Chapter 511
A brilliant blue afterimage sliced diagonally through Deian's body.
Blue Ribbon was renowned for its ability to cleave through metaphysical barriers and serve as a blade capable of vanquishing the undead. However, this did not imply any deficiency in Blue Ribbon's performance. Quite the contrary, it possessed an edge so keen that it never failed to astonish those who witnessed its power.
"He escaped in a similar manner before," Davey recollected.
Deian, the King of the Dead, had previously managed to elude Davey even after being struck directly by holy magic.
Various survival techniques employed by liches had allowed Deian to evade capture on that occasion, but this time was different. Blue Ribbon meticulously sought out and annihilated the source of his immortality, only halting once it had eradicated all avenues of escape.
As Davey sheathed the soft blue blade of Blue Ribbon, it felt as though the world momentarily paused.
Deian, having been severed by Blue Ribbon, began to transform as if he had not been cut by a metallic blade but had instead melted into a viscous fluid. Perhaps the force sustaining his undead state was dissipating, causing his physical form to shift uncontrollably.
Silently collapsing, Deian's eyes flickered with a deep red hue as he stared wordlessly at Davey for an extended period. Then, he said, "I can't believe it... I don't understand. What are you concealing? What grants you such monstrous strength?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"It's not mana. I can't even detect a trace of malevolent mana. Yet, from whence do you draw such power?"
Davey contemplated the question for a moment before nodding. "It may appear that way."
Watching Deian's desperate quest for answers, Davey allowed a ripple in the latent power he had concealed.
"Such a chilling and fearsome energy," Deian murmured as if he had had an epiphany. "I've waited so long... but because of you, everything has unraveled."
"You reap what you sow. Every grave has a story. If you killed countless others for your goal, you should have considered that one day you'd also face reckoning."
Deian remained silent. Though he was a monster willing to employ any means to achieve his objectives, those confronting death often exhibited similar expressions.
After a brief silence, madness began to encroach upon his eyes. He said maniacally, "Hehe... I can't die like this! If I must meet my end, I'll take someone with me!"
Typical of the so-called King of the Dead.
Utilizing every last ounce of his remaining strength, he began to curse Davey. "I curse you, human! I will curse your existence for all eternity!"
"How bold of you, despite my immunity to curses," Davey retorted, stepping on Deian's head. The hard sensation transmitted up to his foot. He continued, "I've recently acquired a rather entertaining curse of my own."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Just a little something for your final journey," Davey muttered as he began channeling a powerful curse into Deian.
It was the most potent curse Davey had ever encountered. Of course, there were absolute entities like Rho Aias, but since arriving on this continent, Deian represented the pinnacle of all cursed powers Davey had encountered.
"Your soul will be bound here for eons."
"What... What are you doing? Stop... Stop it!"
Deian's remaining spirit became entwined with the curse of Baersha.
Davey had relished using the power of Baersha, the Abyssal Princess, to amplify sensations, but her strength extended far beyond that. Her domain of curses exceeded the ordinary.
[Abyssal Transformation]
"Ugh... what is... AHHHHH!!" Deian screamed, overwhelmed by an unimaginable hunger.
"It's your chance to atone. Nice, isn't it?" Davey said calmly, crushing Deian's head underfoot.
Boom!
Simultaneously, the inexorable power of the King of the Dead rippled outwards in all directions. The multitude of creatures within this subterranean expanse, now liberated from Deian's dominion, descended into chaos. Deian had ensnared their minds, compelling them to ruthlessly eliminate anyone who posed a threat to him.
And thus, beings not yet fully emancipated from that malevolent influence emerged from various corners of the underground mountain range, converging upon Davey with relentless determination. The inhabitants of this hidden realm had long been monitored and contained by the knights of Last Wisps. They constituted a diverse array of entities, some lacking in physical might but all possessing uniformly deadly abilities.
Even though the King of Evil Beasts, the Volcanic Worm, had been dismantled by Megalordria, witnessing hundreds, if not thousands, of other nefarious creatures charging forth simultaneously would unsettle even the bravest souls. However, amidst this throng, there wasn't a single entity susceptible to easy overwhelm.
"Crush them!" Davey bellowed.
Whether these maleficent creatures succumbed to unbridled fury or not was not Davey's immediate concern. The alternative - leaving them unchecked - would inevitably lead to catastrophe. Either these untamed entities would breach the continent's borders or discover alternative conduits into the demon world.
In either scenario, there was no advantage for Davey, compelling him to subdue the energies of these damned creatures from the underground mountain range.
BOOM!
SCREEEECH!
Before long, a colossal Rock Sandworm burst through the wall, attempting to engulf Davey entirely. The creature, with its rugged and formidable appearance resembling a massive rock, lunged forward.
However, before it could reach Davey, Megalordria's robust and oversized hand clamped down on its jaw, halting its advance.
"Perish, you insectoid monstrosity!"
CRUNCH!
Beginning with the creature's solid body being torn asunder, a colossal collision unfolded. It was as though Davey had directly confronted the onslaught of hundreds of emerging creatures.
Terrain advantage, formation advantage, and the significance of cooperation held no sway over the summoned Spirit Kings. They tore through everything in their path without concern. In the process, if an ally obstructed them, they used that ally as bait without hesitation. Davey believed that Gnoass would always act this way, but not Ellaim.
[Hahahaha! Die! Just die!]
Davey thought, ‘Ellaim was not like that before…’
He contemplated that he might need to reduce the deployment next time. The crucial point was that he was eradicating the underground mountain creatures that an entire order of knights had been unable to approach for hundreds of years.
