svetikya Page 228
Page 228
"Leave it there, don't worry about it." Kleidina's tone was calm, seemingly without a trace of emotion.
"Since he didn't choose to give up easily, he needs to understand the price the tortured must pay..."
Withdrawing her gaze, Kletina ignored Mino on the bed and gracefully departed, carrying with her profound magic and the fragrance of roses, leaving behind only a heartless silhouette.
Whether it was due to the time limit being reached or some kind of command being issued, the speed at which the Rose Shadow Worm moved within Mino's body slowed down considerably...
The rose-colored gown disintegrated into shadows and plunged straight into the depths of the Demon King's castle.
……
The Kingdom of Kur, its capital.
A bustling crowd gathered in front of the palace square.
The entire population of the capital city crowded together, gazing up at the enormous projection screen that stretched to the horizon, connected to the sacred round table, the supreme founding artifact of the Kingdom of Kur and possessing the power of prophecy.
A dense sea of gazes, filled with doubt, trepidation, worry, and anticipation, lingered over the capital city, forming a complex ocean of emotions.
Within the borders, projections synchronized with the capital were also set up in cities large and small. The entire nation looked up, anxiously awaiting that moment, that scene that was so important to them.
They are waiting for the truth.
"Your Highness, it's almost time."
On the palace, after making the final confirmation, Tus returned to the city wall facing the square. Looking at the king who had stood like a statue in the center of the city gate from beginning to end, and the sacred round table that had been moved to the city wall, a hint of awe appeared in his eyes.
"Tus, how far has the famine spread across the borders?" Ota suddenly asked, not responding to Tus's words.
As if he had anticipated this, Tuss pulled out the latest communication device from behind him and described it in a low voice:
"The last bit of life in the crops has been drained from the land. They won't survive the next cold night. It is estimated that after today, all crops in the region will wither completely. News of the famine will sweep across the entire region, becoming the death knell for the end of the world."
"Human desolation is coming—"
"I see, I understand." Ota calmly closed his eyes.
Only by looking at his trembling fists clenched tightly at his sides could one vaguely glimpse the king's heart-wrenching despair.
Soon, Ota opened his eyes and gave a self-deprecating smile:
"At the height of the famine, to waste the power of the nation-building artifacts by holding such a pointless live-streamed roundtable discussion: In the annals of history, I, the ruler of a fallen kingdom, will surely be remembered as a foolish and incompetent ruler."
"But it doesn't matter. In this era, at this juncture, this live broadcast is necessary..."
Looking down at the dense crowd of citizens beneath him, at the depths of their eyes filled with confusion, Ota's gaze gradually hardened:
"If I can't even remove the stain on one person—how can I cleanse the filth of the entire land and save the future of all humanity?!"
"The King will bear witness, the King will protect, the King will bear everything!"
Without further hesitation, Ota turned around and severed all worries. His kingly aura was like the setting sun at dusk, radiating inexhaustible solemn light. Ota placed his palm on the sacred round table.
"This is our final battle. Give me one last helping hand, my dearest friend... Mino."
The eyes of the entire nation were focused on him, the sound-transmitting magic circle vibrated in the air, and the majestic voice of King Kur II traveled across the entire country, bringing a glimmer of hope with the screen.
"The Sacred Round Table, activate!!!"
……
Beyond the distant borders, in the desolate wilderness of the demon realm.
The pitch-black demonic mist, like a deceitful night sky, shrouded the massive super-dimensional magic array in darkness. The raging wind howled across the barren land, drying up the last trace of moisture in the air.
On the parched earth, only a demonic aura shrouded in despair remained, along with a pitch-black figure even more profound than that despair.
"This heavy rain is just in time..."
The mage, clad in a jet-black robe, was shrouded in darkness. His withered fingers pressed against the edge of the magic circle, connecting the last magical node.
Lak's body surged with an incredibly dense, pure black magic. As he stood up, his Arcane Eye expanded deep within his pupils, gazing into the distance towards the Demon King's castle:
"The demonic aura and the demonic energy channels have been somewhat disrupted. Is it the heavens helping us? Now it will be much, much easier to infiltrate the vicinity of the Demon King's City deep within the demonic realm."
"An unprecedented opportunity, it's time... to act—!"
As the words fell.
In an instant, a terrifying and profound shadow suddenly enveloped the entire world!
An unprecedented, maniacal laugh echoed in his heart, but it also caused the demonic energy of the entire frontier to become distorted and chaotic. The already violent and disorderly demonic energy was annihilated and then a darker aura was generated!
—Like the evil of the world!!!
"Hahaha! Hoohahaha! This moment has finally arrived, this most magnificent moment, the prelude to overturning the world, the prelude to causing everything to fall!"
"Come on, Lak, old buddy... let me see just how far you can take my power!!"
The wildly maniacal laughter assaulted my mind.
It contains no power, yet is filled with the most filthy and evil pollution; a single sound is enough to corrode the soul.
Dark ripples penetrated Lark's soul, but his pupils, as still as the night, remained unmoved.
Lak's sinister face was hidden in the darkness of his robes, and at this moment his aura was incredibly close to the abyss.
