13 Mink Street

Peld leveled his spear.

In an instant, two identical figures appeared beside him. This was an extremely practical Art for close combat. It effectively disrupted an opponent’s focus and made it easier to expose openings.

But against Karon, its effect was limited.

Behind Karon, Pu’er’s phantom spread both arms outward. Immediately following that, a ring of fire roughly six meters in diameter appeared beneath Karon’s feet. The circle of fire rose upward, transforming into a three-dimensional sphere of flames that completely enveloped him. Even the air in front of him grew distorted from the heat.

A fake was still a fake. No matter how realistic it might look, it would remain false.

Karon had no need to carefully distinguish between the real and fake bodies. He merely needed to create a sensory environment around himself. When something approached, the difference in perception between what was real and what was fake would be completely different.

Of course, only Karon could fight like this. His reserves of spirituality were simply too enormous. His foundation was too strong. He could afford this kind of extravagant exertion.

Earlier, the hardest thing for him during battle had not been the fight itself, but controlling himself and preventing himself from using his full power.

At this point, he no longer cared whether Ophelia discovered anything, because she had already guessed enough. What he truly feared was letting his opponent witness something he should not see, yet still failing to silence him.

Karon firmly believed that the young man before him must be carrying many holy relics. Young members of families like the Simons would never lack protective treasures.

Furthermore, the Church of Reincarnation delegation was staying within the hotel itself. An accident could occur at any moment. That was why Karon had warned Ophelia earlier. Either he controlled himself and subdued Peld properly, capturing or killing him, or, if Karon failed to control himself and exposed something that should not be seen. That would mean that Peld absolutely could not be allowed to leave alive!

Peld tilted his head slightly. He had been puzzled by Karon’s fighting style from the beginning. This opponent practically wore stupidity and wastefulness openly, and now, he was pushing that to an even greater extreme.

Still, this opponent’s strength and reserves forced Peld to take him seriously. Therefore, Peld concluded that Karon’s status within the Church of Order must be extraordinary. Still, the man probably lacks sufficient combat experience!

Peld moved first. The three identical figures charged at Karon, switching positions midway through their advance.

To Karon, the shifting bodies looked like a cup-and-ball game flashing before his eyes. Since he could not clearly distinguish the truth, he simply ignored the trick entirely. The moment the three figures closed in on him, Karon relied on his perception provided by the field of flames surrounding him to instantly determine the correct target.

The greatsword swept sideways.

Bang! The spear tip collided against the greatsword.

Yet from the spearhead came an exquisitely twisting rotational force. Even though Karon wielded the sword with both hands, his wrists immediately felt a tearing pain. Had he not clenched his teeth and endured the pain, the sword likely would have been sent flying from his hands at the moment of impact.

This method of allowing a dead soul to possess the user and fight in their place completely elevated the wielder’s strength and combat experience to an entirely different level.

Peld knocked the greatsword aside, then lowered the tip of the spear and used the weapon’s advantage of greater length to launch a piercing thrust at Karon.

Karon rapidly retreated. At this point, the fight was no longer about distinguishing phantoms from the true body; The opponent’s techniques were already becoming difficult for Karon to handle.

Peld had apparently anticipated Karon’s reaction long ago. Midway through the thrust, he twisted the spear shaft, transforming the weapon into a sweeping staff strike.

A streak of white light slammed directly into Karon’s chest.

Even with the protection of the Sea God’s Armor, Karon was still sent flying.

Peld planted the spear tip against the ground, turned his body sideways, and then hurled the spear outward. It transformed into a white tiger that roared at Karon, who was still falling through the air.

“Damn!” A low growl escaped his throat. In this kind of brutal close-quarters confrontation, Arts could only serve as support. They could not truly alter the situation.

Karon closed his eyes as Darkmoon power surged again. At the same time, Order flames erupted around his body, completely engulfing him. From the outside, Karon transformed into a burning man.

Then, his eyes reopened. Within his left pupil, the deep blackness of Order rapidly rotated outward, covering both of his eyes entirely. At the same time, it concealed the blood-red glow of the Darkmoon Eyes that had nearly exposed themselves.

