Don't Take Away My Human Record Chapter 852: Loren's Heaven's Retribution (Part 3) - Novel Cool

Chapter 852: Loren's Heaven's Retribution (Part 3)

Chapter 852: Loren's Heaven's Retribution (Part 3)

But if Loren lost, they would all be doomed.

"Let's not talk about what would happen to the barrier if we did that," Mikaya patiently explained to Antanas. "Even if we rush in, the aftermath alone might cripple us."

This was his wife's good friend, his daughter's close friend, and a colleague of the Bishop. He would undoubtedly treat her with utmost politeness, even though he still couldn't quite understand the intricacies of the Demon Race's hierarchy.

Moreover, at a critical moment, Hestinos wouldn't consider the safety of civilians.

But Loren would.

This was the decisive difference between them.

Helping Loren protect the civilians and allowing him to fight without restraint was the most correct and significant support they could offer at this moment.

"Don't interfere with Loren," Sigrid said to Antanas. "This battlefield isn't one that an Eighth-Tier can casually join. Doing so would only hinder Loren, and he wouldn't be able to use some large-scale spells."

Perhaps only Sigrid and Salong, the Second Army God, truly understood the intensity of the battle taking place two kilometers away within the barrier.

Hestinos' summoned sword continuously tore at the space.

The Seros Spirit Sword in his hand simultaneously released planar slashes and circular slashes, locking onto Loren and advancing to deliver horizontal strikes.

Loren weaved through the slashes.

Three distinct swords rapidly descended onto the battlefield, and Loren decisively dodged the circle formed by the falling swords.

Then, Hestinos unleashed a planar slash and a linear slash, causing an explosion on the ground.

Each sword's impact created a massive shockwave, forcing Loren to seek shelter in the sword's shadow to avoid a fatal blow.

Hestinos' interference magic proved effective, as he precisely interrupted Loren's attempts to cast spells, rendering his crucial spells useless.

"If... if Loren loses, meow..." Bianca, witnessing the increasingly dire situation, shrank back, her tail coiling around her waist. She had already switched sides, and if the images were accurate, Hestinos would not spare her. The mere thought of having to defect to the Allied Kingdoms made her scalp tingle.

"If Loren loses, I'll be next."

Sigrid hugged her arms, her gaze fixed intently on the battle scene.

The 9th-tier domain, in her eyes, was not an unreachable goal. If it weren't for considering the overall odds of victory, she would have wanted to spar with a 9th-tier opponent long ago.

"He won't lose."

Lance's voice was filled with conviction.

At this moment, he was the one who believed in Loren the most.

"If only Loren had a unique weapon..."

Antanas, at this moment, also understood what Pranay meant by Loren's growth.

Currently, the most significant difference between Loren and Hestinos was the divine sword that Hestinos possessed, which Loren couldn't compensate for.

Huberian understood Antanas' meaning and couldn't help but glance at the shadow beneath Lance's feet.

If Cat Loren could successfully join Loren in the decisive battle, then the rumors about Loren's nine lives would truly come into play.

Even though Cat Loren was at most a white common summon beast carrying an orange epic wind magic, a 9th-tier white common might very well be equivalent to a 1st-tier red legendary.

"Don't think about it. Cat Boss started with Night Dew Wind Hymn, causing a complete side effect of hibernation, and it won't wake up before the one-hour cooldown ends."

Lance shook his head helplessly.

When he encountered Loren earlier, if he could have thrown Cat Boss into Loren's shadow or given Loren the Black Sun Tyrant Eternal Punishment Edict, he would have done so already.

The 9th-tier Loren would burn through his mana in an instant, making Tata seem like a low-power appliance.

As for Cat Boss, only fifty minutes had passed so far, and Loren and Hestinos' battle could end with a decisive strike at any moment.

They weren't just determining who was stronger; they were fighting for their lives. Every moment could tip the scales of victory, and the odds could change as drastically as a bungee jump.

As they chatted, they looked towards the center of the barrier again.

Loren was generating a reverse wind in front of him, pulling Hestinos towards himself and even sucking in enemies that were in an uncontrollable state.

