Chapter 89
Kraush dashed through the black forest.
As the rain flowed down the trees, it evaporated upon touching his body.
Intense black rain couldn’t even maintain its form around Kraush.
At some point, Crimson Garden gracefully soared above.
In stark contrast, the ominous black clouds gathering beyond the forest were thick with foreboding energy.
[It’s coming.]
This was the moment Crimson Garden communicated its intent.
Crack!
With a brief crackle of thunder, Kraush halted.
BOOM!
In that instant, a lightning bolt burst forth from the dark clouds, striking right in front of Kraush’s feet.
Before the intense flash illuminated the area, Kraush’s eyes flickered to life silently.
“Harpas.”
The moment Kraush uttered that name, another lightning strike exploded from the clouds.
Yet, without a hint of hesitation, he drew his Thunderstrike.
Simultaneously, as aura poured into his Thunderstrike, the moment the aura formed into the shape of a sword, he thrust it toward the incoming lightning.
CRACK!
With a thunderous boom erupting from Thunderstrike, a jet of black lightning cleaved through the bolt.
What emerged was the fusion of Kraush’s Lionheart and the power of world erosion.
As Kraush split the lightning, he quietly exhaled smoke from his mouth.
At the same time, with the heat bursting from within his body, he lowered his stance.
SNAP!
In that moment, the ground warped, and Kraush’s muscles contracted like springs.
BOOM!
Finally, with a powerful kick against the ground, Kraush shot into the sky.
Soaring through the air, Kraush steadied himself, eyeing the dark clouds from which more lightning would soon form.
“How long will you hide in those clouds?”
With a coating of lightning along the blade of Thunderstrike, it became a scabbard of sorts.
Just then, as the power of world erosion continued to surge within him, Kraush maximized that energy.
CRACK!
As the scabbard of Lionheart shattered, Kraush swung his sword down toward the clouds.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In a late response, the incoming lightning clashed with Kraush’s dark flame storm, engulfing it and demolishing the clouds.
Had he been absorbing world erosion since entering the magic labyrinth? Kraush marveled at the significantly amplified strength of the dark flames.
At the same time, the power of world erosion quickly surged back within him, as potent as the last attack.
It could be said that as long as his body held up, Kraush was receiving infinite power from world erosion.
Perhaps that’s why he felt a vivacity he had never experienced before.
Knowing this, Kraush had come ready for a full battle with Harpas.
However, the actual strength was beyond his expectations.
Yet notwithstanding this, a deep crimson, blood-like energy stirred freely in some part of his mind.
‘Madness, is it?’
As the power of world erosion grew stronger, madness also began to rear its ugly head.
At the same time, Kraush felt a strong impulse and a desire for slaughter surging within.
“Huff.”
As Kraush plunged through the torn clouds, he breathed out a heated breath.
It was enough for him to realize how Demaris Valheim had gone insane after creating the Demon’s Tears.
The mental corruption from madness was severe.
In a brief moment of distraction, a sensation shot through him as if he might tear everything around apart.
‘The Eye Doll.’
So, before the madness grew stronger, Kraush forced it down using the Eye Doll.
Gradually, the tumultuous emotions began to subside.
For now, it was still within a controllable range with the Eye Doll.
However, it was undeniably tangible.
‘I need to acquire the Thousand Kill State.’
If he didn’t enhance the Eye Doll with the Thousand Kill State, he would eventually be consumed by that madness.
“Good thing.”
Now, he understood how much he could manipulate world erosion within this golden vein.
He had roughly identified his limit.
With a sense of accomplishment, Kraush lifted his head.
Just then, a black monster emerged from the ripped clouds.
A colossal humanoid form with a head reminiscent of a black bird.
Massive wings spread wider than its own body.
Its legs bore sharp claws reminiscent of a raptor.
That was Harpas, the overlord of the eastern region.
A level six erosion entity.
Typically, only knights led by mid-tier masters could hunt such beasts.
Kraush had just stepped into the realm of expert-grade.
It was only natural that he was regarded as an opponent he couldn’t possibly defeat.
However, elemental weaknesses exist everywhere.
