Chapter 54: Blessing or Curse

Chapter 54: Blessing or Curse

“You…”

The Vampire enveloped in bloody light trembled slightly all over. The elegant expression which had been maintained on his handsome yet sinister face vanished.

He was the one who knew most clearly about the toughness of the Vampire Spawn. Although they could not use spells, relying on their strength and non-living physical advantages, they could still hold their own even when dealing with people one or two levels stronger. However, the woman shrouded in a silvery-white robe before him was clearly not in that category. Initially, the Vampire thought she might be a decent Spellcaster who caused damage to the Vampire Spawn using her spellcasting abilities. But now, things seemed far from that simple!

Snapping a large man’s wrist bare-handed might still be acceptable… But casually blowing an opponent’s head off seemed rather unbelievable for such a slender figure… Moreover, the Vampire had noticed the terrifying shape of the wound on his Spawn’s body. That too was likely caused by her delicate, seemingly soft hand!

With one strike, she pierced through the metal Full Plate Armor and, in the process, slashed off over a dozen pounds of flesh from the human. What kind of power did such a hand possess?

Furthermore, there was this ice and snow spell that swept over them like a tidal wave, completely without incantation or spellcasting gestures!

The Vampire let out a roar filled with syllables that was incongruous with his figure!

Only those with excellent hearing could discern the dozen or so syllables contained within that roar… Following the sound, most of the ice crystals halted their spread before a faint green glowing shield that flickered for an instant. However, this scene only lasted a moment. The thin shield could no longer completely block those ferocious ice spikes. After a sizzling sound like an electric arc, the elegant figure shrouded in bloody light was forced to flash away from his original spot like lightning! Seven or eight ice swords had already extended outwards. In fact, the speed seemed more like an extension. They crisscrossed, completely sealing off the spot where the bloody figure originally stood!

“Who are you!” the Vampire flipped in mid-air, narrowly avoiding colliding with the sharp ice spikes extending from the surrounding walls. However, his stylish cloak was not spared from being torn by the ice swords. He slightly crouched low, his crimson eyes fixed tightly on the silver-robed woman before him!

“Filthy creature, you need not know who I am… The Prime Material Plane has no need for unclean beings like you. Only the filthy Abyss is where you Undead cling to a feeble existence…” the woman spoke again. Her voice gradually echoed in the room, which was now mostly occupied by ice crystals, eventually forming a grand, heart-shaking chorus!

“Go die!” The Vampire felt like his eardrums were about to burst in an instant! He let out another shriek, his whole body leaping up like an animal!

As he did so, that curved white-boned Staff appeared in his hand. With his movement, the small carved head at its tip made clicking sounds. “Word, Death!” the Vampire Mage issued a fierce command!

As his words fell, waves of intangible energy formed a powerful oppressive force on the mental level. A discernible black sheen expanded from the skull! A cold smile flickered at the corner of the Vampire Mage’s mouth. This was Power Word Kill, the strongest among word spells. Arcane Arts energy would kill the opponent directly on the conscious level, commanding them to give up lucidity and fall into eternal slumber. Just like his Curse, once the soul believed itself dead, the affected would truly die!

His attack had not ended there… Beside the woman, space rippled like water waves with the incantation, instantly collapsing into two person-sized black holes! Two figures leapt out from them. A tall, bald man brandishing a large axe swung down at the woman’s head, while from the black hole behind her, a shadowy black dagger, so soft it made no sound cutting the air, was thrust out!

A scheming smile appeared on the Vampire’s cold face. She clearly didn’t know that he wasn’t just an ordinary monster, but also the leader of an assassination group. His understanding of certain special attack methods far exceeded that of his kind who were used to hiding in Shadows and seeking prey… The timing of this triple attack was seamless. Even an Archmage or an Empire Knight would find it extremely difficult to escape unscathed.

“What a shame… Her blood must be a supreme delicacy. But after death, the sensation will likely be much worse…” the Vampire even felt a regretful lament surfacing in his mind.

But the next moment, the Vampire discovered what he saw was not the woman collapsing. In that instant, she slightly raised her head, revealing half of her absolutely beautiful face beneath the hood! The corners of her slender mouth slightly curved upwards. This expression was definitely not part of despair, but rather a look of contemptuous mockery.

The silver-robed woman was not an Archmage, nor an Empire Knight… Her abilities perhaps far exceeded those of both existences… She stood there quietly, as if treating the rolling effect of Power Word Kill in the space as a gentle breeze… It wasn’t even as powerful as a gentle breeze. The effect of the Mental Power spell completely lost its function. The churning black light did not even stir a single strand of her hair exposed outside the hood!

As for the two monsters in front of and behind her, they were even less fortunate than their companion who just dared to challenge her. The woman shrouded in the silver robe raised her hand and extended another finger. With a soft hum, an ice spear entwined with faint cold light condensed in the air. It moved later but arrived first, easily piercing through the skulls of the two Undead beings in front and behind. Blue-white light instantly transformed into terrifying ice crystals filled with endless cold, and the protruding ice spikes instantly shattered the whole heads of these two unlucky Undead into pieces!

