Chapter 161
Fortune Does Not Come Twice
Bet-Zebek, who saw the new form of his opponent looked on in disbelief.
“That form…are you a Demon posing as a human?!” He cried out. “No. No. This unpleasant prickling sensation is definitely of divine sources! Are you an avatar of a Goddess?!”
“Does it matter? I desire your complete and utter destruction, just as you desire mine. All other things are mere distractions,” Connie raised her sword and brought it forward. “Go!!”
Connie sent the centipedes to begin the attack. They burrowed into the ground and swam through the stone floor like they were water, sending broken rocks and dirt everywhere.
“Fool! No matter what manner of beast you turn into, you will never be able to defeat me!! Dark Hands!!”
He then spread his arms and brought them down to the ground where they sunk into the darkness, summoning two massive ghostly arms large enough to flatten hundreds of men in one move.
The centipedes burst through the ground and collided with Bet-Zebek’s ghostly hands, making a dull sound that rattled Martell’s heart. Despite the disparity in size, the centipedes’ movements were more focused and precise. They bore through the hands by twisting their bodies with great force.
The ghostly arms broke apart and turned into motes of dark light. The centipedes kept on moving, burrowing through the ground again, before reappearing in front of Bet-Zebek and bit his arms. To his surprise, their bite managed to go through his bone and created fractures on them.
Angered by this, Bet-Zebek slammed the centipede latched onto his right arm to a nearby wall. He then pulled the other one that was biting his left arm and crushed the body in with his right hand. The two vanished and turned into purple mist.
“That’s not enough to kill me!!”
Bet-Zebek roared. Despite his confidence, he could not deny the power exuded from his enemy was enough to be a threat. Thus, he summoned his skeletal monsters again, eager to finish the battle as soon as he could.
However, this time they were easily crushed by a single swipe of Connie’s tail. In her current form, she could use Techniques that she could not use before due to her lack of Yin Energy.
“Fortune does not come twice. Misfortune does not come alone!!” Connie roared as she summoned another two centipedes to attack him.
Bet-Zebek realized that mere monsters could no longer be a hindrance to her. A slight regret came unto him as he realized that he had grossly underestimated his enemy.
Enraged for this sudden turn of events, Bet-Zebek summoned forth lightning from the tips of his fingers to try and stop Connie’s attack.
“Dark Lightning Swarm!!”
A swarm of lightning struck the centipedes, destroying them. Connie - who was hiding behind them, zigged and zagged through the attack and managed to break through Bet-Zebek’s defense.
“AHA!! AHAHAHHAH!!! You are an arrogant shit, Bet-Zebek! I’m looking forward to dragging you down into the depths of Naraka!!”
Connie released a powerful slash brimming with the power of Dharma that pushed Bet-Zebek back.
The skeletal Demon roared and attempted to crush her with a powerful punch, but she had already moved to his left and gave him a cut.
Bet-Zebek tried to crush her with all his might, but she was too swift. Connie’s new form with her long and powerful tail made her movements unpredictable. The combination of both body and tail moving in conjunction created dizzying movements that flowed from one move to the next.
But still, Bet-Zebek’s bones were too strong. All the attacks left only fractures on his skeletal form. Not enough to take him out.
The Demon’s initial surprise had taken him off guard, but he realized that an abrupt change in power like this would not be permanent. He noticed also, that Connie’s attacks were hurried as if she was desperate to make it in time.
“Your transformation is only temporary, isn’t it? Just like the Werebeast form those inferior Beastfolk had.” Bet-Zebek taunted her. “You will soon run out of time, and when that happens, my victory will be assured!!”
“You’ve been going on with all this inferior race crap since we met. I think you’re just making shit up because deep down, you feared us!” Connie defended against an explosion of dark lightning that managed to throw her a few feet back. “You fear the day that those you saw as prey will rise up and kill you!”
He was right, a Full Incarnation was something that normally she could only use when she had reached the necessary concentration of Yin Energy at the Early Stage of Treading Earth tier. The Burning Blood Pill allowed her to temporarily gain the power of that stage temporarily, thus allowing her to assume her current form. However, it was still a forceful increase of power. It was unstable and would not last long.
With how clever the despicable creature was, she knew that he would call her bluff soon.
But what matters is not how long I can last, but what I do with the time I have.