If he had not been forced into a corner, Karon truly would not have devised a method to conceal the Darkmoon Eyes so quickly. At this moment, he finally unleashed the full power of the Darkmoon Blade with the amplification of the Darkmoon Eyes.

The greatsword became like a ferocious monstrous beast breaking free of its cage. Karon no longer even needed to exert force himself. The sword directly dragged his body into rotation through the air as he hacked downward toward the white tiger phantom.

Boom! The white tiger shattered instantly. The spear flew backward before landing back in Peld’s hand.

Shock could be clearly seen in his eyes. The power Karon had just displayed vastly surpassed anything that had been demonstrated during their earlier exchanges.

Meanwhile, standing behind the tree, Ophelia’s expression became even more grave and confused. From Karon, she sensed an aura that stirred an impulse to worship deep within her bloodline.

She clenched both fists tightly. In her eyes, this man had always been wrapped in layers of fog. Every time she thought she had peeled away one layer, she simply discovered countless more hidden beneath it.

Karon landed on the ground. The blackness within his eyes made their sockets appear hollow, as though capable of devouring all sight. The black flames surrounding his body were so dense that they seemed ready to liquefy and drip downward.

In terms of presence, aura, and appearance, Karon’s current state was absolutely astonishing. In truth, he had always hated excessive flashy effects during combat. If this had been some deserted island where no outside interference could possibly appear, he never would have bothered creating these purely “visual effect” displays.

But given where he was, he did not dare take any risks. Until absolutely necessary, he refused to expose his identity.

Fortunately, as a member of the Church of Order, no matter how exaggerated his Order power appeared, it could still be understood. Even if he were discovered... the worst possible outcome would merely be that he got recognized as a promising young talent of the Church of Order and received greater cultivation. The harshest punishment would simply be enjoying better treatment and promotion prospects because of it.

Peld gripped his spear once more. If one looked carefully, it was possible to see two distinct emotions in his eyes. One was confusion. The other was more confusion.

What? You want me to retreat now? I can’t run!

We’ve already fought. He’ll definitely report this matter to Order’s higher-ups, and those people will absolutely use it to needle my grandaunt. I cannot ruin the improved impression she’s finally started developing toward me!

I don’t care what secrets he’s hiding anymore.

Help me kill him. Kill him! Kill him!

Meanwhile, Karon rolled his neck slightly, loosening the joints throughout his body as much as possible.

This time, before his opponent could launch another attack, Karon charged first.

Faster speed. Greater strength. With the Darkmoon Eyes activated, the amount of Darkmoon power he could mobilize rose to an utterly terrifying level.

At the same time, the opponent’s reactions slowed to Karon’s perspective.

Boom! Sword and spear collided for the first time. The surrounding wind exploded outward, stripping bark from nearby trees.

Wrapped in blazing flames, Karon swung down his second strike.

Boom!

Third strike!

Fourth strike!

Fifth strike!

Although Peld successfully blocked every one of Karon’s attacks, he seemed capable of nothing beyond pure defense.

Keep going! Karon swung again and again. Every strike forced the opponent into defense through overwhelming brute force, preventing him from making any other responses whatsoever.

Karon had no idea what the opponent currently felt, but this time, he was personally completely enjoying the fight. He was enjoying the hacking immensely.

Within his mind appeared the image of the captain wearing the Light Knight armor during combat.

Thinking about it now, the captain must have been exhilarated back then too!

Martial techniques. Combat skills. Experience. All of those things became pale and meaningless in front of raw, absolute power. An ultimate trump-card attack from someone else became nothing more than an ordinary strike for Karon.

But right at that moment, he noticed that his opponent’s blocks were beginning to weaken. Karon’s mind instantly cleared. He no longer indulged in the pleasure of overwhelming violence. He understood that the opponent was biding his time. He could underestimate Peld, but he had no right to underestimate the soul that was summoned.

Sure enough, when Karon unleashed another downward slash, the spear blocked it once more.

