Chapter 140: Chapter 105: Awakening the Earth Ring, Legend of the Fastest Escape
If time could turn back by a single second, Stein would have absolutely slapped himself hard across the face!
Foolish! Utterly and completely foolish!
But there was no medicine for regret in this world.
He had grossly overestimated his own strength and fatally underestimated the destructive power of a Radiant Holy Artifact against a Demon.
Stein looked back on his life. The first half was spent on the edge of war and death, struggling desperately to survive like a mere ant.
In the second half, he acquired a Void Divine Artifact granted to him by a Demon and advanced step-by-step to the Seven-star Military Rank. But for the sake of his master’s plan, he could only swallow his pride and dared not reveal too much of his power.
He had finally gotten his chance for Demon Ascension and had wanted to kill an Empire’s Chosen One. He would use the act to display his Mighty Power and strength before Mortals and Raider Knights, satisfying his own desires.
To revel in the fear of Mortals, to bask in the worship and awe of other Knights.
But in the end, he had met an unexpectedly powerful enemy. Even after using the power of the Void Divine Artifact and making ample preparations, he was still beaten into a scrambling retreat.
Worst of all, he had been utterly humiliated in public, his dignity completely shattered.
This was something he absolutely could not accept. It had touched a nerve he couldn’t stand!
Whether it was Extraordinary Power or supreme authority, Stein’s original reason for pursuing the path of a Knight—aside from a tiny sliver of idealism—was mostly for fame and fortune.
Reinhardt had forced him to tear away the disguise he had so carefully maintained, causing him to lose all face in front of his former subordinates. Simply killing Reinhardt would be far too easy a punishment.
There was hatred in Stein’s heart.
A very deep hatred!
’On what grounds could Reinhardt, a mere Six-star Military Rank Knight, exude the powerful aura I’ve always dreamed of with every move, every glance, every moment of our battle?’
’I possess such immense Demon Power, yet my own Power was still soundly suppressed.’
’And now, I have absolute control over this Destiny Weaver Knight Battle Group. But I can already predict that even if these former subordinates say nothing to my face, they’ll definitely be mocking my weakness behind my back.’
The very thought made him wish he could grind Reinhardt’s bones to dust! Rip out his soul and burn it in a Soul Lamp for ten thousand years!
That was why he hadn’t killed Reinhardt on the spot after completing the Demon Ascension Ceremony. He wanted to slowly torture this Empire’s Chosen Knight who had ruined his name and reputation.
That was why he had to display the absolute crushing posture of the strong, to face the Radiant Holy Artifact’s attack head-on and utterly demolish Reinhardt’s spirit!
He had even planned out every step that would follow.
’First, I’ll tank the Radiant Holy Artifact’s assault. Then, I’ll use the power of a Mind Storm to suppress Reinhardt’s Knight Power, grab him by the neck with one hand, and lift him into the air like a little chick.’
’I’ll savor Reinhardt’s fear.’
’I’ll savor the words of this bastard Imperial Knight as he begs me for his life.’
’And through this, I will show my former subordinates, the current Destiny Weaver Knights...’
’That I am still their spiritual leader, the Leader of the Wolves, the Demon Prince, Crusher Stein.’
However, the Longsword that pierced his chest, burning with the Divine Emperor’s Fury Flame, completely shattered his unrealistic fantasy of becoming a true powerhouse.
He could feel with excruciating clarity the Radiant Power burning inside his body, searing his very soul. The unparalleled agony was something that even the Physique of a Demon Prince could barely withstand!
Stein lifted his head.
His terrified gaze collided with Reinhardt’s at close range.
It quickly turned to shame-filled rage!
For in Reinhardt’s gaze—as cruel and merciless as that of a butcher slaughtering livestock—he felt no respect, no fear. It was as if the Mighty Power of a Demon Prince was utterly insignificant before him.
"Bastard..."
The word was practically squeezed from between his teeth. Stein shoved Reinhardt away and staggered back two steps. He pulled out the Divine Emperor’s Fury, but the Divine Emperor’s Fury Flame remaining in his body burned his fallen soul relentlessly.
If he hadn’t completed the Demon Ascension Ceremony, if he wasn’t protected by the Void Divine Artifact within him...
...he would have already been reduced to a pile of ash, his soul denied any chance of rebirth or exile.
It all happened too fast.
From the moment Reinhardt’s Knightly Aura appeared at the edge of the battlefield to the instant his sword pierced the Demon Prince Stein’s chest, no more than three seconds had passed.
To the Mortal Soldiers, they only perceived a storm sweeping past Caster Monastery, followed by the violent aftershocks of clashing Mighty Power.
In fact, the chaotic battlefield gave them no chance to observe what was happening at that moment.
But as the Divine Emperor’s Fury ran Stein through, whether the Destiny Weaver Knights saw the horrifying scene or not, a voice—overlapping, echoing, and filled with a sinister aura—resounded in all their minds at once.
"Fool."
It was the voice of the Ten Thousand Changes Demon Monarch.
When a Demon Prince, a vassal under the God of Dark Secrets and Conspiracy, allowed his childish obsession and pride to overcome his reason, changing his fighting style in an attempt to face his enemy head-on and regain his pride...
...he rewrote the future timeline with his own hands.
Or perhaps, neither he nor the Ten Thousand Changes Demon Monarch were yet qualified to control Reinhardt’s destiny!
Because, at the very moment Stein unleashed his Mind Storm—which took the form of white lightning in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to obliterate Reinhardt...
...a dark purple Energy Shield suddenly materialized around Reinhardt.
The Earth Knight Level Magic slammed into the shield and vanished without a sound, like a clay ox sinking into the sea, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.
Immediately after, to Stein’s horrified senses, Reinhardt’s Knightly Aura surged once more! It wasn’t the incremental growth of an Official Knight’s stage; in an instant, it had increased more than tenfold!
It was the aura of a Mighty Power that only awakened just before one advanced to an Earth Knight—the Earth Ring.
Stein’s pupils trembled violently as he cursed wildly in his heart. He, who revered the knowledge of Demons as truth, believed this was all a conspiracy by the Pseudo-Emperor! ’This world is a trap set for me by the Pseudo-Emperor!’
Two paths now lay before him.
He could martyr himself for his master’s plan, drag his broken body to complete the ritual, fight Reinhardt to the death, and ultimately die at his hands.
Or, he could change the purpose of the ritual to save his own life.
Stein chose the latter without a moment’s hesitation.
’I’ve already completed the Demon Ascension Ceremony and obtained the Void Divine Artifact anyway,’ he thought. ’The plan? To hell with the plan!’
In this life-or-death decision, Stein couldn’t be bothered with his personal grudge against Reinhardt, because he had decided to do something monumental: betray his master.
Just as Reinhardt picked up the Divine Emperor’s Fury, preparing to cut Stein down with a single strike...
...the man, who had been kneeling on the ground playing dead, looked up and gave Reinhardt a deep look. Then, gritting his teeth, he used the teleportation ability of his Void Divine Artifact to instantly leave the battlefield, vanishing without a trace.
It happened so fast that even Reinhardt was stunned for a moment.
