MAEPG: Episode 64
Episode 64 The Cathedral Raid Incident (3)
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. The special skills "Corrupted Heart" and "Immortality" combine and evolve into "Immortal Heart".》
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. The skill "Magic Affinity" evolves into "Magic Domination".》
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. You have acquired the special skill "Abyssal Eye".》
A flurry of system messages appeared before Hans's eyes.
‘Finally!’
He had become a true third-generation Immortal King, not just a descendant.
[Kuh, hahahahaha—!]
Hans burst into laughter.
Dark magic power surged from him like a storm, his laughter carrying it like waves that swept over the surroundings.
“Ah… We’re really too… late.”
The Saintess staggered, her face pale with despair.
The expressions of the others around her were no different.
[“It’s not over yet! This is the most advantageous place to face the Immortal King! Fight to the end with the resolve to give your lives!”]
Cardinal Pion’s resolute voice shook their minds.
They hurriedly pulled themselves together and raised their weapons again.
He was right, this was the moment when the Immortal King was the weakest.
He had just completed his transformation, so he couldn’t fully control his heart, and his power was restricted by the cathedral’s holy barriers.
If they fought with the resolve to give their lives, there might be a chance.
They gritted their teeth and strengthened their resolve.
…Of course, they also knew.
That there was no chance.
Immortal King Hans had the ability to ignore barriers and escape if he felt it was disadvantageous.
While the Church was trying to regain their composure, Hans was assessing what he had gained.
‘“Instant Death Immunity”. Now I won’t die a pathetic death.’
The first perk he received was “Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon”, which he received as a reward for achieving a ‘feat that transcends dimensions’.
Thanks to that, he was able to freely cross dimensions.
‘The level of the rewards seems a bit different. Of course, it’s not bad to be able to avoid instant death, but…’
It was probably because of the difference between a ‘feat’, in other words, a ‘great achievement’, and a simple ‘achievement’.
‘I can’t complain since I got it for free.’
The evolved skills were just enhanced versions of the previous skills, so he decided to examine them later. What caught his eye right now was the new skill he had acquired.
“Abyssal Eye” was a kind of Devil Eye.
One with terrifying power, incomparable to Harley’s “Gem Eye: Telekinesis”.
‘An ability to inflict mental attacks like fear and confusion just by looking at the opponent, and to dominate those belonging to evil who are weaker than me?’
In other words, if someone was weaker than Hans… whether they were a monster, a demon, or a dark mage, they would become his slave just by making eye contact.
There was a restriction that the greater the difference in power, the stronger the subordination, but this useful ability would be a great help in his future plans.
‘I have to try it out.’
He immediately activated “Abyssal Eye”.
Hans’s blue ghost fire slowly faded, and darkness filled his empty eye sockets.
An abyss, its depth unknown, filled his eyes.
“That’s…!”
As his eyes, like a bottomless pit that seemed to absorb the surrounding light, scanned the surroundings…
“Gasp?”
“Ah, ah…”
The surrounding air instantly froze, and those who met his gaze started to tremble as if convulsing.
“Everyone, pull yourselves together!”
Whoosh—!
At that moment, a bright halo of light erupted from the rear of the Church group along with a sudden shout.
The Saintess, her halo burning brightly like the sun, was radiating warm light around her.
[“It’s the ‘Eyes that Contain the Abyss’, recorded in the legends of the Immortal King! Avoid making eye contact!”]
[“I can somehow block it with my holy power if you just look at it. But it’s difficult to block the mental contamination that occurs from direct eye contact!”]
[“I can heal it if it’s just a brief moment. But if you stare at it for a long time… there’s nothing I can do, so be careful.”]
The urgent voices of the Cardinals and the Saintess, using holy power, rang loudly in Heinrich’s head.
‘It seems like a more dangerous ability than I thought.’
Thanks to the Saintess’s holy power, no one was overreacting like before, but they were all subtly lowering their gazes to avoid looking into his eyes.
