[The entity grows by meeting conditions. The special skills 'Corrupted Heart' and 'Immortality' merge into 'Heart of Immortality'.]
[The entity grows by meeting conditions. The skill 'Magic Affinity' evolves into 'Magic Domination'.]
[The entity grows by meeting conditions. Acquires the special skill 'Abyssal Eye'.]
System messages flooded Hans's vision in a dizzying rush.
'Finally!'
He was no longer just a descendant of the Immortal King; he had become the true third Immortal King.
[Keuh, keuhahaha—!]
Hans burst into maniacal laughter on the spot.
Dark magic power stormed out of him, weaving into his laughter, sweeping the surroundings like a wave.
"Ah... it's really too late..."
The saint staggered with a look of utter despair.
The expressions of those around her weren't much different.
["It's too early to give up! This place is the most advantageous to confront the Immortal King! Fight to the end with the resolve to lay down your life!"]
The voice of Cardinal Pion, like a lifeline, shook their minds.
They quickly regained their composure and raised their weapons again.
As he said, this was indeed the moment when the Immortal King was at his weakest.
Having just completed his transformation, he couldn't fully control his heart, and the divine barrier of the Grand Temple restricted his power.
Fighting with the resolve to die, there might actually be a chance.
They clenched their teeth and firmed their resolve with that thought...
Of course, they knew the truth.
That there was no chance.
Immortal King Hans had the ability to ignore the barrier and flee from this place if he found himself at a disadvantage.
While the order tried to steady their resolve, Hans was assessing his new gains.
'"Immunity to Instant Death", huh? No more ridiculous deaths by screaming.'
The first privilege he received was the "Summon Interdimensional Transmission Circle", a reward for achieving the "Transcendental Feat".
Thanks to that, he could now travel between dimensions at will.
'The level of rewards seems a bit uneven. Of course, being able to avoid instant death isn't bad...'
It was probably due to the difference between a 'Feat', or 'Great Achievement', and a simple 'achievement'.
'It's a gain without effort, so I'm not in a position to complain.'
The evolved skills were enhanced forms of the previous skills, so I decided to examine them later, but what caught my eye right now was the new skill Hans had acquired.
'Abyssal Eye' was a kind of demonic eye.
It possessed a vicious power incomparable to Halli's "Jewel Eye: Psychokinesis".
'It has the ability to inflict mental attacks such as fear and confusion just by looking, and to dominate beings of a lower level of demon (魔) than oneself.'
In other words, if a being was weaker than Hans... just by making eye contact, monsters, demons, and dark wizards alike would become his slaves.
Although there was a restriction that the greater the gap, the stronger the subjugation, this useful ability would greatly aid his future plans.
'If I've got it, I might as well use it.'
He immediately activated 'Abyssal Eye'.
Hans's blue eyes gradually dimmed, and darkness filled the empty sockets.
The abyss, deep and unfathomable, filled his eyes to the brim.
"That is...!"
As those abyss-like eyes that seemed to swallow the surrounding light scanned the area...
"Uh?"
"Ah, ah..."
In an instant, the air around them froze, and those caught by his gaze began to tremble as if convulsing.
"Everyone, snap out of it!"
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, with a loud cry, a bright burst of light exploded from the rear of the order's group.
There, the saint, with a halo burning like the sun, was spreading warm light around her.
["It's the 'Abyssal Eyes' of the Immortal King, recorded in the legends! Avoid making direct eye contact at all costs!"]
["If it's just a glance, I can block it with my holy power. However, mental contamination from direct eye contact is difficult to handle!"]
["A brief encounter can somehow be healed. But if you keep looking for too long... there's nothing we can do, so be careful."]
The urgent voices of the cardinals and the saint through holy power noisily rang in Heinrich's head.
'Is this ability more dangerous than I thought?'
Hans glanced over them again slowly.
Thanks to the saint's holy power, none showed the hypersensitivity they did earlier, but all of them were deliberately avoiding his gaze, slightly looking down.
Even though reading the opponent's eyes in battle is important, Hans, having no eyes to begin with, was not affected.
Not directly looking into his eyes didn't seem to have any penalties...
'But the very thought of having to consciously avoid eye contact will negatively impact their combat effectiveness.'
It was a thoroughly satisfying ability.
Both in terms of dominating demons (魔) as its main ability, and from a combat perspective, I was very pleased.
'It's a shame to leave now. Such opportunities are rare, shall I test it a bit more?'
It was Immortal King Hans's debut.
Leaving now would seem a bit lacking, wouldn't it?
