Chapter 180 Matryoshka Execution Terrain

Unfortunately for the fallen Prince, Kanit was also a Mage-ranked Ascendant, a sorcerer specializing in runes, sigils, enchantments, and death. These were just a few of the abilities that came with the array of perks associated with their chosen path.

Although there were still various restrictions imposed upon them, but in a battle like this, they won't make a significant difference.

Kanit lowered his hands, and the gigantic, faceless being that rippled with strength followed suit, driving its weapons into the concrete ice below their feet.

"CRACK!" "CRACK!"

Suddenly, a circular pentagram filled with various interchanging runes and hieroglyphics appeared around him, causing the ice to crack and dismantle itself as it stretched outwards, further increasing its size.

"CRACK!!" "BANG!!"

The sound of the crumbling concrete echoed through the air, as the ground beneath him shattered like thin ice, breaking the atmosphere with a sharpness reminiscent of a shattered mirror.

Suddenly, he found himself back in his previous spot, standing above the rippling sea. In front of him stood the fallen prince, perched atop a ferocious Tiger Whale, breathing heavily as he struggled to catch his breath after the exhaustion of casting a powerful 'Terrian Creation' only to have it destroyed by his opponent in one fell swoop.

Fallen King Kanit narrowed his eyes at Prince Wyatt and spoke with a tone that was both stern and commanding, "I warned you, but you chose not to listen. And unfortunately for you, you are still decades too young to challenge me".

As he observed the banished prince, he could see him coughing severely until blood spilt out of his mouth. Fallen King Kanit knew all too well that this was the consequence a beast tamer faced when their 'Terria creation' was forcefully destroyed. The easiest way to avoid this was to defeat the beast tamer himself, but since the banished prince had chosen to play smart, Kanit hoped that he was willing to bear the repercussions of his foolish actions.

Gritting the words through his teeth, he refused to waste any more of his magical energy, "Are you ready to die?" Charging up his magical energy, he commanded his faceless giant to point its weapons at the prince.

The banished prince scoffed at the question, "And who is going to kill me?" He raised a brow, "You?".

Kanit frowned at the prince's arrogance. Even at death's door, his pride and ego still weighed heavier than gold. Nevertheless, Kanit had no desire to prolong this discussion.

And so, he uttered. "Ungodly Eser Technique: Fourth Re-emergence!".

A giant array appeared above him and began to shine brightly, causing an invisible wind to swirl around them and the ocean beneath them to ripple back, forming enormous tidal waves that disappeared into the distance.

"Divine Star Cataclysm!"

With a sudden movement, his hands fell and the astral giant disconnected itself from the fallen king's body, charging forward with both weapons in hand, shining brighter than the morning star.

As if sensing the ferocity of the attack, the world around them began to shake, and reality once again cracked like a prostitute banging her head against a mirror.

As the light blinded all those around it, the ocean itself parted and gave way, and Kanit closed his eyes with a thin smile across his lips, anticipating the inevitable. A resounding "BANG!" followed soon after.

"Death... The end of all things" Kanit shook his head with his eyes still closed, exhaling tiredly at the aftermath of the battle. "Ha... Haaaa..." He panted slowly as he opened his eyes and gazed at the world around him.

Now that the battle was over, he would take his wife and leave this dreaded region, whether the Miracle Queen liked it or not.

"Drip! Drip!" Fallen King Kanit strode forward, paying no mind to the drops of water trailing down from the soles of his boots as he searched for the damned pirate ship.

But soon, his brows creased together in confusion. Something was wrong!

"Boom!" He kicked the water below him and shot up into the sky. "What is going on?" Fallen King Kanit muttered to himself as he activated one of his runes mid-flight and hovered in the air, surveying the whole ocean from above. Yet, no matter how far he observed or flew, the only thing that existed around him was nothing but the.... ocean.

"Water".

Fallen King Kanit muttered under his breath, his heart heavy with trepidation as his frown deepened with each passing moment. The sight before him was unimaginable - nothing but endless water as far as the eye could see.

It couldn't be possible, could it?