Reading the opponent’s eyes was important in battle, but Hans didn’t have eyes in the first place, so it didn’t apply to him.
It meant there was no penalty for not looking directly into their eyes…
‘But the thought of having to consciously avoid his eyes would negatively affect their combat power.’
It was a very satisfying ability.
The main ability, domination of evil, and its combat aspect were very much to his liking.
‘It’s a shame to leave right away. This kind of opportunity isn’t common, so should I experiment a little more?’
It was a bit anticlimactic to just leave now.
It was the debut of Immortal King Hans.
Wouldn’t it be a bit embarrassing to just leave now?
[I am the embodiment of fear and the harbinger of tragedy who has descended upon this continent! Despair, lackeys of the Church. You have failed. Because of that, death will cover the streets, and sorrow and resentment will pierce the heavens!]
A bold speech in front of the Church’s elites.
Perhaps because he had absorbed the last fragment, Hans’s tension was higher than usual.
Each line was incredibly stimulating.
‘Mainly to my mental health. This won’t do. I need to get to the point.’
[Now, try to struggle. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll gladly play with you. Hehehe!]
Hans swung his skull staff, and the dark magic power wrapped around its tip spread in all directions.
The black energy, ignoring the wary Church members, dwelled in the remains of the undead scattered on the ground.
Clatter—! Thud, thud!
And before they could do anything, it quickly gathered in several places, creating dozens of lumps.
The epitome of efficiency, recycling even completely destroyed undead.
[“It’s a Flesh Golem! Fall back and regroup!”]
It was a dark magic spell newly added to “Forbidden Knowledge” after becoming the Immortal King.
And since he generously imbued them with dark magic power, each individual looked like it was engulfed in black flames.
[Then, shall we begin this round?]
A black aura rose from Immortal King Hans once again.
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. The special skills "Corrupted Heart" and "Immortality" combine and evolve into "Immortal Heart".》
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. The skill "Magic Affinity" evolves into "Magic Domination".》
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. You have acquired the special skill "Abyssal Eye".》
A flurry of system messages appeared before Hans's eyes.
‘Finally!’
He had become a true third-generation Immortal King, not just a descendant.
[Kuh, hahahahaha—!]
Hans burst into laughter.
Dark magic power surged from him like a storm, his laughter carrying it like waves that swept over the surroundings.
“Ah… We’re really too… late.”
The Saintess staggered, her face pale with despair.
The expressions of the others around her were no different.
[“It’s not over yet! This is the most advantageous place to face the Immortal King! Fight to the end with the resolve to give your lives!”]
Cardinal Pion’s resolute voice shook their minds.
They hurriedly pulled themselves together and raised their weapons again.
He was right, this was the moment when the Immortal King was the weakest.
He had just completed his transformation, so he couldn’t fully control his heart, and his power was restricted by the cathedral’s holy barriers.
If they fought with the resolve to give their lives, there might be a chance.
They gritted their teeth and strengthened their resolve.
…Of course, they also knew.
That there was no chance.
Immortal King Hans had the ability to ignore barriers and escape if he felt it was disadvantageous.
While the Church was trying to regain their composure, Hans was assessing what he had gained.
‘“Instant Death Immunity”. Now I won’t die a pathetic death.’
The first perk he received was “Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon”, which he received as a reward for achieving a ‘feat that transcends dimensions’.
Thanks to that, he was able to freely cross dimensions.
‘The level of the rewards seems a bit different. Of course, it’s not bad to be able to avoid instant death, but…’
It was probably because of the difference between a ‘feat’, in other words, a ‘great achievement’, and a simple ‘achievement’.
‘I can’t complain since I got it for free.’
The evolved skills were just enhanced versions of the previous skills, so he decided to examine them later. What caught his eye right now was the new skill he had acquired.
“Abyssal Eye” was a kind of Devil Eye.
One with terrifying power, incomparable to Harley’s “Gem Eye: Telekinesis”.
‘An ability to inflict mental attacks like fear and confusion just by looking at the opponent, and to dominate those belonging to evil who are weaker than me?’
