https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-687-Lanchi-s-Decisive-Battle-in-the-Magical-Land-of-Flower-City-Part-2-/12585098/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-688-Loren-I-Give-You-the-Chance-to-Challenge-Me-Part-2-/12585100/
Chapter 688: Loren: I Give You the Chance to Challenge Me (Part 1)
Chapter 688: Loren: I Give You the Chance to Challenge Me (Part 1)
At the heart of the Boscham 10 District, a thunderous night of flashing lightning and pouring rain transformed the northernmost reaches of the Boscham Demon World into what seemed like a colosseum of divine wrath.
Ateli, who had come to meet Perlman in this place, took a deep breath, gathering her magical powers.
In an instant, a bone-chilling force surged across the ground, bringing about a bitter winter to the summer night, causing even the torrential rain to turn into hail.
Where her magic swept, the ground instantly froze over with a thick layer of frost, and icicles shot up, connecting with the lightning, seeking to trap Perlman within.
Perlman, unflinching and unmoving, waved his hand, summoning an invisible psychic barrier to meet the icicles.
The two forces collided in mid-air, erupting with a deafening roar.
Ice crystals flew in all directions, and the psychic power scattered, yet Perlman remained unwavering.
"Not bad," Perlman said with a slight smile, and in the next moment, he vanished from his original spot.
"But if you wish to challenge me, it would be better to call upon your teacher instead."
In the next second, he reappeared behind Ateli, his staff aiming for a light blow to her back heart.
Ateli reacted swiftly, barely avoiding the fatal strike.
But the next wave of attacks was already upon her, as Perlman's psychic power rained down from all sides like a tempest, causing the ground to crack and sink.
Ateli maintained her vigilance, putting up a formidable defense.
She knew that taking such a blow would not leave her unscathed.
An opponent of Perlman's caliber would indeed require the presence of her teacher, Duke Migaya, to have any chance of being countered.
However, with her teacher missing, it fell upon Ateli alone to safeguard the reputation of both the Boscham Demon World and Iferthia.
Ateli's magic coalesced around her, forming a shield of translucent ice flowers that was impenetrable, keeping Perlman's psychic power at bay. At the same time, shadows swirled at her feet, slowing down Perlman's movements.
This shield wouldn't last long.
The ice flowers began to crack, shaking under the relentless assault of the psychic power.
Ateli was clearly straining to maintain the defense.
Perlman's expression remained unchanged, and his psychic power intensified severalfold in an instant.
The ice crystal shield shattered, and Ateli stumbled, nearly falling to her knees, but she managed to stay standing.
"I never expected that the last lesson would be given by me in Megiya's stead."
Perlman struck again.
This time, his psychic power transformed into an invisible blade, aiming straight for Ateli's throat.
"Perlman, once I respected you, but now you are unworthy of the title of teacher!" Ateli exclaimed.
Left with no choice, Ateli chose to face Perlman head-on to decide the outcome.
She gathered all her magical powers in front of her, and in an instant, a cerulean light burst forth like exploding fireworks. Countless sharp lightning blades condensed around her, rushing towards Perlman like a tempest.
His psychic power formed an invisible shield around him, blocking the attack once more.
Taking advantage of this momentary respite, a black meteor-like figure plummeted amidst them, accompanied by a loud crash, creating a spiderweb of cracks and a deep pit in the ground.
It was Nigel, who had already drawn his sword, transforming into a black shadow as he slashed at Perlman!
"You're a great help!" Ateli exclaimed as she seized the opportunity to retreat and adjust her position, regrouping her magical powers.
Nigel's attribute was not particularly important, as he specialized in basic proficiency, enhancing his normal attacks. Typically, warriors like him would carry functional cards, opting for regeneration or enhancement magic cards depending on their circumstances, and occasionally swapping out for elemental attributes as needed.
In a magical confrontation, he was the ideal frontline fighter.
"Nigel, shouldn't you be hurrying back to the South Shore to assist Duchess Tiffany?" Perlman asked, his voice filled with surprise as he lifted his hand to support the blade, using the force to lightly leap backwards.
Logically, Nigel should have rushed to Duchess Tiffany's side as quickly as possible to delay the Beast of the South Shore, Besiege, from obtaining the three secret key crystals and controlling the city's defense barrier.
