svetikya Page 14
Page 14
Kal'tsit's voice carried a rare hint of urgency, one she herself was unaware of. Having traversed Terra for millennia, she had witnessed countless unpredictable Originium Arts and the miracles created by countless genius sorcerers, but she had never encountered an "anomaly" like Kane!
He was just trying to cut off my connection with Mon3tr!
Kane's attempt failed, but Kal'tsit dared not take any more risks. Mon3tr was an inseparable part of her life! Losing Mon3tr would mean Kal'tsit's true death! She was not afraid of death, but her death was not now—the beautiful vision of Babel had not yet been realized, Terra's future still needed to be protected, and she had to live.
"Ha, you're backing down already?"
""
Kane steadied himself, watching the dark green behemoth return to Kal'tsit's side, a smile playing on his lips. Kal'tsit's reaction far exceeded expectations, even surpassing his anticipated effect! This proved his thinking was correct, only lacking one more thing… Kane quickly devised a plan on how to defeat and control Kal'tsit.
A ruthless and efficient tactic took shape in his mind, and he immediately made a decision.
"Try this trick of mine!"
Kane activated the pure Originium ring on his finger, instantly constructing a powerful spell. The air distorted under the intense heat, and scorching flames gathered and compressed wildly before him, radiating a terrifying aura of destruction. The condensed Originium energy was incredibly concentrated, as hot as the core of a furnace, its power comparable to a full-force attack from a warlock in the Ursus Legion!
With a gentle push from Kane's palm, the suspended, fully charged flames of destruction did not shoot towards the prepared Kal'tsit, but instead transformed into a scorching heatwave that hurtled towards the unconscious bodies of the Doctor, Amiya, and Theresa on the ground not far away!
Despicable! Shameless! Inhuman! Countless angry curses echoed in Kal'tsit's mind, but she didn't even have time to utter them! Those three were her weakness, everything she had to protect! Kane's attack was precise, ruthless, and extremely effective!
"How dare you—!" Kal'tsit's pupils contracted sharply, a crack of rage appearing on her eternally icy face. Without any command, the instinct to protect drove Mon3tr into a streak of dark green lightning, instantly blocking the scorching torrent between the three figures on the ground!
"boom--!!!"
Chapter 39 Terra's Sumeru
The deafening roar of the explosion didn't materialize; instead, the raging flames and blast slammed into Mon3tr's indestructible body. The blast, powerful enough to melt metal and sever iron, failed to shatter the crystalline behemoth, but the immense impact force forcefully repelled and suppressed it. This brief opening was precisely the opportunity Kane had been calculating!
Kal'tsit—her wisdom transcends time, her knowledge is unfathomable. Regardless of the era, she is undoubtedly a wise woman. If she so desired, her all-knowing wisdom would be enough to overthrow a powerful dynasty. The Sarkaz Wars of National Defense are just the most famous example.
However, she is not omniscient or omnipotent. A fatal weakness always exists: her own physical strength is considered weak in Terra, a land teeming with powerful individuals. She lacks world-destroying Originium Arts, and she doesn't possess the physical strength to shatter mountains; her physical endurance is only comparable to that of an average operator. All her combat abilities reside in her other half—Mon3tr.
Now, Mon3tr is temporarily blocked by the flames and smoke of the explosion!
Kane's figure broke through the billowing smoke like a ghost, carrying a chilling killing intent, and had already attacked Kal'tsit! The Originium Arts he had gathered in his hand flashed coldly, and the next strike was aimed directly at Kal'tsit's unsuspecting throat!
A cold, decisive thought flashed through Kane's mind:
General!
However, even faster than Kane's killing intent was a purple, cold light that tore through the dust—Ascalon!
Theresa's soul-piercing sigh as she fell as the Sarkaz Demon Lord had already resonated in the ears of all her kin. Far off on the outer front of Kazdel, she had vanished the moment she heard that mournful cry, disappearing like a shadow into the night, stealthily returning to the Rhodes Island. She concealed all traces, to guard against any remaining enemies, until she witnessed the carnage within the command hall.
Her countless assassination experiences, teetering on the brink of death, endowed her with the ability to identify corpses—Princess Theresa has passed away.
