Forsaken Priest of the Hero's Party-Chapter 64: Grimudos Climax (1)

Even barking dogs had their own ranks.

A fearful dog may bark, but won’t bite when danger comes. Instead, it will tuck its tail and run. Yet, some dogs, when confronted, bite like mad, disregarding any harm to themselves.

Hellfire.

The moment he appeared in her field of vision, Parnell instinctively cast  ‘Flames of Hell,’ one of the most powerful single-target fire spells. Its destructive power was so immense, it would be easier to list what it couldn’t burn.

The spell cut through the quiet stillness, becoming the only light in the darkness as it struck Grimudo.

Flames burst in all directions, followed by a massive explosion. Yet, the surrounding darkness remained untouched. From within the blast, a man with his hands clasped behind his back emerged, as though he was taking a casual stroll in the sunlight.

The light burned brightly and the heat was intense.

But what did that have to do with him?

Grimudo didn’t even bother to raise a barrier.

It wasn’t worth the effort.

“The mana... what...”

Parnell’s frustration was evident. Her grip on the royal heirloom staff tightened. If it weren’t so well-made, it might have shattered.

Grimudo had done nothing. He didn’t deflect the spell or even raise a hand. His vast mana, like an invisible shield, effortlessly neutralized the attack as it approached him.

It was like trying to start a forest fire in a humid environment.

What Parnell just attempted was like trying to light a fire underwater. No one had interfered, but success was still impossible.

Crackle!

Suddenly, the dark clouds overhead crackled with energy, charging with lightning that began pouring down towards Grimudo.

One bolt, then another, and finally a torrent of lightning rained down from the sky. Parnell abandoned any thought of conserving mana, activating all of her cores. Against Grimudo, holding back wasn’t an option.

A prolonged battle? That was impossible. The moment she tried to save mana, Grimudo would end her in an instant. There was no time to think about what came next. Her only chance was to focus entirely on this moment, throwing everything she had at him for even the slimmest hope of victory.

Swish.

The attack caught the Demon King’s attention. Grimudo turned his head toward the downpour of lightning.

And that was all it took. As his gaze shifted, his mana effortlessly followed.

Rumble! Boom!

Crack!

From the surrounding darkness, countless shapes emerged. Shadowy hands reached out, tearing apart the lightning bolts. Crocodile-like mouths formed from the darkness, biting down and swallowing lightning dragons whole.

Not a single bolt managed to reach Grimudo. Each one shattered helplessly before coming close.

This wasn’t mana reinforcement. It was something entirely different—a technique unknown in this world.

After all, no one in this era could utilize mana in such a way. The ancient methods of training mana as spiritual power had long since been forgotten.

“What on earth is that...?!”

Even Harmael trembled. Grimudo’s combat methods were utterly incomprehensible.

His approach to handling mana was unlike anything she had ever seen.

His gaze shifted to Parnell.

Was it her imagination? As cold sweat dripped down her face, Parnell thought she saw him smile.

“You have quite the spirit. You’re the best among your group.”

It sounded like praise, but it wasn’t. Parnell trembled from the humiliation it brought.

This being was the sworn enemy of her family, the fundamental target of her revenge. No matter how skilled the hero of the Cidatel Republic might have been, they couldn’t have destroyed the kingdom without Grimudo’s aid.

“However, I don’t see the face I’m looking for.”

The strongest magic passed down by the Cidatel royal family.

Elemental punishment was taking form and was calculated with precision. Yet, Grimudo paid no mind to the unfolding magic.

To be ignored was the worst kind of contempt, but Parnell didn’t react with anger or defiance.

An enemy, a sworn foe—yet she had no choice but to acknowledge his power.

That was the kind of being Grimudo was. Even as she launched her attack, there wasn’t a shred of confidence that it would succeed.

“Where is that priest? Is he already dead?”

The combined power of the five elements—fire, ice, wind, earth, and lightning—bore down upon the Ancient Demon King.

The earth quaked and surged, lightning rained endlessly from the heavens, destructive winds roared, blue flames danced, and an extreme cold enveloped the battlefield. Nature itself seemed to abhor Grimudo, seeking to torment him—to tear him apart and burn him into nothingness.

Yet as the world collided with the Demon King, the outcome was inevitable.

The world shattered.

Grimudo lifted his foot slightly and stepped down on the empty air.

He took a single step.

In that instant, a shockwave powerful enough to shatter mountain ranges erupted. It crushed Parnell’s magic with the ease of destroying a child’s sandcastle. The earth, scorched by the Immortal Phoenix, trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake, leaving the ground unstable for what seemed like an eternity. The aftershocks continued to ripple outward.

Rumble!

Harmel nearly lost her composure from the deafening noise and overwhelming impact. She had been watching as a mere spectator, devoid of any fighting spirit.

For a fleeting moment, she felt an immense relief that she was not in Parnell’s place. The power Grimudo unleashed was beyond anything she had ever imagined—utterly insane.

How... How was this possible? How could anyone defeat him?

It was a terror so profound that it made her hair stand on end.

She immediately understood why Grimudo showed no interest in unifying the continent. Even if an empire managed to conquer all the lands and rise as a singular power, it would crumble effortlessly under his might, like an anthill crushed beneath an uncaring foot.

His power was on an entirely different level—a force that could not be challenged.

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“Are those all the tricks you have to show?”