His eyes widened as he came to a sudden realization.

Where was the ship?

Where were the moonlight ice corrupted lands?

Where was that rat?

His mind raced with frantic thoughts as he denied the truth that lay before him.

No!

It couldn't be true!

He had killed him, hadn't he?

He is dead!

"He is dead!" King Kanit roared, his voice echoing across the desolate ocean. But his words rang hollow, as though he was a priest that couldn't even believe his own teachings.

Regardless ---

"CRACCCKKKK" "BOOOM!!".

The sky thundered. The wind fled from east to south. Reality itself seemed to have been defied as it bowed to the bidding of an unknown force.

King Kanit's expression twisted with disbelief and confusion before giving way to anger and frustration. Finally, his face settled into an expression of pure, undiluted hatred.

"Well, it seems you've taken a while to discover that I'm not yet dead!" The banished Prince's voice was distorted and echoed from all directions. "But I must give credit where credit is due: that was a sure-kill attack, and you wasted no time in executing it..."

"I underestimated you" Fallen king Kanit admitted.

Silence.

"Of course, you did" "The voice reverberated through the air, followed by a booming laughter that sounded like the gods themselves were mocking his very existence.

The sound grated on him like sandpaper against skin.

"But I don't understand..." He trailed off, unable to keep the question from spilling out. "I destroyed your 'Terrain creation.' I faced you head-on and made sure my attack hit you" He said, his confusion palpable. "So how are you still alive?".

Instead of answering his question, the banished prince continued, "Have you ever heard of the Matryoshka Doll?" He asked.

King Kanit remained silent, his mind racing. Throughout his years as an Ascendant, he had never heard of anything resembling that name. Even the name sounded foreign.

The voice boomed across the sky once more, taking his silence as an answer. "To put it simply, imagine a very large wooden box. Open it up, and you'll find a smaller one inside. Open that one, and you'll find an even smaller one within it. The cycle continues until you reach the end or realize that...".

"There is another box" Interrupted fallen King Kanit. He snapped his head downward to look at the sea, turning sideways for a better view of the ocean surrounding him before shifting his attention back to the sky. "That means..." He swallowed hard, finding it difficult to believe. Exhaling his doubts, he asked again, "That means, this place is still...".

"Yes… Fallen king Kanit, you are still in my 'Terrain Creation" The voice paused, sounding as though it was contemplating its next words. "I will call it the Matryoshka execution".

Fallen king Kanit gritted his teeth in frustration and anger. "How?" He screamed. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?…. NO ONE…. NO ONE HAS EVER CREATED SUCH A THING BEFORE?".

"LET ME SPEAK!" The voice boomed like a thunderclap, demanding attention.

Kanit's ears opened, and he listened.

"Of all the imaginations that passed through my head, do you really think that I would settle on an ice-concrete land just to defeat you?" The banished prince's voice was laced with a hint of amusement, as though he could see the doubts and disbelief etched across King Kanit's face. The banished prince snorted. "Destroy this terrain, and you have another one waiting for you. Destroy that one, and then you can move on to the next one. It's simple, really".

Kanit's eyes widened as a strange light caught his attention. He surveyed the scene before him as the clouds began to part in a circular motion, making way for something, or someone.

His ears were assaulted with the sounds of audible cracks forming around him. Each crack stretched forward like the screams of a haunted ghost, and the air was charged with immense magical energy.

Suddenly, there was a deafening "BANG!" and the world around him shattered.

Kanit looked around, bewildered, and saw that he had been thrown into a vast desert with a sky that burned bright without the presence of the sun.

Still, there was no response from the banished prince.

"Ungodly Eser Technique: Dynamic Re-emergence"

The air around King Kanit crackled with electric energy as he unleashed the full force of his technique once more. Without caring whether or not his questions would be answered, he bellowed, "WHY?... WHY THIS SENSELESS BATTLE?" Streaks of white current passed through his head as he spoke. "HAVE YOU NO SHAME LUSTING OVER ANOTHER MAN'S WIFE?".

Surprisingly, he received an answer - a resounding "NO!".