The Lord Of Blood Hill

Even though Henwell’s big firecracker is expensive, it delivers enough value at the right moment.

The issue isn’t just how costly it is, but how to use it.

This tens-of-thousands-gold-coin bomb has to explode in a meaningful way.

Pick the right place, the right time, and the right target, and the payoff is huge.

Just like earlier!

The King’s Hall is a sealed space, covered by protective spells, perfect for tossing a bomb.

Near Morris, there were two Abyssal Shadow Stingers, two Abyssal Arcane Demons, and one Abyssal Berserker Demon.

These are all top-tier Iron Rank creatures.

Henwell alone can’t easily cut them down.

Not to mention there’s also a watchful Glory Rank Abyss Warlock nearby.

So the best plan is a wide-area clear-out.

That was the perfect moment.

Morris, a Veil Glory Rank and a powerful Abyss Warlock, is definitely a prime target!

If the opponent were a Glory Knight, Henwell wouldn’t dare throw the box, even with the explosive cross slash as a lead.

Otherwise, there’s a good chance the Glory Knight would throw something back before Henwell’s bomb even lands.

Knights are melee fighters with lightning-fast reactions, and Glory Rank means they’re hardly slower than Henwell.

So Henwell only pulls this stunt against fragile mages, taking advantage of their slower reflexes.

Although Henwell’s last-minute runes on the box, designed to scatter explosive fragments, slightly reduced its stability and caused a one-second delay in the blast, the overall result was excellent.

It cleared the field, forcing even Morris to activate his survival spells.

Henwell didn’t bring this big weapon intending to face such top-tier foes.

It was a last-minute plan change.

He did bring the Thug bomb box to Billie, but he never planned to blow up Catherine’s home.

Partly, it was to cause some chaos.

More importantly, it was meant for the local intelligence agency.

They often carry out high-risk missions that require quick cleanup and diverting enemy attention.

These smaller bombs made from Thug explosives, called Thug boxes, are incredibly useful.

But the night before, when Henwell met White Butterfly, a subtle warning made him cautious.

He changed some plans on the fly and personally modified the Thug bomb as a trump card.

Now, using that trump card at the perfect moment, Henwell has more than earned his keep.

Spending tens of thousands of gold coins to wipe out five top-tier Iron Rank abyssal monsters is a huge profit.

After cutting down Morris’s minions, Henwell begins to steady himself, preparing for the deadly fight ahead.

A few minutes pass, and the Abyss Sanctuary surrounding Morris slowly starts to crack.

With each breath, the cracks widen until the barrier suddenly shatters.

But no chunks of stone fly off.

Instead, the dark brown debris instantly turns into black mist.

That’s the abyssal demon aura, unable to exist in other realms, it’s driven away by their laws.

The aura seems to sense what’s happening.

Before it’s completely expelled, part of it rushes into Morris’s body.

As the abyssal demon aura infects him, Morris’s body trembles slightly.

His brown cloak gradually darkens to black.

Something writhes beneath the fabric.

Then, several sharp spikes pierce through his clothes, and Morris lets out a painful roar.

The once-brown robe slowly clings to his body, eventually forming a chitin-like shell.

Morris collapses to his knees, his body shaking uncontrollably.

After a while, he stands up.

Originally just over 1.7 meters tall and not very big, Morris slowly grows taller, eventually surpassing Henwell by a bit, reaching over two meters.

His once-thin frame becomes exceptionally muscular.

Two twisted spiral horns sprout from his head.

Bone blades extend along the outside of his arms.

Several sharp spikes appear on his shoulders.

A row of spikes runs down his spine.

His hands and feet transform, each with four fingers and toes, tipped with sharp cone-shaped nails.

His body and face are covered with eerie markings.

His eyes turn pitch black and menacing.

Why doesn’t Henwell strike first, launching a deadly attack while Morris is transforming?

Simply put, Henwell doesn’t dare.

There’s a thick abyssal aura around Morris, along with lingering abyssal demon energy.

If Henwell rushes in, he might end up like Morris, no longer human.

Morris looks at the changes in his body and grins, revealing sharp teeth. “I was wrong all along! I shouldn’t have rejected the Abyss’s call. It was my narrow-mindedness that blocked my path to evolution.”

He then lifts his head to face Henwell. “Henwell, do you know? I’ve never felt better! I should thank you for helping me fully embrace the Abyss and understand its greatness. As a token of gratitude, I’ll tear you apart piece by piece and offer you to the Abyss to gain even more favor!”

Morris sneers, “And one more thing, Henwell, you’ve got me all wrong. I’m not some fragile spellcaster! I’m a Warlock with solid close combat skills, a Warlock favored by the Abyss, a Warlock with a powerful bloodline! You’ve just given me the chance to evolve and become stronger. Do you really think your little tricks can hurt me?”

Has Henwell just created a stronger enemy for himself?

Definitely not.

Morris is indeed more powerful than before, no doubt about that. If it were anyone else, they’d probably regret it by now.

But Henwell smiles with satisfaction, he’s finally been baited.

He already knows that he deals extra damage to non-human or otherworldly beings.

Now, Morris is an abyssal creature, a spellcaster, and a bloodline professional.

For Henwell, Morris is already fully stacked with negative debuffs!

As for Morris’s close combat skills?

That’s a joke.

Even if a spellcaster learns some melee techniques, how can they compare to a Knight Rank fighter?

Not to mention Henwell, a master who’s honed both strength and skill through countless battles.

Henwell grins back at Morris. “It’s getting late. Time to move on.”

With that, Will Lock activates, and Shackles Of Civilization bind Morris.

Seeing eleven Shackles Of Civilization wrapping around Morris, Henwell nods with satisfaction and charges forward, twin swords in hand.