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Chapter 688: Loren: I Give You the Chance to Challenge Me (Part 2)
Chapter 688: Loren: I Give You the Chance to Challenge Me (Part 2)
In the next instant.
Perlman seized the opportunity, transforming into a dark cyan afterimage as he appeared in front of Nigel.
He reached out with his right hand, his fingers curling like hooks as he grabbed Nigel by the throat and lifted him into the air.
"Nigel, seeing your determination fills me with a sense of relief."
Perlman smiled sadly, slowly increasing the force he exerted on Nigel's neck.
"Unfortunately, determination can sometimes be a form of stupidity."
"Nigel!"
Ateli tried to rush forward to rescue him, but she felt as if her feet were nailed to the ground, her movements slowing.
It was the combination of Perlman's psychic power and mental power that froze her in place. This demon, who had lived for hundreds of years, could simultaneously control two distinct types of power and seamlessly weave them together.
Perlman glanced at Ateli, a hint of a smile in his eyes, as if asking her to wait a moment while he dealt with the Quersteton family's affairs.
He slowly tightened his grip, watching as Nigel's expression twisted in agony from the suffocation.
Although Perlman's physical strength wasn't as powerful as a Demon Warrior's, psychic power, also known as force magic, could be used to exert immense force.
"Nigel, hand over Duchess Tiffany's key."
Perlman looked at Nigel and sighed.
He never expected that Duchess Tiffany would truly hold Nigel so dear.
However, Perlman could guess the reason. Perhaps Nigel had forgotten, but when he was still a boy, he had once saved the young girl who would become Duchess Tiffany. Perhaps from that moment on, the Duchess had always remembered this particular demon.
"Do you think I would keep it on me while fighting you?"
Nigel let out a weak laugh, his eyes fearless in the face of death.
"Oh?"
Perlman frowned slightly.
...
In a vehicle parked behind a distant building in Boscham's 10th District, Lanchi rested his hands on the steering wheel, listening intently to the sounds from the center of the battlefield through the half-open window.
With Talia's enhanced clairvoyance magic, Lanchi also understood that before Nigel had come to the Demon World, the crystal key pendant he had given him was Tiffany's last key.
Lanchi took out the crystal key pendant and examined it in his palm.
So, the final key of Duchess Tiffany was now in his hands.
And by giving him this key, Nigel was implying that if the worst were to happen, he should take the key and run, not caring about Nigel's life, and ensuring that the key did not fall into the enemy's hands.
"Tata, what do you think?"
Lanchi asked Talia.
According to what he had read in Talia's thoughts, the safest strategy at the moment should be to leave Pariah with the key, whether it was to head south to find the eighth-rank assassin general of the Boscham Kingdom or to rush back to the Kingdom of Houghton for aid.
However, if the Krexi Empire launched a war during that time, they might lose everything.
And as long as the unrest could not be calmed tonight, the casualties in Pariah would be unimaginable.
"I don't know..."
Talia's mind was in turmoil, obviously struggling.
If it were in the past, she would have definitely chosen to retreat.
But now, she couldn't let the enemy tarnish her sister's reputation, nor could she stand by and watch as her friend, Rosalind, the Countess of Rosa, was put in danger.
Her thought patterns were becoming more and more human, and her weaknesses were increasing.
"Lanchi, can you help me?"
Talia could only seek Lanchi's help.
When she felt helpless, this man was always synonymous with miracles.
It was as if she was wishing upon a star, hoping that Lanchi could help protect her sister's reputation and her friends in Pariah.
"If you were to fight Perlman, could you win?"
Lanchi asked through their mental connection.
"I can win, but there's no way I can finish him off in three minutes."
Talia replied confidently.
In her usual state, Talia would have a racial advantage against ordinary demons.
Now, in her Demon King state, her advantage against demons was even greater.
So, even if she was a little weaker than Perlman, considering Lanchi and her combined Demon King advantage after the Nine Seals, she was certain she could defeat Perlman.
But the problem now was insufficient mana.
Her fighting style relied on control and counterattacks, and compared to Sinora's style, which could quickly turn the tide of battle, she was better at wearing her opponents down.
"And that's assuming he doesn't have any other tricks up his sleeve. Look at Ateli, even with all her power, she couldn't even make Perlman use his full strength."
Talia added.
This was what worried her the most.