“Return to oblivion…”

Beneath the hood, the silver gaze held a touch of pity… But from the Vampire’s perspective, it was sheer terror. Beside him, a giant ice hand had appeared at some unknown time… Something with features akin to arthropods didn’t really look like a human hand, but its effect was undoubtedly the same. The Vampire’s frail body was tightly restrained. The claw, emanating bone-chilling cold, was also tightening inward with a terrifying force!

“You… What exactly are you? Humans definitely do not have such power!” the Vampire roared. Then, with this sound, his body began to expand. Long hair sprouted on his delicate face, and his muzzle protruded forward! Yet even as he transformed into a half-giant wolf, the Arcane Arts-condensed ice hand remained firmly clenched! And the bone-chilling cold had already spread along the giant wolf’s body, clothing it in a shimmering blue coat!

There was no answer to his question. With half of a horrific shriek, the Vampire’s body had already shattered into countless ice fragments! Flesh-laden ice flew and scattered everywhere. Amidst the clinking and clanging impacts, the giant wolf was dismembered into countless pieces!

“I… will not let this go! I… must…” Half of a frozen wolf head rolled on the ground… Its crimson eyes still held bewilderment… But the next moment, a stream of infinitely crimson blood, accompanied by a gloomy howl like a ghost’s wail, shot out from the head, directly piercing into the Magic Array on the ground already covered in shimmering blue frost!

In just an instant, the red light within the Magic Array surged brightly! Countless runes flowed and operated. The ground actually emitted a booming sound like muffled thunder!

“I must have revenge! I must have revenge!” This voice gradually weakened but still sounded as if countless people were shouting in unison. Thick crimson mist burst open in the air. For a moment, the brilliance of ice and blood mixed within the entire room, creating a magnificent yet eerie purple hue, contrasting with the echoing roar in the void, filling the frost-covered room with a terrifying atmosphere once again!

“To… push a curse using your lifespan so decisively? This is undoubtedly equivalent to mutual destruction… What kind of hatred would drive an almost Count-level Vampire, who boasts of being an immortal being, to be so fearless?” The persistence displayed by this non-living being was surprising even to an opponent. After a long time, a soft sigh of astonishment came from beneath the silver cloak… Watching the Vampire’s Magic Array on the ground continuously dim and twist before disappearing, the young woman shook her head, then raised her hand, seemingly trying to destroy the Magic Array. But before she could, the surrounding Magic fluctuations suddenly became chaotic. Countless premonitions of Spatial Spells prompted an ethereal sigh from the young woman within the silver robe. The next moment, she had already disappeared into a shimmering blue Spatial Gate before those who might arrive…

…

“Unending…” Constantine lifted his head, gazing at the eternally turbulent sky, muttering under his breath.

There was no proper measuring tool at hand, so he didn’t know how long he had been in the Soul Channel. In soul state, naturally, no tools could be used. Actually, this battle probably hadn’t lasted more than a few hours, but in the boy’s heart, it felt like several centuries had passed.

Because during this period, all his work was to focus his Mental Power, shaping numerous weapons, combat tools, and energy to counter the various strange phenomena appearing in the sky!

For example, right now… Blood clouds continuously churned in the sky. The strong wind transformed into a dark-colored tornado in the blink of an eye, soaring into the clouds. The gray cloud layer in the sky was instantly swept into the vortex of wind. As this happened, the tornado’s color grew darker and darker. Slowly, streams of Lightning began to flash amid massive thunderclaps from within the tornado. These Lightning strikes became denser and denser. Occasionally, one landed in the Undead space, blasting a large hole in the ground. The black ground was covered with blood pools of various sizes. The blood in the pools constantly churned, spewing countless bubbles.

In mere dozens of seconds, the flashes of Lightning became rhythmic!

With a series of explosive thunderclaps, countless Lightning bolts tore through the air, whipping towards Constantine’s direction like maddened lashes! Behind them, that mass of tornado constantly shook its tail, which nearly touched the ground, emitting more Lightning. Then, countless dark ice blocks, bright purple flames, and crystalline icicles formed in the air, shimmering with colorful glows. For a moment, the sky looked as magnificent as festive fireworks set off!

But with a blinding flash of light, all sound froze! Hartdiel stepped out from within the tornado, one step at a time. He walked undoubtedly in mid-air, but the Lich’s movements were leisurely and at ease, as if there was an invisible bridge in the sky. On the dozens of spindle-shaped stones around him, countless runes flickered. Within the Soul Channel, the ways of using Mental Power varied according to individual will. The Lich naturally used the Spellcaster’s method he was most familiar with. His long Staff in hand paused slightly, shooting out a cone of brilliant Prismatic Wall. Everything touched by the Prismatic Wall, be it Lightning, flames, icicles, or summoned monsters, all turned into dust and scattered into the void.

