Chapter: 118
The time given was merely 10 seconds.
The moment those 10 seconds were up, both the Thousand Kills instinct and the Frenzy would go beyond their clash and go completely berserk.
Kraush, well aware of that fact, moved faster than anyone else.
BOOM!
The sound echoed late, accompanied by a swirling cloud of dust.
When Kraush, who had vanished in an instant, finally reached the God of Night’s side, the skull’s eyes turned toward him in surprise.
CLINK!
But it was already too late to react.
Kraush’s red blade was deep within the God of Night’s protective barrier.
He was fast—so incredibly fast that even a god couldn’t keep up with his presence.
Sure, maybe if it was the true form of the God of Night—but the power dwelling within the crystal skull was less than 5% of that.
Which meant there was no way it could catch up to Kraush, who had activated the Phoenix of Annihilation.
BOOM!
With a thunderous impact, the God of Night was sent soaring into the sky once more.
But this time it didn’t stop there.
Kraush moved even faster than the flying deity, already arriving at the spot where the God was headed.
His foot shot toward the God of Night.
CRASH!
With a resounding boom, Kraush brought his foot down, stopping the airborne God along with its barrier.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
What followed was the frenzied sound of Kraush’s sword raining down, striking the God of Night’s shield countless times in an instant.
Each time Kraush swung, a burst of black flames erupted, blackening the barrier before him.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
A pitch-black front.
The metallic sounds echoing from within the sealed barrier were more than enough to drive anyone mad.
Even the God of Night felt a chill run down its spine.
What kind of lunatic swings their weapon so mindlessly at a barrier?
Overwhelmed, the God of Night was left speechless by Kraush’s madness.
【 You tomb raider! 】
As anger radiated from the God of Night, its hand reached out, and immediately, black thorns erupted from the shield in all directions.
Kraush was currently pressing down on the barrier with his foot, still swinging his sword.
If he didn’t dodge, he would be impaled.
Conversely, if he did evade, he’d be entrapped by the night and unable to launch an attack.
He understood that all he had to do was buy time, and he would inevitably take off on his own accord.
CLANG!
But another swing came at him instead.
The God of Night was taken aback.
Hadn’t it just unleashed thorns? Why was it hearing the sound of a downward strike?
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
In the obscured view engulfed by black flames, the downward strikes continued on.
The flames of world erosion and Ignis mixed and swirled, disorienting even the god’s gaze.
Just as the God of Night was about to reach out again, it suddenly CRACK!—
SNAP!
The barrier, unable to endure the relentless onslaught, let out a creaking sound.
The light of the skull flickered unsteadily.
This was supposed to be a barrier made of divine power.
How could anything, merely through brute force and repetition, be breaking it?
He wanted to deny it, but this was reality.
Kraush was exerting an unimaginable amount of force.
CLANG!
At that moment, a blade erupted through the black flames, piercing the barrier and embedding itself right there.
The red blade was just inches away from Kraush’s face.
Through the flames leaping upward, Kraush’s face finally came into view.
His eyes, stained a deep crimson that suggested no human emotion remained, floated wild blue hair.
The God of Night realized that contrary to what it assumed, Kraush wasn’t avoiding the thorns that sprouted.
His left leg was indeed impaled by them.
To him, being held in place was almost a bonus.
He continued to swing down the sword from that very position.
As blood dripped from his leg and splashed onto the barrier, a sizzling sound echoed.
That sound distinctly indicated just how much heat his body was radiating.
But Kraush paid no mind to such injuries.
He was solely focused on the singular determination to break the barrier within the remaining 10 seconds.
It was madness, sheer madness.
A crazed obsession far beyond what any human should possess.
An all-out assault where he neglected even his own body.
The God of Night felt perplexed.
Though it had attacked this madman solely for being a tomb raider, if he kept this up, even if he survived, he wouldn’t be left intact afterward.
What a complete inversion of priorities.
【 Even if you survive by doing such things, your lifespan will be burned away! 】
While the God of Night expressed incredulity, Kraush ignored its words.
Raising his sword high above his head, Kraush quietly exhaled smoke.
‘Just 2 more seconds left.’
The wrath of his sword was beginning to take form as the haze converged.
Simultaneously, the black flames within were crashing together, creating a storm.
With a single focused strike, he aimed to reach the peak level of sword and god’s harmony.
Just then—CRACK!
The resulting sword from the charged storm shattered, earthy flames and thunder coiling upward like tendrils.
The red-hued blade came crashing straight down toward the broken barrier.