Even though Nigel's presence in the South Shore would be futile against an eighth-rank demonic beast like Besiege due to the overloading of the city's defense barrier, his assistance to Ateli here would only serve to prolong her inevitable defeat.
"...”
Nigel remained silent, tightening his grip on the sword hilt.
Facing Ateli and Nigel, who were both giving their all, Perlman stood unaffected, his stance relaxed as he once again rested his staff on his back.
He stood before a shattered open-air screen in a ruined square, the image behind him still displaying the hellish scene of Pariah's South Shore.
The battle on the North Shore of Boscham had reached a heart-pounding climax, and the situation on the South Shore was no better.
The giant screens scattered throughout the buildings continued to diligently project the South Shore's collapsing structures like a house of cards, with people fleeing and crying out in terror everywhere.
Yet, Perlman felt no sympathy.
Instead, he felt that the humans deserved their fate.
"Behold, this is the end of an old era, the karma of cause and effect, the cycle of rebirth," Perlman said coldly.
"And I, Perlman, will lead the city of Pariah, the kingdom of Boscham, into a new epoch."
His voice, like a spell, echoed across the Boscham Demon World.
Many demons, hiding far away in refuge, looked upon him with reverence, gradually succumbing to his overwhelming power.
The aftermath of the chaotic battle continued to unfold.
From time to time, the giant screens in the Boscham Demon World would distort and shake due to the shockwaves, and static would interfere with the images.
Finally, the giant screen behind Perlman disintegrated into dust amidst the thunder, and another screen began to fragment under the relentless cutting, causing the images and sounds from several sources to abruptly cut off within seconds. The tragic scene of the South Shore was hidden, leaving only a dead silence and static.
...
Paria North Shore, District 4.
Baptiste Castle.
In the pouring rain, the decades-old mansion was lit up, and the sounds of broken doors, screams, and shattering dishes filled the night.
Not long ago, the demon servants within the castle had begun to riot.
Just as the family was about to be endangered, a series of loud crashes were heard, and the maids were knocked unconscious and subdued by a crimson figure.
"Well done, Inoan!" Christina cheered, jumping up from her bed in her pajamas.
If it weren't for Inoan, the strongest human maid in their household, and her quick perception of danger, the family would have likely been in peril, despite the ancestral barrier within the mansion, due to the sixth-rank "Berserk" demon maid.
Soon, Inoan restrained those maids with Demon-Sealing Steel and sealed them in the basement, which had been prepared with a barrier.
Wiping her sweat, she stepped out of the basement.
"I told you, you're stronger than Logan! He couldn't take them down with one punch like you did!"
As soon as she came out, Christina pounced on her with a bear hug.
"Miss, now is not the time to be happy."
Inoan felt a bit uncomfortable as she was restrained by Christina's soft arms, but she couldn't push her away and could only look away as she spoke to her.
She was fighting just as Logan had taught her...
She was probably a Magus Warrior specializing in spiritual magic.
And those zero-tier and first-tier demonized commoners near the Baptiste household, she was somehow able to control them and make them leave using a kind of spiritual magic.
Just by using it, she vaguely felt that this magic was her own creation, called [Great Puppet Theater], but she couldn't figure out when she had created it in her heart, nor what it was used for in the past.
Although she was happy to discover her own strength and her ability to protect Christina, Inoan still couldn't relax at this moment.
Finally...
"I'll keep watch at the door."
Inoan pushed Christina away and walked away with steady strides.
"Sister Christina!"
The three little ones of the Baptiste family huddled around their sister, crying and shivering.
"It's alright, everything will be fine by morning."
Christina squatted down and hugged them, comforting them and telling them not to disturb their father and brother, who were trying to communicate with the outside world.
The Baptiste family had gathered in the parlor, but they still looked flustered.
They didn't know why, but suddenly, a catastrophe had struck Flower City, and all the contracted demons started to go berserk.
At this moment, the terrible news was spreading that the berserk cursed demons were ravaging both the north and south shores of Flower City, Pariah. The church bells rang out over the city, signaling the imposition of an emergency defense status.
In the parlor...
"Where's Logan?"
Baptiste, the Earl, looked anxiously at Kyle.
"Can't get in touch with him."
Kyle shook his head gravely as he held the magical communicator.