Then, the spear shaft suddenly softened like molten metal and curled upward, wrapping tightly around the purple greatsword in Karon’s hands. Peld swung the spear violently with his right hand, instantly closing the distance. A gray bolt of lightning appeared in his left palm before slamming directly toward Karon.

Boom! The Sea God’s Armor shattered apart instantly beneath the strike.

His opponent had long since analyzed Karon’s armor and prepared a counter specifically for it.

After the lightning dispersed, a palm suddenly struck inward. A strand of blood shot out and formed a miniature magic array in midair. From that array, a snake burst forth, covered in gray scales. The serpent opened its mouth, and dense curse power brewed within its dark-gray fangs.

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly and with terrifying speed, yet because Karon had mentally prepared himself beforehand, he could have forcibly detonated the Darkmoon Blade within his body, melting everything around him and carving out an absolutely safe zone through the most unreasonable method imaginable. While doing so would also cost him enormously, he absolutely could have done it.

However, when Karon saw the serpent’s fangs, he abandoned that option.

A spar was a spar. There were many rules involved. On the other hand, killing was simple. It was merely a calculation of what price you were willing to pay in exchange for the enemy’s death.

Crunch! The venomous snake bit into Karon’s neck, its fangs piercing deeply. Its body instantly lengthened, coiling tightly around Karon’s throat and locking him in place.

At the same moment, Karon’s greatsword slashed toward Peld. The young man raised both arms. A bracelet on his wrist shattered apart and condensed into a shield!

Bang! The shield shattered beneath the greatsword. The sword itself rebounded upward. Peld’s body trembled violently. The sound of bones cracking rang out clearly. He coughed out blood as his entire body flew backward. He had paid an enormous price, but he had successfully landed his killing move on Karon’s neck.

Gray poisonous mist spread outward from Karon’s wound, gradually dyeing his entire body.

It was worth it! Karon completely ignored the snake around his neck. Compared to the serpent’s poison, he trusted his own dog more.

Under these circumstances, Karon flicked upward with the fingers of his left hand. Beneath the airborne Peld, the black chains that had remained hidden below instantly erupted upward, piercing into both of Peld’s feet.

At that moment, the black chains rapidly turned white.

Soul pact, sever!

Crack... Peld seemed to hear the sound of a glass bottle shattering. Immediately afterward, blood flowed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. This was not due to any internal injuries inflicted by the greatsword earlier. Rather, it was because the sudden collapse of the soul pact forced his body to directly endure the backlash of possession.

The black figure separated from Peld’s body. After crashing to the ground, Peld rolled several times in utter misery before collapsing face-first.

Karon stabbed the greatsword into the ground. One hand gripped the sword hilt as he dropped to one knee.

“Ghh... ah!” A low roar escaped Karon’s throat. With his other hand wrapped in Order’s purification, he grabbed the serpent’s body and violently tore outward.

Snap! The snake was forcibly ripped free and hurled aside. The creature instantly transformed into a puddle of black blood that caused all vegetation within several square meters to wither immediately.

A large chunk of flesh tore away from Karon’s neck along with the serpent, leaving behind a horrifyingly bloody wound. At that moment, Karon himself sensed a fierce, burning agony, as though a hole had been drilled into the back of his skull and an entire bottle of strong liquor had been poured inside. His consciousness nearly tore apart.

Yet he still endured, refusing to collapse into unconsciousness under his body’s instinctive self-protection.

The true horror of the venomous snake did not lie in the wound it inflicted. It lay in the curse injected into the body. It would rot the flesh. Decay the soul. Cause the flower of life itself to wither away. The backs of Karon’s hands had already turned grayish-brown. The poison had spread throughout his entire body.

At this moment, every breath Karon inhaled seemed filled with the stench of his own organs rapidly rotting away. Every breath he exhaled felt as though life itself were being stripped from his body.

“Karon!!!”

“Don’t move!” Karon shouted sharply. He could endure. He believed he could endure, so there was no need for Ophelia to expose herself now.

