[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 162
"Urgh!"
The priests began groaning, starting with one and spreading through the group.
A dark aura seeped out from their bodies.
The Oblivion Energy engulfed their entire forms.
Their skin dissolved, leaving behind grotesque bones in its place.
Even the high priest leading them transformed into a monster.
No flesh remained—only bones.
Over the exposed skeletons, new robes materialized.
Flash!
Their eyes glimmered with a potent death aura.
They were no longer the same.
All traces of fear and terror had been erased.
What replaced it was nothing but an insatiable impulse for murder.
"Kill...!"
"Annihilate... the enemies of the House of the Sun..."
"Screeeeech!"
The transformed Priests of Radience unleashed magic toward Kane.
Massive spheres of energy hurtled toward him.
But that wasn’t all.
Hundreds, even thousands of undead rose from the ground.
In an instant, a massive army materialized.
Their sole target was one man: Kane Rehinar.
Sensing the unusual turn of events, Kane dropped Gestel and surveyed the battlefield.
"The pattern's always the same. First Star has unleashed that shitty oblivion energy again and used necromancy."
First Star had no regard for human lives.
As long as the goal was achieved, lives were expendable.
Even the priests were merely pawns on a chessboard to First Star, they were kept if useful, discarded if not.
"You’ll be discarded by that Trash Lord of yours soon enough, just like them," Kane taunted.
His provocation made Gestel roar in anger.
"Silence!"
Gestel could no longer maintain composure.
A fight he thought would be quick was dragging on.
Worse, he was losing ground.
It was something he had never imagined.
But it was happening.
A situation where cold logic was impossible to maintain.
There was no room for enjoyment anymore.
All he could think of was the need to kill Kane Rehinar at any cost.
Perhaps that was why he fell so easily into Kane’s taunts.
"You can’t defeat me in that form. Why not skip the second phase and jump straight to the third?" Kane sneered.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Gestel attacked again.
His blade slashed toward Kane.
But Kane blocked it effortlessly.
Bang!
Boom! Crash!
Heavy clashes echoed continuously.
The sword of divine punishment was summoned once more.
It descended straight toward Kane, only to dissipate powerlessly midair.
No attack could reach him.
"Why?!"
Gestel shouted in a voice filled with frustration.
"Why do my attacks have no effect on you?!"
He unleashed his full strength in an all-out assault.
Yet, despite his efforts, it was his own body that sustained injuries.
Realizing even his best attacks were useless, he finally made up his mind.
"Fine. As you wish, I’ll become a demon for you."
Gestel's body became engulfed in the Oblivion Energy.
The surrounding aura disappeared, revealing his new form.
Nothing much seemed to have changed.
He now wore black armor and a long cloak draped over his shoulders.
He hadn’t transformed into a grotesque monster.
"I never thought I’d have to use this power against anyone other than First Star or Guardian Lord. You’d better prepare yourself."
Thud.
As he took a step forward, an overwhelming pressure filled the air.
Kane acknowledged that Gestel's confidence wasn’t unfounded.
He retained his reason and mind, unclouded by the oblivion energy.
There was no murderous rage, only a fierce fighting spirit.
The will to defeat his opponent pressed against Kane with immense force.
Gestel gritted his teeth, barely enduring the onslaught.
The surrounding battlefield had been reduced to rubble.
The blood drops turned back into the Bloodsky blades and returned to Kane.
"Ugh..."
Gestel couldn’t form coherent words, stunned by the overwhelming impact.
His armor lay in shattered pieces, fully exposing his form.
"You’ve abandoned your humanity," Kane remarked coldly.
Gestel just like the other Death Fiends, had transformed into a grotesque monstrosity.
It was hard to believe this abomination belonged to a group who claimed to serve a god.
"Kill... me..."
Unlike the elders, Gestel chose to face death with dignity.
Even in his warped form, he clung to a warrior’s pride.
But Kane thought otherwise.
The moment Gestel embraced oblivion energy, Kane believed that pride had already been discarded.
"Any last words?"
"...No matter how strong you are... First Star will never... fall..."
"I’ll keep that in mind."
Kane’s sword plunged into Gestel’s mana heart.
Though the heart was shielded by a powerful barrier, it was no match for the Bloodsky blade.
The barrier shattered, and the blade pierced through the heart.
"Ugh!"
Gestel’s body trembled violently before going limp.
Pssssss.
His form turned to ash and scattered into nothingness.
The remaining Death Fiends suffered the same fate, dissolving into the air.
The battlefield was heavy with the lingering Oblivion Energy.
Blata quickly absorbed the unique aura, his body thriving on the deadly energy.
Meanwhile, Kane approached Mikhail, who lay collapsed on the ground.
"Are you alright?"
"Do I look alright? If you’d been even a little later, I’d be dead!"
Mikhail was drenched in blood, no one could tell if it was his own or his enemies.
It was a testament to the fierce battle he had endured.
"Seems you’re still holding up for now," Kane said with a faint smirk before turning away.
---
Meanwhile, in the Orchid Capital, the battle was nearing its conclusion.
With the retreat of the Priests of Radience, the battle was easy for beings like Caspian and Desdamona.
Splurt!
Caspian struck down the last remaining foe and surveyed the ruined city with a grim expression.
"Too many lives were lost. This is the result of my complacency."
Caspian blamed himself.
He had believed that, at least in this kingdom, there would be no traitors.
He had trusted his longtime loyal subjects.
Despite multiple layers of verification and surveillance, Caspian had let his guard down—only to discover that his own lover was a spy.
Not just any spy, but one who had held a high-ranking position within the House of the Sun.
"Perhaps I should count myself lucky that we sustained only this much damage thanks to their help."
The ones aiding them were vampires.
While some classified them as mutated monsters, in the Orchid Kingdom, they were recognized as a legitimate race, not as monsters.
As Caspian observed Desdemona, who stood with her arms crossed, Kane appeared out of nowhere.
"It seems this place has been cleared as well."
"You’ve been securing the outskirts?"
"Yes. It’s safe now; you can rest easy."
Caspian recalled the lightning strike Kane had unleashed earlier.
’*A monster, indeed. He’s truly the son of the Guardian Lord. Whoever started the rumor that he was a mere dullard deserves a good thrashing.*’
"It seems the interior took more damage than expected."
"Given the strength of the attackers, we’re fortunate it wasn’t worse."
"Rehinar will provide maximum support to help rebuild the Orchid Kingdom."
"Thank you. I’d love to properly treat my saviors, but I need to oversee the restoration efforts personally. I hope you understand."
"Don’t worry about us," Kane replied, smiling faintly.
The fact that Kane had earned the gratitude of the Poison Lord was more than enough compensation.
"Desdemona."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for coming."
At Kane’s words, Desdemona turned her head slightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Trying to mask her good mood, she responded in a deliberately nonchalant tone.
"It’s only natural since I serve you. There’s no need for gratitude."
"If you hadn’t helped, this place would’ve suffered far greater losses."
The vampire race ranked at the very top of the power hierarchy for a reason.
The stronger their contracted master, the more powerful the vampires became.
Kane had kept this in mind when he chose to bring the vampire race under his control—a decision that had turned out to be exceptionally wise.
"Judging by the fact that you can move about freely during the day, it seems all your restrictions have been lifted," Kane remarked.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]