usatvline Chapter 470: Death Knight
Chapter 470: Death Knight
Ding...
"A series of Main Quest: Doomsday has been triggered!
Doomsday Quest #1: Find the identity of the Boss Monster of the Dungeon Break in San Francisco.
Reward on completion:
1. Yin-yang Soul Conjuration +1 level
2. Next Quest of the series
Penalty on failure:
Termination of the entire quest series."
Just from the name of this main quest, I felt an ominous weight settle over me. Until now, I had only received three main quests, each one dragging me closer to death. However, unlike the previous ones, this seemed surprisingly easy.
"Isn’t this quest way too easy? It only asks me to find the identity of the Boss Monster, not even kill it," I murmured, raising an eyebrow as I read through the description. "I wonder what actually triggers these quests."
Whatever it was, I was certain they were connected to whatever Ume had seen in the prophecy. The moment her name surfaced in my mind, I let out a slow sigh.
"Was I too harsh on her? I even said some unnecessary things. I should apologise once I finish the quest."
My gaze drifted to Shinku No Sabi, stabbed before me, its crimson blade gleaming faintly beneath the pale moonlight.
"Had your fill?" I asked, wrapping my hand around its hilt. With a single pull, I drew it free and rose from the mound of troll corpses piled beneath my feet.
I had already moved deep enough into the city that the crossroads where the Dungeon Break had occurred were slightly visible in the distance.
The trolls gathered around the portal were significantly greater in both strength and numbers, as though they were guarding it against any outside threat.
"Come forth, Devouros Prime," I ordered, slowly raising my palm with my fingers extended.
With the motion of my arm, a black shadow of a troll emerged, white patterns etched across its body. It barely reached my knees and looked like a troll child, no older than five.
The moment it materialised, it sprinted toward the mound of corpses and opened its mouth wide. A black, ominous energy seeped from the bodies of the fallen trolls and began pouring into its bottomless pit of a mouth. Slowly, its body began to grow, stretching upward until it stood level with me.
At the same time, I felt my Yin energy stir and rise.
Ding...
"Your Summoned has absorbed Yin Energy.
You have received ten percent of the absorbed energy.
Yin Energy +10,000"
"So it wasn’t just my imagination. My Yin energy actually increased," I gasped, genuinely taken aback. "In that case, this place is nothing but a wide open exp farm for me."
From my inventory, I drew out a massive black mace forged from cold iron. It had been given to me as a farewell gift by Titan, along with a wealth of treasures offered by the other Sect Masters. With Ume and Nymeria’s entire wardrobes also sitting in my inventory, I sometimes lost track of just how much I actually possessed.
"Here, use this and take down as many trolls as you can," I ordered, tossing the mace to Devouros Prime.
It let out a deep howl and swung the mace around excitedly, like a child who had just been handed a new toy.
Ding...
"Your Summoned Devouros Prime has received a weapon they are skilled at.
Devouros Prime Battle Power increased by 100%"
"Eh? But from what I remember, Grendel fought me with a parang," I muttered, puzzled. "Does that mean he was not even using his signature weapon?"
It was only then that the full weight of how narrowly I had escaped death in the Black Gate settled over me. Had Grendel fought with the weapon he was truly skilled at, I might not have walked away from that battle.
"Enough with the excitement," I ordered Prime, who was still bouncing around with the mace.
With a sudden burst of speed, we shot deeper into the city, blurring past numerous buildings in just a few seconds. Prime kept close as the two of us rounded a sharp corner.
A squad of trolls appeared before us, hurling heavy trucks reduced to crumpled metal, caving in the walls of nearby buildings and bringing down light poles with each swing.
They halted their destruction the moment they spotted us and unleashed a loud, guttural roar. With heavy stomps that left deep craters along the road, they charged, their tusks gnashing with raw bloodlust.
Prime surged ahead from my side, launching himself high into the air before driving the mace down onto the skull of the nearest troll.