In other words, if someone was weaker than Hans… whether they were a monster, a demon, or a dark mage, they would become his slave just by making eye contact.
There was a restriction that the greater the difference in power, the stronger the subordination, but this useful ability would be a great help in his future plans.
‘I have to try it out.’
He immediately activated “Abyssal Eye”.
Hans’s blue ghost fire slowly faded, and darkness filled his empty eye sockets.
An abyss, its depth unknown, filled his eyes.
“That’s…!”
As his eyes, like a bottomless pit that seemed to absorb the surrounding light, scanned the surroundings…
“Gasp?”
“Ah, ah…”
The surrounding air instantly froze, and those who met his gaze started to tremble as if convulsing.
“Everyone, pull yourselves together!”
Whoosh—!
At that moment, a bright halo of light erupted from the rear of the Church group along with a sudden shout.
The Saintess, her halo burning brightly like the sun, was radiating warm light around her.
[“It’s the ‘Eyes that Contain the Abyss’, recorded in the legends of the Immortal King! Avoid making eye contact!”]
[“I can somehow block it with my holy power if you just look at it. But it’s difficult to block the mental contamination that occurs from direct eye contact!”]
[“I can heal it if it’s just a brief moment. But if you stare at it for a long time… there’s nothing I can do, so be careful.”]
The urgent voices of the Cardinals and the Saintess, using holy power, rang loudly in Heinrich’s head.
‘It seems like a more dangerous ability than I thought.’
Thanks to the Saintess’s holy power, no one was overreacting like before, but they were all subtly lowering their gazes to avoid looking into his eyes.
Reading the opponent’s eyes was important in battle, but Hans didn’t have eyes in the first place, so it didn’t apply to him.
It meant there was no penalty for not looking directly into their eyes…
‘But the thought of having to consciously avoid his eyes would negatively affect their combat power.’
It was a very satisfying ability.
The main ability, domination of evil, and its combat aspect were very much to his liking.
‘It’s a shame to leave right away. This kind of opportunity isn’t common, so should I experiment a little more?’
It was a bit anticlimactic to just leave now.
It was the debut of Immortal King Hans.
Wouldn’t it be a bit embarrassing to just leave now?
[I am the embodiment of fear and the harbinger of tragedy who has descended upon this continent! Despair, lackeys of the Church. You have failed. Because of that, death will cover the streets, and sorrow and resentment will pierce the heavens!]
A bold speech in front of the Church’s elites.
Perhaps because he had absorbed the last fragment, Hans’s tension was higher than usual.
Each line was incredibly stimulating.
‘Mainly to my mental health. This won’t do. I need to get to the point.’
[Now, try to struggle. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll gladly play with you. Hehehe!]
Hans swung his skull staff, and the dark magic power wrapped around its tip spread in all directions.
The black energy, ignoring the wary Church members, dwelled in the remains of the undead scattered on the ground.
Clatter—! Thud, thud!
And before they could do anything, it quickly gathered in several places, creating dozens of lumps.
The epitome of efficiency, recycling even completely destroyed undead.
[“It’s a Flesh Golem! Fall back and regroup!”]
It was a dark magic spell newly added to “Forbidden Knowledge” after becoming the Immortal King.
And since he generously imbued them with dark magic power, each individual looked like it was engulfed in black flames.
[Then, shall we begin this round?]
A black aura rose from Immortal King Hans once again.
________________________
The battle raged on fiercely.
Even though Hans had completely inherited the heart, he wasn’t a proper Immortal King yet because he wasn’t used to the power.
And this was the heart of the cathedral, and those facing him were the Church’s elites.
But…
[“It seems like he’s getting used to his power! It’s dangerous to stall any longer!”]
[“It’s a miracle that we haven’t had any casualties yet. It’s thanks to the cathedral’s holy barriers, but… it also means he’s toying with us, right?”]
The Church’s losses were snowballing as the clash continued.
