Chapter 193: Hunting the Death Wraith

Chapter 193: Hunting the Death Wraith

In the void, a simple wizard tower emerged, suspended in mid-air, as if the void was rippling like the surface of water.

Karl stood at the center of the tower, gazing into the distance.

The land was cracked, mountains collapsed, and rivers dried up, leaving behind a desolate wasteland filled with deathly energy. An invisible pressure weighed down on him, causing a sense of unease.

"Huff..."

Karl exhaled, muttering under his breath, "If I had a choice, I'd rather not come to a place like this."

This was a world on the brink of collapse, filled with the scent of decay and death.

Being here naturally evoked a sense of oppression, even for a seasoned wizard like Karl. An ordinary person would likely go insane within moments.

"Death Wraith!"

"Hopefully, it's not too strong."

According to the Wizard's Codex, death wraiths were the bane of all living creatures, and they were inherently powerful.

Karl took out a beehive and with a flick of his finger, a bee detached from the tower and flew towards the distance.

"Buzz..."

The bee flapped its wings rapidly and instantly dove into a mist.

Its vibrant energy stood in stark contrast to its surroundings, attracting the attention of certain entities that swiftly approached.

"Swish!"

Karl's eyes flickered.

The bee's presence vanished from his perception.

In the distance, a pitch-black figure hovered silently, like a cluster of scattered dark smoke, gazing at the wizard tower.

The figure's facial features were blurred, and its 'eyes' showed no emotion as they fixed on the tower.

'It can't see through the tower's invisibility spell?' Karl thought, slowly maneuvering the tower to observe the figure's reaction.

'But it must have sensed something.'

'Then...'

Insight Spell!

The Demon Eye hovering above the tower narrowed its pupil, and a faint glow fell upon the dark figure.

Death Wraith!

Rank 1, Initial Stage!

The Insight Spell was a basic ability of the Demon Eye, capable of seeing through disguises up to Tier 3.

It was perfect for gathering intelligence before a battle.

"Rank 1, Initial Stage?"

Karl felt relieved. Even though death wraiths were known to be the bane of living creatures, a Rank 1 opponent shouldn't be too formidable.

Hmm?

As his thoughts turned, the death wraith in the distance suddenly disappeared.

Where did it go?

Suddenly, a chill ran down Karl's spine. His hair stood on end, and a bolt of lightning shot out from his body.

"Crackle!"

Thunder Wing!

A flash of electricity, and over twenty meters away, a black figure stood silently.

How did it get here?

Why didn't the tower's defense system react?

Karl's heart sank, and he fired off a dozen magic auras.

Crossed Fireballs!

Water Arrows!

Burst Crystals!

But to no avail.

The auras passed through the figure, causing a slight ripple in the dark smoke, but there was no further reaction.

As expected!

Ordinary spells had no effect on death wraiths, and even First-Ring spells lacked killing power.

Karl's eyes remained fixed on the figure, unaware that his pupils were now filled with blood-red roots.

Everything before him seemed to be tinged with blood.

Something was wrong!

Karl's wrist trembled, sensing an unknown change within his body.

And this change was not good!

Damn!

"Die!"

Thousand Buddha Hands - Fearless Seal!

His battle aura erupted, transforming into a colossal Buddha statue, its hands forming a seal that struck forward.

"Boom!"

A wave of energy over ten meters tall appeared in the void.

And this was just the beginning.

Countless hand seals filled the void, each palm several meters wide, pummeling the death wraith with relentless force.

"Rumble, rumble..."

As the dust settled, the death wraith's body contorted, and it flickered into existence before Karl.

"Swish!"

Karl leaped back, his face pale as he looked at his arm.

Just from being close, his clothes had turned to ash, and his arm muscles had withered, resembling a desiccated skeleton.

Fortunately, the bloodline of the Abyssal Squid granted him incredible regenerative abilities, and his arm muscles swelled as if inflated.

In an instant, his arm was restored.

'Thousand Buddha Hands can suppress it, but it's not enough to inflict severe damage. Martial will alone cannot truly kill it.'

'Perhaps my martial will is not strong enough?'

Brightness Spell!

With a flick of his finger, the area was bathed in blinding light.

The death wraith instinctively retreated, and the dark smoke surrounding it dissipated further.

A way in!

Karl's eyes lit up.

Brightness Spell!

Brightness Spell!

...

Purifying Radiance!

A crystal staff appeared in Karl's hand, piercing the death wraith's body, if it still had one."

In an instant, a gentle and pure glow enveloped the death wraith, causing its body to melt like a candle, eventually dissipating into black smoke.

"Tap..."

A stone the size of a bird's egg tumbled down.

A soul core!

Karl reached out and caught it.

"Hmm?"