Regarding Perlman, the leader of an independent branch of demons that had smoothly developed in the Boscham Kingdom for a hundred years, even Talia couldn't guess what kind of trump cards he might have up his sleeve.
"Tata, if I trick him into using his ultimate move first, would you dare to fight him?"
Lanchi asked seriously.
"How are you going to trick him? And how much mana will it cost?"
Talia asked, puzzled.
"It won't cost any mana."
Lanchi replied.
"?"
Talia didn't understand how Lanchi planned to trick him without using any mana.
"Although it's still unlikely that I can beat him within three minutes, it's worth a try. Do you have any other trump cards?"
She replied.
Lanchi nodded and summoned Talia.
Talia sat beside him, bewildered as she watched him.
She didn't understand why Lanchi would waste mana by summoning her before the battle.
"First, untie all your magic cards and replace them with the ones I give you."
Lanchi handed a stack of magic cards to Talia and instructed her.
"...?"
Talia took the cards from Lanchi, unsure why he wanted her to change her cards at this critical moment, and curious about where he had obtained these high-ranked purple-pink cards, which were undoubtedly from the Northern Continent.
Among them were even some eighth-rank cards.
But switching to unfamiliar magic cards right before the battle seemed like a reckless move.
"Next, you need to be one with me. Only then will we have a chance to win, do you understand?"
Lanchi looked into Talia's eyes and said to her.
In the card-making room, they could afford to make mistakes ten thousand times, but not this once.
Even though he felt that putting everything on Talia was the riskiest move, this time, he would still choose her without hesitation.
Because to achieve the perfect ending, this was the only solution. Tonight, they must defeat Perlman.
"Yes."
Talia hesitated slightly.
She didn't understand where Lanchi's trust in her came from, and it even made her feel a little insecure.
But as she met his intense emerald gaze, her eyes gradually focused.
It was that unwavering sincerity, without a shred of artifice, that reached deep into her heart.
For the first time, she felt that connecting her soul with this man might not be such a bad thing.
She nodded firmly.
"We will win."
She assured him.
...
10th District, at the heart of the battlefield.
As Ateli broke free from her restraints and rushed to rescue Nigel, Nigel, with his last ounce of strength, drew a small dagger and stabbed at Perlman.
His movement was swift and powerful, the blade slicing through the air with searing heat, cutting through the pouring rain at an oblique angle! Until Perlman's magically enhanced staff was knocked away.
"Nigel, what a pity."
Perlman's fingertips caught the blade of Nigel's dagger.
Facing such an assault, Perlman remained unflustered, not even batting an eye.
As he waved his hand, Nigel's last weapon clattered to the ground.
"It seems that after losing my daughter, I will also lose a son."
Perlman's tone made this life-and-death struggle seem like a mere joke.
No matter how hard Nigel struggled, Perlman remained as calm as ever, just like when they used to play games together years ago. At this moment, they were like a father and son bidding farewell.
A glint of farewell shone in Nigel's eyes as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of jet-black crystal the size of a fingernail.
The unusual crystal emanated an eerie glow, its surface shrouded in a cursing aura.
Nigel's eyes widened as he recognized the crystal; it was a fragment of the [Parloni's Grudge], modified by artificial means!
It was probably a piece of the [Parloni's Grudge Record], which Perlman and the Curse Spreader had obtained by seizing and interrogating a researcher from the institute, allowing them to decipher and directly use this curse magic on other demons.
The reason why the Curse Spreader was able to infiltrate the institute as a researcher tonight was that they had already investigated and controlled a key researcher, impersonating them after extracting the necessary information.
By the time Nigel came to his senses, a sharp pain was radiating from his chest.
Looking down, he saw that instead of killing him outright, Perlman had stabbed the black crystal into his chest!
"Perlman, you... How could you..."
Just as Ateli was about to rescue Nigel, she froze, unable to believe what she was witnessing.
"Ahhhh!"
Nigel screamed in agony, his body convulsing violently.
A stream of black gas emanated from the crystal's entry point, spreading across his skin like venomous snakes.
His eyeballs rapidly turned a grayish-black, and his eyes lost their luster, becoming hollow and bloodshot.
Nigel's fingers and toes elongated into sharp claws, and in the blink of an eye, he had lost all human features, transforming into a savage, cursed demon with grayish-black skin.
