165 - 24 Hearts

Chapter 165: The Land of Leisure and Culture, Urun Rumble, rumble! As three stone serpents approached, shaking the ground beneath them, Judah widened his eyes. His heart began to race in time with the seismic tremors. Despite having faced death numerous times, he couldn't help but feel tense. "Hooop!" Inhaling deeply, he summoned Artemia to his left hand. With a flash, a dagger appeared. Gripping it according to the <Mercenary Left-Handed Dagger Technique>, he snapped his wrist to throw it at the stone serpent on the far left and quickly summoned another to hurl at the rightward approaching serpent. Artemia, cutting through the air sharply, unleashed a burst of red energy due to Judah's magic. Then, he kicked off the ground, sprinting toward the stone serpent charging at him head-on. It approached with an intimidating presence, flipping the earth's crust as it came, its mouth wide open, roaring as though it intended to crush him to death. No throat was visible—merely an open maw ready to chew and squish. 'Cruel indeed.' Yet, who would die was a matter easily determined after facing off. Judah's eyes sharpened as he lowered his posture, springing high into the air with the power stored in his knees. At the same time, the red lines emitted from the two Artemia daggers thrown earlier shredded the left and right stone serpents. Thud! Thud! The sound was no longer the approaching footsteps, but rather rocks crashing to the ground. There was no need to verify it with his eyes. In the distance, Asmodeus appeared visibly shocked. Observing her reaction, Judah summoned several more Artemia daggers and threw them as gifts. Angered, the stone serpent beneath her lashed out at Judah. Gravity took hold of him, pulling him back toward the earth after his brief ascent. Holding his sword Yakal in both hands, he raised it above his head. As magic flowed through it, the blade's edge took on the form of a Flamberge, flickering with a dark violet aura. Yet, he did not slash down immediately. Even knowing that the stone serpent coming up to swallow him whole was not an emotional, living creature, Judah couldn't help but exclaim jovially. "It's a feint, you fool!" ─Shadow Sword Technique 4th Form ──Phantom Blade As the stone serpent approached, Judah's shadow reached forward, while he shot backward, propelled further into the air. The serpent's wide-open jaws snapped shut on Judah's shadow without hesitation. The impact was so intense that its teeth couldn't withstand the force and shattered with a crack. It seemed simple-minded, but that made it all the more terrifying. Judah landed lightly on the stony nose of the closed-mouth serpent and started sprinting. Running down the rigid, vertically rising body of a stone serpent was a mad endeavor, but for Judah, who couldn't fly, it was the only way. A strong wind blew up from below, passing and slapping against his cheek. The stone serpent was unexpectedly lengthy. As Judah reflexively stepped and ran downward, the blazing fortress of Urun came into view. Only after recognizing the fortress did he hear the cries of beasts and the screams of people. As for Jeanne… 'She'll be fine.' Sir Wolfram, a swordmaster, was with her, and at this time, Count Genue would be home, so there shouldn't be any need for concern. Convinced of their safety, Judah swiftly descended down the serpent's spine. Asmodeus squinted at Judah's descent, then let out a dismissive snort. While she looked down on him as undeserving of the shards, she seemed to acknowledge his competence. "He's got some skill, it seems." But that was all! "Shall we see how long you can last?" At Asmodeus's command, the stone serpent violently thrashed its body and tail. Glancing back, Judah saw the stone body undulating toward him like a wave. He leaped again, landing almost to the ground, so there was little to fear. Just as he touched the shaking earth, as if an earthquake had occurred, Arhil shouted worryingly from behind. "Judah! It’s dangerous!" Simultaneously, a faint golden light suffused his body, giving him a sense of lightness. But he already knew the danger, even without her warning. Her sacred power created glowing orbs around them, casting a colossal shadow overhead. He needed no other clues that something was descending upon him. 'Enrage.' Judah inhaled deeply, activating the skill embedded in Yakal. Instantly, an uncontrollable force surged from Yakal into his body. This strength boiled within him, making him feel he could destroy anything. A much stronger illusion, as if it aimed to consume his body, loomed but was effortlessly blocked by Judah's mental barrier. Yet Yakal did not relent. As a result, Judah's vision alternated between red and clear as if he wore crimson sunglasses. It’s bothersome. But this bothersome power is worth enduring. As the enormous tail descended overhead, Judah swung Yakal, infused with roiling red energy and tangible black magic. The <Enrage> not only amplified muscle strength but also enhanced skills, resulting in a Shadow Sword technique far more powerful than usual. ───! When Yakal sliced through the stone serpent's tail, the magic shrouding the sword exponentially expanded, severing a broader swath. The stone serpent's tail, animated by magic, was cleanly cut, displaying a pristine severed edge. Like an overheated barrel, the Flamberge's long blade emitted a faint red glow. "……." Wow. This isn't what I expected when I swung it. The severed tail of the stone serpent crashed to the ground, raising a thick cloud of dust. Through that dust, Asmodeus's spells came flying. She gave Judah no time to act; hundreds of magic spells descended like fireworks, painting a spectacular display aimed directly at him. However, this was no time to be in awe of the view. Judah swung his greatsword. The passive skill of Yakal, <Magic Defense>, erased the spells touching the blade as though wiping them clean with an eraser. Focused as she was on numbers, the magic used was elementary, inflicting no damage on him. The sheer power was astounding, though. The magic exploding around him, or burrowing deep into the ground, was laying waste to the surrounding area. 