Chapter 460
Chapter 460: Are You Working Out Lately? (1)
Ghislaine’s aura had now lost its red hue and was increasingly tainted by a deeper darkness.
“What kind of superhuman is someone who has lost their mind and even forgotten their self-achieved realization?”
This was precisely what the Salvation Society had overlooked. They anticipated that Melkir, as a superhuman, would explode with power and become incredibly strong.
However, a superhuman is one who establishes their own world in their mind and manifests it. The Melkir who lost his reason and his world could no longer be deemed a superhuman.
“With no technique, realization, or will left, merely wielding a distorted and muddied mass of mana will only make you weaker.”
For a regular knight, that could have been helpful. After all, physical capabilities would be enhanced severalfold.
But a superhuman is different. A superhuman occupies time and space with their own principles. If they lose that ability, they cannot face other superhumans.
Melkir could not use not only his mental images but also his Aura Blade. The Holy Knight would merely become immensely strong.
“Your experiment is a failure. You may not realize it, but it also failed in my past life.”
Using it inevitably led to losing one’s reason and dying, so they could not experiment with a superhuman. Thus, the priests of the Salvation Society were unaware of this truth.
“Kraaagh!”
Melkir couldn’t comprehend Ghislaine’s words. He was solely focused on eliminating the target in front of him, letting out a beastly roar.
Ghislaine’s fist struck Melkir’s face once more.
Kwaaaang!
Melkir tried to endure, but Ghislaine did not halt. Again and again, she pounded Melkir’s face and body without rest.
Kwaang!
Kwaaaang!
Kwaaaaang!
With a crunch!
Eventually, one side of Melkir’s face caved in. Even his body, reinforced by black energy, could not withstand the stronger force and began to crumble.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Melkir’s arms broke and his legs twisted backward from the continuous blows. Now he was unable to counterattack.
Ghislaine did not allow him to fall either. Her fists hammered his body at an incredible speed.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
The black energy supporting Melkir’s body dispersed and vanished with every hit Ghislaine landed. He could not withstand the impact she delivered.
Dudududuk.
As Ghislaine pulled back her fist again, intense energy gathered. In that brief moment, Melkir stumbled and fell.
However, before he could completely collapse, Ghislaine’s fist struck down upon his face like a lightning bolt.
Kwaaaaang!
Melkir’s head became deeply embedded in the ground.
“Krrr….”
A glimmer of reason returned to Melkir’s eyes. However, with his face completely crushed, his vitality was rapidly fading.
All that remained to barely keep his life alive was the painfully tenacious black energy.
Melkir, now fully aware, slowly opened his mouth.
“W-wait a second…”
His teeth were completely shattered, making him unable to articulate properly. Melkir looked up at his opponent with a fearful gaze.
Surrounded by black energy, and with his eyes glowing red.
‘Why is the final form of the Holy Knight that the Salvation Society desires in this guy…? No, why is my mind returning? Wasn’t I supposed to lose my reason?’
Melkir’s thoughts couldn’t continue any further, for Ghislaine raised her fist once again, restoring his reason with sheer violence.
“Unexpectedly avenging my mother. Not bad. Actually, it’s a very good situation. Not only am I avenging, but I can also take down a superhuman from the Duke Faction.”
Ghislaine grinned, her red eyes gleaming. She didn’t hold a particular grudge against him, but after all, he was the cause of her mother’s early demise.
However, because of that, she couldn’t deny the fact that her mother met her father and gave birth to her. Thus, Ghislaine resolved to finish off Melkir cleanly, without further torment.
“It’s going to hurt a little.”
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
Her fist flew towards the fallen Melkir’s face once more.
Kwahjijik!
Melkir could no longer rise. His face was completely smashed, embedding him deeply into the ground.
“Huh….”
Ghislaine calmed her mana and straightened up.
It seemed like an easy victory, but in reality, she felt a throb throughout her entire body. She had expended more than half of her mana. The power of the so-called Holy Knight was truly not to be underestimated.
“I guess it would have been a nice fight with Tenant.”
Ghislaine chuckled. Even if he had lost his realization, she figured he would have been at that level.
Of course, the proper superhuman, Tenant, would ultimately win, but only after quite a struggle.
“Come on, Kong.”
The Black King was standing off at a distance, avoiding the shockwave from the fight. He had grown accustomed to it by now.
He was leisurely munching on grass in his surroundings. It seemed he couldn’t even imagine his master getting hurt.
“Let’s go.”
She had sent Gillian ahead, so there was no great concern, but she still needed to confirm it for herself.
Ghislaine rode the Black King and dashed straight towards the Lord’s Castle.
*
The assassins who had escaped the siege entered the Lord’s Castle under the cover of darkness. Ordinary guards could not catch them.
However, entering the castle was only the beginning of the problem. With knights and soldiers spread throughout, they had no choice but to hide.
