Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 473 - 435: Awakening

The scholar recognized Nameless’s plan and entrusted Mr. Raymond with the position at the very top of the City of Wandering, where the Arcane Eye once rested. That place was the hub of magic network nodes, the area where the city’s magic power condensed, and the best vantage point.

When Raymond stepped onto the high platform, the city was once again embraced by Holy Light.

The reason it was "once again" is that Raymond had once done such a bold act, ignoring the defense of the Arcane Eye, sanctifying the magic tide in the magic network node with Holy Light, and then releasing Divine Arts that enveloped the entire city.

"Super Detect Evil."

On that day, the City of Wandering appeared as though it was forged from gold, with every citizen transformed into little golden figures, and even Liches, Demons, and Ghosts were no exception. Everything shone with golden radiance, and to protect their eyes and dignity, everyone stayed behind closed doors.

From then on, Raymond received his title.

"Andrey’s Holy Light Disaster, the Shining Demon."

Familiar with the feeling and now officially permitted, Mr. Raymond felt a bit itchy to act but ultimately dispersed the Golden Meteorite he was preparing. The black dragon was watching overhead; he had to maintain the glory of Holy Light.

Releasing a faint Light Sword, scattering the several Liches that had been wailing and causing chaos since he took the stage, Raymond began to focus on searching for the traces of the experiment mentioned by Nameless.

Under the shining central tower, the radiance on William’s body slowly dissipated.

The prince, with closed eyes, reopened them, looking at his own palms with an incredulous gaze, as if something had changed.

William tucked away the spark in his eyes and looked toward the scholar.

"Grandfather, it seems there’s no change?"

"King’s Power merely gives you potential, not strength; if strength could be inherited, countries would have been eternal long ago."

The scholar guided magic power to weave a spell model in his palm, the silver-blue magic resonating with the surrounding space-time.

"Your Tier One talent has been specialized by King’s Power."

William checked the silver moon-like ring on his wrist and replied with surprise.

"Yes, my ’Perfectionist’ has changed. Now my talent is ’Sovereign,’ aligning all magic talents with my most outstanding fire talent. Space magic..." William extended both hands, and after several seconds of contemplation, conjured a magic model identical to the scholar’s, "Space magic, I can easily grasp it now."

In response to his grandson’s expectant gaze for praise, Eirene did not skimp on his compliments.

"William, you’ve done very well."

But the scholar’s ability to communicate with students was well recognized.

"You’ve finally transformed my passive skill into your talent. At last, a mage with potential matching mine has appeared in the Dorgitte family."

"..." William felt the pressure of having a monster in the house.

Looking away, he noticed Lyle, still in his gemstone state.

"Lyle, there won’t be any problems, right?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"King’s Power specialization will follow your bloodline, excavating the root. William, your bloodline leads back to me, whereas Lyle..."

William’s body suddenly shivered, and the words slipped out.

"Lyle will become the second Ralph?"

The scholar was puzzled, "Who is that?"

"Lyle’s uncle, his father’s brother, a Devil."

"...So Lyle has Demon ancestry, but it doesn’t matter; however his origin, whether he was a pure human or not. After this, he won’t be anymore."

"His roots have plunged into the Abyss."

Lyle would rather define the dome covered with a thousand layers of dense smoke as chaos than a dark sky.

Unlike the purity of darkness, the murky, rolling mass contained something, like a mirror, fully revealing one’s inner shadows and disquiet.

The ground was made of fragmented floating islands. If it weren’t for the noticeable difference in the soil beneath his feet, Lyle might have thought he was still lingering in the void. The eerie aurora, devoid of warm colors, like a neon light that had lost its warmth, lit up the darkness, reflecting the fears lurking in the depths.

At that moment, Lyle was in such an environment, emitting the sole bright silver glow.

"The shattered Hell Plane..."

Even on the distant black rocks floated the broken remnants of the Spine Wheel, with ghastly green Hellfire burning on flesh and blood, tinting the bones its own color.

Shrill screams rose from the dust rolling up at his side, the rolling fine sands forming a human face, like a drowning man struggling in the barren dust, with black and red tendrils acting as the soul-chaining iron chains, dragging the twisted soul endlessly into the soil below.

The human face seemed to notice Lyle, it shouted in an incomprehensible language, struggling and steadily moving towards him.

But it failed, ultimately sinking at Lyle’s feet, the pained visage twisting before him, that was Gogallan’s face.

Lyle scratched his cheek, and a bird-beak mask abruptly appeared in his hand, worn on the face, the Plague Doctor’s cold voice echoed in this world.

"A lifelike illusion, Ominous."

Crunch, crunch.

A shadowy figure stepped on the continuously crumbling world, arriving in front of Lyle, with a blurry silhouette only becoming crystal clear at the edges, as if an invisible light source was constantly shimmering behind it.

The body, whether solid or shrunken, upon close gaze, seemed to have countless pitch-black eyeballs without any sclera, and together they formed the body of Ominous, with the power of Hell entwined on the shadow, igniting the pitch-black flames.

The standing Plague Doctor, the crouching Ominous; silent, they gazed at each other.

This was a place of souls, belonging to Lyle’s soul space, but also the dwelling and prison of Ominous.

A sly chuckle came from the pitch-black shadows, Ominous looked down upon Lyle from his lofty position, his colossal stature like a toppling mountain range, covering Lyle’s sight.

"Can’t you speak normally?"

"..." Silence. The stagnant air solidified time—if such a thing truly existed.

Lyle shifted his center of gravity, standing before Ominous seemingly serious yet indolent, with the King’s Power’s flash illuminating his entire body. Reflected in the lens of the bird-beak mask were shadows as dark as Ominous himself.

"I won’t be afraid of you anymore."

"No, you are still afraid..." Ominous grabbed Lyle like seizing an ordinary candle, and from within the shadow, a voice identical to Lyle’s issued forth, albeit much more sinister, "I am your fear, I am your nightmare."

After Ominous accepted Lyle’s invitation to communicate, some things had already changed.

"I need your power... I need the Evil God’s power to twist all things."

"You need? You ignored me, watched as I was split in twain, watched as that bastard stole my power, watched as he replaced me!" The writhing shadow transformed into strangling cords, tightening around Lyle’s body, "That city, everything there, it will crumble, becoming the root of your descent into the Abyss. Unstoppable, incontestable, we will eventually become one."

"Is it necessary to be so troublesome?" Lyle extended his palm, the King’s Power’s ignited smile rebellious and uncontrollable, "If I’m to fall into the Abyss, then why not give me a hand. Such a simple thing, do you still need to witness the demise?"

The giant face of Ominous drew near to Lyle, as if the giant looked down with disdain at the dwarf’s delusion of grandeur.

"If your fall is inevitable, then why should I assist you?"

"Because I’m really pissed off," Lyle’s face revealed a vexed sneer, "to conform to a future planned by a thief, powerless to accept the ending given to us by Serio. You actually, are quite pissed about this situation too, aren’t you?"

"Another me."

The light of the King’s Power continuously painted Ominous’s shadowy form, intertwining it with Lyle into one entity.

"I’ve already fallen far behind."

The giant form of Ominous collapsed with a thunderous crash, its shattered powder blending into chaos.

The distorted visions of chaos fragmented along with the broken giant, Lyle’s soul space returned to its original pure white world.

Only Lyle remained.

Lyle opened his eyes, which were pitch black and overflowing with malice.

"But I will enjoy this hunt."