Chapter 62 - 57

"Ack!"

A splash of blood could be heard as Zero pulled out his silver sword. It was more durable than the wooden type weapons.

The Chess Queen was slowly catching her breath as she looked crudely at the young man due to defeat. She was now in the checkered ground with a deep stab wound on her ċhėst.

"How?" The woman asked as she looked at the young man. 'How did he knew about the secrets of her new game? How did he figured it out?'

As if reading her thoughts, he responded, "You didn't refine your details. How those designed players of yours came up into conclusion that the extra would kill someone? That's your flaw."

Before she could argue, Zero silenced her with another stab as it claimed her life. The floor started to collapse as the system cheered for the accomplishment of the young man.

Zero flicked the blood away from his sword as he sheathed it. The young man calmly proceeded to next floor as he drew his breath and relax his nerves. He would be facing his most anticipated opponent and he would surely kill him, by hook or by crook.

Suddenly, a door appeared infront of Zero as it was an entrance to the master's floor. It was welcoming him, though it was somehow a mocking gesture to the young man.

He prepared himself as he ready his hand on the hilt of the sword. Then he went inside the portal. Zero immediately saw the ice princess and Lerrent who were tied in a pole.

"Zero, don't let your guard down! He's powerful."

As if detecting the presence of a guest, the room rearranged. The pole where the two was tied on suddenly shot up as it suspended them.

Walls erected from the ground as a setting of twisty three dimensional path emerged. The place turned into a quasi-maze but more of a battleground. Zero commended on his mind at the creativity of his enemy.

A man appearing in an elegant royal suit came out from the shadows as he greeted Zero. The young man frowned as he knew this person. It was the royal advisor of the King. Royal Advisor Kilius.

[System Detection: Kilius, The Deceiver lvl. 89. Description: A loyal servant and right hand of Xeris, manager of the Soul Tower. Likes killing his opponent in a perverse method.]

He didn't thought that the person the Chess Queen was talking about was totally Kilius. Zero glared at him as he prepared to summon his spells.

Chun who was shocked from seeing Lerrent wasn't able to express her emotion as she was in between joy and regret. She was happy to see him well and regretted that she could not show herself to him and it was her fault that Lerrent would be on this situation, if the institute was still fine then her cousin wouldn't be here. Chun noticed the bloody appearance of Lerrent as she automatically glared at the culprit while she wished for his demise.

(Zero, don't let him escape. Kill him if you must.)

Acknowledging her statement, he started to prepare his spells when the gesture of Kilius left him incapacitated.

On the other side, Chun advised the young man to not let himself fall into the line of vision of the enemy as it was not his movement that restricted the young man but his verbal illusion through his sight. A terrifying skill if one examined.

(Remember that this is just an illusion, your mind is being attacked by him and it would make you believe that you're unable to move.)

In Kilius surprise, the young man only stayed motionless for a minute due to Chun's reminder as he was able to escaped his illusion attacked.

Zero decided to use his agility to move around in order to avoid the line of vision of the enemy. Kilius with a smirk stopped his illusion as he said, "That's just a test. And this would be the beginning of our true game."

In a snap of his fingers, molten lava went out from the ground as the young man evaded it. He landed on the top of the wall, he witnessed his opponent slowly melting with the lava as he felt something strange from it… an omen.

Suddenly, flowing liquid of red hot lava came out of the molten ground as it formed into gigantic beast and it resembled a frightening monster - a Serpent.

It humongous mouth opened as its sharp razor teeth appeared in view. It was drawing its breath, preparing to fire something on Zero's direction.

[System Detection: Kilius, The Serpent lvl. ???. Weakness: Core]

Observing that Kilius' level suddenly went into a question mark symbol instead of the earlier number, it meant only one thing, this was his true form.

Zero cursed for his misfortune as he tried to figure out on how to locate the core of the monster.

Noticing the vast qi energy coming from his body due to the supply of the girl. He used his qi perception in order to see the concentration of heat energy. Zero saw in his qi perception a mass of black energy was gathering inside its mouth as it fired that thing towards the young man. Feeling that it was suċkɨnġ him like a black hole, Zero countered it with his Dark Solar.

The black fire of vibrant energy was unexpectedly felt more powerful than the last Dark Solar that he had summoned. 'Is it because it came from Chun?'

Zero would never thought that he was now using divine energy which only deities could expend. Chun was still an incomplete deity so her supply of divine energy wouldn't last long as she warned the young man to hastily defeat the monster.

The young man threw the Dark Solar as it collided with the Iridium Magma of Kilius. A strong, life-ending streaks of light that could shake one's soul was produced from the two massive collisions of powerful energies.

The illusion of Kilius was slowly diminishing from the impact as it faded away. Zero who was thrown meters away from it, immediately went to the ice princess' location as to untie them from their bound.

(Zero, look out!)

"Look out!" Warned by the ice princess while Zero was untying the second prince.

He wasn't able to block the blow due to the ice princess interference. A red colored liquid seeped through the dirty white dress of the ice princess while blood gushed out from the corner of her mouth. Zero caught her as he tried to stop the unending flow of blood from her stomach.

The horrifying burnt visage of Kilius looked down at the downtrodden young man as he stood infront of him. He smirked which emphasized the fresh wounds on his sullied face.

Kilius did not expect that the Great Conqueror had already possessed a divine energy which was only a deity could have. Even though, he was the right hand of his master, he wasn't able to get his hands on a little bit of divine energy and this human was able to have it?

His eyes turned blood shot as he glared in envy at the young man, he was about to stab the dazed Zero when Lerrent interfered, he used the sturdy metal chains as he caught the sword of Kilius.

(Hey! Hey! Zero! Wake up! It's not time for that.)

The ranting of Chun woke him up from desolation as he glanced at the dying ice princess.

"Faye, don't die on me," unexpectedly, the call of Zero made the ice princess teared up. He used his Healing Fire to heal her.

He called her name which even his past self would never do. Faye smiled at him but only blood came out from her mouth when she tried to speak.

"Shh…"

"What are you two doing? I can't hold out here anymore. Need help!" Lerrent who was totally a wimp on physical abilities, exerted all his strength on preventing Kilius from withdrawing his sword. Fortunately, the opponent was back on his human form and due to the drawback of the explosion earlier which he wasn't expecting it to be that powerful because of the divine energy, he suffered from it that halved his ability.

"Kid! You escape with her. I will handle this," Zero commanded as Lerrent instantly let go of the metal chain and took the ice princess. Kilius didn't chase the two while they escaped because his target was still here.

"Let's end this."

Chun reminded the young man that her supply was running low while the young man thought for a plan. Currently, Kilius was in the same level with him because of the lashed back that he had suffered so Zero didn't need to use his spells to kill him.

Which a matter that he overlook.

Zero didn't perceived that he was just facing a clone as the true enemy was just in his shadow. Seemingly that he had thought that he was in control, a sharp claw on his back pierced through his heart.

His vision blackened while he heard the system's voice.

[Performer died.]

[Main task number 3 failed. Punishment is due.]

[Player mode was already in active as the Performer died. Performer can start again.]

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