Paah!
Blending into their surroundings, they tried to evade detection by any means necessary. They utilized the shadows of columns, ceilings, and various objects to move through the darkness.
But it couldn’t be perfect. Deviating from normal movement paths, they were detected by hidden magical alarms.
Jiing!
A powerful wave of magical energy surged, setting off the alarms.
The knights and soldiers remaining in the castle began to chase the assassins.
“Catch them!”
“There they are!”
“Quickly notify everyone!”
The assassins did their best to evade capture but some were eventually caught.
Swish!
“Ugh!”
The surrounded assassins, unable to fend off the coordinated attacks of knights and soldiers, were pushed back. They were formidable assassins, but they couldn’t eliminate all the incoming personnel.
So, they finally utilized the power they had hidden until the end, a force unfitting for assassination.
Kwaaaang!
“Craaaaak!”
The assassins who had entered the castle exploded with life force and transformed into monsters.
Those who had escaped the siege could all become Holy Knights. They had sacrificed the rest to allow the most dangerous ones to engage in a final battle in the Lord’s Castle.
“Stand back! They’re Holy Knights!”
The soldiers stepped back, and the knights began their duel with the assassins.
However, they were overwhelmed by those who were now several times stronger. Even a few of the wizards of Perdium who joined in could not easily deter the now monstrous assassins.
Yet, they were not the only ones here.
Swish!
Kwaaaang!
A flying axe from somewhere instantly smashed the head of one of the rampaging assassins.
“It’s Gillian!”
Someone joyfully shouted.
He appeared with a furious expression, leading the charge to attack the assassins.
His daughter, Rachel, was staying here. Naturally, he couldn’t help but act like a mad lion.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
With Gillian’s participation, along with the knights of Penris, the assassins who had become Holy Knights began to fall rapidly. The disparity in numbers was simply too great.
Before long, the returning knights and soldiers of Perdium flooded the Lord’s Castle.
The captured assassins soon fell one after another. No matter how outstanding and strong they were, they could not withstand the multitude of knights and soldiers.
Randolf wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “What? Did we kill them all? Is there no one left?”
Eight assassins lay defeated. Randolf tilted his head.
“Weren’t there around ten or eleven? Surely there aren’t still some out there hiding?”
The knights also stiffened their expressions. The magical alarms had not sounded, and the knights and soldiers filling the castle had not detected any remaining ones.
They might still be lurking outside, requiring a thorough search. That would be a relief, but if the assassins had completely retreated, they wouldn’t be able to confirm it, leaving them no choice but to remain vigilant.
At that moment, a battered Belinda appeared, shouting. She seemed considerably fatigued, panting heavily.
“What happened to the Young Lady’s room? What about Rachel? How about the Marquis and the retainers?”
Randolf replied in shock, “Belinda? What happened to your body? Are you alright? Where are you hurt?”
“Are you protecting the Young Lady and Rachel?”
“No, why are you suddenly speaking so informally…? Y-yes! They’re with the knights and soldiers inside the room right now!”
Before Belinda could exhale a sigh of relief, the magical alarms rang once again.
Clang!
Then came the sound of a window shattering.
Belinda’s face turned pale.
“That’s the Young Lady’s room!”
Wham!
Belinda’s body wrapped in darkness disappeared. In that instant, Gillian widened his eyes in surprise.
It looked as though she had crossed through the wall.
But there was no time to be awed. Rachel must be with Elena.
Gillian and the knights hurried towards Elena’s room.
As expected, the remaining assassins breached the wall and invaded Elena’s room. The magical alarm that was installed activated, but the assassins moved rapidly.
The assassins discovered two frightened women. Among them, the target was the blonde-haired woman.
“Kraaagh!”
The assassin who broke the window charged forward, transforming into a Holy Knight.
Of course, there were those who stood in his way.
“Block him!”
Four knights and several dozen soldiers surrounded the two women. The soldiers guarding the door from outside also broke in through the door.
The first knights to charge swung their swords.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The attacks proved ineffective. The knights, who were fighting a Holy Knight for the first time, were taken aback.
They raised their strength to try and capture their enemy, but the monster had already broken through with overwhelming power.
Kwaaaang!
“Ugh!”
Even the soldiers were quickly overwhelmed. The monster roared and reached out its hand. With just a little more distance, it could snap the neck of its target.
However, it wasn’t just the knights who were there to protect Elena.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, eight maids dropped from the ceiling, blocking the monster’s path. They were skilled assassins trained by Ghislaine and Belinda.
Kahhhhh!
The modified attacking monster was halted right there. The maids bound the monster’s body with sturdy cords connected to their daggers and attacked.
Knights who arrived late raised all their mana and struck at the monster’s back.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With attacks coming from all sides, the monster was quickly reduced to tatters.