The most significant characteristic of this spell was that it could forcibly interrupt other spells and immediately cast another spell.

Hestinos' counter this time was unsuccessful; it was interrupted by Loren himself before it could take effect.

The next moment, Loren generated a dark aura zone in front of him, and the dark aura condensed into an orb, once again sucking in the surrounding enemies and slowing them down.

Finally, the orb exploded, dealing massive splash damage to Hestinos.

"Loren is being suppressed by Hestinos in every aspect. Even without the red legendary Seros Spirit Sword, Loren would have struggled against Hestinos just now."

Tolledo's expression was unusually calm as he stared at the distant battlefield within the barrier.

"Are you talking about just now?"

Ice Maiden noticed the key point in Tolledo's words.

As the only general among the seven surviving demons, and the one most sensitive to strength, Tolledo's insights were trusted by Ice Maiden.

"Based on his growth curve, Loren has a chance to win, but he's still a bit lacking at the moment."

Pranay's gaze was thoughtful as he observed the battle, his expression unreadable.

Having crossed the boundary between life and death, Loren had made a qualitative leap.

Even so, there was still a significant gap between him and the First Army God Hestinos, who possessed the Seros Spirit Sword.

But this gap was narrowing.

The battle raged on in the midst of the storm.

Suddenly, Loren stopped in his tracks and ceased evading.

He stood his ground, facing Hestinos' splitting strike head-on.

The Seros Spirit Sword pierced through his body, and his figure dissipated like the wind.

"You dare to gamble with me like this?"

This spell clearly surprised Hestinos.

If Loren hadn't successfully cast it just now, the outcome might have been decided.

Near the barrier.

"Wait, have you noticed that the frequency of Loren's spells being interrupted is decreasing?"

Ifatiya pointed inside the crystal barrier, asking the group with delight.

Everyone hesitated.

Loren's wind was gentle like flowing water, fierce like raging fire, heavy like mountains, and radiant like stars.

Riding the wind, his graceful figure resembled a deity, and those who witnessed his new casting style couldn't help but be amazed.

Not only were Loren's offense and defense steadily improving, but he had also successfully cast spells that had obvious countermeasures against Hestinos' interference.

During their exchange, Loren seemed to have found a way to strike Hestinos without being countered.

Their storms and slashes collided, and both suffered wounds that quickly healed.

It was hard to tell if this was just an illusion.

This was the current state of successful spellcasting.

Any spell still had a high probability of being interrupted by Hestinos.

"Could it be that Loren has studied military strategy and is skilled in psychological warfare? He pretends to be weak, hiding his true strength and intentions, making you think you can win, lulling your opponent into a false sense of security, and then striking when they least expect it, delivering a fatal blow!"

Antanas asked excitedly, punching the air.

"..."

Everyone fell silent.

Only demons could be so out of touch at this moment.

However, they all glanced at one of their members.

"I believe Loren isn't like that. His fighting style is clean, even when casting spells."

Lance looked particularly embarrassed as he clarified for Loren.

"Ahem!"

Antanas coughed twice.

She didn't intend to take on a task.

In fact, after Antanas' words, everyone recalled Loren's previous battles.

Watching Loren fight was always a struggle, but he won every time.

From the enemy's perspective, it was always a close call, almost winning.

"Loren has started using spells other than wind magic."

"Yes, he was almost exclusively using wind magic against Hestinos just now!"

In the center of the battlefield, Loren fired a light-attribute current forward, causing the phantom swords Hestinos had left on the ground to suffer multiple instances of current damage.

While attacking the sword handles, the current would randomly conduct to the surrounding swords and bounce back onto Hestinos.

Before Hestinos' electrified state could wear off, the gathered elemental aura rose into the sky, merged, and formed a giant elemental planet that descended vertically, causing Hestinos to grit his teeth and enter a rigid state, suffering multiple composite elemental damages.

After the elements exploded and spread out, the elemental domain continued to deal all elemental attribute damages to Hestinos within the spell's range and lowered his resistances.

The sword aura circles on the ground had transformed into an elemental domain.