Anger, confusion, and a deep-seated hatred surged and burned within her like magma, threatening to consume her reason. But these emotions, enough to break an ordinary person, were ultimately suppressed by her honed assassin's instincts, transforming into a purer, colder focus. She sank her raging fury deep into her very bones, like a weightless shadow, silently concealing herself at the edge of the battlefield, her icy gaze fixed on Cain, who was locked in combat with Kal'tsit.
Although Kal'tsit and the others knew of Cain's existence from Ascalon's intelligence, they had never seen his face. Ascalon, however, was different—she had fought him and knew his enigmatic and dangerous nature. A reckless charge would only alert him.
She was waiting, waiting for the moment when all her power, timing, and killing intent could be concentrated to the extreme—the moment when Kane thought victory was in his grasp and all his attention was focused on Kal'tsit!
The opportunity is coming!
Amidst the thick smoke and dust billowing from the explosion, a barely perceptible wisp of Ascalon's purple smoke mingled. Kane's gaze was fixed on Kal'tsit, completely unaware of the deadly shadow behind him. A top assassin's all-out sneak attack—precise, deadly, and utterly silent!
This time, Kane sensed her as before, but Ascalon had already learned her lesson. Even if Kane noticed, he couldn't avoid the sneak attack; all his power was directed towards Kal'tsit, which was Ascalon's plan for him.
The cold blade, like a viper's fang, pierced Kane's abdomen without resistance! It wasn't a fatal wound—Ascalon remained lucid. A living "Cain" was far more valuable than a corpse. She wanted him captured alive, tortured, and every detail of the truth behind His Highness's demise! And who was involved behind it all!
"Roar—!" Liu Yiqi Yisi
Mon3tr's roar rang out almost simultaneously with the piercing of the blade! Kal'tsit, Mon3tr, and Ascalon—the three instantly formed a pincer movement, trapping the bleeding Kane in the middle! Crimson blood dripped rapidly; this was the first time he had suffered such a direct and severe wound.
"The checkmate is here—" Ascalon's voice was as cold as ice.
“This time, my knife is poisoned.” She looked at the wound on Kane’s waist, her tone carrying an absolute sense of control.
"You can't feel the pain, Cain—you've lost." Just as she said, Kane could only feel the warm blood flowing out, and the pierced area was numb—this was a powerful neurotoxin specially formulated to capture enemies.
"Is that so?" Kane's voice came through the billowing smoke and dust, and surprisingly, there was little sign of panic.
“But I don’t think so.”
He was truly shocked by Ascalon's sudden attack. * U705.COM First Release If she hadn't intended to capture him alive, and that stab had been aimed at his heart or head... the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Ascalon—you made a fatal mistake. Next time, remember to aim for my heart!" Kane's voice suddenly turned fierce.
Before she could finish speaking, Ascalon realized something was wrong—she quickly made her move, attempting to inflict another injury on Kane.
But Kane was even faster! A thick gray mist suddenly erupted from Kane's body! His body rapidly etherealized and dissolved within the gray mist, eventually merging completely with the churning mist and disappearing from the spot!
This unbelievable sight caused Kal'tsit and Ascalon's pupils to shrink in shock! This was clearly Ascalon's signature technique! Kal'tsit had studied this Originium Arts in depth, but ultimately discovered that it was extremely risky; the slightest mistake could result in permanent dissipation or failed reconstruction. Ascalon's ability to use it continuously could only be attributed to her unique talent.
Kal'tsit concluded that this was an "exclusive skill" that could hardly be copied or learned by others, and it was Ascalon's means of self-preservation when facing natural disasters and death.
However, at this moment, this unique label belonging to Ascalon was used by an enemy named "Cain" right before their eyes!
Ascalon had no time to be shocked. Almost instinctively, she activated the Originium Arts within her! The purple smoke spread out like a living thing, instantly entangled with the churning gray fog! She had no experience fighting against her "kin," but since the opponent was using similar methods, using fog to counter fog was the most direct form of resistance!
Two streams of smoke, representing opposing wills, clashed and tore at each other like two raging pythons in mid-air! The purple and gray mists collided and twisted violently, forming a bizarre energy whirlwind. In just a few seconds, a figure was suddenly flung violently from the core of the purple smoke—it was Ascalon! She had actually been at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation in her pure Originium Arts form?!
Kal'tsit had lost count of how many times she had been shocked today. As a witness to and participant in Terra's long history, she was aware of Ascalon's strength—as long as she didn't face the top military units of various countries head-on, she would not be defeated.