'She doesn't actually think this will bring me down, does she?' Even Arhil’s magic, which illuminated the air, struggled to pierce the thick dust. Even without the dust, the multicolored light from the barrage of spells would have been just as blinding. Suddenly, the stone serpent whose tail had been severed reared its head from behind. Fwoosh— Breaking through the dust, Judah unleashed the pre-summoned Artemia daggers upon the approaching stone serpent and pressed forward through the deluge of spells. Despite having no visibility, his <Map> skill allowed him to orient himself accurately toward Asmodeus. After running a fair distance, thinking he had broken through the dust and smoke, Judah sensed a searing projectile shooting straight toward him. Instinctively raising Yakal, he felt a strong backward force. "Urgh!" A metallic clang heralded an explosion of flames right before his eyes. Thanks to his enhanced vision, it didn't blind him, but it might as well have. Soaring in the air was Asmodeus's flaming whip! "How dare you try to get closer!" As she shouted, the whip snapped violently, dividing into six tendrils, whipping the air indiscriminately like vicious tentacles. Every strike pounded the earth, tearing it apart. Judah deftly dodged, using Yakal and Artemia to cut through the threatening strikes. While formidable, his extraordinary weapons allowed him to counter effectively. "Hmph!" Yet Asmodeus remained unfazed, smirking defiantly as she retracted her severed whip and slammed the ground once more. "Those who wield magic must always have contingency plans." At her words, a massive magic circle carved itself into the ground. Mystical symbols and illustrations glowed ominously, as though preparing for Asmodeus's finishing blow. A satisfied grin spread across her face. However, Judah matched her gaze, smiling just as confidently. "…?" "Sorry to disappoint." Standing on the glowing magic circle, Judah invoked Valentine's <Dispel>. The magic was formidable, consuming a significant amount of Valentine’s power. With his energies nearly depleted and replenished once by the shard’s might, the magic circle’s activation was forcibly halted. "What have you done!?" For the first time, Asmodeus appeared genuinely shocked. Judah closed the distance with a single bound, knocking the reattached whip aside with Artemia in his left hand, and pulled Yakal back, activating the <Shadow Sword Technique 3rd Form, One Point>, thrusting with all his might. The Flamberge morphed into a lance, piercing between her voluptuous breasts. Yet Judah’s strike pierced nothing but air. Just like her body wasn’t of this world, Asmodeus retreated, dodging by phasing through his attack. Watching her withdraw, Judah cast Yakal aside and sprinted toward her, announcing: "!" "I anticipated that you'd slip away like that." Though unsure of the precise spell, he’d suspected she'd evade that way. With the shard’s power, he’d sought to annul her magic forcibly, but his lower magical reserves merely disrupted it. However, that was enough. Artemia’s tangible blade found solidity beneath her chest, slicing into her abdomen. This time, her evasion was impossible. Her violet hair flared, blood spilling from her wound. "Ugh!" She grunted in pain, her face contorted as she clutched the deep abdominal cut, sinking helplessly to the ground. The slice was deep; along with piercing vital organs, Artemia’s blade had likely nicked her spine. Though she struggled, she looked up at Judah with a pained smile. "This is…unexpected. I didn't think I'd suffer such a loss…!" "Do I still seem unworthy of holding a shard?" "Heh... Do you…really think this...is the end? Killing me won’t…close the gate!" Judah stepped closer, crouching to her level. "I know. There's something I’d like to say too." "…?" He extended his left hand. The shard <Carpe Diem of Subjugation>, resembling crow-carved obsidian, ensnared her form. The minimum condition for subjugation was fulfilled. "What…are you planning to do to me!" She stared at Judah, bewildered and angry, yet he gave no answer. The puzzling aspect was whether this Asmodeus was an avatar. If the avatar were subjugated, would the original be subjugated too? And if the avatar died, would subjugation transfer upon its return to the original form? It was an ability he'd like to test in various scenarios. "Don’t... mess with me!" At that moment, a powerful shockwave erupted from her body, sending Judah flying backward. He rolled a couple of times across the ground before managing to stand, eyes locked on Asmodeus, who was now engulfed in flames. "I don’t know if this is another trick Valentine has up their sleeve…! But to think you'd try to subjugate me! Not a chance!" The once alluring body of Asmodeus began to burn away like blackened paper. Even as her physical form turned to ash, she glared at Judah with a murderous intensity. "Fine. You can keep the shard for now. If you aim to gather more shards…! If you're determined to truly subjugate me…! Then come find me. With your knowledge of my name, my power, and my current state, you should know where I reside!" And with those final words, her entire form was consumed by flames. In the raging inferno, she was nowhere to be found. ---------= Author’s Notes ---------= 1) Thursday, December 6, 2016, Slightly Chilly Weather It seems like my school life is slowly coming to an end. Next week, I have exams from Monday through Thursday. If luck is on my side, all the exams will be over in one week, but if not, they will stretch over two weeks. Either way, it’s a disaster. I’ve finished one hellish assignment, but another one is due tomorrow. I need to rush to write and finish my assignments. And also study for my exams. I sigh at the fact that yet another day has passed so quickly, but I find comfort in the coupons and comments my readers leave after reading my work. …However, while checking the comments, I came across a rather alarming one. I should be cautious. - I planned to write this from the middle yesterday but couldn’t finish, so I didn’t post it. - I apologize. - For the record, I prefer steamed dumplings over fried ones. 2) Wednesday, December 7, 2016, Slightly Chilly Weather The exams have been announced to last for two weeks. The author is in turmoil. What shall the author do? ──────────────┐ ▶ Take the exams Escape with chicken ──────────────┘ ──────────┐ Student's Motivation ▶Grind for an A Persevere Continue Writing ──────────┘ The author grinds for an A! The effect was ??