"Loren's magic control, spell library, spell analysis, and casting speed are all too high. Unless it's an unbeatable countermeasure, Hestinos' violent dismantling won't work. Loren is adapting and developing new casting methods to block and dismantle."

Mikaya had maintained a relatively calm demeanor throughout, not because he wasn't concerned about Loren, but because he had witnessed Loren's battles many times more than the others.

"This is Loren's problem-solving combat style. For example, during your entrance exam, when you used a silencing spell on Examiner Ferrat, if your opponent was the younger Loren, even without the need for incantations like Viscount Ferrat, Loren could have immediately grasped the principles of non-incantation casting and become increasingly proficient at it."

Mikaya used the example of Lance and Huberian to illustrate his point.

In the days since his rescue, he had also heard many stories about Iceteria, which made him chuckle.

As Loren began to use other elemental magics, Mikaya knew that Loren's problem-solving was almost complete, and the time for counterattack had arrived.

This combat style was closely tied to Loren's problem-solving ability. For his opponents, Loren was an open book, having become a rising star in the Southern Continent since his debut, and gaining fame after his battle with the Archdeacon of Destruction. To protect the residents, he often fought with all his might, revealing his full arsenal.

Loren's habits and strategies from years ago were well-documented, and his opponents could easily find extensive research materials on him.

However, the true strategies and hidden cards of his opponents were something Loren had to figure out during the battle itself.

Watching Loren fight, his heart could endure it, but the audience might not.

"You always say I have a good mindset, but Loren's mindset is also monstrous," Lance told his companions.

Without a clear and enlightened state of mind, one might have crumbled, but Loren remained steady.

"Average performance, a poor start, a tough battle, falling behind, clumsy moves, a certain defeat, and then the post-victory speech," Ice Maiden murmured as she watched the battlefield gradually fall under Loren's control.

She used to not understand how Loren could always turn the tables in dire situations, but now she understood.

Loren's formidable strength, coupled with his stable mindset, exceptional psychological tactics, and problem-solving abilities, allowed him to consistently pull off miraculous comebacks in seemingly hopeless situations.

This combination of qualities made Loren appear like a humble and steady priest, but in reality, he was a naturally gifted priest chosen by the heavens.

"Wait, Teacher Armis, the last time in the 7th-tier Shadow World, Loren endured the pressure in the real world for over a month, and it was all because of this guy, Lance! I'd say Loren's good mindset is sometimes forced upon him."

Huberian believed that Loren's positive mindset was not always by choice.

Since meeting Lance, some aspects of his life had been decided for him.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt in the sky captured everyone's attention.

No one spoke; instead, they held their breath and stared at the converging magic power that could penetrate the barrier.

Loren hovered in mid-air, his black robe fluttering without any wind.

His face was expressionless, and his azure eyes reflected the image of Hestinos, trapped by crisscrossing columns of light, holding a sword.

Hestinos was no longer unscathed; his body was being eroded by the raging elemental forces, and blood was flowing from his ears and eyes.

"Is this...elemental poisoning?" Hestinos coughed up blood as he spoke.

An abundance of elemental power was not inherently harmful, but if one's affinity for the current element was low, the excessive amount of elemental power in the environment could lead to bodily imbalances.

Even in the midst of combat, Loren had discovered his affinity for each element.

And Loren, with his affinity for all elements, could inflict multiple layers of elemental poisoning on Hestinos.

At that moment, a dazzling light burst forth from Loren, illuminating the entire battlefield like the sun.

The light contained pure elemental power, as if it would obliterate everything in its path.

Hestinos immediately felt an excruciating, scorching pain, which was both intensely hot and cold, cutting and corrosive at the same time.

Upon Loren's command, all the elements converged, transforming into the purest form of natural disaster force, creating, destroying, and annihilating everything in its path. The particles of light rippled through the air, and even Hestinos's skin, far away, was scorched by this intense light. Flames ignited beneath Loren's feet, turning the entire sky crimson, while the ice and frost that covered the battlefield transformed it into an extreme cold world. The black insect swarm condensed into a thick shield, forming an impenetrable dark wall that completely blocked Hestinos's attacks and escape routes.

