Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 277 - 253 The Four Dark Kings (not)

"Rat, how did you survive? Decades ago, I should have completely killed you." Raphael did not immediately struck to kill. He hovered in the air as if a cat playing with a mouse, casually conversing with the Gentleman.

The oppressive aura intensified as Raphael frowned, causing Mr. Gentleman’s form to tremble. His mask shattered, and even the skeleton beneath his body was in imminent danger with the appearance of cracks.

In the void, a broken black crown appeared above the Gentleman’s head, shadows emerging within it, struggling against Raphael’s power.

"Oh, the crown of the Magical Beast Clan, resurrected by borrowing the power of its ruler? Transformed into what is now a Lich." Raphael’s gaze swept over the broken crown atop the Gentleman’s head. "With magical beasts now extinct, only you, who once inflicted excruciating torment on my kind, are worthy of donning this crown of sin. I should have thought of it earlier, rat."

Raphael gripped the Holy Sword named Wenditegon, its tip pointed directly at the Gentleman.

The hills shattered, the earth trembled. The terrible pressure brought the Gentleman to his knees, and Raphael, stepping on the fragmented land suspended in the air, approached the immobile Gentleman step by step.

"I will tear you apart once more, rat, and this time, I will crush the crown of your clan along with you, completing what that one left unfinished." Raphael stood in front of the kneeling Gentleman, striking the Gentleman’s skull with the blade of Wenditegon. "Rat, have you forgotten how to resist?"

As if it were a command, the Gentleman let out a great roar, shadows surging violently over his body. After completely merging with Avonreiter, the King of Rats unleashed his domain. Shadow Beasts surged out from the altar, carrying the plague known as the Black Reaper and the fear that dominated humanity. Following their orders, they rushed forth, their bodies carrying two black cocoons as they escaped into the shadows.

Raphael watched as the Gentleman completed all of this.

"What have you sent away?"

"...My treasured possessions."

"Ha, I’ve already marked them. After I destroy you, I will find them. Your foolish actions have merely bought them a few extra minutes of life."

The core of Mr. Scholar’s soul flame was deep black, his eye sockets gazing at Raphael’s indifferent visage, "That’s enough. They will surely survive."

In a forest entirely consumed by shadows, the black swarm of rats opened a rift, ejecting the two black cocoons. Soon after, the Shadow Beasts and the black cocoons disintegrated, and Lyle and Veraliz stood up.

During the time inside the black cocoons, Lyle maintained his awareness of the outside world. The terrifying pressure from Raphael’s hostility made his body tremble even now. Lyle put on the attire of the Plague Doctor, and it was only natural to not leave an ally such as the Gentleman to perish alone; assuming the identity of Andrey was more suitable. The real issue now was to seek external aid.

Mr. Scholar and Mr. Raymond, whom should he choose?

Intuition told Lyle that a meeting between Mr. Raymond and Raphael could be disastrous. But could Mr. Scholar truly defeat Raphael? Recollecting the usually bookish demeanor of Mr. Scholar as compared to Raphael, who seemed like a deity in battle posture, Lyle felt as if he was sending Mr. Scholar into a trap.

As Lyle agonized over his choice, Veraliz had already opened a Shadow Rift.

"Miss Veraliz, are you going to rescue Mr. Gentleman?"

Veraliz glared at him fiercely, "Not your Mr. Gentleman, but my Avonreiter. I’m going to bring him back. Although the power of that birdman chills me to the bone, I cannot stand by and watch him leave alone again."

Lyle looked at Vira Cat Lady’s trembling fingers and gritted his teeth. "I will go with you. Mr. Gentleman is also my companion; I can’t just abandon him, especially after he has saved me." The matter of calling for reinforcements could wait until they got there; ensuring Mr. Gentleman’s safety was the first priority. "Please allow me to join you in the rescue."

Veraliz looked at Lyle squeezing into the shadow passage, her clawed fingers retracting, "You’re too weak. Going there would make you nothing but cannon fodder, Plague Doctor."

