all magical power into the Arch Lich.Draw out all souls residing in [Sacrifice], rendering them unable to revive, in exchange for drastically reducing the casting time required for Super-tier magic.
Facing the murderous intent of the transcendents directed at her, Lunesica was convinced of victory.
Paaaaat!
A holy light illuminated the darkness.
The man who had been briefly erased from Lunesica’s sights raised the Holy Sword high.As soon as the Knight of the Apocalypse was dealt with, Regrit rushed in and freed Leonhardt. The dragon’s claws—no, fingernails—tear apart magic.
‘It’s not a seal that would be shattered in a single blow… … Ah.’
A sword mark remaining on the collapsing and fading seal caught his eye. The moment Adrian had fired off an excessive amount of sword energy flashed through his mind.
Cheongeom, that wretched bastard.
Leonhardt unleashed his rage.
Just before Runeshiki manifested the super-level magic, the holy sword sliced through the vertical.
God’s miracle.
Judgment: Execution
A divine slash bisected the Arch Lich and the essence of super-level magic residing within it, erasing all the morale opposing the light.
The Breath of Myeongryong
Mujeon – Daetaeryun
Legrit’s breath and Mauler’s technique shook the altar.Lunesica, who had barely escaped with her upper right body ruptured, stretched out her arm to enter the Heart Soul Ritual in order to transfer at least some of her soul’s power.
Transcendence.
Series
The light sword [Silendar] sliced through space.
Lunesica’s remaining arm and intact leg were mercilessly severed. Her neck was also split in half, and the blood gushing out formed a puddle.She desperately plugged the wound on her neck with her forearm, which was now just a wrist.
“C-c-c-c-c-c-c-a-just-a little more…….”
Lunesica’s breath is fading away.
However, even with the transcendental era, divine miracles, seasonal eras, and Legrit’s breath, the Heart Soul True Emperor was merely cracked and had not yet collapsed.
If I pour all my power into this, can I break it?
We have to break it somehow.
As everyone became convinced and exerted their full power, Adrian’s communication device responded. Adrian spoke into the bracelet without hesitation.
“My Lord, currently…….”
Maximize your resistance.
I could feel anger in the Lord’s voice.
I’ll erase everything.
… … !
A powerful presence was felt from the rear.
Before even Adrian could move, Draven flew in like a beam of light.His entire body was battered and bruised, but he struck the Heart Soul Ritual and did not fall back. Draven grabbed Lunesika and threw her inside the altar curtain.
“His Majesty, hurry!”“Ah…….”
Lunesica nodded with unwavering determination and crawled toward the old king’s coffin.
You just have to hold on a little longer.Just a tiny bit.
Draven stood in front of the entrance to buy even that brief moment. It was the moment Mauler was about to step forward, muttering, “Tenacity bastards.”
The entire labyrinth shook.A torrent of tremendous force was felt from behind.
Adrian shouted.
Power, raise the resistance!
A dark red glow flashed along with the thunder.
Verden, who had appeared following Draven in an instant, stomped on the ground. With the power in his forelegs, the entire cavity split apart, dividing into thousands of pieces of gold.Verden, who had become Destruction… itself, glared directly at Draven.
Just disappear now.
Neither a union of concepts.Nor a connection of magic.One that requires no counting.
A single streak of dark red lightning.
Super-level magic.
Extinction
The
The Heart Soul True Emperor was destroyed.
Lunesica, who was crawling toward the coffin, looked back blankly. Red cracks appeared all over her body, and light radiated out.
“……uh?”
Lunesica Anternoa was destroyed.
Kwagwagwagwagwagwagwagwa!
