All members of the Witch Soul Race collapsed and died after surrendering their Energy. In the blink of an eye, the only enemy left on the battlefield, aside from the people of Wushan Castle, was Ossen.
"Toru, take everyone and fall back!"
Lurans commanded, "The rest of this battle is no longer yours to fight."
Toru acknowledged the order and led the Knights and Infantry to the perimeter, leaving the center of the battlefield to the Marquis and the others.
From now on, they were merely spectators.
âA battle between those at the Silver Moon Level... just thinking about it is exciting!â
Ronin went to Carlosâs side and cast Light Body Skill and Swift Magic on him. At the same time, he transferred over three hundred points of Energy Essence to the dragon.
"Go to Swamp Town as fast as you can and bring Elron here. While youâre there, have him dispel that brand on you."
All this time, not only had Ronin failed to notice it, but even Carlos himself had overlooked the Witch Soul Power on his body. Otherwise, they could have simply had Elron purify it.
"Yes, Master!"
Carlos flew impatiently into the sky. He didnât want that filth on his body for a second longer; he had to find Elron to cleanse him as soon as possible.
Ossen glanced up at the departing Giant Dragon and sneered. "Off to find reinforcements? I hope you can last until they arrive."
Ronin wasnât calling Elron for combat support. Even though Ossen had now gained the power of a late-stage Silver Moon, Roninâs own progress at the Silver Moon Level (8196/10000) also placed him in the late stages.
Besides, he wasnât fighting alone.
Lurans stepped forward. "In your pursuit of Power, youâve abandoned yourself. Can I even call you Ossen Hyde anymore?"
Ossen ignored him. "You should all be grateful. If weâd had more time to prepare, Lord Mephisto could have converted more of the Witch Soul Race. Then you wouldnât be facing me at the late-stage Silver Moon Level, but at the Proud Sun Level!"
Mephisto. This was the first time any of them had heard that name.
They guessed that the black-robed man who had just transformed into Energy and flown into Ossenâs body must have been Mephisto.
"How pathetic!"
Lurans sneered. "Ever since you lost to me and became a Vassal of Wushan Castle, you never once addressed me as âMy Lord.â And now you call a Demon âLordâ? Ossen, you are a true disappointment!"
Ossen felt no displeasure. On the contrary, he was willing to call Mephisto âLordâ from the bottom of his heartâa conditioning effect of the Witch Soul Pearl.
"Enough nonsense! Frenzied Undercurrent!"
He roared, and his naked body suddenly swelled. His muscles came alive, and his speed and Power rose to another level.
WHOOSH!
Ossen became a phantom, appearing behind Lurans in the blink of an eye. He intended to sever Luransâs head from behind with a single strike.
CLANG!
The piercing shriek was from Lurans, who had swung his Longsword just in time to block the blow.
The recoil sent him staggering back several steps.
"Haha! Is that the extent of your strength?"
Ossen laughed maniacally as he closed the distance, attacking relentlessly. "Why donât you try using your Fire Dance Thunder Strike Slash now?"
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Ossenâs attacks grew faster, overwhelming Lurans. Though he was loath to admit it, he was clearly being suppressed.
"Weâre going in!"
Seeing the Marquis at a disadvantage, Melonika immediately rushed forward to join the fray.
Broel did the same.
Only Daun and Miroslav were left, unable to act immediately.
They were both Mages and had to wait for the right moment to strike. A poorly timed spell could interfere with their allies, which would do more harm than good.
Three against one.
Luransâs scorching Sword Qi crackled with purple Thunderbolt as he led the main assault, while Melonika and Broel attacked from the flanks.
The three of them trapped Ossen in a triangular formation.
Ossen focused on Lurans. While deflecting Luransâs assault, he dodged Broelâs attack, but Melonikaâs sword managed to slice through his skin.
He snorted. The Fighting Qi around his body erupted, and with a swing of his Longsword, a massive, ink-black wave of Sword Qi shot toward the sky. It slammed into Melonika, sending him flying back, spitting blood.
