Chapter 169: Infinite Requiem
As soon as Ash’s mind processed the sudden appearance of the magic circles surrounding him, he instinctively activated teleportation, vanishing from the spot.
At the very same moment, Ash also activated Absolute Concealment, completely erasing his presence from the world.
I am really glad I left all those items back at the cave...
Ash had intentionally stored away the Cursed Eye, the Unknown Fragment, and the Rune of Time before coming here, and looking back now, that decision had definitely been the right one.
Sigh... looks like I won’t be using Concealment for a surprise attack after all.
He had originally intended to keep Absolute Concealment as his hidden trump card, something he would only use at the very last second—precisely when he was just one meter away from the heart.
Based on the detailed description of the skill, Absolute Concealment rendered him completely undetectable to all senses, unless someone directly looked at him with their own eyes.
And since the demonic heart lacked any eyes, it would have been the perfect target.
If everything had gone according to plan, Ash could have vanished in front of it, and before the heart even realized what had happened, he would have already launched his strike.
The confusion caused by his sudden disappearance would have bought him the precious few seconds needed for a surprise attack.
That was why he had saved the skill up until now—waiting for the perfect moment.
But reality had not been so kind.
Even he had not expected the heart to possess an ability that could stop time entirely, robbing him of the chance to act as he had hoped.
Well, now that the spirits are gone, it should still be fine. But... should I really try using that technique now?
Over the past month, aside from training to use two elements simultaneously, Ash had been working on something even more ambitious.
He had been attempting to combine two different elements into one unified force.
While his understanding wasn’t deep enough to pull it off using runic spells, he had used the method mentioned in the novel to do it, just like Ray.
Although the method was successful, it wasn’t without drawbacks. The side effects were painful, and the burden on his body was significant.
Tsk. Ray was able to combine all his elements effortlessly when he fought the Demon King. Meanwhile, I’m still stuck struggling to merge just two...
Despite his grumbling thoughts, Ash didn’t stop. He began by filling his body with Lightning Mana, channeling it through his veins and muscles with precision. Fortunately, one of his mana cores was still completely full.
His body began to glow with a sharp electric aura. Blue lightning sparked and danced along his limbs, enveloping him entirely like a raging storm given form.
It looked similar to how a warrior uses aura, except Ash was using mana.
Once the lightning fully covered him, he slowly began mixing in Life Energy.
-SHOOK!!!
The moment the second element was introduced, his body convulsed under the strain.
The pressure from inside surged violently, and blood started seeping from his eyes, ears, and the corners of his lips.
The fusion was unstable, but he didn’t stop. He held on as the electric blue began to shift in color, becoming brighter, more radiant, turning into a brilliant white that pulsed with unnatural intensity.
Hah... Thankfully, Omni Thought is still active. The pain is being suppressed, and the Rune of Life is healing me at the same time. But even with that, why does my body always feel this weak...?
It was a question he had asked himself many times. No matter how fast he grew or how much he learned, his body seemed to struggle just to keep up.
First, it was his potential being too low. And now, it was his physical limit that kept dragging him down.
Still, it’s not all bad. At least I’m able to use this technique, even if it’s not in its perfect form. But the mana consumption really is insane...
That wasn’t surprising.
He was forcibly smashing two elements together, ones that weren’t naturally meant to coexist in this way, without any understanding of the deeper connection between them.
It wasn’t a harmonious blend. It was brute force, a violent collision of energies that were being held together by sheer willpower alone.
Naturally, that kind of reckless approach consumed vast amounts of mana.
But for Ash, as long as it accomplished what he needed, then that was more than enough.
The moment his body became completely covered in glowing white lightning, he moved. Thunder roared across the space like a beast awakened, shaking the entire battlefield.
At the same time, Ash also removed the Absolute Concealment, since keeping it active was draining his remaining mana rapidly. He needed to conserve every drop he could.
At that moment, he became a streak of white lightning flashing across the underground land.
Taking Eclipse back into his hand, Ash reappeared directly in front of the Demonic Heart, which was twice the size of a normal one.
The illusion of the giant eyes that had once watched from above had vanished the instant time resumed.
[H-HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE????]
The demonic voice screeched in disbelief, filled with horror and confusion. It was completely certain that the insignificant human in front of it had been killed without question.
But Ash didn’t waste his time answering. He was focused on something else entirely. His lips moved as he muttered quietly to himself, preparing to merge two things that were never meant to be combined.
"Eternal Silence: Celestial Sword Art..."
"First Form: Infinite Requiem."
