Chapter 197. Advent (3)
Caron swung Guillotine in silence.
Crunch!
Each time the blade shattered bone, an eerie sound echoed through the air.
Thud!
Wounds steadily accumulated on Caron. The twelve Dragon Fang Soldiers attacked him as if they were a single entity. There were no blind spots in their onslaught. Their coordinated assault surpassed what even he had imagined.
Just enough to survive, Caron thought.
Dodging every attack perfectly was impossible. He focused only on deflecting strikes aimed at his vital points and pushed forward.
Squelch!
Pain surged through his entire body. The injuries piled up to a point that there was hardly a place left unscathed. And yet, Caron only grinned more darkly, driving his sword into the Dragon Fang Soldiers.
Guillotine clashed with the soldiers' weapons in a chaotic blur.
There was only one way out: Subdue them while taking the least amount of damage possible. Fearing injury in a situation like this was pointless. The only viable tactic was to sacrifice flesh to take bone.
Whoooosh!
A whirlpool surged forward, churning up waves. The sea, infused with petals, swept through the Dragon Fang Soldiers without hesitation.
Although pain flooded Caron's body, his mana had never been so abundant. He was using it without restraint, but the mana he absorbed from the Dragon Fang Soldiers far exceeded what he spent.
The advantage was his, so all he needed to do was endure the pain and keep advancing.
Crunch!
Another Dragon Fang Soldier collapsed to the ground, its head cleanly severed. But even in its final moments, it drove its spear deep into Caron's abdomen.
The spear pierced through Caron's abdomen far too easily, but he didn't even grunt. He simply snapped off the shaft and kept moving forward with a grin.
"That hurt, you bastards," he said.
Pain was proof that he was alive. Using that agony as fuel, he let his fighting spirit grow even stronger.
Before he knew it, only six Dragon Fang Soldiers remained.
Crack!
Caron retrieved an elixir from his pouch of dimensional space, put the whole bottle in his mouth, and crunched. There was no time to remove the cap properly and drink out of it.
"Ptoo." Caron spat blood carelessly onto the ground and dashed forward. His mana-fueled muscles swelled, adding a burst of speed.
Oceanwolf Sword Arts Form 7: Sea Fog.
Imperial Sword Form 7: Falling Blossoms.
Dark blue fog and scattered petals intertwined in a mesmerizing dance.
"Owner, on your right," Guillotine informed Caron.
"I know," Caron answered.
Undead felt no pain. Dozens of aura-infused slashes poured from Guillotine, slicing through the Dragon Fang Soldiers relentlessly. And yet, even as they were being torn apart, they still thrust their weapons toward Caron.
Crunch! Thud!
Once again, a Dragon Fang Soldier was completely destroyed, and this time, a sword embedded itself in Caron's thigh.
Poison concealed within the blade seeped into Caron's bloodstream, spreading rapidly throughout his body. It was a deadly poison, potent enough to kill an elephant, but his body resisted it as if it were nothing.
The Thousand Venom Pill he had received from the Pajar Sultanate had done its job. Utilizing everything he had gained in this life, he pressed forward.
The destination was getting close now. Within sight was the skull ridge, the place where the Dragon Heart was said to be hidden.
I'll break through in one strike, Caron thought.
Though he had reduced the number of Dragon Fang Soldiers, more were already rising in the distance. If he delayed, there would be no chance of victory, so without hesitation, Caron overloaded his mana core.
"Are you sure about this? It's your first time using it in real combat," Guillotine said worriedly.
"Then what? Should I just give up and die instead? I'd rather struggle to the end," Caron countered.
"I'll assist you," Guillotine replied.
Normally, the moment a mana core was overloaded, one would suffer irreversible damage. However, during the process of refining the Ocean Dominance Arts with Tauga, the tiger clan's chieftain, Caron had stumbled upon an incredible opportunity.
That opportunity was the ability to control the overload.
Whoosh!
The theory was simple. He had to regulate the intensity of the overload to minimize its side effects and maximize efficiency.
Azure Mana backlashed through his mana pathways at an overwhelming speed, and the battlefield was soon engulfed by a tidal force far greater than before.