The moment he touched it, a chill ran through his body, and he saw wisps of black smoke swirling around the soul core.

Within a few breaths, a faint shadow began to emerge once more.

What's going on? The Death Wraith was resurrecting again?

But the newly born Death Wraith was weak, and with a few palm strikes from Karl, it crumbled once more.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Only after storing the soul core in the Divine Domain Fragment did Karl finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"This place is strange; Death Wraiths can resurrect indefinitely. Fortunately, there is a way to deal with them."

He glanced around, sensing cold, sinister auras rapidly approaching. Karl's heart sank.

"Let's get out of here!"

...

Divine Domain Fragment.

Karl held the soul core and examined it closely.

It was a black, stone-like lump as hard as a rock, containing pure death energy.

"I wonder if it's as effective as the rumors claim."

After a moment's hesitation, Karl struck out with his palm.

Immense force surged into the soul core, causing it to shatter into a cloud of powder.

"Fire!"

With a slight flick of his finger, a wisp of flame appeared and wrapped around the powder.

Under Karl's precise mental control, the powder formed a shape similar to an incense stick, with one end emitting a thin trail of smoke.

Karl inhaled deeply, drawing the smoke into his abdomen, as his mental sea stirred within.

It works!

A subtle movement in his heart, and the Source Sea Meditation began to operate.

Half a month later.

Karl opened his eyes and checked his data panel, his expression unchanged.

"Half a month of cultivation is equivalent to a year of regular training. My mental energy has increased significantly, and the soul core's effect is astonishing. However, it may not be enough to deal with the upcoming troubles."

Gold is in trouble.

The Green Family will surely respond.

With their influence, even a slight exertion of power could mobilize a Second Circle Wizard.

Karl had no doubt about this and could even guess which Second Circle Wizard would be dispatched.

Fortunately, the Magic Forest was extremely distant from the Calim Continent, so even sending a message would take some time.

In the short term,

There shouldn't be any issues.

But he couldn't hide in the Divine Domain Fragment or another world forever; he had to face the situation eventually.

"Second Circle..."

"Even with relentless cultivation and an endless supply of soul cores, it would take at least ten years to reach the Second Circle."

"Moreover, becoming a Second Circle Wizard doesn't guarantee Second Tier combat power. I'd also need Second Circle Arcane Spells, Heritage Magic Tools, and more."

"So..."

"The Knight's Path!"

Karl's eyes narrowed as he looked at his approaching 20-point Physique. He flipped his hand and took out a Humpback Leviathan pill.

After swallowing it, he silently refined it while his thoughts raced.

"My physique breakthrough is no problem. The key is Martial Will."

Martial Will is the key to advancement.

Only when Martial Will permeates the internal organs can the body's potential be fully unleashed, allowing for a breakthrough.

"Martial Will and mental energy are undoubtedly connected. The stronger the mental energy, the easier it is to break through Martial Will."

"And facing the threat of death..."

"The Crumbling Divine Domain is perfect!"

"As long as I can reach the Second Tier on the Knight's Path, with the protection of the Dream Marketplace, I won't have to fear even a Second Circle Wizard."

Soon after.

Crumbling Divine Domain.

Karl roared to the sky, transforming into a colossal squid, and his innate Witchcraft, the Fear Aura, erupted.

The Second Tier Fear Aura caused the Death Wraith to hesitate slightly.

"Demon Eye!"

"Shua!"

A faint, dark glow suddenly shot from the Wizard Tower, slicing the Death Wraith in half like a sharp sword.

But in the next moment, the two halves of the Death Wraith merged back together.

'It works!'

'But the effect isn't significant.'

'The Second Tier Fear Aura and pseudo-Third Tier Demon Eye have limited damage against the Death Wraith, even less effective than the Brightness Spell.'

'The principle of mutual restraint...'

"Purifying Radiance!"

The Crystal Staff pierced the Death Wraith's body, releasing a burst of Holy Light that annihilated the wraith's form.

Over time, Karl gradually figured out some tricks.

For example, the Purifying Radiance could only maximize its effect when channeled into the Death Wraith's body.

If cast from the outside, it would only inflict minor injuries.

Additionally, dispersing the mist surrounding the Death Wraith was necessary for the Crystal Staff to penetrate its body.

"First, bombard with Thousand Buddha Hands, then wear it down with Brightness, and finally, deliver the finishing blow with the Crystal Staff."

"Unfortunately..."

"Each time the Death Wraith is killed, the Crystal Staff sustains some damage. If this continues, it will eventually break, making it difficult to control the Death Wraith."

"Hmm?"

As Karl was about to leave with the soul core, his gaze shifted, looking down at some traces in the ruins below.

"What's this?"

"Was someone here?"

"A living person in the Crumbling Divine Domain?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end