Chapter 1043: Force
Chapter 1043: Force
"In the midst of the chaos, the clones of the Commandments intervened," the undead explained. "But they didn't act recklessly because they didn't want to antagonize the Administrator. It was still too early for that."
"Too early..." Alexander repeated under his breath.
"The God's Will knows things about this world that others don't. They are erasing all those connected to the calamity. So, do not ever speak of it again. If they learn that you possess knowledge about the calamity, they will exterminate you, your family, and anyone associated with you."
The undead paused, allowing Alexander a moment to absorb the gravity of his words. After a few seconds, he resumed speaking. "Have you, perhaps, heard of the Cold Break Incident?"
Alexander shook his head.
"The Cold Break Incident happened thousands of years ago," the undead began. "The holders of the Cosmic Sign at that time perished, and no one knows how or why. It's strange, considering the holders of the Cosmic Sign are powerful, even among the gods-yet they were wiped out, just like that. My friend, the Isolated Formation God, and I investigated it, and we discovered traces of the calamity behind the incident."
The undead's gaze turned serious as he continued, "Avoid the topic of the calamity at all costs. It's too early for you to delve into it. Even gods aren't safe if they seek out more knowledge about it. And the God's Will-well, they're especially cautious when it comes to the calamity. They wouldn't hesitate to offend the Holy Land if it meant dealing with this." "I understand," Alexander replied, nodding solemnly.
"Good," the undead said, his voice resolute. "Now, let's begin and purge this filth from the world."
...
On the battlefield, Souta and Fhe exchanged high-speed blows.
Bang! Bang!
Souta realized that his opponent was growing stronger with each passing second. For beings of their caliber, a second was more than enough time to execute thousands of moves. Yet no matter how many times Souta destroyed Fhe's body, the undead simply regenerated, returning with even greater force.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for him.
'Souta, you have to destroy its soul, body, and energy source at the same time. And the most crucial thing... is the corruption. You have to extinguish it as well,' Saya's voice echoed in his mind, her tone urgent.
"It's easier said than done. Doing all that simultaneously is no small feat. Besides, I don't even know how to extinguish the corruption," Souta muttered, his sword clashing with Fhe's relentless assault.
He leapt into the air and raised his hand, his blood expanding outward and transforming into hundreds of crimson spears, ready to strike.
With a simple motion, hundreds of blood spears flew forward, tearing through the skeleton army.
Bang!!
From within the smoke, the undead Fhe emerged, his energy level surging dangerously close to Hero-rank.
Swoosh!!
In a blur, Fhe vanished from sight and reappeared right in front of Souta. Startled, Souta's eyes widened as he instinctively raised his weapon.
His reaction was quick enough to block the attack, but the sheer force behind Fhe's blow sent him crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater upon impact.
Bang!
Debris of rocks exploded in all directions.
Souta stood up from the crater, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
"Damn, I have to keep up the pace."
He cursed under his breath as two artifacts flew beside the [Orb of Arcane Seal]. The [Darkness Hourglass] and [Goblet of the Night], both dark grade, joined the fray.
He activated their skills: [Darkness Time], [Traceless World], [Carpet of the Night], and [Darkness Sweep].
Once again, he clashed with the undead Fhe.
Bang!! Bang!!
The tide of battle seemed relentless. The undead continued to surge in overwhelming numbers, using their sheer force like a tsunami to press the Nine Heads into a corner.
Souta knew they wouldn't last long at this rate. As he battled Fhe, he was continuously harassed by the undead, their attacks chipping away at him. While the minor attacks from SS- rank undead were manageable, the cumulative damage from SSS-rank adversaries was significant. Even Fourth and Fifth Shackle-level enemies could make an impact, albeit small.
The number of skeletons destroyed during the fight reached tens of thousands, and notifications flashed continuously as Souta unleashed a storm of blood spears across the battlefield.
Boom!!
Souta stepped forward, closing the distance to Fhe. A sword of blood materialized in his other hand, and with dual blades, his class ability was fully activated.
Fhe roared in response, charging with an overwhelming intent to kill.
[Crimson Moon]!
Souta unleashed the skill repeatedly in a single second, activating [Soul Blood Mode] briefly. His attacks sliced through Fhe's body and soul, scattering them into several pieces.
'What's your current mastery over your Archetype?' Saya asked.
"Archetype? I can only use the First Form right now. I'm attempting to train it to the Second Form, but I keep failing," Souta replied.
'Then, you will not be able to do much. Archetypes at a certain level can destroy the source of corruption. You could also negate this type of immortality if you were stronger.'