They, who were living humans unlike the undead, couldn’t help but get tired over time, while their opponent, the Immortal King, was getting stronger.
[“To think he’s this strong even in a weakened state due to the holy barriers…”]
They shuddered, imagining what would have happened if they had encountered him outside.
[“The holy knights’ losses are too great. If we delay any longer, our front line will collapse. We need to finish this before that.”]
Paladin Jonien conveyed his opinion in a heavy voice.
The problem was that most of the top holy knights had been dispatched to the monster forest with the subjugation force.
That’s why he was the only Paladin left.
The Saintess and the Cardinals were fighting hard against the Immortal King, but even that wouldn’t last long if the front line collapsed.
[“We’ve already tried various surprise attacks, but his response is too fast. It’s as if he can read our minds…”]
[“But if we continue like this, we’ll all be wiped out. We need to somehow inflict damage when he’s off guard.”]
Heinrich couldn’t help but feel guilty at their worries.
The Church’s strength was so formidable that he might have gone a bit overboard in responding to the information he had obtained in advance through him.
‘It seems like I need to wrap things up soon. How should I end this?’
[“I have a good idea. …Sir Heinrich?”]
The Saintess called him at the right time.
And what she said next was exactly what he had been hoping for.
Of course, some voiced concerns about whether it was okay to entrust such a burdensome task to Heinrich, who was still just an ordinary holy knight…
[“Yes, I’m confident. Leave it to me.”]
He accepted the mission with a confident attitude.
The battle raged on fiercely.
Even though Hans had completely inherited the heart, he wasn’t a proper Immortal King yet because he wasn’t used to the power.
And this was the heart of the cathedral, and those facing him were the Church’s elites.
But…
[“It seems like he’s getting used to his power! It’s dangerous to stall any longer!”]
[“It’s a miracle that we haven’t had any casualties yet. It’s thanks to the cathedral’s holy barriers, but… it also means he’s toying with us, right?”]
The Church’s losses were snowballing as the clash continued.
They, who were living humans unlike the undead, couldn’t help but get tired over time, while their opponent, the Immortal King, was getting stronger.
[“To think he’s this strong even in a weakened state due to the holy barriers…”]
They shuddered, imagining what would have happened if they had encountered him outside.
[“The holy knights’ losses are too great. If we delay any longer, our front line will collapse. We need to finish this before that.”]
Paladin Jonien conveyed his opinion in a heavy voice.
The problem was that most of the top holy knights had been dispatched to the monster forest with the subjugation force.
That’s why he was the only Paladin left.
The Saintess and the Cardinals were fighting hard against the Immortal King, but even that wouldn’t last long if the front line collapsed.
[“We’ve already tried various surprise attacks, but his response is too fast. It’s as if he can read our minds…”]
[“But if we continue like this, we’ll all be wiped out. We need to somehow inflict damage when he’s off guard.”]
Heinrich couldn’t help but feel guilty at their worries.
The Church’s strength was so formidable that he might have gone a bit overboard in responding to the information he had obtained in advance through him.
‘It seems like I need to wrap things up soon. How should I end this?’
[“I have a good idea. …Sir Heinrich?”]
The Saintess called him at the right time.
And what she said next was exactly what he had been hoping for.
Of course, some voiced concerns about whether it was okay to entrust such a burdensome task to Heinrich, who was still just an ordinary holy knight…
[“Yes, I’m confident. Leave it to me.”]
He accepted the mission with a confident attitude.
__________________
The Church’s offensive intensified.
Everyone poured their holy power as if burning their last flames, pushing the Immortal King back.
His momentum was momentarily suppressed as they seemed to have given up on a prolonged battle.
“Haa—!”
Among them, Paladin Jonien charged recklessly, not even caring for his own safety.
As if he was determined to keep the Immortal King’s attention on him.
Crackle!
[Do you think the same trick will work again?!]
Holy knights rushing at him one after another as soon as he repelled the Paladin, and Heresy Inquisitors emerging from concealment in midair.
They relentlessly threw themselves at him like moths drawn to a flame.