This new form was the result of him fusing the core concepts of his martial art with his sword. Unlike the original technique that relied on raw emotions and unleashed endless punches, this version was composed of endless slashes instead.
He had spent a long time trying to adjust even the first form, changing the name and refining its structure to suit his sword-based combat style. Though its raw power was lower than the original, he believed that with enough practice, he would not only match it, but surpass it one day.
But reaching that level would take time. A lot of time.
Still, the core idea remained the same—relentless attacks with no pause or hesitation.
– Slash!!!
– Slash!!!
– Slash!!!
– Slash!!!
– Slash!!!
Ash’s hand moved so fast it became a blur, his slashes raining down one after another like a relentless storm, targeting the corrupted veins that connected the Demonic Heart to the roots of the World Tree.
The thinner veins were severed immediately, cut through like threads, while the thicker ones resisted, only to be sliced apart after a few more relentless strikes.
[THIS FUCKER DARED TO CUT ME!!!!!]
Waves of dense, volatile demonic energy surged toward Ash, but he remained in place, his right arm moving at impossible speeds as he continued slashing without rest, like a man possessed.
One of the weaknesses of this form was that it required him to remain stationary while attacking.
He couldn’t move his feet during the execution. But even as the waves of darkness howled and exploded around him, Ash didn’t flinch. His blade continued to fall again and again.
Soon, more than half of the veins were already severed.
[I WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!]
[DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE.]
The demonic being screamed wildly, completely losing control. It unleashed everything it had, flooding the area with concentrated rage. The heartbeat of the Demonic Heart pounded like a war drum, and more demonic energy erupted around it in a frenzy.
Twenty magic circles appeared all at once, each one glowing with a blinding violet hue. Then, one by one, spears of violet flame emerged from each circle.
Although smaller than before, closer in size to a normal spear, each was still infused with the same terrifying destructive power.
But Ash did not stop. Half his mana was already gone, and now, only one-fourth of the veins remained.
He knew that if even one of the spears pierced him now, it would ruin everything. His remaining mana wasn’t enough to call for help or activate another sealing attempt.
[DIE!!!!!!!!!!!]
All twenty violet spears flew toward Ash in perfect unison.
– Swoosh!!!
– Swoosh!!!
– Swoosh!!!
But Ash’s hands never stopped moving. White lightning crackled around his body like a wild beast gone berserk. His body was bleeding, his muscles straining, but his mind focused on one thing alone.
Swing. Just swing. Keep swinging. Don’t stop. No matter what.
It was a mental state extremely difficult to enter—one where the body obeys only a single command.
FLOW STATE
But just as the violet spears came close enough to strike him, they stopped.
[WHAT!!!!!]
The demonic being cried out in disbelief.
It had been so focused on Ash that it failed to notice Serena. The spears were stopped in mid-air, wrapped tightly by the roots of the World Tree.
When the demonic being shifted its gaze, it finally saw her.
Serena was standing close to the wall, where a patch of uncorrupted roots still remained. She was touching them gently, her eyes glowing with pure green light—just like her vibrant hair.
Her body was surrounded by an unnatural aura of life energy, and above her head floated a crown formed from leaves and branches.
[NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!]
[HOW CAN THAT BE!!!!!]
Her arms were extended outward, and even from the corrupted roots surrounding the Demonic Heart, small untainted roots emerged and began to block the spears one by one.
– Swoosh!!!
– Swoosh!!!
– Swoosh!!!
And while that chaos unfolded behind him, Ash cut the last remaining vein. The Demonic Heart lost its last connection and began to rise, floating in mid-air.
But Ash didn’t stop there. He ended his sword form and moved immediately.
BAAM!!
He slammed his foot against the ground and accelerated, dodging the stationary burning spears. With no hesitation, he reached the floating heart and thrust the Sealing Dagger deep into its center.
[HUH!! That’s it? I thought it would be some kind of ultimate killing move. What can a small dagg—]
The sentence was never finished.
From the dagger, radiant white chains burst out in every direction, wrapping around the heart with overwhelming force.
The chains continued to spread until the heart was completely sealed, wrapped tightly like a sphere, and finally, a glowing white lock clicked into place.
Now, the once monstrous heart resembled a sealed crystal orb, like a white football, as it dropped harmlessly to the ground.
Ash cut off his mana flow immediately, before his core drained entirely.
"HUFF!! Huff!!"
He exhaled deeply, trying to steady his breath, his shoulders rising and falling.
But even at that moment of victory, he didn’t relax.
His eyes scanned the surroundings carefully.
Is it really over...?
***