"Well, I can still keep up... I've got plenty of aces left. It all comes down to Alexander," Souta
said.
Swoosh!!
Fhe reappeared, restored from the destruction of his body and soul.
Souta took a deep breath and braced himself. He could sense that Fhe had grown stronger
once again based on the energy he was exuding.
Suddenly, he took a step back and slashed his sword to the side.
Swoosh!!
Two powerful ghouls appeared, clashing fiercely with the massive energy blade. Souta felt a few of his doppelgangers being destroyed as the enemies surged towards him.
The [Nebula Heart] and monster core pumped a massive amount of energy into his body. Souta concentrated his energy within the sword, preparing for the incoming onslaught.
Ohm!!Nôv(el)B\\jnn
The corruption loomed, breaking everything apart. The air vibrated as a colossal wave of energy surged like a tsunami, sweeping through the battlefield.
Fhe gathered his energy and charged at Souta with immense force.
Souta's muscles tensed as he raised his hand. Crimson energy flared from his sword as he
braced for the incoming attack.
Just as Fhe reached him, Souta prepared to strike. However, he suddenly felt something amiss. The corruption from the enemy brazenly enveloped him, piercing through his defenses
and seeping into his flesh.
"ARGH!!"
The excruciating pain overwhelmed him, far beyond what even his high pain tolerance could handle. The energy in his sword erupted uncontrollably, surging through the space above as he lost focus. The vast energy in his sword went wild, spiraling out of control.
At the next moment, Fhe's hand flashed. The sharp claws cut through Souta's chest, creating a huge, gaping hole. His heart was torn apart, but the hole quickly closed under the effect of the
parasitic essence eater.
"What the hell is this?!" Souta gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain.
'Your resistance to corruption has weakened. The power of Imperium that was protecting you
has momentarily vanished,' Saya explained. She sensed the shift that allowed the undead to
harm Souta.
"Dammit!" Souta cursed.
Is the Imperium playing with him?
Just taking back the power like that. If he couldn't regenerate, he would've surely died right
now.
"Shit!"
Souta could still feel intense pain coursing through his body. He roared, and crimson-colored lightning burst from his body. Blood seeped out of his pores and covered him, forming armor.
[Blood Armor: Great Black Orc]!
His aura surged dramatically as the blood lightning spread through the area, obliterating
thousands of undead in an instant.
Boom!!
Eight Head and the rest turned their heads, sensing the intense energy fluctuations. They saw
a vast wave of crimson lightning surging like a tidal wave.
"Seventh Head..." Third Head muttered.
"The famed crimson lightning of the Seventh Head," Fourth Head said.
They knew that things were getting worse if the enemy had forced the famed Blood Lightning
Monster to use this power. This was the power that made the Blood Lightning Monster renowned throughout the Hall Plains, and his name even reached other lands.
Still, the massive amount of energy from the undead clashed with the lightning. The clash
caused intense friction in the air and space.
The undead Fhe roared fiercely, his killing intent soaring through the air.
He looked ahead and, in the next moment, realized that Souta had grabbed his face.
Swoosh!!
Souta dragged the undead Fhe deeper into the darkness, crossing the vast land in just a second. Thousands of skeletons were destroyed in the process.
Then, he threw Fhe heavily into the ground, causing a massive crater.
Souta landed on the floor, staring at the undead. He was still experiencing excruciating pain,
but he didn't show it on his face.
"So this is how the Imperium plays, huh? I don't even give a shit about it. If you're going to
take it back, then take it back."
He opened his palm, and lightning flashed across his body. His aura rose sharply as white
smoke seeped out from his feet.
Souta looked down and said, "You know what? I've been trying to test the limits of my new power in the past week. I don't need it to fight the corruption. I alone am enough."
He stabbed his sword forward. The blade pierced through the space, causing a rift to open in
front of him.
"Dream is reality. Reality is a dream."
White smoke poured out of the rift, enveloping the area. A strange power erupted, shaking the
entire place.
"Right now, my voice is the rule, my body is the land, and my blood is the ocean. I am
everything. Hahahaha!"
Souta combed his hair with his hand as he laughed madly.
"I call it [Dream of the Twilight Blood]."
In an instant, the entire scenery transformed. A vast crimson sky stretched above, with the sun
trapped in perpetual twilight. Darkness and light flowed across the land, and crimson
lightning flashed erratically.
Fhe and the tens of thousands of undead caught in the transformation were overwhelmed.
The pressure exerted by this realm affected not only their bodies but also their very souls.
Souta hovered in the sky, his hands clasped behind his back. A faint smile played on his lips as
he spoke.
"Welcome to my dreamscape, undead."