[Behold, I am the incarnation of terror and a sign of tragedy that has descended upon this continent! Despair, minions of the order. You have failed. And because of that failure, death will cover the streets, and grief and resentment will pierce the skies!]
A bold speech in front of the elite of the order.
The fact that Hans's tension was higher than usual, thanks to absorbing the last fragment, was evident.
Each line was startlingly provocative.
'Mainly for my own mental health, really. This won't do. I need to get to the point quickly.'
[Now, let's see you struggle. Today is a good day, so I shall indulge in some entertainment. Kekeke!]
Hans's skeletal staff swung, and the dark magic entwined at its end spread in all directions.
Ignoring the wary order members, the dark energy seeped into the remains of the undead scattered on the ground.
Clack—! Clatter!
And before anyone could react, it coalesced rapidly around several points, forming dozens of masses.
The pinnacle of efficiency in recycling even the completely destroyed undead.
["It's a corpse golem! Fall back and regroup!"]
It was a forbidden knowledge of dark magic newly added as Immortal King Hans ascended.
Endowed with a generous amount of dark magic, each entity seemed to be enveloped in black flames.
[Shall we begin this battle, then?]
A dark aura rose again from Immortal King Hans.
***
The battle raged fiercely.
Even though Hans had fully inherited the heart, he wasn't yet accustomed to its power, making him not quite a true Immortal King.
Moreover, this was the heart of Grand Temple, and those opposing him were indeed the elite of the order.
However...
["It seems he's getting used to the power! It's dangerous to drag this out!"]
["It's a miracle that there haven't been any casualties yet. It's partly thanks to the divine barrier of Grand Temple... But it means he's toying with us, doesn't it?"]
As the conflict continued, the damage to the order's side snowballed.
Unlike the undead, being living humans, they could only become more exhausted as time went on, while their opponent, the Immortal King, was becoming stronger with time.
["To think he's this strong even weakened by the holy barrier..."]
The thought of facing him outside of this place was dizzying.
["The paladins are suffering too much damage. If we delay any longer, our ranks will collapse. We need to settle this before that happens."]
Paladin Jonien conveyed his thoughts with a heavy voice.
The problem was that most of the top-tier paladins had been dispatched to the Monster Forest, leaving only him behind.
Even though the saint and the cardinals were putting up a fight against the Immortal King, if the front line collapsed, it wouldn't last long.
["We've already tried several unconventional strategies, but his response is too quick. It's as if he's reading our minds..."]
["Still, if we continue like this, we'll all be annihilated. We need to strike him when he's off guard."]
I couldn't help but feel guilty hearing their plight.
The order's resilience was not to be underestimated, and it seemed I might have overplayed my hand by using information gathered through Heinrich.
'It seems like it's about time to wrap this up. How should I end this?'
["I have a good idea... Sir Heinrich?"]
Just then, the saint called out to him.
And her following words were something he had hoped to avoid.
Of course, there were concerns about entrusting such a burdensome task to Heinrich, who was still just a knight...
["Yes, I'm confident. Leave it to me."]
He accepted the task with a confident attitude.
***
The order's offensive intensified.
Everyone poured their holy power into a final effort to press the Immortal King.
Seeing their determination, as if they had given up on a prolonged battle, even his momentum momentarily waned.
"Hyaaaah—!"
Among them, Paladin Jonien charged forward recklessly, not caring for his own safety, as if trying to capture the Immortal King's attention.
Crack!
[You think the same trick will work again!]
As soon as he repelled the paladin, a series of knights charged in succession, along with inquisitors revealing themselves from hiding and leaping from the air.
They threw themselves at him relentlessly, like moths to a flame.
["Now!"]
Then, above the Immortal King, a massive concentration of holy power coalesced and suddenly transformed into a giant pillar of light that struck down upon him.
Whoosh—
The saint's full-powered attack melted away the defensive barrier surrounding him...
At the same time, a small flash sparkled within the pillar of light.
A minor flow buried within the massive waterfall of holy power.
[What?!]
The Immortal King noticed the anomaly only after the sword blade had already reached right in front of him.
[How did you get here?!]
Clang!
In shock, he swung his staff, enveloped in dark magic, to deflect the sword.
However, his martial skills were insufficient to directly counter the paladin's sword.
Unless it was an unexpected strike at a vulnerable spot, against an expert who was prepared and aware, it was effectively meaningless.
Using the art of stealth and "Blessing: Leap," Heinrich quickly approached the Immortal King, elegantly stripping away all of his defenses with his sword.
"Haah—!"
A golden opportunity.
His sword, filled with holy power and shining brightly, was launched like lightning...
And was suddenly blocked by a spread of dark curtain.
Sizzle—!