Although Cain is strong, Kal'tsit judged that his direct combat strength should not be as good as Ascalon's.
"Kal'tsit...don't go near him...Oripathy—"
Ascalon curled up on the ground in agony, her voice escaping through clenched teeth. On her exposed skin, grotesque black Originium crystals were visibly oozing and growing at an alarming rate—the horrific sight of an acute Oripathy outbreak! That monster had once again unleashed that terrifying ability, forcibly catalyzing the Originium within her!
Kal'tsit wasn't much better off; she also had a piece of Originium on her shoulder, which she had deliberately contracted in hopes of curing Oripathy—because Oripathy couldn't truly kill her, so this madwoman used her own body as an observation sample for Oripathy.
The excruciating pain instantly tore at her nerves; the black Originium was like a deadly poison, as if it would tear through all her blood vessels and muscles and burst out of her body! This "sample" that she had once used to observe the progress of Oripathy had now become the most deadly weapon in the hands of her enemy!
The excruciating pain almost rendered Kal'tsit powerless, but her clear mind still made a decision immediately. She picked up the healing gun hanging on her body—she inserted the first needle into her own shoulder, and the second needle precisely into Ascalon's neck!
The miracle happened!
The rampant proliferation of Originium crystals seemed to be restrained by an invisible force after the injection of the potion! The intense proliferation came to an abrupt halt, and the excruciating pain receded like a tide. The Originium that had just precipitated on Ascalon's body even began to shrink and peel off, as if its life force had been drained.
Babel has conquered Oripathy? No, they haven't succeeded yet. This precious inhibitor came from the Doctor—that compassionate scholar who couldn't bear to see Amiya and countless Terrans writhe in agony from the torment of Originium.
Oripathy, a "mistake" that should never have occurred in the Originium Project, was something he was determined to correct. However, Originium could not infect pure-blooded humans—so, he used his own serum to create the initial, unproducible prototype inhibitor. This was not a cure; even if the Doctor were willing to sacrifice his own life, how many people could it possibly save?
Therefore, it is only a top-secret item of the Tower of Babel, an "imperfect mercy" that will never be shown to anyone until a mass-produced alternative is found. What Kal'tsit holds is the last insurance policy entrusted to her by the Doctor—simply to give Kal'tsit and Amiya a chance to survive if Oripathy strikes.
Kane coldly "watched" this scene. He had thought that the other party's struggle was futile, but he did not expect that the potion would have such a miraculous effect! He immediately tried to activate his ability to split the Originium in the other party's body again, but the feedback made him frown - the concentration of active Originium in Kal'tsit and Ascalon's bodies had been forcibly suppressed to an extremely low level under the effect of the potion, and the effect of his ability was greatly reduced.
"But that doesn't change your fate—the advantage still lies with me." Even though the two have temporarily escaped the misfortune of dying from Oripathy, their severely injured bodies, depleted strength, and mental trauma are undeniable facts.
The churning gray mist, like an extension of Kane's will, carrying a chilling malice, slowly condensed into several tentacles, silently wrapping around Kal'tsit's slender and fragile neck, which trembled slightly from the pain and weakness!
Just as the gray fog was about to tighten—
A pinkish-white light tore through the gray fog, bringing a glimmer of hope.
Wherever the light passed, the gray mist tentacles that were wrapped around Kal'tsit snapped and dissipated instantly, like threads scorched by high temperatures!
Kal'tsit abruptly turned her head to look at the source of the light—
Amiya's small figure stood amidst the still-wet pool of Theresa's blood. A black crown, exuding an aura of ominousness and majesty, hovered above her head. Her large eyes, always filled with innocence and worry, were now open, their pupils burning with a chilling, pure pink light.
A voice, not Amiya's childish voice, but one with the unique rhythm and intonation of Princess Theresa, yet imbued with an unprecedented chilling anger, echoed clearly in the deathly silent command hall:
"That's enough—otherwise, I'll kill you."
Chapter 40 Victory
Kane, still in his smoke form, sensed Amiya's extraordinary nature. The smoke encircling Kal'tsit's neck was formed from his arms. As smoke, it should be difficult to be hit by attacks, but Amiya's attack had just caused pain in Kane's arms. It was different from the nerve reaction of being cut in the flesh; it was more like an effect that directly affected his soul.
That little rabbit did indeed later possess the ability to read minds and explore souls... Was it an inherent function of the Black Crown, or a talent passed down to her by Theresa?