The person they wanted to see for reassurance during this time was their butler.
Not because of his strength, but because his presence made them feel secure.
Fortunately, even without the butler, they still had Inoan.
This maid, who had been suddenly brought back by Butler Logan and Christina one day, had not shown her true strength until today.
Only now did they realize that this maid might actually be a Seventh-Tier.
Without any combat technique, relying purely on her physical prowess and that unfamiliar spiritual magic, she had completely subdued several berserk maids, one of whom was even a Sixth-Tier.
Usually, a common Sixth-Tier would be unable to fight against a berserk demon of the same tier.
"Regardless, I hope Logan is safe wherever he is."
Earl Baptiste gazed out the window and prayed.
The situation outside the Baptiste mansion was even worse.
While the north shore was ravaged by the disaster, the south shore was on the brink of collapse.
The dark tide continued to surge, and the mutated demons poured in like a flood, the downpour washing away the blood on the ground, and lightning illuminating the twisted and hideous faces.
Members of the Silver-Armored Templar Knights rushed out, wielding silver longswords and cruciform shields, running through the rain to escort the wounded.
White-robed priests gathered in front of the church, chanting hymns loudly, dispelling the corrupt miasma with divine magic, and doing their best to erect barriers to counter the onslaught of the berserk demons while healing the injured citizens.
The Executioner Units, clad in black body-fitting military uniforms, emerged from the dark alleys throughout the city, their sharp blades flashing coldly in the rain, moving like ghosts with exquisite techniques to slay the berserk demons. The Pariah Police Headquarters had also deployed in full force, setting up emergency checkpoints in each district, doing their utmost to evacuate innocent civilians. Uniformed police officers, armed with riot shields and long batons, stood firm on the front lines, trying to hold back the berserk mutants who had slipped through the Executioners' net.
Under their guidance, the panicked crowd surged towards relatively safe shelters like the church and police stations.
Cries, pleas for help, and prayers blended into a cacophony that rose into the night sky.
The sound carried especially well on a rainy night.
Even sounds from several kilometers away echoed in their ears.
At this moment, the citizens on the south shore couldn't receive much official information, and most of the news channels seemed to be paralyzed.
Only the channels for Districts 7 to 10 on the north shore were still functioning.
On the screens of their magic projections, it seemed that an eighth-tier battle was taking place in District 10 of the Boscham Demon World on the north shore.
And even as the ground shook in the Boscham Demon World, some fearless demon reporters remained on the front lines, capturing this epic battle with the latest equipment, despite the many obstacles.
The camera shook constantly, emitting an occasional buzzing sound, along with blurry glitches and even rolling blackouts.
If they got too close to the center of the battle, they might be swept up by the two human disasters at any moment.
At the extreme limit of their range, they could only capture blurry footage from time to time.
"The battle on the north shore of the Demon World is intensifying!"
The voice of a demon reporter, her face covered in dirt, trembled as she spoke faster and faster.
"Pariah Broadcasting Corporation, until the last moment of our lives, will bring you the latest reports..."
Before the reporter could finish her sentence, a loud noise suddenly came from behind her.
Immediately afterward, the camera shook violently, and the entire picture went black, with the faint sound of shattering glass audible.
A few seconds later, the picture stabilized again.
Surprisingly, the demon reporter was still alive.
"Sorry for the interruption. It seems the battle has reached my location, and I need to move further away!"
She started running, her voice continuing,
"But no matter what, we will persist until the very last moment, bringing you the most timely and authentic reports..."
And so, the number of channels broadcasting the battlefield situation in real time, at the risk of their lives, dwindled.
And so, there remained a recording perspective that could observe the battle on the north shore, as well as backend channels continuously broadcasting fragmented footage.
From afar, on the southern shore, countless eyes witnessed these events through projection equipment.
People watched with bated breath, moved by the bravery of the Executioner, Nigel, and Ateli, the Demon Lord of the Ninth District, while also outraged by the turmoil caused by Perlman, the Demon Lord of the Tenth District. Aside from these emotions, there was mostly fear.
Waiting for the assassin general from South Asia's Quidan territory to return in time seemed unlikely.
Now, they could only pray for them to create a miracle and defeat Perlman.
To the south of Pariah.
Amidst the pouring rain washing over the southern shore.