"With all due respect, Miss Veraliz, in Raphael’s eyes, we are all cannon fodder. But even cannon fodder has its worth."

In front of the Shadow Altar, Mr. Gentleman was burning in holy light, the luminance of the crown atop his head weakening continuously. Already broken, the crown kept shedding powdery fragments, and it would not be long before the crown disappeared entirely.

Within the altar circled by black pillars, the remaining shadows began to bubble. Raphael, noting the movement, displayed a look of disdain. Just then, a Shadow Beast resembling Veraliz appeared behind Raphael, its shadowy claws, like scythes, striking from a blind angle in his visual field.

Raphael’s wings, aglow with light, blocked the claws’ onslaught. Turning his head, he locked eyes with Veraliz.

"Pathetic tactics."

Within the fluttering shadows, the giant Spine Wheel had already accelerated in the darkness, charging out at a terrifying speed. It rushed past Raphael, its ejected tentacles swallowing the Gentleman’s figure, seizing the tail that Veraliz had prepared beforehand. In the moment that Raphael was stunned, they disappeared into the woodland.

Raphael, surprised, looked at his own palm.

"An impurity that does not fear the Holy Light?" Without further thought, his giant wings stretched out in the air. Raphael transformed into a streak of flowing light and gave chase.

The Spine Wheel made noise as it went through the silent forest.

"Plague Doctor, Veraliz, you shouldn’t have come back. We can’t escape."

"We’re friends, Mr. Scholar. Friends don’t abandon each other."

"Shut up, Avonreiter. You’re my family."

The Gentleman looked at the light that was getting closer behind him. "Alright, we have to make the ultimate effort to survive now."

"We need outside help, Mr. Scholar. Raphael is too powerful."

"Yes, Plague Doctor. As it happens, I have a group of ’friends’ who should be willing to help me."

Mr. Scholar pressed his emblem. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Reporter, hurry over here and help me! I am being chased by an Angel!" His shrill scream even surpassed the noise created by the Spine Wheel.

Almost instantly, a talkative tablecloth appeared beside the Gentleman; the Reporter was grabbed by the Gentleman, and they fled alongside the Spine Wheel.

Mr. Reporter laughed heartily. "You know, Gentleman. Although snooping on a friend’s privacy is a bit unethical, I am very interested in the gossip about my friends. Tell me, how did you end up in the Peach Blossom Tribulation?" Mr. Reporter shifted his gaze and saw Veraliz. "Ah, beautiful lady, I presume you are the ’Angel’ that the Gentleman was talking about? So, you two lovebirds had a fallout. Although I’m inexperienced in handling emotional disputes, please allow me to offer my unsolicited advice for the sake of new material for the Andrey News."

Mr. Reporter seemed to have misunderstood something.

"Reporter, this is Veraliz. The Angel you’re looking for is behind us."

Mr. Reporter burst into an exuberant cheer, "Ah-ha, Asura Field! The most classic scenario, let me see who the third party is..." Mr. Reporter finally saw the Holy Light behind them.

Surprise turned into fright.

"Damn!!!! It’s a real Angel!!!! An Angel with wings that goes bling bling!!!!! I’m TM tricked by you, Gentleman!! What grudge!!!! You want to drag me down with you!!" Mr. Reporter felt greatly deceived, life was a scam.

"I told you, I was being chased by an Angel, every word was true."

"Who could guess it was a real Angel, we always play with words, don’t we? You being so straightforward all of a sudden, I’m really hurt!"

"Enough with the nonsense, Reporter. Hurry up and call Mr. Delusion over. Any later, and it won’t just be getting hurt."

"Ah, got it, you want to use ’that’," the Gentleman pressed his own ring as if he wanted to scream out all the fright he had felt earlier.

"Delusion, come over quick! There’s a great show for you! A fierce Asura Field between me, the Gentleman, and the Angel!"