Chapter 125: The Seal

Demon!

This word instantly plunged the surrounding scene into unprecedented chaos, ten times more terrifying than someone being killed.

Although these city dwellers considered themselves far more knowledgeable than ordinary commoners, none had ever actually seen a demon. However, that did not hinder their understanding of the term… beings from the chaotic evil planes, embodiments of savagery. They attacked any other creature, even their own kind, just for amusement… the ultimate villains in the stories told by the clerics of the Three Gods and adventurers. They were undoubtedly the most potent source of panic! Too many terrifying legends made people immediately flee in all directions, searching for places they deemed safe!

Thus, facing the dozens of mouths lined with sharp little teeth, the only one left was the brave cleric of the Three Gods… Well, sorry, or perhaps there were two small misunderstandings here—the number of people remaining should be several, but aside from the cleric, the others had already become bloody chunks of flesh smeared with sticky gore. As for the cleric himself, it wasn’t bravery that kept him there… In fact, if he could, he would have already run away. But as a member of the clergy, his innate sacred aura was like acid constantly spilling outward, enough to attract the hostility of all demons!

“In the world… followers of the Three Gods, loyal… believers, if evil runs rampant before you, do not panic, the radiance of the gods will protect you…” As those monsters drew closer, the trembling, pitiful figure in white robes finally remembered his identity and what he should do. He began to plead for the power of his deity. However, the fear in his heart severely distorted his pronunciation—in fact, being able to stand his ground in the face of those ugly monsters covered in their victims’ blood was already a miracle.

But were the mercy and power of the Three Gods truly everywhere?

The fissure that had split open in the air, spewing the smell of sulfur and blood, suddenly wavered. With a sharp, grating crackle, the fissure violently burst apart… Actually, those who hadn’t witnessed this scene would find it hard to imagine how a fissure could shatter, but that’s what happened—the dark red mark scattered into countless thin black lines with the sound! Then, they began to drift through the surrounding space, slowly fading away.

All the demons thus abandoned their seemingly easy-to-defeat opponents and began panicking, scrambling to get back into their original passage. However, they overlooked those spatial rifts… If they thought of them as harmless, they were wrong—these minute spatial fissures still possessed terrifying energy. Several Dretches that had just stepped out of the fissure were struck by the scattering black lines, and in the next moment, thin red lines silently appeared on their mottled, wrinkled skin. The lines silently split open, and the teardrop-shaped monsters were divided into irregular chunks… only then, at the same moment, did the blood and sticky innards erupt, the pungent stench immediately making the surrounding air even more nauseating!

…

Constantine twitched his nose slightly, adjusting to the strange smell. Then—given the current situation, he seemed to have been judged the victor…

Even the bravest warrior, after enduring over a dozen point-blank fire bursts and then being wrapped in large swathes of sticky, resilient spider webs nearly as thick as a wrist, would lose most of their offensive power. Moreover, those webs were now sending waves of intense pain through their nerves…

The Web spell relied on sticky silk to restrict an opponent’s movement, serving as a very effective capture spell. But like all spells, it also possessed a potential for dangerous variation… These yellow substances were highly flammable and burned for a good duration. Considering their sticky nature, they were enough to become a special kind of weapon—covered in these burning webs, even if one understood that they still had a chance to attack the spellcaster before the flames inflicted truly massive damage, only someone truly strong could actually do it.

Well, it wasn’t like there were none…

Right then, among the three knights, the one who had been maintaining the closest distance to Constantine seemed to be quite the strong one—letting out a shrill roar, he suddenly raised his wooden practice sword, which was also blazing with fire, as if the sticky flames crackling and clinging to his body did not exist at all, and launched a final charge against that small, hateful figure!

A low, dull thud sounded—a beautiful, heavy uppercut squarely connected with his chin. The young man’s arm speed wasn’t the absolute fastest; even with rigorous training, he still couldn’t make an adult completely unable to react. But the warrior didn’t dodge… Actually, he tried to, but the motion remained incomplete… As the boy stepped in, he viciously stomped near the warrior’s little toe. The pressure from the leather sole created a numbing, sour pain at the acupuncture point, invading his well-trained, highly resistant body. This actually paralyzed half his body momentarily, preventing any response or follow-up action.