The soul, an ethereal concept. Before his time travel, Kane believed in materialism—thought is a product of complex neural networks, consciousness dissipates with brain death, and reincarnation is merely a placebo. When a person dies, they are simply a handful of dust returning to the earth.
In Terra, souls seem to truly exist—at least the previous civilization, with its advanced technology, deciphered all conscious activity, analyzing, capturing, and even sealing "souls" within Originium. This is essentially still science, only its level has surpassed the comprehension of living beings, appearing as inconceivable as a miracle.
What nonsense! The so-called witchcraft of the Sarkaz is nothing more than a variation of Originium Arts!
Kane focused his mind, "lifted" the "hand" formed by smoke, and drove the Originium energy, intending to completely erase and annihilate Theresa's lingering remnant soul!
The immense power of Originium surged towards the pink core of her will! However, the expected resistance did not materialize. Theresa's will... seemed to have willingly opened its arms! An irresistible force instantly seized Kane's consciousness, violently dragging him into an incomprehensible realm—
The orange-yellow light, like the afterglow of time, bathed everything in sight. Kane's "gaze" fell upon a land completely different from present-day Terra. A different city rose from the ground, its style rugged and ancient, inscribed with the totems and emblems of the Tikkaz; the vast wilderness stretched to the horizon, primitive and wild; the deep ocean lapped against the unfamiliar coastline.
Here, there is no bustling activity of mobile city-states, only the desolation and weight of ancient times. This is the era of the Sarkaz, the source of their glory and honor, and the resting place of countless Sarkaz ancestors' souls—both their starting point and their final destination bound by fate.
His "body" solidified, standing in the central square of this ancient city of Kazdel. His carefully maintained Sarkaz disguise had long since faded, revealing his true, Rupert-like silhouette, which seemed out of place in this city filled with the spirits of the Sarkaz ancestors, like water stained with oil.
Behind him stood a colossal, alien furnace. It was not made of ordinary iron, but rather of the undead race, its surface flowing with dark energy patterns, emanating an aura that seemed capable of melting all things and devouring souls.
Before him lay an ocean! A sea of souls, each unique and radiating an ancient and powerful aura, composed of countless Sarkaz souls! Noble blood demons, scavengers exuding a decaying stench, ethereal banshees, enigmatic liches… Further on, in the primeval wilderness bathed in orange-yellow light, stood even larger, more twisted figures, like monsters straight out of legend—the most primitive and savage progenitor forms of the Tikaz race! Countless eyes, filled with hatred, anger, and scrutiny that transcended millennia, focused on Cain, this “outcast.”
"Knowing you can't defeat me in a direct confrontation, are you planning to attack my soul with your boring magic, Demon King?"
As Kane's cold gaze swept over them—Theresia stood before them, no longer the compassionate demon lord of Babel. That mercy was reserved only for her people. And Kane—he was not merely an outsider, but the gravedigger of the entire Terra civilization! He was the calamity itself that had to be stopped!
"The souls of the Sarkaz are bound here, and they have never ceased their struggle. From this day forward, you too will be trapped here—until the Originium and we are defeated."
Kane tried to sense his surroundings. The aura of Originium was still omnipresent, proving that this "world" was still a creation of the power of Originium. But what alarmed him was that his Level 1 clearance was unable to rewrite this space! Why? Was it the collective resistance of the wills of the souls of (Nine) Lin$VI ShiLliu7 玐巴? Or did this space itself... require a higher clearance?
Faced with this overwhelming, ancient hostility, Kane's inherent arrogance was ignited. Before stepping into Kazdel, he had already envisioned countless possibilities—success or failure. But surrender? Absolutely not! Even if the souls of the entire Tikkaz race were before him, what was there to fear!?
"I will tear you souls to shreds!" Kane's voice was filled with murderous intent, stirring ripples in the sea of souls.
"Then throw all your broken fragments into this furnace behind you, and burn them to ashes!"
This destructive threat did not move Theresa; instead, a barely perceptible glimmer of...relief flashed in her eyes. The Sarkaz's soul was eternally imprisoned here, toyed with by fate in life and deprived of freedom even in death.
This place is a perfect cage in itself. If it can imprison Kane, this "calamity" capable of overthrowing Terra, and remove a major threat for future generations, then it is worthwhile! If Kane's strange abilities can truly grasp the core of this place, or even... completely erase the existence of the Sarkaz souls, giving them the peace and freedom they have longed for for ten thousand years... In any case, it is a good deal for Theresa.