The moment his feet hit the ground, the remaining trolls swarmed him, launching missile-like punches from every direction.
Prime deflected their strikes with the mace and answered each one with a blow of his own, every hit drawing a fatal wound and spraying grey blood across the pavement.
"It truly carries the soul of Grendel," I said, visibly amused.
While Prime farmed the free exp on my behalf, I teleported to the roof of a nearby high-rise using Void Steps.
From there, I fixed my gaze on the crack at the crossroads roughly a kilometre away. The buildings surrounding it had been reduced to rubble by the waves of ominous Soulforce radiating outward. The rift had widened so dramatically that it could have swallowed an entire Boeing whole.
"Just how far is it going to expand? Is there even a limit to it?" I muttered, my brows drawing together.
With deep focus, I stared into the dark portal, searching for whatever or whoever was concealed within.
"A little deeper," I muttered, channelling my Soulforce into my eyes to sharpen my vision and push it further inside.
dOnTlOOkatus
nOWEaRehiDEOussTOpstaRING
These were not the same voices of death that clung to my soul. These were different, rising from wraiths far more dreadful and ominous.
My head began throbbing as though I was being struck repeatedly by a hammer. Cracks split across my skin, my mind slowly unravelling as the voices of death grew more and more unbearable.
"Just a little bit more," I muttered, forcing my vision through.
At the far end of the countless disfigured masses of wraiths writhing in the abyssal darkness, a pair of deep blue eyes suddenly stared back at me, their sharp tails wreathed in burning fire.
The moment my eyes met them, I lost control over my Soulforce. My vision snapped back. Blood surged from my mouth and I collapsed onto the ground, my heart hammering like war drums.
Ding...
"You have met the eyes of the Boss Monster! The Boss Monster’s identity has been revealed!
Death Knight
Description: A monster born from complete corruption by death.
Difficulty: SSS+
Chances of defeating with Host’s current Realm: 0%"
Ding...
"Due to the heavy influence of wraiths, your Corruption of Death has increased by 4%.
Current Progress: 94%"
Ding...
"You have completed the first quest of the series Doomsday!
Doomsday Quest #1: Find the identity of the Boss Monster of the Dungeon Break in San Francisco.
Status: Completed!
[Claim the reward]"
While the notification windows continued appearing one after another, a blurred face drifted before my eyes and a distant, soothing voice reached my ears, accompanied by a gentle touch against my cheek.
The throbbing in my head persisted, yet my mind felt at peace now. My senses gradually returned, and I found myself looking up at Ume’s serene face.
"So divine," I murmured with a faint smile.
"I-I’m s-sorry, Taranis," Ume wept, tears streaming down her soft cheeks. "I-I w-was in the wrong. Pl-please, Taranis... f-forgive me for hurting you."
She pulled me into her embrace and sobbed for several long seconds, repeatedly murmuring apologies between heavy, broken gasps.
She was clearly blaming herself after finding me in this state, completely unaware that she had nothing to do with it. The warmth of her arms, however, made it difficult to find the words to tell her so.
"There, there," I sighed, gently patting the back of her head. She was too distressed to take in anything I said, so I decided to calm her down first.
"I am sorry as well, for saying things I had no reason to say," I whispered. "I did not mean any of it."
"N-no, I d-deserved it," she mumbled, fresh tears spilling over. "You may curse at me, or even hit me, but d-don’t be angry at me anymore. H-however, p-please don’t hit me too hard."
"What are you even saying?" I sighed, drawing back and gently wiping her tears. "I would never do any of that."
I pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling her softly into my arms again.
"I-I love you, Taranis. I l-love you so m-much that I cannot bear the sight of you getting hurt," she whimpered, her hands curling protectively around my neck.
"What do you mean, Ume?"
"I-I saw it. In the prophecy. I-if you stay here, Taranis, y-you will die," she revealed, tightening her hold around me.