Then, Loren's speed suddenly increased, moving with the swiftness of the wind. Wind-attributed magic formed cutting lines around him, and the entire battlefield seemed to be swept by a raging storm.

Even from a distance, beyond the barrier, all 8th-tier powerhouses took defensive stances.

They knew this was Loren's most powerful attack, one he had never used before!

"Loren has always been proficient in all elemental attributes. Perhaps it was the will of the Goddess of Destiny that led him to choose the gentlest element, wind, which also happens to be the element least likely to cause natural disasters. Thus, he is considered to be most skilled in wind magic."

Mikaya's black hair was blown by the wind, and a long-lost joy appeared on her face.

"In reality, Loren's true expertise lies in causing natural disasters. If he were to unleash his power without regard for consequences, he would become the embodiment of disaster."

When the power of all elements converged, it would revert to its most primal form, becoming the divine force of nature, a force of punishment and disaster.

[Heavenly Disaster Radiance]

[Type: Active Spell]

[Grade: Epic]

[Attribute: Ice/Fire/Light/Dark/Wind/Thunder/Earth/Water/Wood]

[Tier: 8]

[Effect: Consumes a massive amount of mana to deal attribute-based damage to the target area, ignoring defense. Increases the caster's affinity for all elemental attributes. Cooldown: 120 seconds.]

Loren's current strength was still slightly inferior to Hestinos, but he had successfully avoided Hestinos's counter-spells.

His expression showed his determination to end the battle swiftly.

The disaster they had caused in their battle might take a long time to dissipate, and continuing the fight could lead to unforeseen consequences, possibly causing the land to crumble and shatter from that point.

The province of Botswana might become uninhabitable like the Disaster Sea between the Northern and Southern Continents, and even the entire Southern Continent might experience extreme climate changes, with this battle as the starting point.

The power of the natural disaster was so overwhelming that even Hestinos showed a look of terror.

"This might be the only situation where Loren would dare to use Heavenly Disaster Radiance," Lance said, looking at the Saint Asteris Barrier and feeling relieved.

Even if a peak Saint Pope like Saint Pope Lant could withstand this spell, it would still be a formidable challenge.

"In other words..." Antanas tentatively shielded his face with his hand and asked.

As all the elements erupted simultaneously, converging into a beam of Genesis, the light intersected with Hestinos in the air, erupting with an ancient brilliance.

In that instant, the world seemed to lose its color, and the sun and moon dimmed.

All colors were absorbed into this intersection point, only to burst out again the next second.

The shockwave from the explosion spread in all directions, centered on the battlefield.

"As long as Loren's Divine Punishment hits Hestinos, he wins."

Mikaya affirmed with certainty, her eyes already witnessing the moment of victory.

...

...

Hestinos was covered in blood, his figure almost turning dark red.

He stumbled, leaning on the Seros Empire's Spirit Sword, and stood on the ruins, blood seeping from his fingernails and pooling into a dark puddle on the ground.

"What a foolish move, High Priest Loren."

Hestinos looked up, his face filled with a triumphant smile, gazing at the distant Loren lying on the ground, his life hanging in the balance.

"To protect those weaklings, he made a wrong decision at this critical moment."

Hestinos's eyes couldn't hide his scorn and joy as he evaluated Loren.

He tightly gripped his longsword, thrusting its tip deep into the scorched earth, supporting his battered body.

Outside the barrier, everyone's mouths hung slightly open.

In the initial moment, no one moved, no one spoke.

Everyone was stunned, as if time had frozen.

Their eyes widened, staring incredulously at the distant battlefield.

They even forgot to breathe, their mouths agape, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

"What's going on here..."

It was only then that they truly understood Hestinos's ultimate spell.

Even though the results of the Prana appraisal were not entirely accurate, they had almost figured out Hestinos's ultimate spell through its actual casting.

