Chapter 101 : Temple of the Fallen Heretic (5)
Chapter 101: Temple of the Fallen Heretic (5)
“Carl, are you maybe Nerian’s secret brother or something?”
Laysis couldn’t hold back the question at the scene unfolding before her eyes.
The Power of Ice that froze everything in sight.
Wasn’t it far too similar to the bloodline-inherited power of the Hopfenheim Ducal House?
“Ah.”
Carl blinked at Laysis’s sudden strange comment.
It had been Yuria who explained away the Extreme Yin Energy of the Bright Heaven Divine Art.
Since he’d never mentioned it to Laysis, her shock wasn’t unreasonable.
“I told Miss Yuria about it, and I got confused.”
“Yuria?”
Laysis was surprised in her own way.
Why did Yuria’s name suddenly come up?
“She gave me some advice during magic study. This power, which manifests in a form similar to Nerian’s Power of Ice, is something I gained after surviving the plague. So it's understandable you'd misunderstand.”
“…The plague.”
It wasn’t unheard of for someone who survived death to awaken to a new power.
Nodding in agreement, Laysis accepted the explanation.
“Then, did you defeat that thing?”
“I merely stopped it for a moment. If it could be taken down this easily, we’d have already tried to take on the lich on the third floor after the Death Knight.”
Crack.
As expected.
The lich broke free from the freezing of the Bright Heaven Divine Art and regained its freedom.
The first thing it did was swing the scythe in its hand in a long arc to cut Carl down.
Slaaaash!
From the ceiling of the chamber to the walls and even the floor.
A cleaving strike surged forward, leaving deep traces, all to tear Carl apart.
Tap!
Laysis hurriedly retreated backward.
It was clearly an attack beyond her ability to block.
At the very least, she widened the distance to avoid interfering with Carl.
Whoosh.
Carl reversed the grip on the Heaven Thunder Sword in his hand and blocked the incoming scythe right beside him.
Clang! Clang! Claang!
The chilling scythe of death and the divine sword clashed at point-blank range without giving an inch.
At first, Laysis thought Carl had been cut down by the scythe.
Just looking at the deep gouge it carved into the floor was enough to guess how powerful the blow had been.
Yet Carl stood firm in place, blocking the scythe.
He even stepped forward and deflected it.
Shiiik!
The lich twisted its scythe behind it and reached out with a bony, skeletal hand.
A murky teal spirit burst out, scattering in all directions, aiming at Carl.
‘Hmm.’
Watching the spirits rush in, Carl narrowed his eyes.
Had Laysis not been here, he would’ve swept them away instantly with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Unfortunately, the Bright Heaven Divine Art’s energy wasn’t suited for brute force clashes.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Carl shifted his grip and assumed a new sword form with fierce momentum.
Heavenly Origin Sword Technique – Fifth Form: Demon Seal.
This form was meant to suppress the aura of heretics and evil forces.
Even the spirits emitted by the lich were no exception.
The eerie spirits trying to bewilder Carl’s mind were drawn into the divine sword and devoured whole.
Fssshhh.
The demonic energy of the shattered spirits scattered like fragments at the edge of the Bright Heaven Divine Art’s aura.
KABOOM!
A sharp bombardment crashed down from above Carl’s head.
The concentrated demonic energy fell like a laser cannon from a warship.
Vroooom—!
At the same time, the lich spun its scythe, maximizing its rotational force.
At the apex where all power converged, the blade plunged toward Carl’s head as if to split it open.
Slash!
Carl stood unscathed.
He blocked the lich’s scythe, which contained tremendous force, without so much as a flinch, though the ground beneath his feet cracked under the pressure.
“……”
To Laysis, it was a breathtaking battle that left no room for her to intervene.
So all she could do was clench her sweat-soaked fists and watch, barely breathing.
‘Carl is this strong?’
Suddenly, she felt embarrassed for once thinking she could hold her own during a sparring session with Carl before the entrance exam.
She had thought that with the Arachne technique taught by Instructor Frahan, she might hold her ground even if she was at a slight disadvantage.
And she truly had believed that.
But now her thoughts had completely changed.
Carl wasn’t someone who could be measured by her level—or even by the level of a cadet.
It wasn’t like he was hiding his identity or had some secret background, so how on earth was he this strong?
Flaaare!
A crimson flame surged within the chamber.
Even just watching from afar, it made her skin crawl and her whole body tense.
Shaaash!
The overflowing flames turned into a torrential downpour and fell to the ground.
Carl remained still, spinning his sword and brushing aside every drop of the flaming rain.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle.
The lich’s turn had passed—now it was Carl’s.
The energy of the Bright Heaven Divine Art surged over the Heaven Thunder Sword, entwining it with the aura of thunder.
Heavenly Origin Sword Technique – Second Form: Heaven Thunder.
CRAAACK!
From below to above.
A reverse-flowing strike that defied natural order cleaved the air, reaching toward the lich.
Claaang!
The lich also swung its scythe, slamming down to stop Carl’s sword from rising further.
Carl immediately shifted his sword’s form.
As if he had known Heaven Thunder would be blocked from the beginning.