"Ugh..."
"When did you arrive?" Davey inquired.
"I took a shortcut."
Iro, who had been staring blankly and making strange noises, was suddenly sparked with curiosity. "Who exactly are you? How can you control such incredible beings?"
"Just let me handle it. Managing those inefficient creatures isn't easy for me either," Davey replied. With that, he activated his status window, hoping to see if he had gained any new titles.
"Is this for real?"
And there it was, one of the titles he could observe:
[The Unfazed Summoner](new)
(A title given to those who summon without hesitation)
[Maintenance cost for summoned entities reduced by 30% in real-time]
- 1st Unlock Complete.
- Use Metamorphosis Stack 2 for 2nd Unlock.
"Oh..." Davey couldn't help but exclaim.
The inclusion of "new" in the title suggested that he had recently earned it, most likely due to this large-scale summoning. He already possessed hundreds of titles, many of which he hadn't even checked yet. While some were undoubtedly worthless, this one appeared highly valuable—a 30% reduction in maintenance costs.
To grasp the full implications, Davey directed Megalordria, saying, "Megalordria, unleash your power without restraint."
[Master, using my power now could have adverse effects on your mana…]
"It's alright, just give it a try."
[Understood.]
Megalordria, seemingly resolved not to decline further, released the stretched heads of the creatures he held, and his eyes gleamed. Bluish winds coalesced around his mouth, giving birth to a growing tempest.
"Wow..."
The effectiveness was truly exceptional. While wielding the power of a King of Spirit Beasts and a Summoned King at the Grandmaster level, Davey noticed a significant reduction in mana consumption, courtesy of the new title.
"But there's a second unlock... and this time, we get two of them?"
That dreaded second unlock. It felt akin to a poorly designed game with abysmal luck. The effect was undoubtedly potent, but recollecting the numerous attempts he had made to unlock the second tier of the previous 'Star Destroyer' title was far from a pleasant memory.
‘At least the titles that can be second-unlocked all have excellent effects.’
The Star Destroyer title had proven its effectiveness. Although Davey had yet to witness all the effects of the second unlock, his prediction suggested that titles with a second unlock revealed their true potential during the unlocking process. With this in mind, it was clear that the full extent of power this title offered had not yet been realized. Davey currently held two Metamorphosis stacks. He gazed at the title in silence for a moment, then released a brief sigh and reached into the void.
"What... are you doing?"
"Just disregard it and prepare to flee. I'll show you a place where you can live disconnected from this world."
"..." Iro remained silent in response to Davey's statement.
However, there was something more crucial to consider. Davey possessed two Metamorphosis stacks, and unlocking would require at least two attempts. The odds felt to be around 10%, a truly daunting probability. Was 10% considered high? How many would be willing to stake their lives on a mere 10% chance of survival? Games and reality were distinctly different realms.
Having already succeeded once with over a hundred Metamorphosis stacks and personally experiencing the immense power he had regained from that single successful Metamorphosis, Davey now cherished these stacks more than he had initially imagined.
"Are you contemplating something?"
"A quick observation, huh?"
"As a follower serving Lady Freyja, I can't afford to be sluggish."
Indeed, following the commands of Goddess Freyja demanded swiftness. The unique entity known as Lich Iro, who had received actual miracles, displayed a distinct demeanor compared to other priests or clerics.
"Should I accumulate them slowly or use them immediately?"
Staring intently at the status title window, Davey posed the question, and Iro tilted his head in thought. "I don't quite grasp your intentions... Is it advisable to leave it as it is?"
Crash!
Suddenly, a bizarre monster with eight flaming legs burst through the wall behind him, its elongated mouth lunging to swallow Davey whole.
"Eek!" Startled by the monster's appearance, Iro swiftly channeled his evil mana. However, Davey remained solely focused on the title window.
"It's dangerous!"
As the panicked companion tried to shout, blue droplets, sharp as blades, swooped in, tearing the creature to pieces. Iro froze in place.
"Why?"
"Ah... It's nothing. It's all thanks to Lady Freyja's blessings."
"You sound so cliché when you say that," Davey replied flatly before resuming his contemplation.
To save or to impulsively gamble? The answer was clear, but neither option was without disadvantages.
"Let's not rely on probabilities."
In the end, the probability for anything was always 50% - either it happened or it didn't. Having only two Metamorphosis stacks didn't offer much assurance. So, the only viable choice remained clear.
"Unlock, let's go!"
Think carefully, act decisively. Without hesitation, Davey pressed the button for the second unlock attempt.
Woooooong!!
Simultaneously, as if choreographed, the entire status title window shook, emitting a brilliant light.
"Oh... oh..."
"What have you been doing since just now, reaching out into the void..."
"Just focus on your task."
"Yes." Iro, seemingly displeased, stepped back. Davey's eyes sparkled.
Having amassed two Metamorphosis stacks for this attempt, the outcome remained uncertain due to the incredibly low probability. Still, there was no rule stating that success couldn't happen on the first try. As the trembling intensified and the light grew brighter, it felt like success. It seemed as if he had hit the jackpot right away, almost making him want to praise his own luck.
Flash!!!
And in that shining moment, he saw it. Blindingly bright...
[Unlock Failed. Two Metamorphosis stacks have been consumed. You can attempt again.]
"Damn it."
If it was destined to fail, it shouldn't have displayed such a flashy spectacle. For a brief moment, Davey harbored an urge to tear out the hair of Goddess Freyja, who had created this title window.
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