[“Now!”]
At that moment, immense holy power gathered above the Immortal King’s head and instantly transformed into a giant pillar of light, striking down on him.
Whoosh—
The barrier surrounding him melted away at once from the Saintess’s full-powered attack…
And at the same time, a small flash of light sparkled within the pillar of light.
A small current hidden within the waterfall of immense holy power.
[What?!]
The Immortal King noticed the anomaly only after the blade had almost reached his eyes.
[When did you get here?!]
Clang!
He swung his staff, enveloped in dark magic power, and parried the sword in shock.
But his martial arts skills were lacking to face a holy knight’s sword head-on.
It might have worked if it was a surprise attack like before, but it was meaningless against a master who was already prepared.
Heinrich, who had approached the Immortal King in an instant using holy magic for concealment and “Blessing: Leap”, skillfully swung his sword and stripped away all his defenses.
“Ha—!”
A golden opportunity.
The shining sword, filled with holy power, shot forward like lightning…
And was blocked by a black curtain that had appeared at some point.
Crackle—!
Time slowed down in extreme concentration.
It was slowly tearing through the black curtain and moving forward, but its speed felt infinitely slow.
[No chance!]
To make matters worse, black flames of curse from the Immortal King enveloped Heinrich’s entire body.
“Ugh!”
The holy power surrounding his body melted away in an instant, and his entire body started to be eroded by the curse.
He lost strength and his senses were disrupted, accompanied by excruciating pain as if he was burning.
…He had confidently stepped forward, but even the last operation, carrying everyone’s expectations, had failed.
At this rate… his sword wouldn’t reach the Immortal King.
“No! I, I won’t give up…!”
Black blood flowed from his nose and mouth, but he ignored it and gripped the sword in his hand even tighter.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, created by the sacrifices and help of many.
He couldn’t let it go to waste!
Heinrich gritted his teeth and compressed the holy power at the tip of his sword, again and again.
To reach the Immortal King as quickly as possible, somehow, by breaking through this curtain!
During that eternal moment,
《The individual meets the conditions and gains enlightenment. You have acquired the special skill “Blessing: Holy Blade”.》
A faint light emanated from Heinrich’s body in an instant.
And the holy power, which had been blocked by the wall, grew explosively.
‘The third blessing!’
He simultaneously met the conditions and reached bishop-level holy power.
The radiance emanating from his sword intensified as his holy power increased rapidly, but that wasn’t all.
He immediately used the power of “Blessing: Holy Blade”.
The light that was spreading from the sword gathered and compressed, and finally, a sharply refined blade was created.
Like a lightsaber from science fiction.
“Haaa—!”
Swoosh—!
The swung sword of light instantly cut through the black curtain.
And…
It pierced the Immortal King’s heart without hesitation.
Stab—
[Ugh! You…!]
The compressed holy power emanating from the sword embedded in his heart instantly burned his entire body.
The Immortal King, burning with holy flames and black aura mixed together, and the holy knight, his body covered in flames of curse and faint radiance.
Their contrasting yet strangely similar appearances were imprinted in the minds of everyone watching.
[Ugh… You’re quite something. To dare to… me!]
Boom—!
Dark magic power erupted explosively from his body, throwing back the others who were trying to seize the opportunity and attack.
But for some reason, only Heinrich remained firmly in place, his sword still embedded in his heart.
[Hehehe… I was too careless. So, you. Lackey of the Church. What’s your name?]
The one who first inflicted a fatal wound on the third Immortal King by piercing his heart with a sword.
The Immortal King, acknowledging his achievement, asked for his name.
“It’s Heinrich… Landguard! I will send you back to the abyss, Immortal King!”
[Heinrich Landguard… I’ll remember that name. I won’t be defeated so easily next time! Hahaha!]
Even while burning like firewood, his body was constantly being destroyed and restored as holy power and dark magic power intertwined.
[Remember this. This isn’t the end. I will return when darkness falls upon the continent!]
“Don’t even think about it!”