Connie took a stance with her sword held behind her and her tail coiled tightly. She then unfurled her tail with such force that the stone floor beneath her broke into smithereens. Like an arrow, Connie thrust the sword brimming with the divine power of Dharma at his core. The giant skeletal Demon laughed at this straightforward attack, assured that she was desperate.
“Hahahah! I can see your desperation, human! Dark Lightning Punch!!” He met her attack with a punch, crackling with the power of dark lightning.
When the sword and fist met, a shock wave was created, cracking the ground and the wall of the dungeon in their vicinity.
“I will crush you into dust!!” he roared.
A brief second after the collision, Bet-Zebek could feel that his enemy was losing and let out a mocking laugh. However, he saw no fear of defeat in her eyes.
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Then he heard the pluck of a string behind her. Out of the corner of his sight he saw the Beastfolk boy with traces of fresh blood dripping from his mouth, sitting on the ground with the strange instrument. Its beautiful lacquered wood stained by the blood coming from the ripped skin from his fingers which kept on playing despite the pain, empowering his Mistress.
“That boy…!” He hissed.
Connie grinned ear to ear as she said softly. “You forget. This is not a solo fight. And this is not a sword.”
“Branch out!! Chen!”
With her order, hundreds of branch-like appendages appeared from the body of Chen in sword form, creating edges that bypassed Bet-Zebek’s fist and pierced through many parts of his body in front of Connie. Some of them managed to pierce through the core of his body that he had been protecting fiercely, eliciting a deep cry of pain from the Demon.
“EEAAARGHH!!”
Bet-Zebek fell back, but managed to stop himself from falling by pushing against the wall with his left arm.
“You!!! You lowly creatures!!” he flailed his right arm, which managed to hit Connie, who was still recovering from her attack. She was pushed back a few meters.
“Dark Lightning Wall!!” Bet-Zebek declared, creating a formidable wall made of dark power before him as he tried to get enough time to recover from the damage he had taken.
I’m running out of time. But I’ve done enough damage.
Connie looked at the wall and then at Chen, whose transformation had lost its rigidity due to exhaustion. She stored him inside her body and crossed her arms. Her left hand forming the Alapadma Mudra.
All who are born will die
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Martell, who was unable to take part of this battle between giants, peeked from his cover as he chomped on a Pill to heal his wounds. His ear twitched when he heard the chant.
All beauty will fade
Once he saw her gesture, he realized that she was going to use the same move she used back in Alabaster Atrium. But she does not have a sword. What is she going to use?
“Wait, no. It can’t be!” Martell realized what she was going to use.
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Not one thing in the world
can escape Impermanence
Connie chanted while her right hand was holding her tail between two forefingers, the tip of the blade-like tail facing up. As she did, the halo behind her back began to rotate in conjunction.
While recovering, Bet-Zebek saw the unbelievable scene of a dark purple light towering above them, and a sense of terror came over his soul.
“I’m afraid? Me?!”
Bet-Zebek sensed this power and realized that this was her last blow. And it was a mighty one. His instinct told him that he should not take this attack. No, I should kill her before she launches that attack.
He quickly gathered power in his hands, creating a ball of dark lightning. He pushed all his power into the ball, making it three times bigger than the one he used before. It was as big as his own body.
“Dark Lightning Sphere!!” he hurled the ball of destruction, its very presence distorting the air around it, making it seem like it was covered in a haze.
“DIEEE!!”
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The muscles on Connie’s right arm were pulled taut, revealing veins of blue, as she condensed all her power in her lower body.
“Mistress!”
Suddenly, she let go of her tail. And then, all at once, the power stored within her tail exploded.
The immaculate sword slashed through all defenses. It slashed through the Dark Lightning Sphere effortlessly.
Bet-Zebek saw his most powerful attack bisected and made a split-second decision to erect another Dark Lightning Wall, focusing all his power into it.
However, the power contained within his Skill cannot contend with the mysterious power of divinity within the Art of Impermanence.
For a brief moment in time, Bet-Zebek could see nothing; he heard nothing and felt nothing. All the remaining senses he had were robbed and he was pulled into a void. He felt as if he was losing his sense of self, only to be cruelly pulled back into reality.
The first thing he saw was his enemy, crouching with her arms supporting her body. The force caused by the power of her move created a deep circle with her at the center.
Then he realized that his vision was getting lower and lower, and he kissed the ground. As he fell, he saw his deformed giant body had been quartered so masterfully that the cut was as smooth as fine glass.
