The Devil’s Cage

CHANG!

The greatsword clashed with the long spear.

The unique clanking sounds of iron could be heard throughout the central square, sending out a formless shockwave upon contact.

Half of the phantasmal figure even plunged into the ground like a wooden pile.

Kieran’s own strength plus the weight of [Arrogant Word] together with the accelerating speed and the momentum of attack from a high position with great speed caused the attack power to exceed Kieran’s own peak performance.

More importantly, after charging up for a while at the high position, he didn’t just bring one strike to the fight. The burning Lineage Fire was fired out at the phantasmal figure when Kieran did a 360 turn in mid-air by utilizing the rebounding force from the sword clash.

Fooosh!

The flames burnt hot but still couldn’t overpower the afterimages and shadows from the blazing kick, enough to envelope even the sky.

[Hundred Violent Kicks]!

The sky above the three-headed phantasmal figure was covered by Kieran’s kick.

His kick turned into kicks, ten to a hundred, each kick was launched in succession, one after another, each kick faster than the previous and stronger than the last.

[Hand-to-hand Combat, Transcendence Kick Combat]!

[Barsical Kick, Bide]!

The special effect of both skills stacked perfectly, boosting Kieran’s Strength and Agility beyond his body limit and turned the relentless kicks into terrifying tidal waves.

The kicks were launched without any pause in between, drowning the burning phantasmal figure whole, as if the figure had turned into ashes from the kicks and fire.

Though it was not the end, Kieran tip-toed in mid-air and miraculously stepped on air itself.

[Modii Jump]!

[Modii Boots] shone and allowed Kieran who was like an erupting volcano a moment ago to jump up higher elegantly like a flying swallow.

Sooou!

A long spear was thrust out from thin air, aiming at Kieran but it only grazed his boots.

The phantasmal figure with the head of a man, lion, and snake burst out from the drowning kicks and appeared suddenly before Kieran in mid-air. Three different heads and three pairs of different eyes stared Kieran with a deadly gaze.

”Judgement!” The figure roared again but it disappeared again when Kieran swung [Arrogant Word] at it.

Kieran then landed on the ground. He carefully looked at the busted building, once a divine temple.

His eyes accidentally glanced over the painting on the wall and his serious looks turned even heavier.

He was sure that three-headed figure was not some divine godly being but not totally unrelated as well. Based on the mystical knowledge in his mind, anything, anyone that had relations to divine beings were not to be messed around with.

The clash in a spark of fire had proved it all. Kieran was charging up his power for a while and caught the three-headed figure off guard, causing it to have a hurried response but they were still evenly matched given the circumstances.

”An enemy that has tainted itself with divine breath or power?” Kieran took a deep breath.

He wasn’t going to back off. The moment he chose his current path, he already knew that following the increase of dungeon entry and difficulty, he would eventually face off against enemies of such caliber, not only an enemy tainted with divine breath or power but a true divine being or God!

Since Kieran was mentally prepared, he would not fear even if he faced off against a real divine being, let alone an inferior imposter.

Wuuuung!

[Arrogant Word]’s bewitching red shine shone brightly following Kieran’s resolution in his heart.

The sword body was shaking, giving out a pleasant blade chime.

The chime was pleasant in Kieran’s ears and acknowledged in the cardinal sins. It even sounded beyond fitting in the black negative energy environment yet such a blade chime was interpreted as sounds of blasphemy in the ears of the phantasmal figure.

”Judgement!”

”Heresy! ”

”Sinner!”

The phantasmal figure stepped out from thin air and landed on top of the temple’s roof.

The man’s head said loudly, following by the lion and the snake.

When all three of the voices converged, the whole temple started to tremble.

The mottled walls started to peel off rapidly, the pillars with the marks of time even started to give out cracks of golden shine and that one painting melted at that moment, taking the whole temple with it.

After countless years through the passage of time, the last freckle of power that remained was incited. A great horn sound came from the sky, expelling the darkness of the negative energy around the melted building.