Though the boy’s strength wasn’t exceptionally great, the unique impact force from the base of his palm still traveled through the warrior’s jaw, loosening his teeth slightly and making his gums bleed. The vibration then traveled to his brain; even the muscles in his legs began to tremble, nearly causing him to collapse!

The poor knight stared at Constantine before him with shocked eyes, but for a moment, he couldn’t make a move.

Thus, the sorcerer gracefully bowed slightly to the Second Prince across from him, declaring his victory.

“Really… enough! These useless fools!”

The Second Prince of the Phoenix Empire let out an angry roar comparable to a lion’s—the surrounding ground seemed to tremble from the sound!

“Your Highness, while… while I can understand your feelings, I believe these knights also did their best…”

This astonishing display made the Vice-Principal of the Central Academy gulp, but ultimately, he tried to ease the atmosphere once more—in fact, what he said wasn’t entirely wrong. These knights really had given their all; their failure was simply because they encountered an opponent they simply couldn’t defeat—

Everyone was seeing such a scene for the first time. In their memories, mages’ battles should proceed at a leisurely pace: first casting some defensive spells, then gradually wearing down the opponent’s defenses with various attacks—that was why His Majesty strictly forbade challenging mages to duels. But this young man’s fighting style was exceptionally different. As his pale, slender fingers traced symbols in the air and sharp incantations were uttered, the fiery rings igniting in the air stunned everyone present… Then, facing the spontaneously appearing webs, the sticky black oil stains on the ground, and the scattering colored magic missiles simply exceeded their capabilities.

However, the Prince did not see it that way.

“They tried their best? That’s just an excuse for incompetence! Among my subordinates, there are none, nor should there be any, who make excuses for failure!” With a sharp, cold laugh, the Prince’s icy gaze swept over the three who had just extinguished the flames on their bodies. “You should know very well what you should do at a time like this, right?”

Constantine’s pupils contracted slightly. Retainer knights, though nominally possessing the status of freemen or even knights, swore allegiance to certain high nobles. Sometimes, this oath meant much of their life’s freedom was controlled by the noble, especially in situations like this. If the lord’s anger could not be quelled, it was common for knights who fought on their behalf to be ordered to commit suicide. And as the Second Prince of Phoenix, the other party clearly had the authority to order any warrior to their death.

“In that case, having lost… as agreed, I shall defend Prince’s Your Highness’s honor with my life…”

After a moment of silence, the three knights, including the one addressed, seemed to reach a decision. They respectfully placed a hand over their chests, bowed to the Prince, then each drew their knightly swords from their waists! Each performed a salute—the raised longsword symbolized the knight’s code, and part of a knight’s loyalty and devotion was to offer his life whenever his master required it.

Unfortunately… this action was stopped.

“His Highness the Prince only wanted you to test Master Constantine’s skills, he didn’t require an absolute victory, did he…? If you go and die like this, and word gets out, wouldn’t it allow petty individuals to mock His Highness for lacking magnanimity?”

Constantine wore a bitter smile. The voice was very distinctive; even though they hadn’t met for over ten days, he could still recognize who it was.

Rheinstadt Hilue August, the Second Prince of the Dellan Empire.

The Prince issued a query. This prince strolled over gracefully, followed by an elderly man with a beautiful white beard. His armor was exquisitely crafted, making his figure very upright, fit, and well-proportioned. The tightly fastened belt made his waist seem slender, as if it could be held in one hand. Though his shoulders were slightly broad, his sunny hair and refined features made him appear even more heroic and spirited…

If Constantine hadn’t known about this gentleman’s… ‘matter’, he might have also exclaimed in admiration at this suddenly appearing figure—what a dashing and heroic image…

“Your Highness, a warrior’s growth is not easy…” The Second Prince of the Dellan Empire said with a smile: “If Your Excellency truly does not wish to see these warriors, how about gifting them to me as an exchange? As compensation, I can offer…”

“It’s a pity. Things I have tamed myself, even if I discard them, will not fall into another’s hands!” Casually interrupting the other’s goodwill, the Second Prince of Phoenix snorted coldly. He seemed to have successfully suppressed his fury below the exploding point, but the wooden practice sword in his hand suddenly emitted a horrifying crackling sound. Then the tough nánmu wood twisted and split into thin wooden splinters.

This action made Constantine feel a slight shock in his heart. It seemed this Prince’s martial prowess was far above what he had estimated!