This was also one of the reasons Constantine could hold on. If the Lich hadn’t used his own Mental Power as a substitute at critical moments, allowing Constantine time to rest, then relying solely on the boy’s own power, he would probably have had his Soul eroded by the Curse many hours ago!

Now, victory was in sight…

Behind the clouds torn apart by the storm, countless golden glories surged slowly. Those were Clerics casting spells to dispel the Curse… From this, the boy deduced that his physical body might have been returned to the Duke’s Mansion by Vernal.

The effect of this simultaneous attack from above and below was that the bloody energy, which stirred up countless thunderclouds, storms, and frosty rock pillars, had gradually thinned.

“Your turn…” The Lich’s figure appeared beside the boy… Though his appearance remained that of a Skeleton wrapped in gray-black Robe of Magic, his current image seemed much worse than usual. The hem of his fine black velvet Robe of Magic was tattered like a torn flag. Cracks gradually extended upward, and even the body shrouded within the cloak was constantly twisting, creating rippley distortions!

White feathers exploded around Constantine. Then, these drifting feathers suddenly bent upwards, forming a set of beautiful white-feathered wings on the boy’s back. Next, countless points of light spread around Constantine. The dense glows, like fireflies, lingered around the boy!

“Not bad, much more skilled than before…” the Lich praised. The progress Constantine showed over these few hours was enough to impress every Archmage.

With a single flap of his wings, the boy soared into the air! Carefully controlling his Mental Power, he had those endless lights draw ten thousand golden trails across the sky!

Each trail looped in arcs, gradually wearing down the massive tornado. The ice crystals and flames scattering from within were all shattered bit by bit amidst this brilliance! Though at his level of Mental Power, as long as Constantine concentrated, he could conjure forces from ancient times within the Soul Channel, the result would be that the next thing to appear would far surpass the previous ones. After several failed attempts, he finally figured out this method of using his power. Relying on this, he had shattered three waves of Curse energy without letting them expand at all.

But this time, Constantine encountered an accident!

A sharp sound like a ghost’s wail rang out! It was as if a door to the world of death had suddenly opened. Countless black clouds spewed forth from the center of the giant vortex. In the world that had just fallen silent, a blurry shadow took shape within the black clouds… Then, a piercing blood-red light appeared. The black cloud layer instantly turned into blood-red clouds! The cloud layer suddenly became filled with the wails of vengeful spirits! The sound even drowned out the faint thunder!

“Damn it! That fellow actually used his own life force to propel the Curse!” The Lich’s message via Telepathy amplified in volume, instantly reaching the level of a furious roar! He seemed to want to charge into the sky, but at that moment, the crimson, blood-stained sky wrapped around Constantine in mid-air like a cloth manipulated by an invisible hand!

Numerous balls of light instantly transformed into Shields of light composed of innumerable octagonal shapes, blocking all the Undead emerging from the red clouds!

The sudden shift in Mental Power placed a tremendous burden on his body! Excruciating pain like drills through the heart and gnawing at the brain caused the boy to feel dizzy spells. Within the hues of the Soul Channel, a muted grayish-red fluid that looked like blood flowed from the corners of his eyes and mouth, dripping down his cheeks.

…

Ah!

With a low cry, the boy’s eyes snapped open! He sat up abruptly!

The biting wind, gray clouds, endless Lightning, wailing Undead, and the pain that seemed intent on tearing all flesh from his bones had vanished without a trace. Only the dim candlelight around him illuminated the familiar scene.

Constantine glanced around. He noticed he was already in his own room within the Duke’s Mansion… Standing by the bedside were four Sun God Clerics, their faces showing surprise. One of them still held a faint white glow in his hand, clearly having just cast Divine Magic to dispel the Curse on him. Behind him, the old Cleric stared intently at his face, as if trying to find something on it. His apprentice, meanwhile, immediately averted his gaze elsewhere, putting on an entirely aloof air. Only the Blood Elf, standing outside the group, lowered her head slightly, lost in thought…

“Young master… Wonderful, you’ve finally awakened…” The Old Steward was undoubtedly the most emotional among all present. However, after uttering just that one sentence, the old man seemed to choke up, unable to speak further.

Constantine lifted his hands in puzzlement. The pale skin matched his memory perfectly. After moving them a few times, he found nothing unusual. They still retained youthful softness, not aged. Next, the boy roughly examined various parts of his body. Everything seemed normal. Only then did he realize his body was soaked in sweat at some point. Moreover, the room felt extremely hot and stifling, almost making it hard to breathe. Was the fireplace stoked too high? His gaze swept across the corner of the room… only to find the ornate hearth held no fire.

Yet that sensation of scorching dryness remained… Right in his lower abdomen, it flared up like a burning flame…