It was a nightmare.
If given the chance to survive, Nigun would definitely begin recounting this ordeal with those very words if anyone ever asked him what had happened.
What unfolded before his eyes was so horrifying that it felt worthy of such a description.
He could swear by the god he revered most that he had never witnessed anything as absurd as this in his entire life.
Whether it was surviving a wyvern attack in the mountains, getting chased by a giant wielding a massive club during a campaign to wipe out its dwelling, or even encountering that wretched woman from Blue Roses who had left a humiliating scar on his face—all of those paled in comparison to the sheer absurdity of what he was facing now.
Especially when that dragon-shaped lightning had roared down from the sky, claws bared, charging straight at him—if his body had allowed it, he would have turned and fled without a second thought.
Had he not instinctively moved Principality Observation in front of him and raised its round shield to block the lightning's impact just before it struck him, he was sure he would be dead right now.
However, unlike him, everyone else wasn't so fortunate under the wrath of that so-called Chain Dragon Lightning, as his once-devoted subordinates were instantly reduced to ashes scattered across the ground.
At this moment, not only were every summoned angel, including the Principality Observation he had summoned, obliterated on the spot, but the ground also bore scorch marks from the rampaging dragon-shaped lightning, with wisps of smoke still curling up from the blackened earth.
*Tap!*
No one knew how much time had passed when a figure descended before Nigun, landing with a soft, yet startlingly abrupt sound.
"HIIIII—!"
Nigun let out a miserable cry, his body giving out as he collapsed to the ground.
"Hmph, didn't expect you'd still be alive."
A few minutes ago, Nigun had considered Riezel nothing more than an arrogant youngster, but how wrong he had been.
"Chain Dragon Lightning is an offensive magic that keeps going as long as its targets are still alive, which is why I chose it to handle you all."
Riezel approached Nigun and spoke in a tone dripping with casual indifference.
"I thought just one strike would be enough to handle all of you, but I guess I used a bit too little magical energy, so the magic's follow-through wasn't as strong as it should have been, huh?"
While speaking, Riezel's face remained cold and expressionless as he slowly walked toward Nigun.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
Nigun lost all composure, his usual calm shattered.
Like a frightened cat, he scooted back in panic, desperately trying to put more distance between himself and Riezel.
Unfortunately, Riezel showed no hint of mercy toward his pitiful state.
"I already gave you a chance, remember?"
Riezel placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Seeing this, Nigun was about to scream when he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly pulled out an item from his chest.
It was an irregularly shaped crystal, resembling a miniature iceberg, about the size of a football.
"Stay back!"
Nigun held up the crystal like he had just grabbed a trump card.
"If you come any closer, I'll activate this!"
He raised the irregularly shaped crystal high above his head.
Seeing this, Riezel raised his eyebrows and stopped in his tracks.
"A sealing crystal?" Riezel muttered.
"Hahaha, indeed!"
Seeing Riezel recognize the crystal by name, Nigun let out a strained laugh.
"You better watch out! This is the treasured artifact of the Slane Theocracy!"
In this world, there were three kinds of magic items known to possess powers that surpassed any normal limits.
One was the artifacts left behind by the Eight Greed Kings, who had briefly ruled this world five hundred years ago.
Another was the treasures created by the Dragon Lords before the Eight Greed Kings defeated them and took control.
As for the last kind, it was the precious artifacts left behind by the Six Great Gods, who descended six hundred years ago and laid the foundation of the Slane Theocracy.
All of them were the kinds of magic items that held powers beyond human comprehension, each capable of effects unimaginable to mortals.
Needless to say, the so-called 'Sealing Crystal' that Nigun held was one of the many priceless artifacts left by the Six Great Gods to the Slane Theocracy, a treasure that only a select few within the theocracy could wield.
As for why Nigun had it, it was simply because the higher-ups of the Slane Theocracy were concerned that this secret mission might go south. In the case that Gazef ignored the nobles' schemes and brought out the Re-Estize Kingdom's four treasures, they granted Nigun the sealing crystal as a last resort.
If Gazef had turned out to be tougher than expected, Nigun had planned to use the sealing crystal against him, but who would have guessed he would be using it to threaten someone else now?
"Do you know what is sealed inside this crystal?"
Nigun clung to the crystal as if it were a lifeline, his whole body shaking as he forced an awful smile.
"It contains magic to summon a 7th Tier Angel!"
As the name suggested, the sealing crystal was a crystal that sealed magic within it.
In fact, this type of crystal wasn't native to this world but was an item from YGGDRASIL that had the unique effect of allowing specific magic to be sealed within it.