Within world erosion, as long as Kraush’s body held up, he would receive infinite strength from world erosion.
Furthermore, Kraush had relentlessly honed only the techniques that could push his limits beyond.
What did that mean?
Simply put, Kraush was perfectly optimized for facing off against world erosion entities.
His goal wasn’t to stomp on people and become the strongest.
It was to prevent the impending doom that would be heralded by world erosion.
THUMP!
The moment Kraush landed on the ground, Harpas spread its wings.
They were so immense that it felt like the sky turned to night at that moment.
In that instant, the dark feathers from those spread wings began raining down.
Due to the falling black rain, the feathers were barely visible.
However, Kraush was different.
CRACK!
The activated Wall Power recognized every feather amidst the black downpour.
Then, as the flames of the dark blaze flared above Thunderstrike, Kraush’s sword moved.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
With the sound of ringing steel echoing, the dark flames flickered.
Kraush’s sword, almost prophetic in nature, sliced through all the feathers as if foreseeing their trajectory.
Countless severed feathers embedded into the ground.
Aside from where Kraush stood, the remnants looked akin to a field of black grass.
However, not a single feather penetrated the spot where Kraush stood.
“KREEEE!”
Harpas howled an unpleasant screech and spun in the air.
Harpas’s objective was Nysrock.
By all means, it should have simply ignored Kraush and passed on.
Yet, once Kraush appeared, Harpas couldn’t take its eyes off him.
As it absorbed the power of world erosion in real-time, Kraush was a tempting target.
How much would it grow if it could devour that?
With that thought lingering, Harpas fixated on Kraush.
This was the additional effect of the Demon’s Tears designed for efficiently hunting erosion entities.
And that resulted in decisive action.
It stopped wasting feathers and started swirling in the air at a fast pace.
In turn, lightning began to envelop Harpas’s body.
Its feathers bristled up like a porcupine.
CRACK! CRACK!
In that moment, Harpas adjusted its trajectory.
Diving down, it vanished into the gaps of the black forest in an instant.
A still forest.
Instead of the sound of insects, only the patter of rain echoed in Kraush’s ears.
Just moments ago, the clamor of Harpas shedding feathers seemed like distant memory.
The silence felt eerily out of place.
WHOOSH!
As the pouring black rain accompanied the breeze, the dark trees slowly swayed.
The scene resembled shadows of black ghosts, exuding an eerie atmosphere.
Kraush, standing in the only spot devoid of feathers, felt his ears twitch slightly.
SWISH!
In that moment, Harpas emerged.
Wings closed, feathers sharpened like blades, it spun toward Kraush.
At the same time, Kraush’s Wall Power went into action.
CLANG! CRACK!
As Kraush’s sword clashed with Harpas, sparks flew.
Kraush stumbled back two steps from the shock.
In that gap, Harpas once again disappeared into the forest in an instant.
Fast.
Even Wall Power could barely keep up; Harpas was quick.
Moreover, the impact was enough that even with the flames of world erosion, Kraush had receded.
Also, it was clever.
It only attacked from advantageous positions using the terrain.
This was the trademark technique of Harpas, the overlord of the east.
In past encounters, even those who had come to hunt it met their demise due to such tactics.
Kraush let out a quiet breath amidst the swaying black forest.
The potency of the Demon’s Tears burning within him grew steadily stronger.
Harpas was definitely faster than Kraush.
So, just a single opening.
If he could find that one chance to crush it.
Kraush’s sixth sense permeated deeper than ever around him.
Through the quivering trees, he caught the faint whiff of Harpas zipping past at near-supersonic speed.
Despite flying at such high speeds, Harpas didn’t collide with any trees.
What remarkable flying skills!
Moreover, it was only getting faster.
As if it aimed to finish him off in one blow.
Harpas continued to quicken its pace, seemingly attempting to escape Kraush’s sixth sense.
And just when the climax of this high-speed maneuver approached.
Kraush’s back leg extended back.
CRUNCH!
As Kraush turned his head back, the rustle of the underbrush resounded.
Along with that sound, a blade-like black feather flew in.
CRUNCH!