"Run," Guillotine instructed as it directed the mana flow exactly where Caron wanted it—his legs.
A massive amount of mana flooded into Caron's legs. As he kicked off the ground, dozens of whirlpools erupted outward in every direction.
Thud!
The violent currents sent the Dragon Fang Soldiers staggering, forcing them to take a step back.
And Caron didn't waste the opening.
Thud!
He struck the outermost Dragon Fang Soldiers with his sword, using the gap to propel himself forward. He could sense more of them closing in behind him, but he ignored them.
The Dragon Fang Soldiers' only weakness was their lack of mobility. Despite having the sheer power of Death Knights, they were laughably slow. Because of that, Caron was able to shake them off completely.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, he caught sight of Erekis' head.
Ssssshh!
The dragon was still charging energy for its breath attack, drawing in an immense amount of dark mana.
"My friend, this is a trap set by Sloth. Sloth is here. You must be careful—" Erekis' voice echoed in Caron's mind, but it was meaningless at this point.
Whether it was a trap or not, he had come this far, so there was no turning back. His sole objective was to stop Erekis' breath attack by any means necessary.
"Owner! The Dragon Heart! Do you see it?" Guillotine exclaimed.
Just as Guillotine said, beneath the dragon's nasal bone, a massive gemstone radiating a deep, murky light came into view. It was the Dragon Heart, which was equivalent to Erekis' core.
Caron nodded, then expelled mana through his legs and leaped. The once-distant target closed in an instant.
The closer he got to Erekis' snout, the dark mana became more suffocating. It was the cursed power that moved the Bone Dragon.
The sheer magnitude of dark mana pressing down on Caron was incomparable to that of a Death Knight or a Lich. If he had been an ordinary human, perhaps he would have been overwhelmed and consumed by despair.
But instead, Caron smiled.
The blood of the Ducal Family of Leston that flowed through his veins, the power he had cultivated in this reincarnated life—it all allowed him to withstand even this overwhelming force with ease.
Thud.
Caron landed lightly right in front of Erekis' snout. Without hesitation, he stepped toward the Dragon Heart.
Whoosh.
Guillotine's blade gleamed menacingly, a dark blue aura forming around its edge. Moments later, a massive wave erupted from the tip of the sword.
Rumble!
The wave surged forward, slicing through Erekis' bones as it barreled toward the Dragon Heart.
But just then...
Swoosh!
A violet feather materialized out of thin air and shot down, piercing through Caron's wave in an instant.
At the same time, a voice he had heard before echoed in his ears.
"The hope that you could kill Erekis with your own strength... The sweet belief that you could save the mortals below... Wasn't it intoxicating? Consider this my gift to you. I hope you like it."
Whirrrrr!
Feathers filled the air in an instant, mercilessly piercing through Caron's body. Even the legendary Kavana, the treasured armor of the Ducal Family of Leston, failed to block them.
Tap.
A man landed gracefully on the ground and slowly approached Caron.
"I must acknowledge your resilience, Caron Leston. Even against Erekis, you did not break." His languid voice seeped into Caron's mind, draining him of all strength.
"Stop resisting and stand by my side. If you accept my offer, I will spare the elves below. Ah, and your companions as well. This is my proposal to you because compared to those insects, you hold far more value," the Demon King of Sloth offered in a smooth, gentle voice.
Ssssshh.
Pillars rose from the ground, binding Caron in place. He couldn't so much as twitch a finger. Sloth's countless feathers were embedded in his body, completely taking away his freedom.
But Caron didn't despair. Instead, he smirked at the Demon King of Sloth and said, "Go to hell."
"Tsk tsk. I suppose I should deal with that foul tongue of yours—" the Demon King of Sloth began, but was cut off.
"Take this," Caron interrupted.
Just as the Demon King lifted a finger—
Thud.
Guillotine, which had been lying at Caron's feet only moments before, suddenly pierced straight through the Demon King's chest.
The Demon King of Sloth looked down at the dark blue blade impaling him, his expression twisting into pure rage. He roared, "...You wretched little insect!"
And with his fury...
Whirrrr!
Thousands of feathers shot into Caron's body.