But there wasn’t just one.
“Kraaaagh!”
Hot on the heels of the first, another rushed in. The knights, who had already faced one, gathered all their strength to attack the monster. The maids, who stood in front of Elena, did the same.
They managed to intercept the second monster, and everyone instinctively relaxed.
However!
They were caught off guard!
Seizing on that brief opportunity, a third assassin surged forward.
“Block him!”
The knights swung their swords in a panic, and the maids hurled their daggers, but they couldn’t inflict critical damage.
The assassin, riddled with wounds, finally reached his desired target.
Thanks to sacrificing their comrades, he found his opportunity.
The assassin reached out toward the target.
At that exact moment, Rachel shoved Elena aside and stood in front of the assassin.
“Rachel!”
Hearing Elena’s shout, Rachel closed her eyes.
“Tch!”
The assassin briefly shifted his gaze toward his target, but by then, the maids were already interposed.
With no other choice, the assassin tightly grabbed Rachel’s throat.
“Don’t move!”
It was a gamble for him. As she wasn’t the Marquis’s daughter, he had no idea if a hostage would work. Still, he refrained from using his poisoned dagger just in case.
But everyone froze. While not as significant as Elena, Rachel was also a crucial figure in the Perdium Territory.
The assassin’s gamble paid off. He wrapped his arm tightly around Rachel’s throat and panted.
“Step back. I don’t want to see her die.”
Everyone took a step back. Seeing that, the assassin fell into deep thought.
‘Damn, the target was the Perdium Marquis’s daughter, but who is this girl? For now, I’ll just hold back until the Master arrives.’
It was already a foregone conclusion that he would die here. Then he had to succeed at least in his mission. If not, it would simply be a pointless death.
If Melkir arrived, he believed he could use the commotion to assassinate either the Perdium Marquis or the Marquis’s daughter.
“Rachel!”
At that moment, Gillian, who had just arrived, gritted his teeth upon seeing the hostage situation.
Rachel’s face was flush with blood.
Seeing his daughter captured made him want to rush in and crush the assassin’s head immediately.
Belinda restrained him.
“Wait! One mistake could be fatal.”
The assassin was a high-level individual. If he exerted even a bit of force, Rachel’s neck would snap instantly.
As everyone stood unable to move or act, Ghislaine arrived.
“Grand Duke!”
“My Lord!”
Hearing everyone’s reactions, the assassin realized that the one who just appeared was Count Penris.
Ghislaine spoke with a cold expression.
“If you want to die quietly, let her go. If you don’t want your head smashed like your master’s, you better reconsider.”
“What? The Master is… dead?”
“Yes.”
The assassin wore a face of disbelief. Their Master had died? Was Count Penris really that powerful?
“Lies, you must be lying. The Master is also a superhuman. How could you be so unscathed?”
Aside from appearing a bit messy and tired, Count Penris looked completely fine. No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t have survived a confrontation with another superhuman unscathed.
Ghislaine glanced at Belinda and said, “This person handled it.”
She was certainly covered in wounds. The assassin swallowed hard. He couldn’t fully believe it, but if it were true, he had no idea what to do.
“What will it be? Do you want to die quietly? Or painfully?”
“…….”
Ghislaine guided the conversation while deploying her mana strands.
Judging by the standards of her opponent, at least an upper-level fighter. Even if he were restrained, the chances of Rachel’s neck breaking were likely high. So, she was carefully lifting the shards that had fallen behind the assassin.
‘Pierce the head in one blow.’
This was different from usual. A mistake could lead to Rachel’s death.
Thus, Ghislaine was in a state of tremendous focus. The others were also tensed, all watching only the assassin.
The assassin was the same, desperately racking his brain for a solution.
‘While she may not be the Marquis’s daughter, she seems like an important figure. Should I just kill her? Then explode my power…?’
While everyone was tense and focused, something unexpected happened.
“Let Rachel go!”
Out of nowhere, Elena, whose life had been saved by Rachel, suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the assassin’s arm.
Moving strangely fast, even the maids beside her lost sight of her momentarily.
The assassin wore a gleeful expression. He wouldn’t hesitate and would attack Elena with his remaining hand.
Screech!
If only the arm holding Rachel hadn’t just broken.
“Krah!”
Not missing that moment, the shard that Ghislaine had lifted pierced the assassin’s head in an instant. At the same time, everyone around attacked the assassin.
Bang bang bang bang!
The assassin was instantly riddled with holes and collapsed.
Boom!
The assassin had fallen, but no one celebrated. Instead, an awkward silence ensued.
Everyone looked at Elena with expressions of disbelief.
Elena merely blinked, looking down at her own two hands.
The first to regain their senses, Ghislaine stammered, “E-elena, you….”
“Uh? Huh?”
“Are you working out lately?”