[Imbalance Devourer]

[Type: Active Spell]

[Grade: Orange Epic]

[Attribute: Counter/Seal]

[Class: 8]

[Effect: Devours and resists all attacks, traps, and items within a range, temporarily storing them in the soul space, and can return them all within thirty seconds. Cooldown time: one minute.]

"No, the rebound of Divine Punishment is not the fundamental reason for this spell."

Mikaya was the first to break the silence.

Just then, Loren had realized that Hestinos might have a counter spell, and perhaps only Divine Punishment could force Hestinos to reveal his true trump card, so he had made the necessary preparations.

But what no one expected was that Hestinos did not aim the absorbed Divine Punishment back at Loren.

Instead, he directly targeted the civilian area outside the Saint Asteria Barrier and Loren's other companions.

This small action might not have been clear to ordinary spectators, but Loren must have seen it.

Hestinos smiled as he watched Loren.

As if giving Loren a choice—

Even with the protection of the barrier, the Saint Asteria Barrier could not withstand a direct hit from Loren's Divine Punishment.

Not only would Lance and the others suffer heavy casualties, but many Brillada families would also be affected.

So, in that instant, Loren's decision was to take the hit from Divine Punishment and try to detonate it between himself and Hestinos, dragging Hestinos into the explosion as well.

However, as the controller of the spell, Hestinos obviously suffered far less damage than Loren.

"Hestinos!"

Mikaya's angry shout seemed to break the spell, instantly waking up the others.

Anger spread like wildfire among the crowd.

"You despicable scoundrel!"

Julius clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his eyes flashing with raging flames.

"He knew it would be hard to beat Loren if the fight continued, and Loren was still getting stronger, so he needed a quick way to end the battle."

If Loren had continued fighting, even if he couldn't find a way to defeat Hestinos immediately, Hestinos also lacked a decisive move to completely defeat Loren, and the pressure would have shifted entirely to Hestinos.

Hestinos, who initially felt confident of victory, now realized that Loren was the only threat in the world, so he ended the battle without holding back.

At this moment, no one noticed that two people beside them had disappeared.

On the other side of the barrier to the north, the War Deities also seemed to understand Hestinos's decision.

"This..."

Even though Hestinos won.

His victory lacked some glory.

And they originally didn't believe that Hestinos would make such a strategic move at a life-or-death moment.

The center of the barrier was a devastated battlefield.

The scorched land was filled with deep ravines, as if torn by a giant's claws.

"Alright, once you're dead, no one will stand in my way."

Hestinos's eyes were filled with ruthlessness, and he laughed heartily.

Whether they believed in him or not.

Those enemies, those traitors, would wait for him to kill them one by one.

At this moment, the most important thing was to eliminate Loren.

Just as Hestinos recovered a little on the battlefield, his wounds began to heal, and he could lift his sword to dismember Loren.

A space arc flashed beside Loren, and the Dimensional Bishop Tolledo pounced out, grabbing the half-dead Loren on the ground and flashing out of the barrier.

"This time, I'll be the hero!"

Tolledo shouted, as if to encourage himself.

If Loren had another chance, the stronger Loren would never lose to Hestinos, this despicable man!

"You thief, I've been tolerating you for too long."

Hestinos's eyes burned with anger at the sight.

Without the Dimensional Bishop's interference, the real Loren would not have been able to escape.

Although Loren's life was hanging by a thread, Hestinos couldn't fully rest until he completely shredded, chopped, and dismembered Loren.

Hestinos immediately swung his sword towards the panicked figure of Tolledo.

Before the sword energy could reach Tolledo and Loren, it was shattered by a metallic blast.

From the sky, a silver comet-like figure fell, slamming between the retreating Tolledo and the pursuing Hestinos.

The enormous impact caused the sword energy to instantly dissipate, turning into countless points of light that scattered in the air.

As the dust settled, a figure bathed in silver light stood in front of Hestinos.

"Hestinos, it's been a long time since I've met someone as despicable as you who deserves a beating."

Sigrid shook her wrist, clenching her creaking fist, and walked towards Hestinos.

Before Loren returned from hell, she, the Overlord Bishop Sigrid, would turn the tide of this battle.

(End of Chapter)

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