Episode 193: Death Knight (5)
Damian let the sword slip from his grasp.
The longsword, formed from an aura blade, disintegrated into dark energy and vanished in an instant.
He lifted his head, gazing into the empty air.
A crack marred the void, a testament to the slash he had just unleashed.
“Cough.”
Blood suddenly spurted from his mouth.
He had only swung his sword once, yet his stamina and dark energy were utterly depleted. Worse still, he had sustained severe internal injuries.
“This body can’t handle it.”
What Damian had just demonstrated was no ordinary slash.
It was a partial recreation of the prowess he had possessed as a Death Knight.
‘Sword God.’
A state Damian had crafted by merging all the skills he had absorbed.
With the Sword God, any technique was possible, and nothing was beyond his blade.
The ability to slice through space itself was thanks to this power.
“Cough, cough.”
He coughed up more blood.
The Sword God was an absolute state, but it had a significant flaw: it was tailored to the body of a Death Knight.
Dorgo had poured centuries of resources and knowledge into transforming Damian into a Death Knight.
Back then, Damian’s physical capabilities were on par with a dragon’s.
Attempting to wield such power with a human body was bound to have consequences.
“I need to reach the master’s level soon.”
Thus, Damian sought to abandon what he had mastered as a Death Knight and build anew.
To reach the master’s level with a human body, using magic instead of dark energy.
That was his greatest goal.
“This is exhausting.”
He muttered to himself, taking a moment to rest.
The crack in the air began to mend, slowly closing from both ends.
“Huh?”
It was then that a crimson smoke seeped from the fissure. Damian recognized it immediately.
“Demonic essence?”
When a demon perishes, its power is released into the world, known as essence.
This essence was different from dark energy, embodying the demon’s very existence.
For demons and dark sorcerers, it was akin to an elixir, greatly enhancing their strength upon absorption.
But for Damian, it was nothing but troublesome waste.
“Absorbing this would make me more like a demon.”
The essence had the side effect of transforming any creature into a demon.
While dark sorcerers might welcome this, Damian did not.
“I should just destroy it.”
As he prepared to disperse the essence with dark magic, his hand suddenly glowed, absorbing it all. Startled, Damian stared at his hand.
Two symbols shone on the back of his hand.
He exclaimed in surprise.
“The power has been unlocked?”
In his past life, Damian had been granted seven powers by Dorgo.
For some reason, these powers remained with him even after his reincarnation.
Until now, he could only use the power of Gluttony. But now, a second power had been unlocked.
The power of Wrath.
The power of Gluttony allowed him to absorb and dismantle abilities like magic, dark magic, and miracles.
In contrast, the power of Wrath could amplify everything.
From physical abilities like strength and agility to the potency of sword strikes and magic, even pain.
Most notably, it could amplify dark energy.
In his past life, Damian had used the power of Wrath to amplify a small amount of dark energy, casting high-tier dark magic in succession.
“Unlocking a power with demonic essence… did Dorgo do the same?”
He couldn’t be sure. When Dorgo had granted him the powers, they had all been unlocked from the start.
“Not a bad thing.”
Damian’s mind was filled with countless dark spells.
From basic first-tier dark magic to the thirteenth-tier spells that only Dorgo had ever reached.
But he couldn’t use them all. Each had specific conditions that needed to be met.
Lack of dark energy, the need for multiple souls, or sacrificial offerings.
Meeting these conditions would require despicable acts, which Damian refused to commit. Thus, he had sealed away the high-tier dark magic.
However, with the power of Wrath, he could bypass some of these restrictions, albeit imperfectly.
A mix of joy and emptiness welled up within him.
“I should head back. They’ll be worried.”
As Damian rose to return to the city, he heard a faint groan.
Turning towards the sound, he saw Perpetuo.
Holy power was specialized in protection and healing.
Perhaps that’s why Perpetuo had survived the demon’s attack.
“Ugh…”
But his injuries were severe. Blood streamed from his forehead. Left untreated, he would surely die.
“Annoying as he is… I can’t just let him die.”
Considering Perpetuo’s contributions in his past life, it was more beneficial to keep him alive.
He could help reduce the number of dark sorcerers.
Damian drew his sword, Dawn. As soon as he touched it, the blade hummed with satisfaction.
“Can you stop that? It’s creepy.”
The sword buzzed in protest. Damian clicked his tongue internally. Its performance was unmatched, but its quirks were troublesome.
“Heal him.”
The sword buzzed again, reluctantly complying. Damian forced Perpetuo’s hand to grip the hilt.
The sword trembled, clearly displeased, but it still channeled its holy power to heal Perpetuo.
A burst of light enveloped Perpetuo, healing his wounds in an instant. His complexion returned to normal, showcasing the sword’s incredible healing power.
Then, a problem arose.
The sword’s healing was so potent that Perpetuo regained consciousness.
“I’m… alive? How is this…?”
Damian immediately punched Perpetuo’s jaw, knocking him out again.
The sword buzzed questioningly.
“I can’t let him see you.”
Damian had introduced himself to Perpetuo as Victor, a dark sorcerer. Revealing the sword would complicate things.
“This should do.”
He sheathed the sword and headed back to the city.
The city was gripped by fear.
While they were admiring the starlit jellyfish, flames had erupted outside.
At first, everyone was confused. But when massive explosions followed, they realized the gravity of the situation.
“We’re under attack!”
“Where’s the guard? Where are they?”
While the townsfolk panicked, the knights remained relatively calm.
“Attacking the castle? Who would dare?”
“Let’s show them what we’re made of.”
The knights were seasoned warriors, some even high-class. They had no reason to fear.