Directly influenced by a fragment of the [Parloni's Grudge Record], Nigel's state of frenzy was even more intense than that of ordinary cursed demons, his aura reaching the most dangerous level among the seventh-ranks.
What was even more terrifying was that this frenzied demon's eyes no longer held a glimmer of gentleness, only a bloodthirsty red glow.
The frenzied Nigel let out a thunderous roar that sent shockwaves of sound, causing even Ateli to feel a sense of dread.
Perlman nodded in satisfaction.
"Good, my proud child, Nigel. Go and take revenge on the humans for your sister."
He gazed at the frenzied Nigel, his tone gentle, as if calling out to an obedient servant.
"Go, tear apart that demon who wants to protect humans, and let me see your love for your sister."
The frenzied Nigel did not speak, but the red glow in his eyes intensified.
"Kill... Kill..."
His gaze locked onto Ateli, not far away, and his body lowered into a standard hunting stance.
"No, Nigel, snap out of it! You're stronger than this; don't fall into despair now!"
Ateli couldn't believe that the vicious demon before her was the same comrade-in-arms she had fought alongside just a moment ago. She called out to him in desperation.
Since Perlman could control this frenzied Nigel, it meant that Nigel's state was different from that of ordinary cursed demons, perhaps due to the influence of a modified [Parloni's Grudge] fragment.
"Don't... Stop me..."
The frenzied Nigel seemed to be in great pain, clutching his head and struggling for a moment. After a few seconds, he let out another mournful roar, his body lunging at Ateli like a cannonball, sharp claws aiming for her throat.
Ateli, now facing a two-on-one battle, felt a sense of despair like never before.
She had already exerted all her strength but still couldn't budge Perlman.
Earlier, Ateli felt that with Nigel's help, she might be able to put up some resistance against Perlman, but now, even dealing with this frenzied Nigel was taxing her greatly.
With Nigel as her formidable opponent, the situation had become irretrievable.
In this moment of despair, Ateli could only pray.
She prayed to the gods, and even to the ancestors of the demons, hoping that someone would come to stop this overwhelmingly powerful enemy!
Ice-blue lightning bolts erupted from her body, forming a cage that bound the frenzied Nigel.
However, Perlman did not stand idly by.
He had wanted to finish off Ateli earlier.
Since the city defense key was not on Nigel, it must have been entrusted to someone else by him.
Most likely, Perlman could also guess who had it.
It was none other than Lochi McCasy, whom Nigel had brought to the banquet.
Earlier, when Besiege had been spreading the curse in Boscham Demon World 7, he had mentioned that Lochi McCasy was the one who could lift the curse, or that the trap set in Boscham Demon World 7 had been intended to find the mysterious existence that could help Nigel lift the curse. They had chosen not to reveal themselves at that time because they were unsure if they could kill both of them and prevent either from escaping back to Pariah.
Obviously, Nigel trusted Lochi greatly, which was why he had brought him to the banquet and entrusted him with the key.
Perlman controlled his invisible psychic power, each move lethally restricting Ateli's actions.
Under this dual pressure, Ateli felt that she could suffer a fatal injury at any moment.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her head, her face turning even paler, and her breathing becoming rapid and labored.
Before Ateli could defend against Perlman's mental attack, the lightning cage she had cast to restrict the frenzied Nigel was dissipated by Perlman's psychic power, and she barely managed to block Nigel's claws.
"It ends here."
Perlman said softly.
He raised his staff, and the invisible psychic power that emanated from it was like a heavy sword about to pierce through Ateli's body.
The suffering citizens of the South Shore, praying for dawn, listened to the terrifying howls that filled the air and watched the battle unfold on the screens, their trembling intensifying.
As Ateli felt herself on the verge of defeat, all hope seemed lost! They couldn't imagine the catastrophic slaughter that would ensue if the godlike Perlman were to arrive on the South Shore.
Even with the camera desperately zooming in and magnifying, Ateli appeared as nothing more than a tiny speck amidst the howling wind and torrential rain.
Just as Ateli felt she could no longer withstand Perlman's terrifying magic...
Suddenly, an invisible arrow descended from the heavens.
Dispelling the rain, a verdant stream of light gracefully landed beside Ateli.
The arrow emanated a dazzling ancient divine radiance, like the first light of dawn, illuminating the dark battlefield!