From the start, Heaven Thunder was only meant to bring him close to the lich.
Szzzzz.
Fourth Form: Chaotic Flame.
The ultra-cold flame, shimmering like a heat haze, devoured the lich’s demonic energy.
Ting!
The lich swung its scythe wide, trying to push Carl away, who had closed in.
Due to its attack pattern, the lich needed distance to generate power.
But Carl, now airborne, deflected the scythe with ease and launched his technique midair without a foothold.
Rumble—!
Even if they were both thunder-based techniques, how one used them determined their purpose.
If Heaven Thunder aimed for ultimate speed, Heaven Quake reached for absolute power.
Sixth Form: Heaven Quake.
KABOOOOM!
As thunder roared and shook the chamber, the Extreme Yin Thunder directly struck the lich.
The creature, slammed into the wall, tried to move and recover immediately, but Carl wasn’t the type to overlook such a fatal opening.
Shrrrk shrrrk shrrrk.
Dozens, hundreds of random slashes followed.
Blessed with divine power by the Cult’s favor and protection, the sacred trajectories mercilessly tore the lich apart.
Ssshhhh...
Its body, damaged beyond its limits, could no longer maintain form and vanished.
Carl casually swung his sword, shattered its Life Vessel, and landed lightly on the ground.
Clack.
Only after sheathing the Heaven Thunder Sword did he announce to the world that this fight had ended in his victory.
“Hm.”
Yet despite defeating the lich, Carl wore an ambiguous expression.
The Death Knight had clearly seemed stronger than before, but the lich appeared to have maintained its previous power level.
‘Was it just my imagination?’
That, he couldn’t be sure of.
Still, since it wasn’t the worst outcome, he withdrew his pressure and calmed his fighting spirit.
‘It wasn’t a meaningless battle.’
The divine sword at his waist felt reassuring.
Even just handling the Heaven Thunder Sword proficiently in its first real battle meant this fight had achieved its purpose.
Originally, he might have faltered or been slightly pushed back after blocking the lich’s scythe, but thanks to the divine sword’s effectiveness, he was able to pressure it without a single misstep.
‘No wonder Justice told me to retrieve it.’
At the very least, the sword itself was flawless.
From his days in the Central Plains until now, it stood out as the finest blade he’d ever seen.
He hadn’t even fully adapted to it yet—who knew what it might become once he completely mastered it?
“It’s over. Let’s go back.”
With that, Carl left the Temple of the Fallen Heretic alongside Laysis.
Since the dungeon would reset in a few hours, it was a perfectly executed crime.
“……”
Laysis didn’t say a word even after returning to the mansion with Carl’s help.
It was a night filled with too many thoughts.
After confirming that the unease he had felt in the dungeon was just a misunderstanding, Carl took a break.
He enjoyed the hot springs with the others, shared delicious meals, and spent a leisurely time for the first time in a while.
And so, Monday came again—the day he had to return to Bayern.
In the early morning of that day, Carl left the mansion alone and entered the city of Leipzig.
Following a familiar alley and slipping through a small back gate, he saw, as always, people playing card games.
On the second floor of that building was NOX’s office.
“Master.”
Having already sensed Carl’s presence, X opened the door and came out to greet him.
A former captain of the Kingdom’s Knights, X was over forty yet still maintained a body rivaling his prime.
Now he was an irreplaceable asset in NOX, tasked with training new members of the organization.
“Your complexion looks better. Did you finally quit drinking completely?”
“It’s been over three months—what are you talking about?”
“Cut the flattery. I saw you drinking two days before I left for the capital.”
“...Urgh.”
Hit hard right from the start, X scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“I’ve pretty much quit. It’s been a month and a half since I last drank.”
“Breaking your personal record, are you.”
“I once went over two months, you know.”
“Didn’t Queen catch you drinking halfway through? Are you calling her a liar?”
Shot down at every word related to alcohol, X seemed to give up on defending himself and changed the subject.
“How are the kids I sent to the capital? I thought I’d dug up some pretty talented raw gems.”
“Second praised them highly. Said they’ve got incredible grit—must’ve been your training.”
“Of course. Who do you think trained them? It’s the only thing I’ve got left, and I’m not handing it over to anyone else. Hahahaha!”
X pounded his chest with pride.
In truth, he had once tasted bitter defeat.
He fell into despair, drank himself nearly to death, and his body was on the verge of collapse.
It was none other than Carl who saved him.
Treating X’s alcoholism and detoxifying his body had been, by Carl’s own admission, one of the most difficult treatments he’d ever performed.
“By the way, you seem to have grown a lot too, Master.”
X stroked his chin and closely examined Carl’s physique.
The breadth of his shoulders, the contours of his face, the length of his limbs, and his overall height.
Though it hadn’t been long since Carl left for the capital, he looked much taller than before.
“I’m still at the age where I’m growing.”
“…Are you really twenty years old, Master?”
“Yes.”
At least as Karl Leipzig, he was twenty.
Though inside, a monstrous being was hidden.
“Well, anyway. I’m starting to consider expanding the organization. I came to ask your advice.”