Only then did he undersand, that he had been defeated.
With the duration of her transformation finished, Connie’s halo and tails vanished and the color of her hair returned to normal. She bent forward and coughed up blood that stained the ground blackish red. “I’m going to pay dearly for that later.”
The fight had ruined her clothes; she did not care much about it as she wore her robe over her shoulders.
As she staggered from exhaustion, she heard the gravelly voice of Bet-Zebek saying. “The power of concept…! Something only those who have reached the level of Maluk Sedi could do! How can this be…? A human…wielding such power. Not even an Unrestrained Candidate…and yet…to be able to push me so far. No, are you a Hero? No, seven had been summoned to Grea in this era! You are an aberrant!”
With his body cut into four parts and only his head left to speak, the mighty Demon who had obtained the unholy power he sought through deceit looked pitiful. He no longer had the arrogance he showed when they first met. But a question remained in Connie’s mind.
“How are you still alive? The Severing of Rupa-Khanda should have killed you instantly.”
“So, you don’t want to answer,” Bet-Zebek ignored her question. “That’s it. I’ve well and truly lost. I have no more moves to make…” the Demon’s eyes dimmed and all consciousness seemed to have disappeared from his body. Connie walked towards the fallen head with slow, exhausted steps, Crimson Serpentbane at the ready for anything off.
Suddenly, a dark substance spilled forth from the gaps in the dead Demon’s eyes and mouth. Connie took a few steps back in surprise and saw the liquid pooling before him. Suddenly, a skeletal monster with four wings and a deformed horn in its eye sockets flew up from the pool.
“You won this battle, human. But you will lose the war. When I return to the Demon King, I will make sure that you and those that you love will be erased from the face of Grea. Hahahaha!!”
Like every Named Demon with Ur-Nagud in their title, Bet-Zebek had a Unique Skill named Second Death. He had never told its effect to anyone but the Maluk Sedi that he served. The Passive Skill allowed him to separate his soul into two at the moment of his death. And so, when he died, he put his soul into one of the skeletons under him to allow for a quick escape.
After saying those mocking words, Bet-Zebek flew with great speed towards the hole above them.
“He’s trying to run away!” Connie tried to move, but her body was so exhausted that her legs could not muster the energy to jump and she fell awkwardly on her stomach.
“Mistress!”
“Stop him!” Connie ordered.
Martell, who was out of swords in his possessions, controlled the leftover broken swords on the ground and tried to attack the flying Demon. However, he was too fast. He slipped through the swords fired at him with ease.
Connie gritted her teeth angrily at her spent body. But then she felt an unusually evil power similar to the one exuded by Bet-Zebek a few meters from her. She then managed to catch a glint of a piece of the Essence Crystal that was broken off from Bet-Zebek’s hand, half-buried under the rubble.
“Chen!!”
The slime appeared from her body, sprung towards the Essence Crystal and threw it towards Connie. She grabbed it in midair with her tongue and began absorbing the malice contained within. She forced the Yin Energy that she took in to fill up the “Sui” orb that was connected to her Poison Core.
Once it was filled up, the orb started to tremble, and the dull symbol began to shine bright.
Connie groaned as she sliced her forefingers with the tip of Crimson Serpentbane and drew a simple summoning circle on the ground with the symbol for Sui written in the middle of it.
“O Ice that never thaws. O chill of the dark moon. With price of blood and oath, I call upon you! O Queen of the Frozen Caves!!”
The summoning circle glowed bluish white as Connie called out a name.
“Soar! Sui Lihua!!“
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Bet-Zebek, who was planning his next move after his narrow escape from death, laughed when he saw the hole in front of him.
“Finally -! As soon as I escape this accursed place, I can - !”
Suddenly, a silver shadow passed by him, the impact pushing him back. When he recovered, he saw something large barring his way. The shadows obscured its figure but he could feel a similarity in power with him.
“A Demon?”
Before he had the time to speak, the figure released a powerful shriek that tore through the air and caused the Bet-Zebek’s soul to experience pain that shook him to his very core.
“AAAAARGHH!!!”
Below them, lying on the floor with disheveled clothes, gazing upwards into the darkness above her, Connie grinned a toothy one.
“Well, what do you know, Bet-Zebek? Turns out I’m not losing this war.”