The aftershock of the Sword Qi ripped through the area, carving deep gashes into the ground.
A hand braced Melonikaâs back, helping him steady himself.
"Heal yourself first."
Then, he flashed forward and joined the battle.
"Haha! An ant dares to meddle in our battle? You overestimate yourself!"
Seeing Ronin charge at him, Ossenâs eyes filled with killing intent. "Doesnât Lurans think highly of you? Then Iâll kill you first today!"
He lunged straight for Ronin.
Ronin remained composed. After casting buffs on himself, he met Ossen head-on.
When their attacks collided, the force of the impact sent both of them stumbling backward.
Ossenâs expression changed. âWhatâs going on? How can a mere boy like him have so much Power?â
WHOOSHâ
A gust of wind assaulted him from behind. âThis is bad!â Ossen thought. He quickly dodged to the side, but he wasnât fast enough to completely evade the blade.
With a sickening slice, Luransâs Longsword lopped off one of Ossenâs arms.
"You!"
"Die!"
Broelâs voice rang out next to Ossen as his cyan blade shot toward Ossenâs heart.
At the critical moment, Ossen split in twoâthe same Shadow Soul Chaser Combat Skill he had used before. He dodged the attack by a hairâs breadth and used the opportunity to create some distance.
Although he had narrowly dodged a fatal blow, with one arm gone, he could feel his Power draining away.
Time and again, he had overestimated his strength, and time and again, he was forced onto the defensive.
"Itâs a shame... I was so close. If Iâd had another seven or eight days, this power would have been enough to let me temporarily become a Proud Sun Knight!"
Ossenâs baleful gaze swept over his powerful enemies. "Since Iâm going to die, Iâll take one of you with me!"
He ignored the charging Lurans and Broel and lunged straight for Ronin.
"Die!"
A surging dark aura, mixed with a roiling tidal force, erupted from him. The very light between heaven and earth seemed to dim.
Wherever the expanding power passed, the earth was torn asunder. The green grass withered and yellowed, as if its life had been instantly drained away.
Ronin felt a bone-chilling, sinister aura envelop him.
"Heaven-Burning Flame!"
His Fighting Qi circulated according to the method in the Heaven-Burning Secret Scripture, purifying his Fire Attribute Fighting Qi to its absolute limit. The refined Fighting Qi surged from his body, coalescing into a vast, crimson cloud above his head.
"Slash!"
With Roninâs explosive roar, the crimson cloud transformed into a thirty-meter-long, crimson sword shadow. It moved with such extreme speed that it seemed to leave a blood-red gash across the sky, as if it had torn the heavens asunder.
PFFT!
Like a needle popping a balloon, the Heaven-Burning Flame pierced through Ossenâs attack and his body.
RUMBLEâ
The uncontrolled Dark Power instantly erupted outward, creating a violent storm.
Having used this technique, Ronin felt completely drained. He didnât have time to dodge and was sent flying by the blast.
Quick on the uptake, Miroslav commanded the Earth Bear to catch Ronin securely and retreat to the edge of the storm.
Meanwhile, inside the storm, Ossen looked down at his chest in disbelief. A massive hole had been bored through it, its edges still smoldering with flames.
"AARGH!"
His eyes bulged as a piercing pain, seemingly originating from his very soul, wracked his body.
Cracks spread across his body, inch by inch, as flames erupted from within. Then, with a BANG, he exploded into a cloud of ash.
For his final attack, Ossen could have chosen Broel or Melonika. He could have even disregarded his own life in a suicidal attempt to take Daun and Miroslav down with him.
But he just had to choose Ronin, the strongest one present. In the end, his only fate was to die without accomplishing anything.
With Ossenâs death, the Knights who had been watching with bated breath finally erupted in thunderous cheers.
Even though Black Python Castle had yet to be conquered, they knew the war was already won.
At the same time, a line of familiar text appeared before Roninâs eyes:
["King of Slaughter" Achievement Unlocked. Attribute Points +3000, Energy Essence +6000]