That was until another explosion rocked the city, shaking buildings and deafening ears.
The repeated blasts sent chills down their spines.
“How can they cast such large-scale magic repeatedly?”
“What kind of monster is out there?”
But the real shock was yet to come.
A colossal fire giant appeared, its flames illuminating the world.
But then, a black wolf emerged, devouring both the giant and its fireball, plunging the world back into darkness.
The knights realized the truth.
“Monsters…”
The battle outside was beyond their capabilities.
“Where did these creatures come from?”
“We’re doomed… we’re all going to die…”
“Damn it… I shouldn’t have come here.”
Not just the knights, but travelers and residents alike were paralyzed with fear.
“This can’t be happening…”
Damian’s family was no exception.
They stared blankly in the direction of the battle.
“Honey…”
Lady Haxen instinctively grabbed her husband’s hand. He squeezed back, reassuringly.
“Stay calm, everyone. We must remain composed.”
Count Haxen addressed his family. Louise, Ballad, Abel, and Olivier nodded, their faces tense.
Then, Count Haxen asked,
“Where is Damian?”
His words prompted the family to look around. Their faces turned pale.
He was nowhere to be found.
“Where could he have gone?”
“Brother! Where are you?”
The family called out for Demian, searching inside the building, but he was nowhere to be found.
They gathered again on the rooftop, their faces clouded with worry.
“Has anyone seen Demian?” the father asked the hotel staff, who all shook their heads.
“Um, excuse me…”
It was then that one of the staff, Victor, raised his hand.
“Victor! Have you seen Demian?”
“Yes… He took a mask from me earlier and then disappeared.”
“Where did he go? We must find him immediately!”
“I… I don’t know.”
The count frowned at Victor’s response.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I really don’t. I only saw him leaving…”
The count felt his legs give way, and he collapsed to the ground.
“Honey!”
“Father!”
The family rushed to support Count Haxen, but he struggled to stand.
“We must find Demian… Where could he have gone at such a dangerous time?”
A foreboding thought crossed Count Haxen’s mind as he glanced toward the direction of the explosion.
“Surely not… But then again, he’s never been one to stay put…”
Just then, flames erupted in the distance, forming the shape of a demon so large its head seemed to touch the stars, capable of crushing a castle with ease.
The family trembled in fear at the overwhelming sight.
“Is the world ending?” Count Haxen muttered to himself.
A black flash split the fiery demon in two, and it vanished, leaving a scar-like rift in the world.
The family stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the spectacle. Slowly, the rift healed, and the world returned to normal, but the shock lingered.
“We can’t just stand here! We need to find Demian!” Countess Haxen’s voice snapped them back to reality.
“I’ll check the central square!”
“I’ll head to the northern street!”
“Where do you think you’re going at this hour?”
Startled, they turned to see Demian standing by the rooftop door.
“Demian!”
“Brother!”
They rushed to him, enveloping him in a tight embrace.
“Demian, you rascal!” Count Haxen hugged him fiercely, joined by the rest of the family. Demian grimaced.
“I can’t breathe.”
Despite his protest, they held him close.
“Where on earth have you been?” his father demanded, still holding him.
Demian held up a paper bag. “I heard there’s a must-try delicacy during the festival, so I went to get some.”
Silence followed his words.
“You went to get a delicacy?” someone finally asked.
“Yes, but then chaos broke out, and I got swept away by the fleeing crowd,” Demian explained, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “It took me a while to get out.”
The family exchanged glances.
“You didn’t go outside the city, did you?” Count Haxen asked suspiciously.
Demian replied, incredulous, “Father, didn’t you see what happened out there? Even I couldn’t handle something like that.”
“Right? Of course not, surely?” his father pressed.
“Of course not,” Demian confirmed firmly.
When Perpetuo awoke, the other paladins had already arrived.
“Am I… alive?” he murmured, dazed.
The demon’s attack had been swift and fierce, and Perpetuo had been certain of his death. Yet here he was, unscathed and healed, a mystery he couldn’t fathom.
“Sir Perpetuo, what happened? Who did this to you?” a paladin asked, bewildered.
Perpetuo forced his foggy mind to recall the events.
“The demon… it overpowered me in a single blow,” he admitted.
“According to witnesses, the demon turned into a massive fireball but was split in half and vanished. Who could defeat such a powerful demon?” the paladin wondered.
The Holy Order was well-versed in demons, documenting and studying them extensively. They knew the strength of demons, and while formidable, mid-tier demons like barons and viscounts were far from master-class.
But to defeat a master-class demon in one strike? Especially one recognized by the Order like Perpetuo?
It had to be at least a count-level demon, a monstrous being capable of easily handling a master-class opponent.
“I don’t know,” Perpetuo confessed, ashamed. He had seen nothing after losing consciousness.
“But I have a suspicion,” he added.
“Who?” the paladin asked.
“Victor.”
The paladin’s eyes widened in shock.
“Victor? You mean the dark sorcerer who vanished after dealing with the monstrous creatures in the Mandarine Kingdom?”
“But how could a sorcerer defeat a demon…?”
“The reports were wrong. The Victor I faced was a dark knight,” Perpetuo clarified.
“A dark knight who might have defeated a count-level demon… This is no ordinary matter,” the paladin remarked.
“Indeed, we must uncover his identity,” Perpetuo insisted.
“I’ll contact the Order to send an investigation team immediately,” the paladin agreed.
“We conducted a thorough investigation before but found no trace,” Perpetuo reminded him.
“Yes, but this time is different. With so much evidence left behind, we won’t miss him,” the paladin said, determination in his eyes.
“This time, we’ll uncover the true identity of Victor the Woodcutter.”