“Since Master Constantine is magnanimous, and Prince Rheinstadt pleads for you, you shall first bear the shame of this defeat for now… When conditions are appropriate in the future, you may still retrieve your honor!” That Prince’s eyes flickered a few times; finally, he chose not to damage his own prestige. However, it was clear this Prince, having lost face in this encounter, had no interest in remaining. He snorted coldly, mounted his horse, and galloped away in a cloud of dust!

“What a forthright person…” Watching the fast-disappearing figure, the Prince of Dellan let out a light chuckle.

Constantine, however, helplessly rubbed his nose—undoubtedly, he also didn’t wish to face this Prince currently present…

…

The storm-like fury on his face had subsided, but his eyes still flickered with a ferocious light. After sweeping his gaze over his three subordinates in a way that made their hearts palpitate, his eyes settled on Nathan: “I remember that fellow… You met him before, right? What was the situation then?”

“Yes, My Prince, just a few days ago, during a private combat I participated in. He single-handedly eliminated over a dozen Hobgoblins with exquisite skill. Also, on the way back, he taught some City Guard members a lesson. However…” Knight Nathan replied. He intelligently omitted his own performance but described the young man’s combat in more detail. “At that time, he didn’t seem as formidable as now; the combined assault of three knights was still enough to deal with him… Of course, that’s assuming he wasn’t deliberately hiding his abilities then.”

“To still possess such quality even after being ‘kept’ for over a decade… It seems the Connellyvis family is truly as the legends say,” The surprise in the Prince’s heart far outweighed his resentment…

While his words had been fierce, his original intention wasn’t truly to do anything drastic to that seemingly meek and compliant fellow—after all, the Connellyvis family’s status was set in stone. Causing too much damage to the heir of what had almost become a ducal territory would earn him severe reprimand even as a Prince. Moreover, His Imperial Grandfather’s decree regarding the marriage alliance had been issued, leaving no room for change. However unwilling he was, he had to become relatives with the other. If things became too tense, it wouldn’t benefit the future.

Although Knight Nathan had only luckily entered his service as a newcomer a few days ago, the Prince had a general understanding of his riding and swordsmanship skills. Though there was still a gap compared to himself, he was stronger than an average regular knight and didn’t lack combat experience. Achieving such results at his age was quite remarkable. And that final all-out assault, regardless of the consequences—if it were himself, even if he could defend against it, he definitely wouldn’t have come out of such danger unscathed. Furthermore, Constantine was only thirteen years old and had been completely at a disadvantage initially!

Of course, this sliver of regret wasn’t enough to make the Prince consider mending the relationship between them. Even if that little brat had ten times more powerful cards up his sleeve, he was of no use to him. Barring accidents, he was about to marry his cousin and would thus become a discarded pawn of the Connellyvis family. His best outcome would merely be living out his life as an empty-title noble, guarding a Princess in some countryside estate.

…

The outline of a strange hall wavered amidst flickering threads of firelight. The faint light reflected a metallic sheen off the walls’ surfaces. Thick columns supported the great hall in all directions, and both the intricate dome and smooth floor were adorned with beautiful symbols drawn in dark golden Runes—magical glyphs used by mages. In the center of this hall sat a massive structure—an Altar. Upon the Altar rested a Crystal Ball emitting a bloody glow; the molten-looking sphere resembled the eye of a Red Dragon.

The torches lit around cast a somewhat dim light, their soft glow outlining the pillars and the Altar. A black figure stood silently beside this Altar. Light from an unknown source stretched his shadow almost limitlessly, pulling it far onto the wall. He just stood there quietly, constantly moving his fingers. With his motions, the blood-colored Crystal Ball on the Altar moved continuously, rotating at a steady speed.

In an instant, dozens of sparks of various colors ignited within the area enveloped by this invisible force field. Over ten small whirlwinds formed out of thin air, and the silent, lightless undercurrents of the force field were too numerous to count!

It was only after a while that this turbulence was suppressed!

“What was that tremor just now?” The air suddenly began to vibrate, and the high frequency formed a hoarse, dry tone.

“The target’s first layer of restraint suddenly exceeded the manageable energy limit. Parts of the Magic Array’s functions were temporarily disrupted… Fortunately, the situation is now under control…”