Grimudo finally displayed a hint of interest as he looked at Parnell, whose legs trembled after exhausting all her mana.

Tricks. Her grand, powerful magic—reduced to mere tricks before his eyes. Was that truly all it amounted to for him?

Parnell trembled, overwhelmed by a profound sense of powerlessness. Grimudo’s curious gaze lingered on her as he spoke again.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you charge at me this boldly last time too? Or have you already lost your nerve?”

“Who says I’ve lost my nerve... I’ve just run out of mana.”

The only difference now was Kyle’s absence—the one who had restored her mana in their previous encounter, but against Grimudo, that difference felt meaningless.

It only determined whether she could hold out a little longer, nothing more.

“If I had any mana left, I’d throw a fireball or something...”

“It’s been a while for you two as well. Aren’t you going to attack?”

The Hero and the Demon Hunter remained silent but an unfamiliar voice interrupted the stillness.

The saint, Aridel, her pale complexion now composed, began singing a hymn to steady herself. Her voice carried resolve as a radiant halo illuminated her figure. She opened her eyes wide, staring directly at the Ancient Demon King.

“I, as the saint chosen by the goddess, will stand against your atrocities. Mother, grant me strength! Endow me with the power to face this great evil!”

“I’m sorry, but...”

Grimudo’s response was simple, almost dismissive.

“I have no interest in you.”

With a mere wave of his hand, the space behind Aridel tore open. An infinite, dark abyss emerged, carved into the void itself.

Magic was a gift bestowed by dragons upon the mortal races—a favor freely given, an act of charity without cost, a form of divine benevolence.

Transcendent Magic. Horizon of Destruction.

But Grimudo was different. He didn’t simply receive the dragons’ gift. He traded his own profound knowledge for their magic, compelling the dragons to reveal far more of their secrets than they ever intended.

His mastery of magic rivaled that of the dragons themselves, the very source of all magic. What only dragons were said to wield—transcendent magic—was now in his hands, defying all reason. It manifested here, creating an endless abyss behind Aridel.

A line of pure darkness, swallowing light itself. It cut through Aridel’s radiant halo and consumed it entirely.

It wasn’t just an attack. It was judgment, an unyielding verdict.

“Th-The Archbishop! At least the Archbishop...”

“It’s too late. All we can hope for is to escape from within.”

Whoosh!

The massive line of darkness, vast as the horizon, consumed Aridel and Renheim completely.

Inside that abyss, where everything was typically crushed instantly, beings as powerful as Renheim and Aridel wouldn’t perish immediately, but by the time they escaped, it would already be too late. Their strength would be utterly spent.

“Saintess...!”

Yurinel reached out toward the saintess, her expression frozen in shock, but her outstretched hand only grasped empty air. The abyss had claimed Aridel, leaving nothing behind. Only the Demon King’s voice lingered, mocking her.

“Yurinel Lakponcia.”

Yurinel froze. The Ancient Demon King had spoken her name—a name she never imagined he would remember, let alone speak aloud.

“Didn’t you once say you wanted revenge on me?”

The Demon King smiled. He hadn’t forgotten the uninvited guests who had dared to challenge him.

One of the few pleasures in Grimudo’s long existence was the arrival of challengers. Before the Hero’s Party, there had been others—Geher, the hermit, and the quiet  Rayman. Even before them, various visitors had come sporadically.

“Or have you decided to abandon your revenge after failing once? It doesn’t matter to me either way.”

“Grimudo! What are you saying to the hero!”

Harmael interjected from far away, trying to give him advice.

“That one is the enemy of us demons! Just kill her already. Isn’t that well within your power?”

Haha.

Grimudo merely laughed. The moment that laughter reached her ears, an excruciating pain pierced her skull. She instinctively tried to resist, but it was futile. The attack couldn’t be dodged or blocked.

A grim, oppressive force entered her through her senses, manifesting as dark, intangible hands that squeezed her brain. Her vision flickered and she couldn’t see anything. No thoughts came to mind. She couldn’t even think of simple things like where she was or who she was. There was no mental capacity to think.

Thud!

No longer able to keep herself aloft, Harmael plummeted to the ground, landing headfirst with a sickening sound.

Even as she writhed in agony, there was no blood—no external damage at all. Yet her mind screamed as if it were being torn apart. It was an incomprehensible, terrible sensation.

Her thoughts were a jumbled haze, her mind reduced to chaos.

It felt as if an army of dwarves were hacking at her brain with merciless hammers.

Harmael clutched her head, releasing a scream.

What is this? What on earth happened to me? What kind of technique is this? Even such obvious questions didn’t come to mind.

“It’s a mental attack.”

Yurinel and Lucia gasped audibly, stunned by his revelation.

“It’s an ancient technique. You know how to wield mana, but you lack the knowledge of mental arts—methods for attacking and defending the mind.”

“A mental.. attack?”

Lucia, the veteran demon hunter, had never seen such an attack before.

Monsters and ethereal beings sometimes targeted the mind, but Grimudo’s assault was far beyond anything she’d ever encountered. Just one strike had left Harmael writhing helplessly on the ground.

‘Does this guy still have cards like this up his sleeve?’ Lucia asked, her voice trembling without realizing it.

“Why... Why didn’t you use this last time? Were we so weak that you could afford to hide such a technique?”

“It’s not that I didn’t use it. You blocked it before. Or rather, that priest did.”

That was the main reason he came here.

“So, where is that priest now?”