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Crack, crack… CRACK!
The Chains wrapping around Asparthes were slowly beginning to gain countless cracks, slowly starting to shatter. Incapable of containing the Vampire for much longer, he kept endlessly regenerating, his amorphous flesh pushing the seal.
“RAAAH!”
With a furious arching swing of Gram, a shockwave of light was unleashed for the hundredth time. My Mana reserves were running low, and my Celestial Energy was growing weaker the more I used it, showing how I had yet to truly master this power.
Without proper rest, this energy will continue to degrade until it becomes powerless. But it wasn’t as if I had any other option now.
SLAAASH!
The slicing shockwave hit a dozen Blood Knights, their bodies quickly being sliced apart as the slashing attack suddenly divided into ten slashing attacks of light, cutting my foes into even more pieces.
“Chains!”
Demon-sealing chains emerged out of my Physique, barely holding the masses of flesh one after another, as I noticed that the seal of their leader was soon about to break.
[The Bleeding Scream] expresses their heartfelt pleasure.]
[A black, miasmic liquid is beginning to pour from their appendages.]
[It infests the living and the dead equally, twisting the pacing of this story, the mirror of reality.]
The Void Ruler’s acting is really strange. Is this bastard really going against me right now?! But why? Is my existence here not allowed, then? Am I defying Causality?
No, if that were the case, THEY would have already shown up. Instead, it feels like Bleeding Scream is playing around with me.
Maybe there’s a conflict I am not aware of happening right now between the Bleeding Scream and the Seamless Abyss, the one that gifted me the eye.
Crack, crack…!
CRAAASH!
The seal was broken, as what emerged from within didn’t even resemble Asparthes anymore. The words that the system recited into my mind as Bleeding Scream materialized their authority weren’t just flavor text.
The power that Void Rulers possess over reality is much stronger and more powerful than any constellation. However, unlike egocentric, selfish Constellations, they act in strange ways without a proper way to really discern their true personalities.
They’re the definition of the Chaotic Neutral Alignment, though sometimes you can discern if some are more leaning toward Chaotic Evil than others. And among the rare ones that do, Bleeding Scream is the worst.
True to their name, they are the representation of agony, screams, bleeding, pain, suffering, and madness. Although it sounds bad, such things are the lifeblood of us humans and of any living being.
And from this primordial concept, they draw endless power... As they seek to spread what they are to everything else.
Why is Bleeding Scream getting involved with this? I can’t really tell, but I could guess that... They’re simply enjoying it while they can.
Whatever outcome happens, they don’t care.
Because we are all beneath them, we are nothing but a “story” to them, a delicious, tasty story that they devour to nourish their own existences.
If we continue living, the story will only get tastier and fatter, and if we die prematurely, they will feast.
It’s fine with me if I have to play around with them.
I’ll bear with the struggles and burdens.
And I will keep moving forward.
Until I can create the perfect ending, I want this story to end.
An ending where we won’t become their next meal, no matter what!
“GRUUOOOHHHH…!”
Asparthes' new form was born: a mass of appendages and miasmic black liquid, resembling a monstrous slime creature, with countless red eyes and barely a few spurs of purple hair here and there; whatever was left of him was his mere hair. How saddening.
[The Bleeding Scream] moans in indescribable agony, their endless fleshy tendrils beginning to curl…]
[Their child has been born.]
[The [Parasitic Bleeding Child (S- Rank)] has taken over [Magician Blood Knight: Asparthes (A+ Rank)] body!]
[All Stats have increased by +200%, a monstrous entity makes his shredded body into the perfect host!]
[The {Aura of Endless Screams} is exuding from the aberrant beast!]
[Hearing their screams will shake your soul and make your ears bleed.]
[Your mind will be slowly consumed by {Agony} and {Despair}!]
Hah, as if.
[You’ve resisted it.]
[You’ve resisted it.]
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
[You’ve resisted it.]
[You’ve resisted it.]