Staring blankly at the red flash of the sword, the God of Night asked:
【 What in the world are you trying to achieve? 】
There was no longer time for a reply; within that moment, the blade struck the God of Night.
Phoenix of Annihilation (滅火浸蝕)
Third Form (三式)
Heavenly Thunderbolt of Annihilation (滅火天雷)
BOOOOOOOM!
Both the storm of black flames and thunder swept through the tomb.
The aftershock shook the entire crypt.
Once the tempest of black flames and thunder passed,
Under the scorched earth, the cracked crystal skull lay in ruin.
At that moment, a hand reached out and firmly grasped the crystal skull.
CLINK!
The sound of the skull’s teeth clattering rang out.
The hand belonged to none other than Kraush.
PHEW.
He spat out the black blood that pooled in his mouth and wiped the corners of his lips.
Next, he grimaced as blood flowed from his nose, hissing as he wiped it too.
As the 10 seconds passed, he had once again awakened the Eye Doll, forcibly suppressing the Frenzy and Thousand Kills instinct.
It was a close call, and the residual impact was still lingering.
Even now, Kraush was gritting his teeth, struggling to maintain his consciousness, teetering on the edge of losing it.
‘Every part of my body is screaming in pain.’
His body had been forcibly pulled by the Thousand Kills, and on top of that, the Frenzy had raised the output of Phoenix of Annihilation.
As a result, the repercussions hit Kraush like a truck.
However, without this, he would never have been able to breach the God of Night’s barrier.
True, the inherent strength was nowhere near that of the original, but it did belong to a god.
Without exerting some effort, it would be impossible to contend with it.
[ Impressive that you can endure this much. ]
Just then, the voice of Crimson Garden rang in his ears.
“Well, if I can’t endure it, I’ll turn into a slaughtering beast.”
[ You seem so eager to cut your life short. ]
“That’s a plan I had in mind, using your immortality to cope with it.”
[ You wretched fool! I would never grant it to you! ]
“Who else would even give it to me besides you?”
Kraush felt a chuckle escape his lips as he pulled out the temporary pain-relief medicine he had on hand and swallowed it whole.
Then, he poured the remaining medicine directly into his wounded leg.
As expected of an expensive remedy, it began to bubble and hiss as it worked to heal the gaping wound.
He simply drank the rest of the medicine straight.
It ought to be enough for basic emergency treatment.
‘Once I get back, I should see Astriana again.’
That’s exactly what a healer is for in times like this.
With the medicine easing his ailing body, Kraush turned to regard the crystal skull.
The power of night that dwelled within was notably less than before.
If he wished, he could annihilate it straight away during the Phoenix of Annihilation, but Kraush held off for now.
He had to accomplish the goal he set upon entering this tomb.
“Is there still some essence remaining?”
Kraush called out to the night deity inhabiting the crystal skull.
The skull’s eye flickered slightly in response.
【 Are you still harping on about that conversation? 】
“Well, this was my goal from the start.”
【 Trust me, I don’t precisely know your god. 】
It seemed the God of Night assumed Kraush’s interest pertained only to the deity he was connected with.
【 All I know is that I’m the deity who’s disliked the most among all the gods. 】
“Disliked, you say?”
【 What do you think I had the ability to steal? 】
“Are you saying you went around pilfering the powers of other gods?”
There was no answer.
That made it clear.
Skills are blessings bestowed by the gods.
In truth, skills are merely fragments of the divine power.
However, skills and the inherent strength of a deity are fundamentally different.
Skills are still a form of borrowed power; they are not the essence itself.
The deity Kraush had entered into a pact with had indeed been snatching gods’ powers left and right.
‘That insane woman.’
If that were the case, she would certainly be earning the ire of other gods.
She would likely face an even harsher fate than the God of Night.
Kraush had another lingering question.
While the others teamed up with gods from the very beginning so it mattered little to them, he had returned before even meeting the one who granted him the Black Hood.
‘Surely, she could have approached me if I had my skill.’
Why hadn’t she once shown herself?
‘What was she thinking? Or perhaps she simply tossed me a skill and considered it done?’
Though Kraush was not completely sure, he found the God of Night’s tale intriguing.
‘Maybe I could try my hand at that in the future.’
If there existed a way to steal divine power, stopping the world’s destruction would become significantly easier.
‘Since I can’t head into the divine realm, perhaps I could forcibly summon a deity instead.’
As Kraush thought this through, he shook his head.
That was clearly more distant than he could manage right now.