At the same time, something puzzled him deeply. Peld, sprawled on the ground while struggling unsuccessfully to stand, had not been attacked by that powerful undead soul. The black armored soul simply stood quietly beside him.

What the hell? Kill him already!

Peld struggled desperately to rise, yet found it impossibly difficult. In the end, he could only prop himself up using his elbows.

The woman tried to run toward him as well, but he shouted, “Don’t come over! I’m fine!”

She stopped, and then retreated back behind the tree.

Peld twisted his head with difficulty toward the black undead soul and said awkwardly, “Great-Aunt once said my strength was too weak, that I couldn’t maintain a stable soul pact with you, and it could collapse at any moment during combat. It was my weakness that limited your power.

“I’m sorry, Uncle.”

“...” Karon. He genuinely wanted to curse. Uncle?

However, the other side clearly had not noticed the role played by the chains of Order.

Yes, to them, the Chains of Order were merely an ordinary Art mastered by priests of the Church of Order. Until now, there had never been any precedent of Chains of Order severing soul pacts. The only person who had ever received such treatment, Talina, had already been burned to ash by the captain.

Peld believed the soul pact had collapsed because of his own weakness. Of course, the main reason was that the pressure exerted by the enemy before him had forced the pact into an extremely unstable critical state throughout the battle.

The black soul itself also revealed confusion in its gaze. Earlier, it had sensed something strange. It vaguely felt the collapse of the soul pact was not so simple.

A bead rolled to the undead soul’s feet. The bead emitted a gentle gray light, forming a protective barrier that prevented irreversible dissipation of the soul. Although separated from its host body, the soul was still preserved.

Peld struggled once more to rise unsuccessfully. Fortunately, the Order priest opposite him was definitely doomed.

Then he raised his head and saw, in utter disbelief, that Karon had actually stood up again.

“...” Peld.

Karon’s palm slid across the blade of the sword. Cursed blood continuously flowed from the wound on his hand, dripping onto the ground and causing the vegetation beneath his feet to wither.

Yet the pain and pressure within his own body continuously lessened. He did not fear curses, because his body had already been transformed by a heretical god. He himself was the true source of corruption.

Although his blood did not visibly damage ordinary vegetation, that was merely the lowest-level manifestation. Even the insects cultivated by Phileas could not survive inside his body. The mutated Curse Insects were instead poisoned to death by his blood.

Karon inhaled deeply. Supporting himself against the sword hilt, he slowly stood upright completely.

Alright then. Failing to predict that you two are relatives was my mistake, but neither of you anticipated that a curse of this level would only cause me pain. It would never make me fall.

In the end... I am still the victor.

Karon pulled the greatsword from the ground and began walking toward Peld step by step. At this point, he could finally decide whether to capture Peld alive or simply kill him outright. Killing him would definitely trigger unrest and close scrutiny from the Reincarnation side. It would provoke investigations and stir massive waves.

But...

You should still die. Be reunited with your sister.

Sometimes, Karon could be extremely compassionate. For example, he genuinely pitied the girl from the restaurant.

At other times, he could become terrifyingly ruthless. His enemies were best off completely dead.

“H-how is this possible!” Despair manifested in Peld’s eyes.

At that moment, the black soul voluntarily separated itself from the protection and maintenance of the pact bead and charged at Karon.

“Without a physical vessel, what can you possibly do?” Karon raised his hand and chanted, “Order—Purification!”

Purification power enveloped the soul, yet the next moment, the soul actually pierced straight through that purification power. Although its figure faded considerably, its momentum remained terrifying.

No wonder Peld believed the collapse of the soul pact earlier had merely been an accident. The power of his dead uncle was truly terrifying.

Buzz! The black undead soul crashed directly into Karon’s body. He trembled violently as he froze in place.

The undead soul inside him immediately began trying to seize control of his body with an overwhelmingly tyrannical force.

When Karon realized the opponent’s intention, he neither panicked nor became flustered. Instead, he simply asked, “You actually want to steal my body?”

Karon tilted his head upward forcefully. “Heh. Even my dog couldn’t pull that off.”