Chapter 91: Death's Door

A blur registered in his constricted pupils. A flash of dark light followed, engulfing his vision in a lusterless world.

His chest tightened, breathing becoming difficult as death cleaved the air to reap his life.

'NO! I won't die from Baal's insidious schemes. I won't give him this satisfaction!' Enjoy new stories from m-v l'e|-NovelFire.net

Defiant thoughts rumbled in his mind as his demonic energy flared in his blood. His muscles swelled under his chitinous armor, stiffening to become as hard as quenched steel.

A sensation of power burst through him in the second separating him from life and death as his gauntleted hand moved to endure the strike.

CLANK

The sound of metal colliding with metal reverberated through the air, a grating noise that reached far into the waking territory.

Sparks flew before his narrowing eyes, casting shadows on his distorted face.

He gritted his teeth to stifle an agonising scream as his bones shattered upon impact.

Yet, broken bones were a cheap price to get out of this lethal situation. He knew it, or rather he could see the broadsword's sharp edge digging into the chitin to slice his forearm cleanly.

"RAAAH!"

With a mighty roar, he hurled a punch imbued with all his demonic essence in a questionable trajectory.

BAM

Moving faster than the slowed broadsword, it collided with his parrying forearm, flinging it out of the way as the blade reached his skin.

Its target lost, the broadsword whistled through the air, an abyssal arc that chilled his blood before it collided with the sturdy ground.

CRACK

The demon den shuddered on impact, the liquid fire in the center spilling in every direction as the floor cracked open like an egg below his feet.

But the knight's power display didn't matter to him, not when his life would end at the slightest mistake.

Instead, he opened his mouth, absorbing air into his lungs like a whale before a roar pierced through the territory.

"Muramasa!"

Simultaneously, swifter than what his eyes could process, the abyssal spawn retrieved his sword and cleaved the air horizontally.

Dread's icy fingers gripped his heart, and his breath caught in his throat at that second. He could feel the air parting before his exposed neck and the mocking light flashing behind the knight's visor.

Yet, time waited for no one and death harvested all lives with merciless equity.

However, his decision to call for help instead of fleeing or fighting back, a choice some might call a coward's while others would praise as wise, rewrote his sealed fate.

Because...

BANG

The sound of a hammer pounding metal shattered his eardrums the next second. An air blast followed, sending his hair into a wild dance and throwing him off his feet.

As he flew back, Muramasa's broad back registered in his eyes. Then, he saw the blacksmith's sledgehammer shattering the broadsword into a rain of drizzling dark shards.

He grimaced as he collided to the ground, accompanied by the crisp noise of metal breaking before his trusted mythical figure's voice echoed with hints of amusement.

"Who would have thought I'd see an abyssal creature so soon? A pity it's that weak but..." Muramasa licked his lips, his usually gentle eyes burning with desire and flashing a predatory light. "Your body is enough to craft a short sword."

Meanwhile, a sigh of relief finally escaped Adam's throat as he held his shattered forearm. seaʀᴄh thё novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Then, he noticed the knight trembling in his greaves like a leaf as if he had recognised the man.

And indeed, he had heard Muramasa's words in the abyss. In fact, every abyssal creature had, and they all shivered in terror at the mention of the human who modified his body to channel their energy—at the mention of the human who used them as mere materials to forge swords.

Unfortunately, trembling was all he could do before the hammer collided with his head. No one saw it move, yet everyone felt the horrible squall roaring through the air.

Eyes wide and hair blown aside, he heard the knight's helmet shatter like glass before the crunching of his skull turning into dust followed.

Just like that, the powerful creature that had almost taken his life the moment it appeared collapsed to the ground in a pool of inky blood.

However, instead of relief, horror clawed at his heart. With its head off, he could now glimpse at its deformed skin and the mass of tentacles still squirming around its neck.

As his nose scrunched uncontrollably at the disgusting spectacle and a shudder jolted his shoulders, Muramasa turned toward him.

Like a peaceful beacon, the smith's bright smile relieved his tensed nerves after his brush with death.

"I'm honored you called for me first despite the territory's new additions." Muramasa started, his smile broadening as he nodded. "It was also the most optimal choice. I can process its body before it loses too much of its properties. Time is of the essence, so see you later and expect a surprise in a week, my lord!"

Without waiting for his answer, Muramasa gripped the corpse and bolted to the chaos forge, leaving him huffing alone in the demon den.

Simultaneously, Wukong, who had been leaning against the building's exterior door the moment he felt the creature's unnatural energy, smiled and walked away.

Ozymandias, more curious than worried for his safety, jumped down the roof as if nothing happened next.

Meanwhile, Adam's eyes trembled as he tried to recover his breathing. A sharp pain assaulted his arm with the receding adrenaline and shock, leaving him grunting in agony.

Yet, his mind rapidly shifted to focus on Baal's plan as he finally understood the definition of insidiousness.

"This bastard almost got me this time." He gritted his teeth, his jaws bulging in anger. "He knew the kobolds couldn't win and instead tempered with the leader's core. He knew I wouldn't suspect him after my victory and struck when I expected it the least to instil maximum fear and despair."

He pushed himself off the ground, holding his broken forearm as the noise of his subjects' rapid footsteps echoed behind him.

Their worried faces registered, prompting him to unclench his teeth and sigh.

"I can't do anything to you yet, but you won't get me twice with the same scheme. Wash your neck in the demon realm and wait for my sword to split your skull into halves."

With these last words aimed at Baal, he cast the demon king into a dark corner of his mind and focused on calming his anxious subjects.