I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 360

Thwack—

A surge of violet energy burst outward, sweeping in all directions. As Lucia shielded Miguel with her body, the soldiers who had been steadying themselves were sent sprawling to the ground again.

"W-what the hell is this?"

The soldiers’ eyes widened in shock.

Creak, snap-snap!

The dead rose, their bodies twisting grotesquely. Magenta magic imbued even their burned or crushed sections. The resurrected legionnaires' bodies absorbed the magic, twisting and swelling.

"By Karha."

"What a horrendous act!"

Boom, boom, boom!

Just as small and large sighs were about to spread, a series of distant explosions jolted them back to awareness.

"These are only the bodies of our brothers! Their souls have already ascended to Karha!"

"Snap out of it! Move the injured to the outskirts and prepare to fight!"

Shouts echoed across the battlefield. In the chaos, dozens of corrupted undead, now fully transformed, lurched toward the wounded and still-standing soldiers.

"Raise your weapons!"

"Grant our brothers rest!"

"Arghhh!"

Screams, battle cries, and inhuman roars filled the air.

The explosions in the distance continued, reverberating across the battlefield, but the avatar ignored the turmoil it had unleashed.

Its gaze remained fixed on Lucia, gazing through the dimming sacred fire.

"Hehe‌he."

Its split tongue flicked out as it slithered closer, violet eyes gleaming with greedy malice.

"This... goddamn bastard...." Lucia, whispering a curse picked up from Miguel, attempted to get up. Overwhelmed by dizziness and nausea, she collapsed to her knees. Her head and ears seemed seriously injured.

Squelch—

The avatar, as if savoring her weakness, moved its tendrils in a slow, slithering motion, gliding closer to Lucia.

Where is Sir Ian? What happened to him?

Amid roars and screams, booming sounds, and bizarre cries echoing through her, Lucia looked up at the avatar. She didn't believe he had been defeated; her conviction was unfounded and purely one-sided. The booming that shook the ground surely had something to do with him.

Were there still enemies around, or had he lost consciousness? There was no way to know. What mattered was that she couldn't just wait helplessly for help. Finally, having made up her mind, Lucia raised her palm to wipe the blood from her lips.

"Protect the Future Saintess!" Someone rushed forward and wrapped their arms around Lucia and Miguel. It was Kanto, his face covered in dirt and blood streaming down his forehead.

As he dragged Lucia and Miguel along, he whispered urgently. "You must retreat. This is no ordinary monster of the void. It's an avatar created by an ancient god, a cluster of chaos!"

Lucia didn’t respond to his whispers. Her eyes were wide open, fixed on what lay ahead—on the backs of three battle priests who stood between her and the avatar.

"Oh no, stop," Lucia weakly murmured.

Despite being injured by the explosion, a holy fire flickered on their weapons and embers glowed beneath their skin.

"For burning passion!"

"I'll buy us time! Evacuate the Saintess!"

"Back off, you demon of the void!"

As the avatar paused, seemingly observing them, the three priests charged forward, each shooting their resolve.

Lucia stretched her arms out. "No! Stop—Right now!"

However, the priests did not stop. Despite limping, they split into three directions and rushed at the avatar, swinging their weapons. The avatar neither counterattacked nor dodged.

Crack— Boom!

It simply stood still, taking the priests' attacks head-on. The priests, spread in three directions, fiercely struck at the surface of its tentacles. Since they couldn't reach its head, they tried to cripple its legs to immobilize it.

Thump, rumble—

The tendrils blistered and ruptured amidst the explosions and flames, revealing a pulsing, living interior.

"Keke." The avatar, silently observing the scene, finally chuckled, seemingly having satisfied its curiosity. Then it raised both arms to the sides, and thick spikes erupted from its writhing torso.

Donald and Bella dove to the ground, barely dodging them.

"No—" Lucia cried out as a tentacle pierced through Bron's neck. Blood gushed out as the tentacle lifted his convulsing body into the air.

The avatar grabbed Bron's head with a tentacle, the headless body of the priest falling as it sprayed blood. The avatar then tossed the head into its gaping mouth.

"Bron— You cursed demon!"

"Aaaah!"

Donald and Bella, screaming as if vomiting blood, charged forward, striking at the retreating tentacles. Meanwhile, Lucia turned to look at Kanto, who was dragging her away.

"Let go of me! We need to help!"

"I am merely fulfilling my duty, future Saintess. Your life is more important than all of ours."

"Don't be ridiculous! We’re all the same! All of us are the same!" Struggling, Lucia spat out more blood.

