Chapter 81: 81:I Ain’t Guilty
The lightning around his body began crackling violently as the countless hands grabbing him slowly burned away.
Reigns gritted his lips and screamed with all his strength.
"I have always given my all! Even in the last moment, I thought of you as friends—and always will!"
"And I know it! If they were alive, they wouldn’t have blamed me! They aren’t heartless, so this guilt I carry isn’t because I am guilty but because I regret it! But I WON’T LET THIS REGRET GET TO ME! AHHH!"
The countless screams inside Reigns’ head suddenly shattered.
CRACK!
The dark illusion around him began breaking apart like fragile glass as lightning sparks exploded across the endless darkness.
The hands restraining his body burned away one after another, while the entire illusionary world trembled, as if it was going to collapse at any second.
Arvin, Ren, and Mira slowly froze in place.
Cracks started spreading across their bodies as the surrounding darkness rapidly collapsed into countless fragments.
Reigns clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with determination and resolve.
"I won’t stay trapped here..."
The moment those words left his mouth, a massive surge of lightning erupted from his body and blasted apart the entire mind hex.
The world shattered violently.
But before everything could disappear completely, Reigns saw something that made his chest tighten.
A gentle smile appeared on Arvin’s, Mira’s, and Ren’s lips.
Their expressions looked calm, as though they were silently wishing him luck for the endeavor ahead.
The sight startled him.
BOOOOM!
Reigns’ eyes snapped open, and he gasped for air.
His body slammed heavily against the cold floor as sweat poured down his face while his chest heaved from exhaustion.
His entire body felt numb and weak, and his breathing remained ragged.
For a brief moment, his vision remained blurry.
Then slowly, as his sight gradually returned, a sickening weakness spread throughout his body, and a terrible headache assaulted his mind like needles being driven directly into his skull.
Reigns clutched his head and slowly looked up.
The Undead Warrior stood before him, its massive greatsword in hand.
The blue flames burning within its hollow eyes flickered slightly in surprise after witnessing Reigns break free from the mind hex through sheer willpower.
Meanwhile, the surrounding battlefield had been reduced to ruins.
Broken weapons, shattered bones, and burning remains littered the ground. The floor itself was cracked from the previous battle, while pieces of destroyed armor and weapons lay scattered everywhere.
Reigns quickly looked around while breathing heavily.
Most of the undead knights had already been destroyed.
His Dryads were dead as well.
Only Number One remained standing in the distance, although even its wooden body looked badly damaged and covered in deep sword marks. Parts of its bark had split open, and one arm hung loosely as if it was going to fall off at any moment.
Then Reigns’ eyes suddenly widened.
The Splash Shooter had been completely cut in half.
The broken remains lay across the floor, while sparks occasionally flickered from the damaged components before dying out again.
"Damn!"
Reigns’ expression darkened at the sight of the destruction around him, frustration and helplessness flashing across his face.
At that moment, the Undead Warrior slowly raised its massive greatsword once again.
Reigns immediately recognized the familiar pattern.
Every time the creature slammed its sword into the ground, it would unleash a deadly attack or summon undead.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
Without hesitating, Reigns pulled out the dagger Nyx had gifted him.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger, he poured Arcana Blast into it despite the severe exhaustion ravaging through his body.
A violent pain surged through his mana essence, as if something inside him was being forcefully drained dry.
His veins burned, and his already exhausted body nearly gave out from the strain.
The dagger instantly lit up with crackling lightning.
Electric arcs danced wildly around the blade while the surrounding air trembled faintly from the unstable energy gathering around it.
Reigns gritted his teeth and hurled the dagger forward with all his remaining strength.
The lightning-covered dagger shot across the battlefield at terrifying speed, like a streak of light slicing through the air.
The Undead Warrior’s blue flame eyes narrowed.
But instead of raising its sword to block it...
The creature merely shifted its body slightly and dodged the attack completely.
The lightning dagger flashed past its head and slammed into the wall behind it, erupting in a burst of sparks that illuminated the dark surroundings for a brief moment.
Reigns’ eyes widened immediately.
"Damn! This wasn’t in the script."
The moment the dagger missed, the Undead Warrior moved.
BOOOOM!
The massive greatsword in its hands slammed downward toward Reigns with terrifying force.
His eyes widened as he desperately threw himself across the floor to evade the incoming attack before the enormous blade crashed heavily into the ground and shattered the stone beneath it.
Dust and broken debris exploded everywhere while the impact sent a violent shockwave rippling across the battlefield, rattling the surroundings and making the entire floor tremble.
Reigns barely managed to avoid it.
Even then, the pressure from the attack made his body ache, and his ears rang from the sheer force of the impact.
Before he could even catch his breath, the Undead Warrior swung its greatsword sideways with terrifying speed.
SWOOOSH!
Reigns ducked down immediately while the massive blade passed just above his head, and the violent wind pressure released from the swing sliced across his cheek before sending him tumbling violently across the rough battlefield once again.
"Damn it!"
He gritted his teeth and forced himself back up despite the exhaustion spreading through his entire body.
At the same time, Number One rushed forward from the side without hesitation.
The heavily damaged Dryad slammed its wooden fist directly into the Undead Warrior’s armor with all its remaining strength.
BANG!
The Undead Warrior staggered back slightly from the impact, but it retaliated almost instantly.
Its armored fist smashed directly into Number One’s chest and sent the Dryad crashing across the battlefield.
CRAAASH!