[Then, see you next time. Hehehe…]
With those words, Immortal King Hans, who was burning with Heinrich’s sword embedded in his heart, disappeared.
As if he had never been there in the first place.
The undead, which had been protected by dark magic power, all collapsed on the ground and started to burn in holy flames, and silence fell over the battlefield in an instant.
Thud—
A small sound broke the silence.
“Ah! Sir Heinrich! Quickly, heal him!”
Heinrich, the holy knight who had succeeded in piercing the Immortal King’s heart with his sword, not giving up until the end for his beliefs, was hurriedly carried to the priests.
“Oh my… How could he… until the end…”
Those around him exclaimed in awe at the vicious curse energy that continuously seeped out from the eroded area even while they were purifying it.
It was so severe that even if the treatment was completed, he would need a long period of recuperation.
They couldn’t even imagine the pain he must have felt, covered in that concentrated, vicious curse.
Nor could they fathom his mental strength, which allowed him to defeat the Immortal King in that extreme situation.
As Heinrich and the other injured were treated, the battlefield was quickly cleaned up.
“But as expected, he escaped.”
“…But at least the casualties aren’t great, considering we were all in danger. There will be plenty more opportunities.”
“Hahaha… We inflicted damage on his heart this time, so he won’t be able to move recklessly for a while. We’ll have to gather the continent’s power and prepare to face him during that time.”
“It’s all thanks to him holding out until the end.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Heinrich, who was lying unconscious among the priests.
That day, the Church failed to prevent the return of the Immortal King after losing the last fragment…
But they were able to buy time to prepare for the calamity, along with the birth of a new hero.
Everyone thought so.
…Except for one.
The Church’s offensive intensified.
Everyone poured their holy power as if burning their last flames, pushing the Immortal King back.
His momentum was momentarily suppressed as they seemed to have given up on a prolonged battle.
“Haa—!”
Among them, Paladin Jonien charged recklessly, not even caring for his own safety.
As if he was determined to keep the Immortal King’s attention on him.
Crackle!
[Do you think the same trick will work again?!]
Holy knights rushing at him one after another as soon as he repelled the Paladin, and Heresy Inquisitors emerging from concealment in midair.
They relentlessly threw themselves at him like moths drawn to a flame.
[“Now!”]
At that moment, immense holy power gathered above the Immortal King’s head and instantly transformed into a giant pillar of light, striking down on him.
Whoosh—
The barrier surrounding him melted away at once from the Saintess’s full-powered attack…
And at the same time, a small flash of light sparkled within the pillar of light.
A small current hidden within the waterfall of immense holy power.
[What?!]
The Immortal King noticed the anomaly only after the blade had almost reached his eyes.
[When did you get here?!]
Clang!
He swung his staff, enveloped in dark magic power, and parried the sword in shock.
But his martial arts skills were lacking to face a holy knight’s sword head-on.
It might have worked if it was a surprise attack like before, but it was meaningless against a master who was already prepared.
Heinrich, who had approached the Immortal King in an instant using holy magic for concealment and “Blessing: Leap”, skillfully swung his sword and stripped away all his defenses.
“Ha—!”
A golden opportunity.
The shining sword, filled with holy power, shot forward like lightning…
And was blocked by a black curtain that had appeared at some point.
Crackle—!
Time slowed down in extreme concentration.
It was slowly tearing through the black curtain and moving forward, but its speed felt infinitely slow.
[No chance!]
To make matters worse, black flames of curse from the Immortal King enveloped Heinrich’s entire body.
“Ugh!”
The holy power surrounding his body melted away in an instant, and his entire body started to be eroded by the curse.
He lost strength and his senses were disrupted, accompanied by excruciating pain as if he was burning.
…He had confidently stepped forward, but even the last operation, carrying everyone’s expectations, had failed.
At this rate… his sword wouldn’t reach the Immortal King.
“No! I, I won’t give up…!”
Black blood flowed from his nose and mouth, but he ignored it and gripped the sword in his hand even tighter.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, created by the sacrifices and help of many.