From the moment he chose to embark on that path, he had already allowed his soul to sink into darkness and destruction, becoming stained with the deepest, darkest hue.
Demons or the abyss, he can give his soul to anyone; all he needs is power.
The power to destroy everything...!!!
The mage's robe burst into flames of pitch-black fire, and annihilating energy surged and spread to every inch of his skin. Rak's entire face was engulfed in black flames, shrouded in a deep shadow!
Deep within the shadows, a pair of lifeless black eyes suddenly dissipated, spreading into endless rings.
A chilling creaking sound emanated from every bone. The shadowy figure twisted and contorted countless times in an instant, finally freezing eerily in mid-air. A pair of pitch-black wings, brimming with evil energy, burst forth from the body, frantically spitting out a vast and terrifying abyssal power, as if to obscure the entire heavens and the starry sky.
The darkest and most evil force in the world descended upon the arena—
"Shadow of the Abyss!"
A maniacal, excited, and cruel laugh emanated from within him. A powerful and eerie dark force enveloped Lak like a shadow, elevating his power to a level beyond anyone's imagination.
"Tremble! Fear! Submit! This is the most evil force that plunges the entire world into darkness and chaos! A shadow of despair that devours every inch of life with decay and decay, a shadow that no Lightborn or Darkborn can resist!!!"
The will of the abyss roared like never before. Within Lak's mind, a cruel and evil blood-red eye suddenly opened, uttering a demonic whisper:
"No one is stopping you anymore. Those who are in your way, hindering, resisting, or hostile... are no longer a threat! Even the stumbling blocks that have been hindering you for the past ten years will soon become piles of bones!"
"This is the first time we've revealed our true power: in this demonic realm, you no longer need to suppress your and my true status as you have before!"
"How about it, can you feel it... this alluring power?" The will of the abyss let out a wicked laugh full of malice.
“Ah, very clear.” A deep voice followed.
The boundless shadows stained the field of vision black and white, accompanied by an all-encompassing, dark power that held the power of life and death. Lak tightened the black flames around his hands:
"This is a power that even Mino cannot match..."
The Arcane Eye pierced through the dark flames, and Lak raised his head to look in one direction. An endless desire for destruction surged from the depths of his pupils. "Shadow of the Abyss" flapped its wings, bringing with it a terrifying power that could cut through the void!
Lak's throat twitched.
The hoarse voice, filtered through layers of destructive aura, emitted an eerie and distorted sound, overlapping with the frenzied voice of the "darkness" within, creating a duet that pronounced the end of the world:
"Then, let the 'Abyss' be revealed—"
……
The path of the brave has come to an end.
The Death Forest.
Lifeless vines entwined among the withered trees, thorns covered the ground and buried the bones of wild beasts, and shadows flickered among the twisted and eerie leaves of the ivy, as if the eyes of the dead were staring at them.
Amidst the desolate landscape enveloped in withered yellow and dark green, a vibrant red figure danced like a raging fire, causing the temperature in the area to rise continuously.
Footprints left deep scars on the dark green grass where no one ever went.
"The path of the hero ends here—"
The jet-black holy sword sliced through the thorns blocking its path, and a deep, powerful female voice echoed through the forest:
"At the same time, this is also the beginning of a legendary journey."
"Today's decisive battle will be forever etched in the world's memory. This is humanity's first counterattack against darkness. The evil that has been eroding the entire world will grovel before the power of miracles and, with that eternal holy light, sink into the dead end of hope!"
The red-haired girl forcefully lifted the cloak behind her, her fiery red eyes shining brightly as she gazed at the silhouette of the castle hidden in the dark fog in the distance!
At the waist, the jet-black holy sword emitted a faint sound:
"My Lord——"
"You've been standing here for more than ten minutes, shouldn't you... move around a bit?"
“I know it is great to recreate the heroic feat of Jian Yong from a thousand years ago, but now that you have stepped into the depths of the Demon Realm, those demons have probably already locked onto your presence.”
Shrinking within the thick scabbard, gazing at the terrifying demonic energy swirling deep within the Demon Realm, Darkfrey shuddered.
"We're very close to the Demon King's castle now. Once we cross the Death Forest, we'll be right there in front of it."
"My lord, what should we do next?"
Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, the red-haired hero raised his proud neck, his gaze deep and filled with unwavering conviction as he looked into the distance, a cold smile playing on his lips:
"Now that we've come this far, we only have one choice left, Darkfried—"
Words of exhaustive desire fell like tiny sparks into the dense forest, and Shana's eyes gleamed with a restless red light, instantly igniting a burning passion that would consume everything before the path of the hero:
"Slay the Demon King, save...the Hero!"
……
Demon King's Castle, Ground Floor Hall.
On the throne.
Carefully placing the still-sleeping Mia on the throne, Kletina's expression softened as she looked at her peaceful sleeping face.
She remembered that rainy night a thousand years ago.
She emerged from the earth, muddy and insignificant, without a sense of self, until the day she found the "reality" that her shadow longed to cling to.
The day that small, powerless hand clenched its fingers tightly.
A thousand years is a long time, but for Kleinna, it is still too short... too short for her to possess enough power to protect the small, warm place on the throne.