Almost simultaneously, Harpas revealed its true form, precisely on the opposite side of where Kraush had turned.
Using high-speed movement, it tossed the black feather from the thicket and instantly revealed itself on the other side.
It was a speed that transcended sound.
Harpas sensed victory.
If Kraush dodged the feather, his wings would surely cleave him apart.
If Kraush chose to block the attack, the feather would embed itself in him.
Either way, it would result in a lethal injury.
As Harpas cackled with a grotesque glee.
‘Demon’s Tears.’
Kraush’s left hand, unarmed, shot back.
Simultaneously, his upper body snapped around toward Harpas in an instant.
Choosing the latter path that Harpas anticipated.
The activated second stage of Demon’s Tears broke through the limits of his physical body, dramatically enhancing his speed.
Consequently, Kraush could barely dart toward Harpas.
‘One second.’
Just for a split moment.
In Kraush’s accelerated thoughts, time felt like it slowed to a standstill.
Through the rockets of dark flames, the golden gleam of Thunderstrike revealed itself.
Even Harpas, surpassing sound, felt momentarily slower in Kraush’s eyes.
In that heightened mental state, Kraush’s body obeyed his thoughts, simultaneously slicing with his sword.
WHOOOSH!
In an instant, the thrust of the blade lunged toward Harpas’s neck.
The absurdly fast sword sank into Harpas’s feathers without resistance as Harpas realized it was far too late to respond.
As the skin of his neck began to tear, Harpas’s pupils widened in shock.
He recognized that he hadn’t managed to keep up with Kraush’s movement.
However, was it merely an erosion entity without finesse?
Even as his neck was torn, Harpas spread his right wing.
He had planned to shred Kraush apart before he claimed his life.
FLAP!
Yet, before his wing could fully extend, something struck it with a THUD.
Consequently, Harpas’s wing couldn’t reach Kraush, snapping instead.
Fear was evident in Harpas’s eyes.
The object that had collided with his wing was one of the feathers he had thrown at Kraush.
In that tick of time, Kraush had snagged the feather midair with his black hood and embedded it into Harpas’s wing.
THUD!
In that fleeting second, a sound echoed as something was severed, and Harpas’s body pierced through the rain, smashing into the trees.
BOOM!
He had flown so swiftly that even without a head, he continued gliding for some time before finally halting.
Then, Harpas’s head rolled along the ground a moment later.
His expression was one of disbelief, heavily soaked in the realization that he was dying here.
“I knew it would come to this.”
Kraush assuredly plunged his Thunderstrike into Harpas’s decapitated head.
CRUNCH!
In that moment, the ruler of the eastern region, a level six entity, fell to a mere boy.
Having eliminated Harpas, Kraush released a short breath laden with heat.
The aftermath of Demon’s Tears coursed through him briefly as he felt the aftereffects.
Yet, due to the nature of the magic labyrinth, he sensed it beginning to refuel.
‘In this golden vein, I can’t lose to anyone.’
His confidence surged within.
Kraush was standing against the impending doom of world erosion.
The Demon’s Tears was the ultimate technique for defying that world erosion.
‘I can stop it.’
Just as Kraush was affirming this, he realized something.
In his heightened focus on Harpas, he belatedly noticed someone approaching.
Rustle!
“Is that… Kraush?”
A voice filled with surprise resonated.
Kraush turned toward the source.
And there, illuminated by the eerie atmosphere, stood Lilish Valheim, his sister.
With her wide-open eyes, she was taken aback by the scene before her.
‘Reblian, you sly dog.’
Did he somehow inform Lilish about the chaos?
Even if so, he never expected her to arrive here while contending with Nysrock.
A grimace spread across Kraush’s face.
How was he supposed to explain his situation?
The half-baked fool was now taking down a level six erosion entity all by himself.
But Kraush’s musings didn’t last long.
Because the next words out of Lilish’s mouth froze him in place.
“How did you even summon Ignis…?”
Charlotte, the chief butler, and everyone else should have failed to recognize Beloquin’s Ignis, especially now that it had mingled with world erosion and turned into dark flames.
Yet, Lilish recognized it.
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