[…]
[Thanks to the [Divine Eye of Truth (S): Lv4], [Cosmic Transcendent: Lv2 (SSS)], and [Celestial Body (A): Lv2] Skills, you’ve become immune to such petty tricks.]
“GRAAAAHHH!!!”
Asparthes kept screaming as he began rushing towards me, his enormous and aberrant body moving its many appendages, charging at me at full speed!
“{Starshine Rush}!”
I unleashed all of my techniques with Gram in quick succession, changing my stance with each attack as I evaded the monstrous appendages of Asparthes and his beams of abyssal energy.
SLASH!
The spinning attack of {Sunlit Arc} helped me evade a lethal blow to the head.
SLAASH!
Then the piercing attack of {Sunlight Blade} struck the core of the beast, making its entire miasmic body shiver and falter.
SLAASH!
The devastating blunt strike of {Heavenly Decapitation} blew away half its body into the other side of the battlefield with a disgusting splashing sound.
SLAAASH!
And lastly, the explosive bright light of {Eclipsing Arc} burned through whatever was left agonizing on the floor as its countless appendages turned into ashes!
FLASH!
“GRYYYAAAAEEGHHH…!”
With a soul-wrenching scream, Asparthes agonized, his body pieces slowly beginning to crawl next to one another, attempting to reunite into a single being.
[The Bleeding Scream] glares.]
“Pretty chatty today, aren’t you?”
Ding!
[The [Ramses’ Soul Eating Urn (S Rank)] has absorbed over 800 souls!]
[The {Blood World Domain} has severely weakened its foundations!]
“Ah, is see why you’re so chatty.”
[“Let’s wreck it, Anna!”]
“Alright!”
I imbued Mana and Ki into my two daggers as I pierced the crimson, swirling barrier behind me with all the strength I could, slowly moving them down and tearing apart the dimensional walls.
SLASH!
And then, with Gram in their Celestial Mode, I pierced the barrier from above, cutting down a perfect triangle-shaped hole through it!
SLASH!
“Stop! W-What do you think you’re doing, you RAT?!” The screams of Blednica could be heard as I smiled triumphantly.
Spark, spark…!
Red lightning started emerging from everywhere as the souls making up the barrier began to escape everywhere, the urn beginning to absorb them greedily as I grabbed it and jumped off the barrier.
“GRAAAAAHHH!!!”
The monstrous scream of Asparthes from within echoed, his monstrous body absorbing the other Blood Knights and crawling towards me, trying to get out of the barrier as well.
“You stay where you are!” I smiled, touching the barrier, and then decided to finally do some Skill Fusion!
Ding!
[Through the powers of the [Divine Eye of Truth (S): Lv4] Skill’s Effect {Fusion}, you’ve selected two Skills to merge together!]
[The [Great Sorceress (S)] and [Healing Touch (S)] Skills have started to fuse!]
[You have offered 200 Skill Points for the Fusion to proceed.]
FLASH!
My hands suddenly started glowing mysteriously as countless magical runes started to materialize out of my fingers, resembling hundreds of beautiful tattoos.
The power of Magic like never before... I knew that this Skill would be born if I fused these two; it was too obvious!
The Skill that laid the foundation of one of the strongest magicians on Earth, Merlin.
[You’ve created the {Fusion Skill}: [Arcane Hands (SS): Lv1]!]
[Due to the Special Effect of the [Divine Eye of Truth (S): Lv1] Skill: {Library of Knowledge}, the Skills used for {Fusion} have been maintained.]
[The new {Fusion Skill} has been stored within the {Library of Knowledge}!]
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[Arcane Hands (SS): Lv1]
[Skill EXP]: [0/10000]
A Unique Skill created by the Fusion of the [Great Sorceress] and the [Healing Touch] Skills.
A power that only the Ancient Arcane Magus who once ruled the Primordial Tower of Magic possessed, before their very hands were plundered away by the Inquisitors and spread across the Many Worlds of the Beyond.