By using it, one could unleash the sealed magic, granting someone who normally couldn't use the magic the ability to do so. Although it could only be used once, it could seal any magic below Super-Tier, even 10th-Tier Magic.
Meanwhile, while the sealing crystal Nigun contained only 7th-Tier Magic, to the people of this world, it was already at an unimaginable tier.
It was not strange.
Considering the strongest magic humans in this world could wield was 6th Tier, an item that could let them use 7th-Tier Magic was undeniably a great treasure.
Summon Angel 7th—if this magic were released from the sealing crystal, it would allow Nigun to summon an angel roughly equivalent to Level 43 to 49 in YGGDRASIL.
An angel of that level, in a world where Level 29 was already considered within the Realm of Heroes, would be nothing short of an unstoppable force.
"It was the highest-tier angel that once destroyed the Demon Gods that threw the entire continent into chaos two hundred years ago!" Nigun yelled hysterically. "Its power can even destroy cities with ease! You'd better not—"
Sadly, before Nigun could finish his sentence, Riezel had already moved.
*Schwing!*
*Splurt!*
In an instant, as the sound of a sword unsheathing resounded, a hand was sliced cleanly from Nigun's body, blood spilling everywhere as it fell to the ground.
Since it was the hand that had clutched the sealing crystal, it dropped as well, rolling to a stop at Riezel's feet, who had unsheathed his sword at some point.
"Eh? Ahh... AHHHHH! MY HAAANNNDDD—!!!"
Confused for a moment, Nigun's pitiful scream quickly echoed through the air.
Riezel casually picked up the sealing crystal from the ground, weighing the irregularly shaped crystal in his hand for a moment before looking at Nigun as if he were looking at a retard.
"Foolishness... Instead of wasting time yapping, why not just use this crystal and summon that so-called highest-tier angel you keep talking about?"
"At least then, you might've had a chance to fight back."
"Unfortunately, you've lost that chance now."
With that, Riezel stored the sealing crystal, highly prized by the Slane Theocracy, into the storage space of the Dimensional Magic Cube.
"Give... GIVE IT BACK!"
Nigun, clutching his severed hand, howled in pain as he stumbled toward Riezel.
*BANG!*
With a muffled sound, Riezel kicked Nigun, sending him sprawling across the ground.
"Holy Light!"
Nigun, still lying on the ground, suddenly stretched out his remaining hand toward Riezel and cast magic.
It was 3rd-Tier Magic, a holy attribute magic that emitted a blinding light to harm evil. Typically meant for creatures like the undead, Nigun cast this magic on a fellow human like Riezel.
A flash of intense light burst forth, temporarily robbing Riezel of his sight.
"Die already!"
Nigun snarled with an angry expression before unleashing another magic.
"Magic Arrow!"
It was a non-attribute offensive 1st-Tier Magic.
Even though it was a magic spell in the lowest tier, it had a unique characteristic—it could shoot unavoidable, guaranteed-hit light arrows to damage the target regardless of the caster's skill.
Moreover, since the number of light arrows increased based on the caster's level, with a maximum of ten arrows, Nigun, being a magic caster capable of using 4th-Tier Magic and only a step away from the Realm of Heroes, might not be able to reach the full ten arrows, but five or six would be no problem at all.
*Whoosh!*
With a whistling sound, a series of light arrows tore through the air, shooting straight toward the blinded Riezel.
Seeing this, Nigun smiled victoriously, feeling sure of his victory.
Regrettably, reality shattered his illusion.
*BOOM!*
Riezel, who should've been blinded, casually swung his sword, shattering the light arrows with a single motion.
With a clear glint in his eyes, Riezel looked at Nigun's twisted, vicious expression and swung his sword once more.
*Pu-chi!*
Riezel's slash left a deep, bloody wound across Nigun's chest.
"ARGHHH—!"
Nigun fell back, wailing in pain, collapsing into a pool of blood.
Riezel, holding his sword with an indifferent expression, stepped toward Nigun one step at a time until he stood right in front of him.
"S-Spare... Spare me..."
Nigun, lying in his own pool of blood, stared up at Riezel, his eyes wide and tears streaming down his face as he begged desperately for his life.
In response, Riezel had only one thing to say.
"Go say that to the innocent villagers who got dragged into your schemes."
As soon as Riezel's indifferent words resounded, his sword swept down lightly.
*Splurt!*
A burst of blood erupted from Nigun's throat.
With the vital point severed, the captain of the Sunlight Scripture halted his breathing, and moments later, all life left his body.
*Click—*
Riezel slowly sheathed his sword and, with a glow of magical energy, flew off immediately in the direction of Carne Village, leaving the desolate plains behind.
Across the plains, bodies clad in cleric-like robes lay scattered everywhere, exuding an air of desolation.