Chapter 162 The Uncontested One?s declaration?
(POV: Akashic Records)
Genevieve stood frozen in shock. She swallowed hard, mustering the courage to ask Valeriazar the question that plagued her mind.
"W-What have you done?" she whispered, her voice trembling furiously.
She took a tentative step forward, her gaze fixated on the mangled remnants of Merlin's body.
Valeriazar turned towards Genevieve, a sly smirk of satisfaction crafted on his countenance.
"Oh?" he responded, tauntingly. "I simply did as I was told. And I believe I won that bet, by a long shot... however, my meal's a mess now."
Fanatio's hand trembled on the hilt of her sword. However, she was able to contain her anguish and disgust.
Ress' face paled as his hand covered his mouth. He was fighting back the urge to vomit at the sight before him. His voice wavered as he managed to utter a single word amidst the horror. "S-Sick..."
"This guy's an... absolute maniac!" Garret gritted his teeth.
In an instant, both Fanatio and Garret lunged towards Valeriazar, their swords unleashing a blur of steel. The air crackled with intense speed and force as their blades aimed to mangle Valeriazar. But the monstrous being was one step ahead.
"Futile," he said.
With lightning reflexes, he reinforced his hand with impenetrable scales, intercepting their swords with his razor-sharp claws. With a surge of aura, he unleashed a powerful shockwave that sent Fanatio and Garret crashing into the nearest walls.
Fanatio coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body aching from the impact. "Why... why's he so strong?" said Fanatio through gritted teeth.
Genevieve rushed to Garret. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'll... be fine..."
"Yo, Valeriazar," Merlin called, his tone deceptively calm. "How goes it?"
His voice cut through the tension in the room.
Valeriazar?s eyes widened a bit. He turned to face the man he had thought he had torn to shreds just moments ago, only to find Merlin standing before him, completely unfazed.
A small trail of blood stained Merlin's lip which he cleaned off.
"Interesting," said Valeriazar.
This was nothing out of the realm of possibilities.
"DIE!!"
He shouted, preparing himself for a powerful dash towards the seemingly reanimated Merlin.
But Valeriazar failed to realize the biggest detail about Merlin.
Across the cosmos, Merlin Shivaheld was a man uncontested at the top, even by gods.
In the blink of an eye, Merlin dodged Valeriazar's attack, the powerful strike missing its mark and hitting nothing but the air. And as if appearing out of thin air, Merlin materialized behind Valeriazar, his hand gently resting on Valeriazar's head.
"Not so fast," Merlin whispered.
A tremor of shock rocked Valeriazar?s body.
Quickly, he darted away, putting a safe distance of six meters between himself and Merlin. The speed at which Valeriazar moved almost felt like teleportation, leaving the onlookers stunned.
Fanatio was left confused. "Merlin... you're supposed to be dead," she said.
"Yeah." Genevieve could only manage a single word.
Merlin raised a finger to his lips and smiled.
With a knowledgeable wink, he turned his gaze towards Fanatio and Genevieve. "I'm pretty strong... don't worry."
"I knew I sensed something special in you." Valeriazar smiled maliciously.
Merlin raised an arm. "I have a question though?"
"What?" Valeriazar asked.
"You're not using magic to reinforce yourself, are you?"
"No, but I don't see how that matters," his watchful eyes fixed on every bit of Merlin's body.
"Well... it actually does," said Merlin. "Magic shouldn't be able to work on me, you see."
"You're delusional." Valeriazar stated.
Merlin shrugged. "Not really, but we're getting off topic, I should be in the next city soon... so let's get this over with."
"Excellent," his grin manifested once more.
"( There're too many unknown variables with his guy, but from what I can tell... he's definitely not using mana, so most likely destruction energy. That's what Valtara used if I remember correctly. But I don't necessarily need to strategize do I? )" (Merlin)
"I guess there's no need to hold back anymore!"
An overwhelming surge of destructive energy erupted from his body, swirling in a spiky purple aura. Scales and spikes sprouted all over his body.
Without missing a beat, Valeriazar lunged towards Merlin. But instead of launching a direct attack, he initiated a series of lightning-fast zigzag movements around the nonchalant mage. The resulting sonic booms reverberated throughout the dungeon, shaking the very foundations.
Progressively, Valeriazar's speed increased, until he finally propelled himself with incredible force towards Merlin, fist aimed menacingly for his head.
"Oh?" Merlin seemed unperturbed, his hands casually resting in his pockets.
Then, he extended one hand, and a kinetic barrier materialized in front of him.
"THAT AGAIN?!!"
Valeriazar's fist collided with the barrier, unleashing a shockwave of energy that sent him hurtling towards the ground. He rolled at breakneck speed, crashing mercilessly into a nearby wall.
As dust settled around him, his wounds began to regenerate.
He was using [Accelerated Regeneration].
Merlin sighed, disappointment coloring his voice. "Is that all you can really do?"
Valeriazar smirked. "You underestimate me."
Charging towards Merlin once more, he gathered his destructive energy.
This time, Merlin conjured an invisible barrier, intending to impede Valeriazar's advance.
But to his surprise, the destructive energy emanating from Valeriazar proved too powerful.
"( So he really can destroy my barrier... )" (Merlin)
The barrier shattered like fragile glass, unable to withstand the sheer force.
Valeriazar's fist aimed directly at Merlin, a triumphal sneer followed. "This is it!"
"Not really," in a display of supernatural agility, the seasoned mage managed to evade the blow, but not without consequence. A shallow cut appeared on his cheek, a crimson trail marking the path of the attack.
Valeriazar regarded Merlin with a smug grin. "You seem a little tense, Are my actions starting to shake your resolve?" he taunted.
Merlin rubbed his chin, a thoughtful hum escaping his lips. "Nah, I don't think so," he calmly replied.
Valeriazar chuckled, a menacing edge to his tone. "Don't bother coming up with any plans now. Your greatest form of defense is utterly useless against me. I can effortlessly destroy any feeble attempts you make."
Anger stirred up in Garret as he stood up and tightly grabbed his sword.
But before he could make a move, Genevieve grabbed his arm, her voice firm yet gentle. "Wait, Garret. Let Merlin handle this."
Silently, Fanatio watched.
The dungeon fell into an eerie silence.
Then, unexpectedly, Merlin's laughter pierced the stillness. It started as a small chuckle, barely audible, but gradually grew louder and more deranged, reverberating through the air with a chilling echo.
Valeriazar watched in bewilderment as Merlin's eyes widened, a spark of madness dancing within them. His laughter reached a crescendo before abruptly ceasing, leaving behind a disquieting stillness.
Merlin's voice carried newfound seriousness that broke through the silence.
"How?" he asked, his eyes boring into Valeriazar's. "Because you managed to scratch me just a bit, you believe you have a chance against me?"
A grin appeared on his countenance.
"You don't seem to understand... as the uncontested one, I don't need elaborate plans or complex defenses. All I simply need to do... is show you the vast difference in our power."
The uncontested one had made a declaration.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel