Steam (3)
Chapter 99
Carinus couldn’t understand where Ropheiren’s arrogance stemmed from.
Carinus was simply filled with rage and attempted to erase the existence of Ropheiren as quickly as possible.
“Looks like you still find me amusing.”
One man at least needed to be burned first for any change in attitude to occur.
Crimson flames surged across the ground.
The flames stretched out fiery hands as if possessing their own will, reaching to grasp Ropheiren.
Confronting the demon’s power, Ropheiren stood even straighter to forget his fear.
As Ray passed by the boastful Ropheiren, blood gathered at the corners of Ray’s eyes.
A strange power emanating from Carinus mixed chaotically with the crimson flames, faintly coming into view.
The apostle who had been granted power.
Ray clenched his chest upon realizing the true nature of Carinus.
With the core swirling violently and the circle spinning, it tightened around his heart.
Mana spreading from the core and circle turned into cold air, consuming the surroundings.
Frost formed over the overwhelming crimson flames filling the vision.
Crackling sounds filled the air!
The bizarre power intertwined with the crimson flames split apart upon contact with Ray’s mana.
The flames that consumed all could not reach Ray and eventually cooled down.
Huuuk!!
Due to the sudden temperature change, thick smoke spread everywhere.
At the unexpected scene, Carinus let out a derisive laugh.
Indeed, the assassins sent by the Empire were not giving up easily.
They possessed great means, capable of neutralizing even the power of the demon governing greed for a moment.
But it didn’t matter.
The flames currently burning the ground were merely Carinus’ welcoming gesture.
Carinus extended the rusted sword sideways.
The crimson flames that had spread in all directions condensed instantly, flowing along the rusted blade.
Leaning his body forward, Carinus moved.
Boom-!
Before the heavy sound reached Ray’s ears, the smoke obscuring his vision parted to either side.
With an unimaginable acceleration, Carinus arrived before Ray, swinging the rusted sword emitting scorching heat.
With supreme confidence, Carinus believed this strike would cleave his opponent in two.
Ray, facing the intense heat that seemed capable of melting his skin, drew the two swords he had stolen from a ranger.
Toward the crimson streak slashing vertically, Ray’s swords crossed.
Crash!!!!!
Two powerful forces collided.
Centered on Carinus and Ray, heat and cold wildly mixed and swirled.
Outmatched in physique, Ray couldn’t withstand the recoil and stepped back three paces.
That was all.
Carinus’ full-force attack managed only to make Ray retreat three steps.
Confusion finally crept into Carinus’ eyes.
Ray stared into Carinus’ vertically slit pupils.
Those eyes that had twisted Bella’s life now sought to destroy the land where children would live: Phillips County.
The hatred blooming in Ray’s chest transformed into contempt, lingering on the edge of his lips.
“Carinus, you are the disgrace of the Empire.”
“…!”
Carinus’ brow crumpled like paper.
Enraged by such overt disdain, Carinus was unable to even shout.
Grrrr!!
Carinus summoned all his strength, pressing down on Ray.
Instead of engaging in a battle of strength, Ray deflected Carinus’ sword while preparing for a counterattack.
Carinus effortlessly read Ray’s intention.
It was Carinus who seized the opportunity for a counterattack.
Swoosh!!
Carinus swiftly blocked the path of Ray’s anticipated counterattack and thrust his sword.
That was certainly the plan.
However, Ray’s body accelerated at an impossible speed.
Overdrive.
Mana within the joints exploded, making Ray’s body lash out like a whip.
Clang!!!!
“Ugh!!”
Hardly managing to block Ray’s blow, Carinus tumbled awkwardly on the ground.
Without hesitation, Ray chased after Carinus, intending to swing his sword but quickly assumed a defensive stance instead.
BOOM!!
Lightning conjured by a mage struck from above.
Simultaneously, a ranger unit charged from all sides, releasing sword auras.
Ray muttered.
“Aptel.”
Ray’s bracelet glowed, creating a shield above his head.
Briefly freed from the lightning, Ray slowly rotated the twin swords in his hands.
Despite seeing the flickering sword energy on the swords, none of the rangers detected any threat.
Thus, when the spatial blade tore through the air and revealed itself, the rangers could only mutter dumbly.
“What is this…?”
KAAABOOM!!!!!
An explosion resounded, and bodies flew in all directions.
Only a very few rangers near or at the corners could respond to the falling spatial blade.
Even the surviving rangers did not have intact limbs.
“Space…blade?”
There was no way one could miss it if they had eyes.
The legendary sword technique used by a hero centuries ago.
The legendary sword technique lost after the hero’s death suddenly appeared without any forewarning.
The elite ranger units, praised for their high-level training, instinctively took a step back.
Confronting the surreal scene, even Carinus, drunk on omnipotence, flailed with a perplexed expression.
Seeing his ridiculous state, Ray smirked bitterly.
“Is this all that came from being blessed by the imperial lineage and receiving the power of the demon?”
Ray’s voice, modulated by Aptel, echoed across the battlefield.
“You now understand why the emperor abandoned you.”
“You, you dare…!!!”
Blood vessels burst in Carinus’ whites of the eyes.
The anger stemming from a lifetime of accumulated inferiority intensified under the influence of the power bestowed by greed.