【 After that, there was no news; so you resorted to granting skills to humans, right? 】
With incredulity, the God of Night reacted.
Observing the God of Night in this state, Kraush waved his hand dismissively.
“That suddenly piqued my interest, but if you don’t know, that’s fine.”
He had noticed that his own deity was unusual from the outset.
“I’m proposing a deal.”
[ You sure love to negotiate, don’t you? ]
Please don’t nitpick over the most rational means of a human dealing.
Regardless, when he mentioned the deal, the skull’s eyes gleamed.
Simultaneously, it began to clatter and chuckle.
【 Tomb raider, what in the world could you possibly offer in this deal? 】
“Your name.”
At that moment, the God of Night’s laughter ceased abruptly.
“I’ll help you regain your name.”
【 ……Don’t spout nonsense. There’s no way a mere tomb raider can find it. 】
“While I can steal divine power, do you really think I cannot retrieve your name? You’ve lost it to one of the divine entities, haven’t you?”
The God of Night fell silent.
He had lost his name and now lay entrenched in this crypt.
To a god, a name represents power.
Naturally, he too would wish to reclaim it.
【 What do you want? 】
Was the thought coming through?
The God of Night inquired, and Kraush quickly replied.
“Your skill, Nox.”
【 You already possess a skill; I cannot grant you another. 】
“That’s fine. I can just give it to that guy.”
Kraush pointed at Irma, who lay scorched but still alive.
Though Inara’s lifeline might not be long, he was still alive after all.
He was suggesting that the God of Night empower Irma with skill.
The God of Night’s reaction was bewildered.
He had caught on to Kraush’s intent to use the Black Hood to steal skills backed by the deity’s power.
【 A greedy little tomb raider, aren’t you? 】
“That’s just how abilities are meant to be used.”
As Kraush spoke, he noticed the God of Night sighed.
Then the crystal skull began to click and clatter on its own.
【 Can you assure me that you will really help me regain my name? 】
“If you’re going to sleep here the whole time, isn’t it better to entrust it to me?”
【 Now that I see it, I was wrong to label you a mere tomb raider; you’re more of a schemer. 】
However, the God of Night had no reason to reject him.
After all, there was no downside for him, regardless of the outcome.
【 Place me upon that body. 】
Following the God of Night’s commands, Kraush placed him atop Irma’s form.
As soon as he did, the skull rattled, and the night that had clung to it began to seep into Irma.
Irma didn’t need to provide a response for a pact to receive skills.
He had already become a vessel for the God of Night after having taken the deity into him once.
Thus, the moment the skill began to settle into Irma’s form, Kraush activated the Black Hood.
Irma had already fainted, completely unaware of receiving a new skill.
Consequently, without any sign of a dial or anything, the power of the God of Night’s Nox landed directly within Kraush’s grasp.
At that moment, Kraush felt the dark night billowing inside his body.
As it spread throughout him, the emanating energy produced a notable resonance.
The body that had heated from setting off the Phoenix of Annihilation began to cool down significantly.
Kraush clenched his fists.
It was indeed the right choice to steal Nox.
Moreover, Nox possessed an additional effect.
When the night fully descended, Kraush could become remarkably stronger than he was now.
Nox was a skill that amplified its power precisely when enveloped by darkness.
This was going to be incredibly useful for future battles against the dark beings.
“Thank you.”
【 Remember this as a transaction. 】
“Obviously, I said it myself, so of course I will.”
With a smirk, Kraush turned away.
But as he did, his body wobbled.
Though he felt better thanks to the medicine and Nox, the effects were far from fully dissipated.
【 One more thing: where did that girl go? 】
At that moment, the God of Night asked.
He was presumably referring to Haring.
Hearing this question, Kraush ran his hand through the back of his head and replied.
“I told her to break every relic you’ve got in this tomb and just leave one for me.”
Though it would take some time, that would surely put the fear of the God of Night in him.
Kraush had come here with a definitive plan of attack against the God of Night from the very start.
If the transaction succeeded, then great.
But if it failed, he was prepared to threaten the deity instead.
【 You crazy fool! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?? 】
As the God of Night erupted, Kraush didn’t stick around to listen any longer.
He was already on the move to escape.
“Then I’ll go stop Haring before she wrecks everything.”
【 You come back here! I’ll smash your head first! 】
“Haha, but it’s your precious relics that will be broken, not mine!”
The way he shrugged off the threat was truly remarkable.
[ You lunatic! ]
Only Crimson Garden quietly echoed in annoyance at the God of Night’s plight.
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