Within your hands lays the foundation of all magic: the Arcane Scriptures of the Old Primordial Tower of Magic spread through your fingers and even your nails. Your Palms are your Grimoires and your will is your Scribe.
Not only can you store Spells in your hands to quickly conjure with enhanced power and reduced Mana Cost, but you can also directly intervene with all sorts of magical circuits and rearrange them, transform them, and alter them by merely touching them and imbuing your Mana and Will into them.
Shape the world around you as you please, oh Great Arcane!
With each Level, the bonuses increase.
Level Bonus (1): Increases Spell Power and Effects of Engraved Spells by +250% and reduces their Mana Cost by -50%. Engraved Spell Limit For Each Hand: 0/10.
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[You have activated the powers of the [Arcane Hands (SS)] Skill!]
[You’ve engraved the [Sealing Chains] and [Wind Compression] within your Right Hand!]
“GRAAAAARRGH!”
As Asparthes drew closer, I touched the domain with my bare hands, and the powers of my Mana Arcane Hands activated in conjunction with the two Spells I had engraved on my Right Hand!
“{Celestial Compressing Seal}!”
As I rearranged the very runic scripture of the Domain, I imbued the two spell effects into them and fused their effects at the same time—something possible only through Arcane Hands, without any complex magic circle creation or runic arrangement!
FLASH!!!
The barrier shook and began to tremble; the hole I had opened suddenly closed a second before Asparthes could sneak out, sealing him within!
TRUUUM…!
And then, it suddenly shaped itself like a bubble and began to become compressed. Slowly and steadily, the beast inside shook furiously, but unlike me, it was incapable of breaking through.
“Disappear.”
Closing my right hand into a fist, the crimson bubble that was once a huge domain compressed itself to the point it disappeared completely, and everything within died, permanently this time!
CRASH!!!
Ding!
[You have slain the [Parasitic Bleeding Child (S- Rank)] x1!]
[You have slain the [Blood Knights (A Rank)] x12!]
[You earned 1.700.000 EXP!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
“W-Wha… What did you…! How is this?!”
Blednica’s voice echoed as I glanced at her castle, quickly drinking a few Mana Potions I had saved as I made my way into her castle’s door.
“Whatever you did, it won’t help you enter my fortress! I will NOT open the door to the likes of you! If you ever thought I would gladly greet you with open arms, you are sorely mistaken!” She laughed. “Try as you may, my fortress has been reinforced with my ever-growing Divinity! In a few more minutes until my ritual is complete, you and your- Huh?!”
I ignored her words, which meant nothing to me, as I retrieved a crimson key from my Inventory and easily opened her enormous gate with them. It was some sort of magical key, as it pierced right through the giant gate and opened a small door-sized opening for me to enter.
What greeted me was a lugubrious dark hall, barely illuminated by the lights of many candles lined up across the walls. There was an old, dusty red carpet covering the floor. The architecture seemed gothic in nature; it was a rather beautiful place, although terribly maintained.
“Y-YOU…! How did you?! ARGH! Don’t let her take any other steps! Stop her at all COSTS!!!”
Blednica’s irritated screams echoed across the entire castle as the countless paintings spread across the halls began to move; from within them, crimson phantoms wailed furiously towards me; the armors lined up suddenly began to move even without someone wearing them; and even the red carpet beneath my feet shook, shapeshifting and revealing itself to be a gigantic carpet-shaped mimic monster.
[Blednica] has grown desperate! She summons her Army of Demonic Monsters to stop you!]
[Her {Malefic Command} brings strength to her guardians, increasing their Stats by +100%!]
“OOOOHHHH!”
“SHAAAAAH!”
“CRACKLE…!”
However, I couldn’t really get mad at her; she was giving me a favor more than anything. The tremendous favor of giving me all these rich bags of Experience Points, of course.
“Blednica, you’re not going to stop me with this…” I sighed. “In fact, it’s only going to make things easier.”
[The Bleeding Scream] groans…]
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