An outcast, facing alone the ancient spirits of the entire Tikkaz race.
An invisible storm is brewing and accumulating in the heart of the sea of souls, and a devastating conflict is about to erupt!
However, just before this soul-tearing storm was about to erupt—
A sudden change occurred!
Like a tiny pebble thrown into a calm lake, the entire orange-yellow world rippled with a clear circle of waves centered on Kane!
Then, something completely shattered Kane's understanding of the world happened!
Origin Stone!
Endless, darkly glowing Originium crystals, like living black thorns, burst forth from every corner of this land of souls! They didn't grow slowly, but like a tsunami, instantly sweeping across and covering everything in sight! The magnificent city of Tikkaz collapsed and was annihilated under the tide of Originium; the vast wilderness was completely swallowed by the black crystals; the boundless ocean was solidified into a desolate Originium plain!
It was only for a moment!
The sea of souls, composed of countless powerful heroic spirits and seemingly existing since time immemorial, along with the entire phantom of ancient Kazdel, was completely submerged and devoured by this sudden surge of Originium! Suddenly, only Kane remained in the entire world, standing alone on a desolate, mirror-like Originium plain.
"What... what happened in Colombian swear words?"
Even with Kane's composure, he was filled with unbelievable shock at this moment. He asked himself, even if he exerted all his strength, he might be able to summon an Originium calamity that would cover Kazdel, but to do something like this... to completely turn the entire "Soul World" into Originium in an instant... this was a power that was far beyond his current reach!
There is only one person who can do this!
Kane abruptly turned his head, his gaze falling upon the smoothest, black, mirror-like Originium crystal beside him. His current Lupo form was clearly reflected on its surface. However, under his gaze, the image in the crystal flickered as if a signal was faulty—"he" vanished.
Instead, a woman's figure appeared.
She wore a simple white lab coat over a turtleneck sweater, with an elegant black and white striped bow at the neckline. Her long, straight brown hair cascaded smoothly down her shoulders.
What was most unsettling were her purple eyes, deep within which was a tiny yet incredibly clear prismatic mark. Her face was gentle, with a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips, but beneath that smile lay an almost inhuman, purely observer's indifference, as if everything before her was nothing more than a scene in a laboratory petri dish.
Kane's gaze involuntarily fell on the black crown floating above her head. Unlike the majesty or compassion on Theresa's head, the crown now appeared unusually quiet and docile.
Seemingly sensing Kane's overly direct gaze, the woman gently shook her head. She made no sound, but a clear stream of information appeared directly in Kane's "consciousness":
Anana.
This is Anana—the original Originium, the internalized universe that carries the entire history and destiny of the Tikkaz race. It was the first Originium the Tikkaz came into contact with, and its interior already encompasses the "existence" of the entire Tikkaz civilization. To control Anana is to hold the lifeline of the Tikkaz race's past, present, and future in one's own hands.
Anan was one of the original Originium, and its core authority level was higher than Kane's Level 1 authority. Only two beings in the world could truly control it. One of them had lost her memory and was in a coma; and the other… she would, of course, help those… “obedient good children.”
Kane unconsciously recalled the scene of using the Doctor and others as bait to coerce Kal'tsit—and of course, all of this could not be hidden from the woman in front of him.
He felt a light tap on his head; clearly, this was punishment.
This brief "meeting" that transcends time, space, and dimensions has come to an end.
All the Originium crystals that constituted this world shattered and vanished silently in the same instant, like bubbles bursting. The foundation supporting Kane's "standing" disappeared, and his consciousness plummeted into an abyss, falling towards a vast, boundless "universe" shimmering with cold starlight. Stars swirled around him, colossal stars burned in the distance, and the laws of space and time blurred and became chaotic, as if everything was being reset to zero…
Kane's consciousness snapped back to reality. He was still standing amidst the chaos of the Rhodes Island's command hall.
Behind them lay Kal'tsit and Ascalon, exhausted and collapsed. Not far in front of them lay the unconscious Doctor, Theresa's cold body, and Amiya, who had lost consciousness once again.
Theresa's final struggle ultimately failed to alter the outcome. Her efforts brought twists and turns, but could not change the result. Standing here is Kane.