He couldn’t let it go to waste!
Heinrich gritted his teeth and compressed the holy power at the tip of his sword, again and again.
To reach the Immortal King as quickly as possible, somehow, by breaking through this curtain!
During that eternal moment,
《The individual meets the conditions and gains enlightenment. You have acquired the special skill “Blessing: Holy Blade”.》
A faint light emanated from Heinrich’s body in an instant.
And the holy power, which had been blocked by the wall, grew explosively.
‘The third blessing!’
He simultaneously met the conditions and reached bishop-level holy power.
The radiance emanating from his sword intensified as his holy power increased rapidly, but that wasn’t all.
He immediately used the power of “Blessing: Holy Blade”.
The light that was spreading from the sword gathered and compressed, and finally, a sharply refined blade was created.
Like a lightsaber from science fiction.
“Haaa—!”
Swoosh—!
The swung sword of light instantly cut through the black curtain.
And…
It pierced the Immortal King’s heart without hesitation.
Stab—
[Ugh! You…!]
The compressed holy power emanating from the sword embedded in his heart instantly burned his entire body.
The Immortal King, burning with holy flames and black aura mixed together, and the holy knight, his body covered in flames of curse and faint radiance.
Their contrasting yet strangely similar appearances were imprinted in the minds of everyone watching.
[Ugh… You’re quite something. To dare to… me!]
Boom—!
Dark magic power erupted explosively from his body, throwing back the others who were trying to seize the opportunity and attack.
But for some reason, only Heinrich remained firmly in place, his sword still embedded in his heart.
[Hehehe… I was too careless. So, you. Lackey of the Church. What’s your name?]
The one who first inflicted a fatal wound on the third Immortal King by piercing his heart with a sword.
The Immortal King, acknowledging his achievement, asked for his name.
“It’s Heinrich… Landguard! I will send you back to the abyss, Immortal King!”
[Heinrich Landguard… I’ll remember that name. I won’t be defeated so easily next time! Hahaha!]
Even while burning like firewood, his body was constantly being destroyed and restored as holy power and dark magic power intertwined.
[Remember this. This isn’t the end. I will return when darkness falls upon the continent!]
“Don’t even think about it!”
[Then, see you next time. Hehehe…]
With those words, Immortal King Hans, who was burning with Heinrich’s sword embedded in his heart, disappeared.
As if he had never been there in the first place.
The undead, which had been protected by dark magic power, all collapsed on the ground and started to burn in holy flames, and silence fell over the battlefield in an instant.
Thud—
A small sound broke the silence.
“Ah! Sir Heinrich! Quickly, heal him!”
Heinrich, the holy knight who had succeeded in piercing the Immortal King’s heart with his sword, not giving up until the end for his beliefs, was hurriedly carried to the priests.
“Oh my… How could he… until the end…”
Those around him exclaimed in awe at the vicious curse energy that continuously seeped out from the eroded area even while they were purifying it.
It was so severe that even if the treatment was completed, he would need a long period of recuperation.
They couldn’t even imagine the pain he must have felt, covered in that concentrated, vicious curse.
Nor could they fathom his mental strength, which allowed him to defeat the Immortal King in that extreme situation.
As Heinrich and the other injured were treated, the battlefield was quickly cleaned up.
“But as expected, he escaped.”
“…But at least the casualties aren’t great, considering we were all in danger. There will be plenty more opportunities.”
“Hahaha… We inflicted damage on his heart this time, so he won’t be able to move recklessly for a while. We’ll have to gather the continent’s power and prepare to face him during that time.”
“It’s all thanks to him holding out until the end.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Heinrich, who was lying unconscious among the priests.
That day, the Church failed to prevent the return of the Immortal King after losing the last fragment…
But they were able to buy time to prepare for the calamity, along with the birth of a new hero.
Everyone thought so.
…Except for one.
I like how it says only one thinks differently. But clearly Hans and Heinrich know but they are actually one
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