***
"Cough!" Blood trickled from Caron's lips. But instead of faltering, he let out a sharp, mocking smile as he glared at the Demon King before him.
Drip. Drip.
Blood dripped from him, pooling at his feet. A massive puddle had already formed beneath him. Perhaps because of that, his mind wavered and his vision blurred. If this continued, he would undoubtedly die from blood loss.
Caron could feel death creeping closer. And yet, he still sneered at the Demon King of Sloth.
"You know," Caron rasped, "Demon Kings are all the same. They always think that everything will go exactly as planned. Funny thing is, that bastard Slaughter had the same expression you do right now."
The Demon King of Sloth scoffed, "Even on the verge of death, your tongue still wags. Don't worry, the moment you draw your last breath, I'll raise your corpse as a Death Knight."
Caron let out a dry chuckle, then coughed up more blood as he said, "I've been thinking... Summoning the Bone Dragon through the incomplete Gate of Chaos... That doesn't make sense, no matter how you look at it. If you had pressured Aileen just a little more, you could have gotten the World Tree's sapling too."
Agonizing pain engulfed his entire body, yet ironically, it was that very pain that sharpened his mind. It felt as if his flesh were being carved away with a knife.
But Caron willingly embraced it. And with a voice clearer than ever, he continued speaking, "You're a scheming bastard. This must've been something you've had prepared for a long time. So why are you rushing things all of a sudden? More importantly... Why are you still keeping me alive?"
The Demon King of Sloth could have killed him. Even if he hadn't brought his true form into this world, he had more than enough power to finish Caron off.
And yet, he hadn't.
It wasn't mockery, nor amusement. A Demon King could steal a soul and inflict eternal suffering at will. There was no way he had spared Caron for something so trivial.
"Don't act so composed, you pathetic bastard," Caron said, grinning through the pain. "You're afraid of something, aren't you?"
It had to be a variable, something unexpected that even affected the Demon King of Sloth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken Caron hostage.
Swallowing his agony, Caron locked eyes with the Demon King of Sloth and smirked, then asked, "The rescue forces from the Great Forest... There's something there, isn't there?"
Even Caron couldn't say for sure, but the Demon King of Sloth was afraid of something. He wondered if Kerra or Orion had arrived, because if those two had joined forces, it would be more than enough to ruin the Demon King of Sloth's plans.
"A Demon King, scared out of his wits... I bet you're the weakest of the Demon Kings. At least that bastard Slaughter actually put up a fight," Caron said.
At those words, the Demon King's lips curled into an amused grin. He replied, "You really are the only lunatic bold enough to talk like this in front of me."
Ssssshh.
The Demon King of Sloth reached into the surrounding darkness and drew a pitch-black sword. Then, gripping it tightly, he strode toward Caron.
"Even if I fail here, I won't lose anything. Even if you stop me here, chaos and fear will engulf the continent," Sloth continued, then raised his sword. "If you wish to die, I will grant your wish. I had planned for a more entertaining spectacle, but you insist on rushing to your end."
"Try me," Caron spat.
"I'll raise your corpse as a Death Knight and have you slaughter the ones you cherish most. Consider it an honor—such an experience is rare," the Demon King of Sloth said, then swung his sword.
At the exact moment the pitch-black sword came slashing toward Caron's throat...
Clang!
A brilliant white blade tore through space.
And moments later, an old knight clad in armor engraved with a blue wolf emerged beside Caron.
Silently, the knight fixed his gaze on the Demon King. Then, in a low, steady voice, he spoke to Caron. "Did I not tell you to value your life above all else? Once again, you have disobeyed me."
The curse binding Caron vanished in an instant. He turned his head to look at the knight. He didn't know what to say. The sudden arrival left him stunned, but more than anything, he felt relieved.
Forcing a smile, Caron said, "I'm sorry. Will I be punished when we return?"
The knight slowly shook his head and answered, "Of course not."
Halo Leston, the strongest warrior on the continent, reached out and gently ruffled his grandson's hair before saying, "Caron, thank you for holding the line. Now leave the rest to me."
A storm of unspoken fury burned in Halo's eyes.