Looking down at her pale face, Kanto muttered, "Thank you for saying that, but please endure. Don't forget who you are."

As Lucia gasped for air, a shout erupted from up ahead.

"Ugh, ah! Let go! Let go of me!" Donald was struggling desperately, caught in the avatar's grip. The avatar's hand, at some point, developed an extra joint.

"Donald—!" Bella shouted and charged forward, her mace swinging with a small explosion. The avatar’s expression twitched—it seemed both pained and delighted at the same time. To Lucia, it looked as if it was watching toys dance before its eyes.

Clip, clop—

As Lucia gritted her teeth, the sound of hoofbeats drew closer from behind Kanto.

A white horse clad in silver armor burst forward and stopped right in front of Lucia. Having fled the explosion, Nila returned.

Snorting sharply, Nila glared at the avatar before glancing back at Kanto. Seemingly understanding, Kanto let go of Lucia and Miguel.

He straightened himself and spoke as he began to walk. "Recover your strength."

"V-Vice Priest...." Lucia frantically reached out and grabbed Kanto's wrist.

"N-No! Don’t go! Bella!" Donald’s scream rang out just then.

Before anyone knew it, the avatar had Bella in its grip, immobilizing her. It brought Bella’s face closer to its own, raising its right arm to the side so that Donald could watch clearly.

Crunch, crackle—

Its maw opened wide, splitting down to its neck. Beneath it, countless jagged black teeth jutted out like saw blades.

Bella muttered a prayer. "D-Darkness that burns the—"

Crunch—

The avatar’s jaws closed over Bella’s shoulder. Her legs flailed briefly before a small burst of light flickered from within its maw.

"Bellaaaa!" Donald’s anguished cry filled the air as the avatar paused momentarily. Then it began moving its jaws again.

Crunch, gnash—

A sickening noise echoed as the avatar slowly swallowed Bella’s writhing form.

In the meantime, Kanto shook off Lucia’s grip and moved to stand beside Nila. Lucia remained frozen like a statue. As Kanto mounted the saddle, Nila sprang into motion as though it had been waiting.

"N-No..." Lucia blankly murmured.

However, Nila only picked up speed, galloping faster and faster. Its armored body gleamed brightly as it charged forward and leaped powerfully toward the avatar. Simultaneously, Kanto kicked off the saddle and launched himself into the air.

"Arghhhh—" His battle cry rang out just as the avatar, still devouring Bella, finally turned to face him.

Crash—

The trajectory of Kanto’s blade struck deep into one of the avatar’s eyes. At the same time, Nila slammed into its torso with all its might, carving an arc through the air.

Boom.

The impact unleashed a shockwave of magic from Nila’s body. The avatar's body staggered, its face twisting in agony as a burning sword remained lodged in one of its eyes.

"-----!"

A scream of agony and rage erupted from the monster. At the same time, a violet shockwave swept through the area, sending Nila flying like a piece of paper.

Kanto held firm, gripping the blade embedded deep in the avatar’s eye. The sword twisted further, gouging deeper into the creature's eye. The monster's palm struck Kanto's body almost simultaneously.

Crash!

The impact sent Kanto smashing into the ground, blood spurting from his mouth as he rolled helplessly across the dirt. The avatar raised a limp tendril from its side and brought it crashing down.

Crack.

The tentacle slammed down on Kanto’s body. The avatar struck him several more times with visible irritation before turning its gaze elsewhere.

"Kek." Its anger-filled eyes suddenly softened, as if the rage had never been there.

Donald, still clutched in its hand, now hung limp, blood streaming from his head. The pressure it had exerted while fighting Kanto and Nila had crushed him.

Clang—

As the avatar brought Donald toward its maw, the sword lodged in its eye fell out on its own. The burst eyeball bubbled grotesquely, and the burns and tears across its body mended.

Lucia, silently watching the scene, turned her gaze to the battlefield. Soldiers were frantically carrying the wounded while desperately fighting off mutated undead. Her eyes eventually settled on Miguel at the rear.

Kanto didn’t realize it, but Lucia knew she was the avatar’s next target. From the start, it had been after her, the Apostle of God. The others were merely distractions.

"That’s why Miguel will be fine," she muttered.

Lucia stood, unsteady but resolute, and drew a dagger from her waist. Despite her trembling steps, she did not fall this time.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"I’m sorry, priests." She gripped the blade tightly with her left hand, the edge cutting into her palm as she slowly pulled the weapon.

"But I can’t run away without avenging them." Her eyes turned pure white as she spoke. A white flame crept up her arm from her clenched fist, spreading to her shoulder.

She walked forward. Her unsteady steps quickly turned into a determined stride.

