Chapter 164 (1): Wayne from the Inner World
Why would the Death Knight be here? Wayne cursed inwardly. That damn Headless Knight had no honor. They agreed that as long as he didn’t go to Palis, the knight wouldn’t actively seize Shadow Nightmare. This was Luzerbourg, far from Palis and not even part of Franc!
How unknightly of him to go back on his word!
“Boss, the energy of Death...” Mona’s face went pale, shock and disbelief coloring her eyes. She closed them tightly and transformed to put on her battle outfit, which improved her complexion considerably.
The Headless Knight hadn’t even appeared yet, but his incredibly oppressive presence already made her heart race and left her unable to breathe. Without the double buffs granted by the outfit, she might not have the courage to face Death directly.
Surging Death energy overflowed, and grey mist spread like tentacles from one end of the corridor to the other, creeping along the floors, walls, and ceiling. The wall lamps on both sides flickered erratically. Corroded by the Death energy, the carpet rotted at a visible rate, and the walls and ceiling crumbled, with ash falling like bone dust.
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
“Forget the elevator. He’s coming for me.” Wayne gave the order before rushing toward their suite. Taking the elevator now would only drag more people into the spiral of Death, which he didn’t want. He kicked the door open and rushed straight to the window at the far end of the living room. Outside, the moon was bright and the stars sparse.
Luzerbourg’s nights were far less active than Londan’s, with few vehicles and pedestrians on the streets. If he could lead the Death Knight to a deserted area... no, to the Holy Mother Cathedral...
He hoped that Archibald hadn’t returned to the Papal State yet. The man seemed quite capable. As the Pope’s aide, he could surely summon an angel. Their combined power might just be enough to defeat the Headless Knight.
He smashed through the living room window, but instead of going into a free fall, he found himself in another living room. The moment he broke through the glass, the environment around him had changed dramatically. The bright moon and the sparse stars vanished instantly, as if he’d traveled through time and space and moved from one suite into another.
The suitcases in the corner and the faint scent of perfume in the air all proved that this was the presidential suite he and Mona had been staying in. Mona trailed after him closely, startled by the identical replica of their living room. It felt as if they hadn’t shattered through glass but a mirror, and they had entered a mirror world.
“Boss, it’s a magical barrier.”
“I know. Find the seam of the spliced spaces and break out.”
Wayne squinted, striding through the living room and opening the door to the corridor. He channeled mana into his eyes, enhancing his super vision to search for weak points in the space.
He had been in a similar spatial barrier back in Londan, when he was ambushed by a group of mysterious mages. He knew that the larger the coverage of the barrier, the more obvious the flaws would be. Where two spaces were joined, there had to be a seam!
He rushed to the end of the corridor but found no weak points. He checked the door before him and smashed it with a punch, standing with Mona in front of the living room window. Seeing Wayne’s grave expression, Mona positioned herself before him and punched through the glass, shattering it. The night sky outside disappeared again, and yet another living room appeared before them.
“What a ridiculous barrier. Can it extend infinitely...” Cold sweat dripped down Wayne’s brow. This was far more formidable than the barrier he had encountered before.
Mona waved a hand to draw a pentagram in the air. The white magic circle spun, condensing holy light into a spear that pierced through the suite door, flying along the carpeted corridor and bursting through the door at the far end.
Glass shattered. Another living room appeared, then another corridor, followed by yet another living room. Glass shattered again, revealing a living room...
The holy light failed to find the end of the barrier even after it was exhausted.
“Boss, there’s no way forward.” Mona’s expression was grave. She had never encountered such a fearsome barrier, not even something similar.
“Then we fight!”
Wayne turned to the end of the corridor. The Headless Knight had to have prepared such an elaborate setup to ensure his elimination. Let them fight to the death to settle Julia’s ownership once and for all. Only the strong deserved a good horse!
He reached into his collar and pulled out the Sacred Lance of Heaven, unleashing it by half. The lance was two meters long with a magnificent, solemn appearance, entirely white with a smooth shape. The golden script inscribed on it gleamed with holy radiance.
The script was the sacred text of the Golden Law, which could elevate holy light to sacred flames, preserving mana and granting the wielder greater destructive force. It was both powerful and beautiful. Heaven sure knew how to attract followers.
Unfortunately, the sacred lance wasn’t suitable for combat in narrow spaces. Even in a semi-unleashed state, it was too unwieldy.
Wayne had no other choice. He would like to use Shadow Nightmare, but the despicable, shameless Headless Knight had stolen it first. He couldn’t summon or use it.
The narrow space also greatly constrained Mona. The stigma on the back of her hand blazed with intense light as white wings slowly spread behind her. Wayne glanced over. He had to admit that the golden eyes and white wings combined with Mona’s noble, holy profile made her look far more like an angel than he did. Those wings, especially, would be perfect handlebars for—
Bah! What was he thinking about at a time like this? Did he have a death wish?
Wayne was deeply annoyed. It was all the Pope’s fault for giving him the gift. If changing outfits didn’t feel addictive for someone with an obsessive tendency like unlocking stages in games, he wouldn’t have become obsessed with dressing her up.
Damn it, why doesn’t it have anti-addiction safeguards?
Wayne and Mona stood ready for battle. At the end of the corridor, a figure in black armor enveloped by Death energy emerged with a sword in hand. The pure white Shadow Nightmare, the heavy armor, the tattered cloak woven from Death energy, and the skull wrathed in black smoke—who else could it be but the Headless Knight?
But he has his head! ∑(O_O;)
Wayne’s mouth fell open, his shock lasting for a while. The Headless Knight recovering his head would mean that the alliance of demons had failed entirely. Returning to his peak, the knight would avenge the humiliation he had suffered. He was no longer a horseless and headless foot soldier. Moreover, he had broken free and regained his will, so he didn’t need another knight to inherit his sword and horse now.
Wayne wasn’t sure how to feel. The Death Knight had left a good impression on Wayne. He was a real man who courageously faced the bleakness of his life, whose indomitable spirit deserved admiration. He was glad to see the knight break free of the demons’ control. However, the Death Knight’s happiness was his misfortune. He would never again be able to openly ride Julia.
When the Death Knight saw him, the black smoke shrouding his skull head suddenly stilled, as if he was surprised. He raised his hand to look at the pure white blade before looking at Wayne again, murmuring, “I see. This is the surface world. It’s because of him that I was projected here.”
The skull head laughed, the white flames dancing in its eye sockets suddenly turning crimson. Gripping the knightly sword with both hands to raise it above his head, the knight made a powerful downward swing, unleashing a wild storm imbued with Death energy.
Rumble!