A surging gale erupted from the point where the arrow landed, as if an awakened wild beast, howling as it swept across the entire battlefield.
It was not an ordinary gust of wind, but one imbued with ancient divine power! Wherever it passed, the air became fresh and invigorating.
Even more astonishing was how the light, like the sunrise at daybreak, illuminated the pouring rain, making the dark night as clear as day.
It was pure and radiant, pristine and flawless, and any mortal who beheld this radiance would involuntarily feel a compulsion to bow down in worship!
As the arrow fell, the wind and light intertwined to form an impenetrable barrier, protecting Ateli within.
The barrier resembled crystal, light and ethereal, constantly shimmering with a subtle glow.
Even more miraculous was how, when the pouring rain struck this barrier, not a single droplet landed on Ateli's body.
Even Perlman's deadly strike seemed to collide with an invisible wall, causing the rain around it to scatter and splash, forming ripples on the barrier's surface, yet unable to shake this defense.
In the face of this wind and light barrier, any power seemed insignificant, unable to create even a ripple. The barrier stood firm and unyielding, forever unshakeable.
This defense could only lead Perlman and Ateli to think of "absolute immunity."
Perlman's expression immediately turned gloomy.
Even without looking towards the direction of the gale and arrow, as an experienced eighth-rank powerhouse, he knew what that ancient radiance symbolized and who its owner was.
He slowly lifted his head to gaze towards the distant horizon.
On top of a skyscraper kilometers away, a figure stood tall. The rain around him seemed to lock up the heavens and earth, and the moonlight behind him appeared to be cleaved by dark clouds.
The figure was clad in a black priest's robe, adorned with meandering golden patterns. His short light brown hair fluttered in the wind, yet it did nothing to diminish his dignified bearing.
And his eyes, those two deep and clear azure lakes, shone with a compassionate light, causing all who beheld them, no matter the distance, to feel a tremor in their hearts.
The violent storm and thunder were kept at bay by an invisible force, and within a three-meter radius of him, everything became serene and peaceful.
Without any need for questions, all the demons who witnessed his figure knew that he was the powerful being who had just lent his aid.
In his eyes, this earth-shattering eighth-rank battle seemed like nothing more than a trivial drama.
But undoubtedly, it was the Wind God's power in his hands that saved Ateli at the critical moment.
"Archbishop Loren..."
Facing such a formidable being as Loren, revered as the strongest among humans, Perlman felt a sense of trepidation for the first time.
He realized that this battle might not be as easy to conclude as he had imagined.
With the protection of the wind and light barrier, Ateli finally caught her breath.
She lifted her head, staring in astonishment at the mysterious figure.
The fate of Pariah now hung in the balance, dependent on that figure's intentions.
Whether it was Perlman, the lord of the 10th District, or the mysterious demon spreading curses on the South Shore, none could stand against Archbishop Loren!
The scales of victory and defeat trembled amidst the faint light and howling wind...
"Why have you come here..."
Perlman fixed his gaze on the distant figure atop the skyscraper, his previously indifferent eyes now filled with grave seriousness.
That revered and upright high priest of the Kingdom of Houghton, who had recently become even more renowned and unstoppable.
Rumored to be enveloped by Imperial Qi.
...
At that moment, several kilometers away.
Hidden in the shadows, the demon reporters could hardly believe their eyes.
When they clearly saw the figure, they almost dropped their magic recording equipment.
"Loren!!!"
Although the pouring rain and distant location made it difficult to see clearly, there was no mistaking the radiance of the Wind Stone.
This news exploded like a thunderclap among the viewers on the South Shore.
They couldn't make out the distant scene, but they knew that the sudden ceasefire, the stunned expressions of Ateli and Perlman, and that soul-stirring radiance of the Wind Stone, all pointed to one thing—
Loren had intervened!
"It's Archbishop Loren! He's come to our aid!"
"The legend of the Northern Continent is true! As long as you sincerely call out his name, he will surely come to your rescue!"
"He is the reincarnation of the Holy Emperor!"
A spark of hope ignited among the viewers on the South Shore, and they excitedly discussed, speculated, and stared intently at the limited footage, some even shedding tears of joy.
Many of the citizens witnessing this scene couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
Archbishop Loren's appearance gave the desperate people of Pariah a much-needed boost of morale during this stormy night.
(End of Chapter)
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