It was unclear how or when the supposedly lost spatial blade had been revived by the royal family, but if Harshia hadn’t returned, then this was just another hunting dog of the royal family.
There was no reason to fear, but plenty of reasons to be furious.
“Does the royal hunting dog dare mock me?!!!”
While drawing forth streams of power from the demon of greed, Carinus charged toward Ray.
Crimson ash fluttered following the arc of the rusted sword.
The stronger the heat radiating from Carinus grew, the more violently Ray’s core spun.
Frost poured onto the land burning crimson.
Crack!!!!!!
Their sword strikes clashed.
Through the experience and knowledge transmitted via the rusted sword, Carinus understood and mastered various formidable sword techniques.
If Carinus had possessed sufficient talent, he might have approached the ultimate limit humans could reach.
However, because of Carinus’ lack of talent, he remained far from being called a master.
Carinus’ swordsmanship was clearly inferior to Ray’s.
“AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Denying his inadequacy, Carinus swung his sword wildly.
Each sword strike flipped the ground entirely, setting everything ablaze.
Yet, Carinus’ flames failed to touch Ray.
Ray’s sword twirled.
A leaping sword energy tore through the air, slicing open Carinus’ flesh.
However, not a single drop of blood escaped from Carinus.
New flesh sprouted from the long gashes before any blood could seep out, covering the wounds.
Despite allowing dozens of cuts, Carinus remained unscathed.
Witnessing this unnatural phenomenon, Ray couldn’t suppress his laughter.
It was truly absurd to see Carinus struggling helplessly, unable to properly utilize the demonic power residing within him.
“How utterly incomprehensible, demon. Why did you choose such a fool as your apostle?”
“…!”
Intense agitation rippled through Carinus’ pupils.
Each word from Ray continued to grind against Carinus’ sense of inferiority.
I’ll tear off his jaw. I’ll rip it off so that his insolent mouth can never mock me again.
Exerting all his strength, Carinus swung his sword.
Paradoxically, Carinus was desperate to gain Ray’s recognition.
However, Ray’s gaze had already left Carinus and looked beyond.
“Even simple blessings could’ve resurrected this fool and caused chaos… So why did you bestow such excessive power upon this imbecile?”
This was purely Ray’s curiosity.
“Weren’t apostles originally supposed to be your trump cards, chosen after long selection and patience? What was so urgent? What drove you to make such a ‘bad move’?”
Lost in thought, Ray exclaimed.
“Ah! Perhaps…”
The most plausible hypothesis explaining the current situation.
“The ‘seed’ you had been watching to appoint as an apostle…”
Ray’s lips stretched wide into a grin.
“Did I somehow snatch it away?”
Numerous seeds that, if left alone, would surely have cursed the world.
And those numerous seeds that found new possibilities in Ray’s embrace.
Among them, the seed that shone the brightest…
“Did you make such a reckless move to reclaim it?”
Please, please, let it be so.
Ray’s mocking muttering pierced Carinus’ heart.
Unable to endure the humiliation, Carinus went berserk, letting out a roar.
“Stop looking elsewhere and look at me!!!!! Don’t ignore me!!!!!!!”
Zzzzzip!!!
A violent violet flash erupted from the once-rusty sword of Carinus.
The apostle, having fully embraced the power of greed, allowed the ‘Command Blade’ to regain its original form.
The power of greed causing immortality completely devoured the pulsating Dragon Heart.
As violet flames rose, Carinus stomped the ground and swung his sword at Ray.
An overwhelming wave of energy that no mortal could withstand engulfed Ray.
Kagakagakagakagagac!!!!!
The instant Ray blocked the attack, his body was pushed back over a hundred meters.
Hardly managing to hold onto his sword, Ray gritted his teeth and stood up.
However, before he could steady himself, Carinus stuck to him and swung his sword repeatedly.
The violence unleashed by the fully awakened apostle was entirely different from before.
The cold air protecting Ray failed to withstand the violet flames.
As Ray’s black robe burned away, blood oozed from beneath his feet, evaporating instantly.
Seizing the upper hand, Carinus went wild.
“I am the Crown Prince of the Empire!!”
Crackkkk!!!
The two swords Ray had stolen from the ranger shattered before his body did.
While brutally pressing Ray down, Carinus shouted repeatedly.
“I!! The Crown Prince of the Empire!! I!! The rightful ruler of the Empire!!!”
“So what?”
Ray’s core spun as if trying to crush his heart.
The weaponless Ray grabbed at the empty air.
In that moment.
A silver-white sword appeared between the torn spaces.
Carinus’ gaze unconsciously turned toward the silver-white sword.
A fleeting memory surfaced, something akin to nostalgia.
He had once seen this sword in a portrait at the royal palace; a man holding this sword stood guarding the battlefield.
The inscription on the silver-white sword caught Carinus’ eye.
However, before Carinus could finish reading the inscription on the silver-white sword,
Dozens of sword energies surged, intertwining around the silver-white sword.
Beyond the brilliant sword energy, their gazes met.
“I am the Empire’s judge…”
Ray despised Carinus.
Therefore, solely for Carinus’ despair,
he feigned.
“And the pinnacle of Imperial history.”