Crunch, grind...

The avatar, in the middle of consuming Donald, suddenly froze. Its eyes shifted toward the white flames advancing from afar.

At that moment, Lucia hurled the dagger with all her strength.

Whoosh—

The small blade struck the side of the avatar’s face. Tiny compared to its grotesque features, the dagger seemed insignificant—until white flames exploded outward from the blade, engulfing the creature’s head.

Boom—

The avatar howled, its body convulsing as it flung Donald’s corpse aside. Its scream pierced the battlefield.

"Ugh?"

"What in Karha’s name..."

The soldiers battling the mutated undead faltered for a moment.

Without stopping, she continued forward with her hand outstretched toward the avatar.

Rumble—

The white flames pouring from Lucia’s grasp engulfed the avatar’s tendrils. Moving without pause, Lucia whispered prayers under her breath, her lips barely moving.

Boom! Roar!

Each time she moved her hands, explosions and flames burst forth, cloaking the avatar in a blinding white blaze. A few legionaries glanced over momentarily, stunned by the sight.

However, Lucia didn’t stop. Not until the avatar was no longer capable of even screaming.

Sizzle...

When Lucia finally paused, the monster’s entire body had melted into a massive, half-liquefied heap.

"Phew, phew." Lucia stood still, gasping for breath.

The white flames that had once flickered across her body dimmed weakly. It had only been a moment of awakening—her wounds hadn’t healed, nor had her stamina recovered. The blood still seeping from her palm was draining her strength at an alarming rate.

Crack, crunch.

Amidst the fading flames, the heap began to shift and split.

From the split center, an unscathed violet mass emerged. The avatar shed its battered outer shell like a husk, revealing its regenerated form underneath. It looked exactly as it had at the start, albeit slightly smaller. A single violet eye opened in the empty middle of its head.

However, Lucia’s expression remained blank, even as her left arm fell limply to her side. She already knew the avatar wasn’t dead. She simply refused to show any signs of despair or fear in front of it.

Sssss—

The avatar’s outstretched tentacle coiled around Lucia’s body. Its movements were slow and deliberate, almost gentle, as if realizing she could no longer wield her divine power. The gaze fixed on her twisted with satisfaction, like a predator finally clutching its long-sought prey.

Lucia’s body rose into the air.

Crack. Snap—

White flames still burned faintly on the discarded husk below, casting flickering light across the creature’s grotesque form. A new mouth opened beneath its eye, revealing a pitch-black throat like the depths of the abyss.

As Lucia stared into the dark throat, her gaze shifted suddenly beyond the avatar. Now elevated, she was able to see parts of the battlefield previously hidden from view. A golden and crimson streak was rapidly approaching.

A faint smile formed on Lucia’s lips. It was Ian. He was still alive.

Whoosh—

However, her smile faltered as Ian’s form came into focus. Ian's face, gripping the Light Sword, had turned a vivid violet below his nose, as though transformed, exposing his sharp teeth in full display.

His raised right hand, holding the sword, was the same—swollen and dyed in violet hues, laid bare for all to see. His lower body, clad only in greaves, was no exception.

Has he become a demon?

Lucia froze mid-thought.

The crimson divine power radiating across his entire body remained unchanged. There were still parts of him, like his eyes and left arm, that hadn’t undergone any transformation. Karha's divine power appeared to scorch the mutated areas, as though burning them away.

Half-human... half-demon?

Lucia stared blankly, lost in thought.

Finally, sensing its imminent threat, the avatar froze momentarily. Its pupils rotated rapidly, rolling to the back of its head.

Swoosh!

However, by then, Ian was already upon it, bringing down the Light Sword with force.

Boom, boom, boom!

A blazing yellow arc sliced clean through the body of the avatar as if cleaving bread, severing it in half. The same swift motion also severed the tentacle gripping Lucia.

"-----!"

As Lucia plummeted to the ground with the tentacle remnants, Ian landed with a roll, letting out a guttural roar reminiscent of a beast's wail.

But unlike any beast, his entire body radiated waves of crimson divine energy. The divine power of the legionnaires, which had been fading to a flicker, flared back into a vivid blaze.

"O-ohhh! Oooohhhh—"

"The Great Warrior! The Great Warrior has returned—"

Amid the thunderous cries echoing across the battlefield, Ian furrowed his brows and turned on his heel. His sharp gaze lingered on the collapsing avatar before him. His second set of razor-sharp teeth, protruding like jagged blades, clicked together.

"Where do you think you're pointing that maw toward?" A low growl, layered with an ominous undertone, rumbled from his throat.