A dash of radiance shone down and shed its brilliance over the phantasmal figure.

The melted temple was moving like lava and gushed towards the phantasmal figure which was only half a body taller than a common man. The substance filled its body, causing it to expand rapidly, it even started to materialize from its phantasmal state, forming a more solid figure.

Bits of will-o-wisp appeared abruptly before its body and from the will-o-wisp came souls one after another.

The souls were tottering and kneeling down, sticking their forehead down on the ground. Each and every one of the souls was repenting the sins throughout their living days.

From the petty sins of lying to the major crimes of killing and arsons, the petty ones would be caned and the major ones would be burnt.

Then, more illusory figures walked out from the solidifying body, wearing a body of golden armor and holding all sorts of torturing tools in their hand.

They were the executioners that were responsible for executing the punishments and capturing those that fled.

One of the golden-armored figured dived into the ground and a second later, brought out a soul from beneath.

It was the soul of Barry! The general that led forces to assault the Sanctuary Island!

That general now was in an absent-minded state, kneeling there in a stiff manner.

Until when he was canned by the executioners, he expressed his introspection loudly.

”I shouldn’t betray the alliance with Braid, luring him into a trap!”

”I shouldn’t mislead Braid about the information regarding 2567, causing his failure!”

”I shouldn’t tip off 2567, giving him the upper hand!”

...

One sentence after another, it was like he was repenting his sins.

It caused Kieran who was watching the scene to raise a puzzled brow.

”Now I see!” Kieran muttered in his heart.

Kieran actually didn’t find anything special or valuable on the alchemy enhanced warriors that he defeated back then but he had gotten valuable clues from the tattoos on the warrior’s bodies.

After arranging the clues he got, Kieran didn’t just know what Braid’s plans were but he also got Braid’s background as well.

Braid was one of the leaders of the Loran Faction of the Old Southern country.

Of course, the more important part was that he had gotten a good grasp of Braid’s plan and allowed him to come up with countermeasures easily.

’To know one’s own strength and the enemy’s is the sure way to victory!’

Though Kieran never expected as one of the leaders of the Loran faction, Braid possessed the ability to summon the divine power which contradicted the knowledge he had on the Loran faction who offered mostly to the wicked demonic beings.

There must be something in between he didn’t know of but none of that mattered anyway.

Kieran saw flames engulf Barry’s soul, causing him to wail painfully.

At the same time, it seemed to wake him up from his absent-minded state, causing him to curse loudly.

”Braid, you son of a bitch, you treacherous bastard! You will die a horrible death!” and so on.

His cursing was getting dimmer until Barry’s soul vanished.

After performing all the rites, the ”divine being” who had control over it all, turned its three head to Kieran, staring all six of its odd eyes at him.

”Sinner! Accept your judgment!”

A sonorous voice sounded like a blast of thunder in the sky, countless of the golden-armored guards charged at Kieran like a strong wave, wanting to drown Kieran with the numbers quickly.

But they were met with a force beyond their imagination blocking them.

It was Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride, the seven sins were standing in front of Kieran blocking the golden guards.

The seven wicked devilish aura dragged tons of black negative energy around and blasted it to the sky. Seven different shades of black rumbled violently, similar to a raging tornado and almost looked like a vicious beast head.

No, more like a monster! A gigantic monster with seven heads!

ROOOOOAR!

A deafening roar sent out shockwaves, destroying the golden guards wave after wave.

Even more so, countless black air-streams were fired at the ”divine being” like arrows.

Kieran watched over the scene with a calm face, standing where he was without even moving a muscle. He then looked at the ”divine being” which was obviously infuriated by Kieran’s defiance. Kieran then couldn’t help but curl up his lips to a smirk.

”I have to thank you for appearing in my home turf, you… IMPOSTER!”

Word after word was fired at the divine being, implanting themselves into its heart.