A figure in a gray cloak stepped on the ground stained red with blood, and then disappeared without a trace.
First, he headed to the Tiffany mansion, where the Executioner was not present.
However, after breaking through the scrying-shielding barrier, he didn't waste another second on breaking the eighth-tier protective barrier and instead made his way to the next duke's location.
"Perlman, the crystal key of Duchess Tiffany is not within the barrier of her mansion, and this woman seems resigned to her fate. My search magic also can't find the key's location."
He communicated via encrypted magical means to Perlman, who was currently in the northernmost part of Flower City, Pariah, in the 10th District of the Boscham Demon World.
Asmodeus ended the communication after delivering his message.
He believed there was no need to explain further, as Perlman would understand his implication.
With such a key, Duchess Tiffany would have either kept it within her eighth-tier barrier or entrusted it to a trusted powerful individual.
And the only person she would trust unconditionally was the Executioner, to whom she had entrusted her life.
...
At the same time, elsewhere.
Boscham Demon World, 10th District.
The night sky was gloomy, with rolling dark clouds occasionally torn by piercing ice-blue lightning.
Perlman touched his ear, seemingly receiving some sort of communication.
Ateli's unique magical power, with its ice-blue lightning, made it hard to distinguish whether the sounds were from the natural thunder of this stormy night or her magic, which froze everything it touched, enveloping its target in an electric cocoon before shattering it into countless shards of ice.
Countering this was Perlman's invisible psychic power.
It sometimes manifested as fist-sized vacuums in the pouring rain, rushing out at speeds faster than the eye could see, melting steel and vaporizing rocks, twisting them into vortices.
"Boom!"
Another burst of psychic power struck the Boscham Memorial Building, causing the iconic structure of Flower City to melt and deform like a candle, eventually collapsing with a deafening roar.
The ground-shaking roar reverberated throughout the Boscham Demon World.
Ateli realized that unless she went all out and unleashed her most powerful magic, she might not even be able to make Perlman take her seriously.
With determination, Ateli took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
In an instant, the temperature in the Boscham Demon World plummeted.
First came the howling wind, mixed with hail, and then, the black night sky was filled with pouring rain turning into falling snow.
Soon, the snowflakes converged into a blizzard, engulfing the entire Boscham Demon World's 10th District in this unprecedented cold wave.
Ateli herself was a dual-element user of lightning and ice, and while it was easy to exploit elemental advantages against elemental-type enemies, it was not as effective against pure control-type enemies like Perlman.
Left with no choice, Ateli decided to focus on dealing damage, at the cost of her mana.
Ateli suddenly opened her eyes.
Her pupils had completely turned ice-blue, like two cold stars.
Countless ice crystals condensed behind Ateli, then shot toward Perlman like a storm of sharp icicles.
Each of these ice crystals seemed like exploding bombs.
However, facing this terrifying ice storm, Perlman remained unfazed.
Ateli slowly raised her hands, and the next moment, all the raindrops and snowflakes froze in mid-air.
As if affected by a time-stop spell, the howling wind ceased, and countless ice-blue beams shot through the sky, accurately piercing Perlman's body.
Perlman smiled faintly, and the psychic power around him suddenly expanded, forming an invisible energy sphere that enveloped him.
When the ice crystal storm hit the energy shield, it was like crashing into an invisible wall, shattering into countless fragments of ice that dissipated into the air.
"Ateli, although you are indeed an eighth-tier, you are still too weak."
Perlman's voice penetrated the energy shield, sounding like a whispering deity.
Before his words faded, Perlman raised his staff.
The energy shield around him suddenly contracted, then flowed towards Ateli at an unimaginable speed.
Ateli quickly began to weave an ice crystal shield, but her freezing speed couldn't compare to the speed of Perlman's counter-attack.
Just as disaster seemed imminent, a black-clad figure flashed in front of Ateli.
Nigel crossed his twin blades, and a shadowy red aura blossomed from their blades.
He used his physical body to forcefully withstand this fatal blow.
His resistance to psychic powers was exceptionally high, and he could almost use his swordsmanship to neutralize and counter the force.
Unfortunately, even Nigel couldn't completely counter this terrifying power.
The sound of metal clashing rang out, and he was blown away by the residual psychic power, slamming into a wall a hundred meters away, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.
(End of Chapter)
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