"Hahahaha," Jack broke into wild laughter, his voice ringing across the stage like the howl of a mad beast. His eyes gleamed with a manic light as he shook his head, an eerie grin stretching across his face.
"And they call me the mad one?" he sneered.
Pointing his sword at Asha, he exhaled deeply, his voice tinged with dark amusement. "You should prepare your defenses well for what I’m about to do. Even I don’t like using this… but since I’m up against you, I’ve decided to give myself a little ’me’ time."
The air around him trembled, his aura twisting into something far more sinister.
But before he could go any further—
"Jack!"
A loud voice echoed from one of the towering pillars.
"Either give up or don’t use that."
Crown Prince Aelric’s voice was firm, carrying a weight of authority that silenced even the murmuring crowd. His usual composed expression darkened, his sharp gaze locking onto Jack like an unmovable decree.
Jack turned to him slowly, his face contorted in a half-smile, half-madness.
"Your Highness," Jack said, his tone mocking yet resolute, "I never planned on using this at first… but after seeing her arrogance, I just want to show her what true madness is. Therefore—" his grin widened, his pupils constricting into something inhuman, "I’ll have to politely decline your order."
Aelric’s eyes narrowed, his face turning grim.
From the side, Veylin let out a chuckle, his golden eyes glimmering with intrigue.
"What are you worried about, Aelric?" Veylin asked, his voice laced with amusement. "This isn’t like you." He leaned against the pillar lazily, smirking. "If he wants to lose himself, let him. Cut him some slack."
Then, with a sly look, he added, "Besides… we’ve all heard the title ’Mad Sword,’ but I doubt anyone here has truly seen what makes him so mad in the first place. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we left without witnessing it?"
The other geniuses in agreement, their excitement mounting.
But Aelric remained silent.
Seeing no further protest, a dangerous smile spread across Jack’s lips.
It didn’t matter whether he was allowed or not.
With eerie calmness, he lifted his sword and pricked his palm.
A thick, crimson drop of blood trickled down his skin.
Then—without hesitation— Enjoy exclusive content from freewebnovel
Jack drank it.
His throat moved as he swallowed, his expression twisted in ecstasy—as if tasting the sweetest nectar in the world.
Max’s expression turned solemn as he watched Jack tilt his head back and drink his own blood. ’What kind of bizarre class does he have?’ he wondered.
But what happened next sent a chill down his spine.
The moment Jack consumed his own blood, red mist began seeping out of his body, flowing from every pore like an ominous fog. His hair grew wildly, stretching down to his knees, while his irises turned a deep, sinister crimson. A suffocating blood-red aura radiated from him, making the very air around him feel thick and oppressive.
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"AGGHHH!" A monstrous roar erupted from Jack’s throat, shaking the entire Battle Realm with sheer force. Waves of shockwaves rippled outward, distorting the space around him.
Then, with a crazed glint in his blood-red eyes, he pointed his sword at Asha, his voice now layered—overlapping, as if two voices were speaking at once.
"Listen well, woman," he sneered, his tone deranged yet chillingly clear. "This is how things will go from now on—I will crush you. I will break every single bone in your body until there’s nothing left but dust."
Before his words had even finished echoing, Jack swung his sword in a wild arc. A crimson crescent of energy erupted from the blade, tearing through the stage like a tidal wave, obliterating every tile in its path as it hurtled toward Asha.
One of Asha’s black-flaming spheres floated in front of her, shifting into a blazing black shield.
CRACK!
The shield shattered instantly. The red arc of light roared forward, its destructive power unrelenting. But before it could touch Asha, something unexpected happened.
The fragments of the shattered black sphere twisted and latched onto the red energy like writhing tendrils, consuming it whole as if it were alive.
The moment it absorbed the attack, the black sphere burned even brighter, its flames roaring hungrily, as though Jack’s attack had only fueled its power.
Jack’s crazed laughter rang out. "Hahaha! Good! Then I won’t hold back either!"
His body blurred as he surged forward, wrapped in a crimson glow. His movements became wild and erratic, his speed reaching supernatural levels. With a manic grin, he swung his sword in a frenzy, sending out a storm of red beams from ten different angles, each one aimed directly at Asha.
Yet, the moment the attacks neared her, the ten black-flaming spheres surrounding her moved with unnatural precision, devouring every single beam of red light with ease.
Jack’s breath came out in heavy pants, but rather than frustration, his eyes glowed with unhinged delight. "MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE!" His voice had grown feverish, almost desperate.
And then—he vanished.
This time, he moved so fast that he completely disappeared from view. In a blink, he reappeared behind Asha, avoiding her defensive spheres entirely. His blade descended upon her in a killing arc—
But just as his sword was about to reach her, a small black-flaming lotus bloomed into existence behind her.
For a moment, it was breathtaking—a mesmerizing glow of dark flames, delicate yet ominous.
BOOM!
The lotus detonated like a black sun, the sheer force of the explosion sending Jack hurtling backward. His body crashed against the stage, rolling and tumbling violently as the ground cracked beneath him.
When the dust settled, Jack lay sprawled across the broken stage, half of his body scorched, blood trickling from open wounds. And yet—
He grinned.
Despite the severe injuries, despite the pain, the aura around him only grew stronger. The blood dripping from his wounds evaporated into mist, fusing into the red energy swirling around him. It was as though the more he bled, the stronger he became.
His lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile.
"More… more… more… more…" he muttered over and over, his voice filled with an eerie obsession.
His injuries no longer mattered. His pain was irrelevant.
Because this was only the beginning.