In the midst of extreme concentration, time seemed to slow down.
Although he was slowly tearing through the dark curtain and moving forward, his progress felt agonizingly slow.
[Impossible!]
To make matters worse, dark flames of curse spewed from the Immortal King, engulfing Heinrich's entire body.
"Kugh!"
The holy power wrapped around his body melted away in an instant, and his entire body began to be corroded by the curse.
With excruciating pain as if burning, his strength drained, and his senses became distorted.
...Despite his confidence, the last operation carrying everyone's hopes seemed to have failed.
At this rate... his sword would not reach the Immortal King.
"No! I will not give up...!"
Black blood dripped from his nose and mouth, but he did not care and gripped his sword even tighter.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity created through the sacrifices and help of many.
He absolutely could not let it go to waste!
Heinrich clenched his teeth and compressed holy power at the tip of his sword, over and over again.
As quickly as possible, somehow to cross this barrier and reach the Immortal King!
In what felt like an eternity in an instant.
[The entity has achieved enlightenment through meeting the conditions. Acquires the special skill 'Blessing: Light Sword'.]
Suddenly, a soft light burst from Heinrich's body.
And then, the holy power that had been blocked by the wall exploded in growth.
'The third blessing!'
He simultaneously met the conditions, reaching the holy power of a bishop level.
The radiance emanating from his sword intensified with the surge in holy power, but that was not the end.
He immediately used the power of "Blessing: Light Sword."
The light that had been spreading in all directions from the sword gathered together and compressed, finally forming a sharply refined blade.
Much like a lightsaber from science fiction.
"Hyaah!"
Shzzz—!
The sword of light he unleashed split the dark curtain in an instant.
And...
Without a moment's hesitation, it pierced through the heart of the Immortal King.
Thwock—
[Kugh! You...!]
Compressed holy power bursting from the sword embedded in his heart instantly engulfed his entire body in flames.
The holy flames mixed with the dark aura burning the Immortal King, and the paladin covered in the flames of curse and a soft radiance.
This stark contrast yet strangely similar appearance was etched into the minds of all who were watching.
[Kugh... Impressive. To dare do this to me...!]
Boom—!
Dark magic explosively burst from his body, blowing away others who had seized the opportunity to rush in.
But amidst this, somehow Heinrich alone stood firm, keeping his sword plunged into the Immortal King's heart.
[Keuhuhu... I was too careless. Yes, you, minion of the order. What is your name?]
The one who inflicted a mortal wound on the heart of the third Immortal King for the first time.
The Immortal King asked for his opponent's name as if to acknowledge his deed.
"Heinrich... Landguard! I will send you back to the abyss again, Immortal King!"
[Heinrich Landguard... I shall remember that name. Next time, I won't be taken down so easily! Kahahat!]
Even as he burned like firewood, his body was constantly being destroyed and restored in a cycle of holy and dark magic entwined.
[Remember, this is not the end. On the day darkness covers the continent, I will return!]
"Where do you think you're going!"
[Then, see you next time. Kekekek...]
With those words, the figure of Immortal King Hans, pierced by Heinrich's sword and burning, disappeared. As if he had never been there in the first place.
The undead, previously shielded by dark magic, simultaneously collapsed to the ground and began burning in holy flames, and the battlefield was instantly enveloped in silence.
Thud—
The small noise that broke the silence at that moment.
"Ah! Sir Heinrich! Quickly, he needs healing!"
The paladin, Heinrich, who had not given up for his beliefs and succeeded in plunging his sword into the Immortal King's heart, was urgently carried to the priests.
"This... how could he have persisted to the end under these circumstances..."
Even as they purified, the malicious curse energy leaking continuously from the eroded areas elicited exclamations of awe from those around.
Given the severity, even after the treatment was complete, he would need a considerable period of recuperation.
The level of pain the person who was directly subjected to this intense curse must have felt... they could hardly imagine.
His mental strength to have defeated the Immortal King even in such extreme circumstances as well.
Thus, the treatment of Heinrich and other injured continued, and the battlefield was quickly cleared.
"But still, he managed to escape."
"...Still, it's fortunate that there were not many sacrifices, considering it could have been dangerous for all of us. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Hehehe... But since we've managed to inflict damage to his heart, he won't be able to move rashly for a while. We should use this time to gather the continent's strength and prepare to counter him."
"It's all thanks to him for holding on till the end."
Everyone's gaze turned towards Heinrich, who lay unconscious among the priests.
That day, the order might not have prevented the return of the Immortal King by losing the last fragment...
But with the birth of a new hero, they gained time to prepare for the calamity.
That's what everyone thought.
...Except for one person.