NOVPUBChapter 74: Chapter 2: Hand of the Demon
Chapter 74 -2: Hand of the Demon
“It seems, Your Excellency, that the demonic heart is hard to cultivate. As a noble of the kingdom and a lord of the land, I had intended to show mercy outside the law, only asking that you abandon those vicious and cunning practices of Dark Magic. I would even be willing to introduce you to our Church of Light to study. I really do not wish to see such a talented genius as yourself perish like this. However, I’ve realized that I was mistaken. The Magic Fire has already saturated your heart and body through and through. To free you, it seems, must require a drastic measure,” Malone still appeared calm, but at this moment, he had already begun chanting the spell silently in his heart. He knew that without this battle, he would not be able to come to a conclusion today. “However, I still have one doubt in my heart, if Your Excellency has already avoided me, why then initiate contact with me?”
“Hahaha, well said. Perhaps our will and determination exceed those of ordinary people. As a Mage, obtaining such a release is worth it. Let me then witness the power of Malone, the Purple-robed Priest’s Light Magic, and whether it can really purify me, whom your Church of Light regards as a demon obstacle. As for why I sought out Your Excellency, please forgive me, but I cannot answer that question,” as soon as Komer finished speaking, he wasted no more courtesy. A murderous intent surged in his eyes. No sooner had the thought occurred than his wide-sleevely robes transformed into a giant wind column. A crazy spinning Earth Dragon Pillar sprouted from the ground amidst a piercing shriek, tearing through the weed-infested mud and hurling leaves and dirt skyward. In the air, it suddenly morphed into a huge spiraling dragon-shaped wall of dark earth, rumbling toward the Purple-robed Priest standing less than ten meters away.
While Malone had anticipated that his opponent, daring to challenge him alone, would have some vicious trick up his sleeve, he did not expect that his first assault would involve earth-based Elemental Magic. This was far outside his expectations. The Light Divine Magic he prepared to combat Dark Magic seemed to be of no use as the gigantic Earth Dragon Pillar rushed towards him with overwhelming force.
A rare duel of Mages was unfolding. Had ordinary people been witnessing it, they would not believe that a single person could create such earth-shattering momentum. As the Mages uttered their spells, the various elemental powers in the surrounding air began to fluctuate wildly. Even the nearby space began to show signs of mild distortion. Trees around them shook violently, as though stirred by an invisible hand of a Demon. Faced with the oncoming Earth Dragon Swallow, Malone, who was not ready, had no choice but to dodge its edge. The small-scale Spatial Transfer Technique was effortlessly cast with a mere thought. Komer had not even had a chance to discern the shifting figure when the purple figure moved horizontally out of nowhere, sidestepping two meters, causing the raging Earth Dragon Swallow to miss its target and the heavy earthy smell to fill the entire space.
With a flick of Komer’s finger, the empty Earth Dragon shrank into a half-ring shape in the air, contorting and twisting strangely. The dragon’s head in the air suddenly enlarged and instantly turned into a giant spiral funnel. Changing direction, it abruptly assaulted from the side, charging back. However, this time, Malone no longer gave way. Not retreating an inch, his fingers sparked a luminous flame that transformed into countless swords of light. They met the Earth Dragon head-on, shattering the air. The earth pillar exploded in the air into countless clods of earth and dust. Scattered leaves and dry branches mixed within the dirt, stirring the battlefield into chaos.
Yet all of this did not distract the two central figures standing on the open ground from their focus. Each was aware of the other’s considerable strength, making the battle arduous. The Priest was shocked to find that his opponent not only possessed powerful Dark Magic Power but was also so adept at Elemental Magic. This meant that the rogue could easily use his Elemental Magic Power to conceal the deep-seated Dark Magic nature within him. If Malone hadn’t coincidentally detected this while the rogue was unaware, the rogue’s clever disguise could have deceived people for who knows how long. Moreover, there seemed to be many secrets hidden behind his opponent’s profound gaze, some of which even faintly related to his own Church of Light, but they remained elusive amid the urgency.
Komer, however, was also intimidated by his opponent’s display of power. He had mixed Dark Magic Power with Earth Magic and launched it, hoping the earth-based magic would confuse his opponent and make him overlook the Dark Magic Power blended in with the earth. If only a speck of dirt could touch Malone, he could have made him pay dearly. However, the formidable power of the opponent’s Holy Light Sword caused all the Dark Magic Power to dissolve in an instant, and the characteristic incompatibility made his dispersed Dark Magic vanish upon contact. The fierce Light Magic of the Purple-robed Priest filled Komer with deep, inner alarm.
Two gazes locked firmly onto each other like solidified pillars of light, Komer suddenly displayed a smile, revealing his white teeth, “Mr. Malone, it seems we still need to exchange some insights. It’s difficult for us to determine the victor with just a move or two.”
“If Your Excellency, the Baron, is inclined, Malone would not dare to decline the company.” The Purple-robed Priest still had a warm smile on his face, as comforting as a spring breeze.
No longer engaging in conversation, as Komer snorted coldly, countless enormous active vines suddenly sprouted from the ground and reached out to entangle the Purple-robed Priest who was caught off guard—circled by what seemed like an endless number of huge pythons, more and more of them, tighter and tighter, the thick stems appeared to constrict the Priest as if he could hardly breathe. It looked as though he might suffocate to death, but Komer knew this was unlikely. If it was this easy to deal with a Priest of the Church of Light, he wouldn’t have had to flee from the Church’s knights in such a desperate manner.
A dark red flicker of flame flashed across the Priest’s face, and with a slight movement of his lips, the Priest’s body, tightly bound by the dense green vines, trembled violently. A dazzling burst of flame spewed from the Priest’s mouth and soon spread all over his body, flaring up in an instance; he seemed to turn into a fiery man emitting a holy white flame that blossomed with dazzling brilliance. The shrill sound of “hissing” filled the open space, instantly turning the huge vines into burning tendrils. A strong stench of char mixed with foul odor as dark, burnt ooze flowed from the burning vines and seeped into the ground, causing puffs of green smoke to rise, nauseating to behold.
With a single motion, the Priest’s entire body trembled intensely once again, and the vines that had been tightly wound about him suddenly slackened, losing their vitality in an instant and disappearing into the ground after they fell.
Komer sucked in a cold breath. His unique “Hand of the Demon” took a lot of effort to research. He even referred to some bizarre symbols on a sheepskin scroll, and although he couldn’t decode the text on it, the common magical symbols and spell symbols did inspire him. He had quite some confidence in this original trick of his. These vines weren’t anything special—just a type of climbing plant with an exceptionally tenacious life force from the Wood Magic category—but he had combined it with corrosive Dark Class Magic, and now it had been easily nullified by his opponent. These corrosive liquid demons had even been tested by him to penetrate an inch-thick iron plate in an instant, yet they couldn’t seep through the opponent’s Protective Body Divine Technique. Could this guy’s abilities be a bit too strong? Komer felt a pang of self-doubt in his heart. Had he been a bit too reckless this time?
