Chapter: 218


    Above the Holy Kingdom of Freeman…


    A rumble of thunder echoed through the smoke-filled sky, thick as a storm cloud.


    <strong>KABOOM!</strong>


    The roiling energy within the cloud sent chills down the spines of onlookers. Clearly, a lot of effort had been put into this disy.


    vi frowned.


    ‘The presence is gone.’


    Although the smoke nketed the sky, the aura that had stirred it all up was nowhere to be felt.


    ‘Did I miss them?’


    It appeared the practitioner had slipped away while the smoke billowed up, consuming the surroundings like a dinner at a buffet.


    vi held his sword with a hint of disappointment.


    While he demonstrated absurd strength in direct confrontations, he wasn’t as skilled in tracking.


    “There are too many distractions. Until next time.”


    Those were hisst words, clearly indicating his decision to retreat from the fight.


    ‘Have they evaded?’


    To vi’s eyes, the practitioner had no chance here.


    This was the Holy Kingdom of Freeman.


    Even though things seemed chaotic due to the festival of the gods and the internal disputes, under normal circumstances, even a World Erosion like the practitioner shouldn’t have been able to infiltrate.


    The Holy Royal Family constantly maintained a sacred barrier, only allowing authorized personnel to enter.


    But this barrier had been temporarily disabled due to the religious reform opposition.


    Ordinary priests and holy knights couldn’t enter without permission, which was conveniently turned off for the sake of that very reform.


    The practitioner cleverly seized upon that window, slipping into the Holy Royal Family’s domain.


    ‘There’s a traitor among them.’


    With timing this perfect, there must surely be a coborator with the World Erosions somewhere.


    ‘I’ll figure that outter—torture them if need be.’


    vi gazed skyward.


    <strong>KABOOM!</strong>


    Once again, lightning crackled within the ominous clouds, clearly a brewing storm.


    It seemed the practitioner had poured out their power to prevent being followed.


    Suddenly, dozens of beams of light shot up from below the roof.


    As the smoky cloud was struck by the beams, part of it began to copse.


    vi focused his aura to broaden his vision and spotted Tersada alongside members of the opposition approaching.


    Their eyes were filled with intense rage.


    They too had realized that a World Erosion was exploiting their noble religious revolution.


    ‘Soon, it’s going to be a bloody storm.’


    That wasn’t something vi needed to worry about.


    Now, there was only one thing left to resolve.


    He needed to deal with the smoky cloud blocking the sky.


    If he wasn’t careful, not just the royal pce but also innocent civilians could get caught in the chaos.


    ‘Time to clear it away.’


    Dark red energy began to surge from vi’s body.


    It felt akin to blood, and with every pulsating wave, his presence grew more formidable.


    <strong>VROOM!</strong>


    At that moment, amid the cloud of darkness, an absurdlyrge hand of smoke emerged, looming over the pce.


    Its size could easily cast a shadow over the pce itself—a hand so gigantic it felt like the universe was trying to give Freeman a gentle p.


    vi clicked his tongue, irritated.


    “They really left a mess behind.”


    The oversized hand engulfing the smoky vibe began to descend on the pce.


    The entire Freeman trembled as the enormous hand impacted the ground, shaking the whole kingdom.


    Beneath it, vi’s ck hair and clothes were whisked upward.


    As the dark red energy surged, his eyes lit up fiercely, ready to incinerate the cloud whole.


    Then…


    <strong>CRUNCH!</strong>


    Just as the smoky hand lowered, it suddenly split apart.


    The split hands turned into thousands of strands, raining down in a unified direction.


    “What the—?!”


    vi’s eyes widened in shock.


    That wasn’t just an attack; it was aimed directly at someone.


    His gazended on Kraush, who had been marked not just as a target but as the main course for the smoky feast.


    ‘Was this an escape strategy?’


    vi’s instincts kicked in.


    Without knowing why, the practitioner left the smoky cloud targeting Kraush.


    That toxic smoke could melt skin, muscle, and bone in an instant—a real delight!


    So, vi thought about rushing in to save Kraush while demolishing the practitioner’s attack.


    However, his eyes soon fell upon Kraush amidst the dark mes that were almost mesmerizing.


    What kind of concentration was that?


    Even during a desperate attack aimed at him, Kraush was forcibly suppressing everything, entering a focused state.


    The rising ck mes whisked his hair around like a chaotic dance party.


    At the same time, it was producing smoke that radiated heat, making the air around him sizzle.


    vi couldn’t help but feel the heat wash over his face; it was a considerable amount.


    Amidst the swirling mes, Kraush’s increasingly red eyes met vi’s gaze.


    At that moment, realization sank in.


    ‘He’s wielding the Sky Kill?’


    The power sparkling in Kraush’s eyes was unmistakably the Sky Kill.


    It was a force that instilled murderous intent towards the world.


    Though it meant drastically enhancing physical abilities and aura, controlling the intent of the Sky Kill was a headache, even for someone seasoned like vi.


    How could it be that Kraush was managing it wlessly now?


    ‘…How?’


    He recalled receiving the power just a few years back.


    Back then, vi’s impression of him was that of a tricky little rookie—a boy who was growing fast but still rtively clueless.


    Yet Kraush’s potential was clearly evident in how his toxic aura caught vi’s attention.


    And now, in just a few short years, Kraush had shown growth that truly startled vi.


    The space around Kraush shimmered in distortion.


    The energy radiating from him was so immense it affected the very atmosphere.


    The issue was that the magnitude of power he was gathering was far bigger than vi had anticipated.


    ‘Why’s it like this?’


    Was it all to break the practitioner’s attack?


    ‘No…’


    Looking at it closely, vi realized that the output couldn’t solely be geared toward that.


    Kraush must have been after something else too.


    The determination manifesting in his eyes; he was evidently nning the next move.


    It was the same way when he took down the 8th-level Erosion Agares.


    In the midst of the ck mes, Kraush’s gaze met vi’s.


    As soon as vi deciphered it, he swiftly changed course.


    He leaped into the sky.


    ‘Definitely Sky Kill.’


    Seeing vi catch on, Kraush couldn’t help but smirk.


    Simultaneously, seven stars adorned the nighttime canvas within him.


    The starry light of the Sky Kill coursed through Kraush’s body.


    In that moment, the power of World Erosion surged within him uncontrobly.


    Thanks to the seasonal influence, even his aura had transformed into the energy of World Erosion.


    The burning power emanating from Kraush was no longer the same as before.


    <strong>CRACK!</strong>


    The torrent of overwhelming strength flowed through Kraush, pushing him to the brink of consciousness.


    He desperately shed against this formidable stream of World Erosion power, determined to grasp it with his own hands.


    <strong>WHOOSH—</strong>


    In that instant, all the energy of World Erosion ignited as Ignis transformed into ck mes.


    In that towering fire, Kraush’s crimson eyes glowed fiercely.


    <strong>Annihtion of the Heavens.</strong>


    ‘Not yet.’


    The ck mes, once more, began to elerate, fueled by the effect of Excel, causing Kraush’s body to thrum with intensity.


    <strong>THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!</strong>


    Each pulse intensified the wild mes, heating Kraush’s body far beyond limits.


    Even his well-trained physique trembled slightly under the strain.


    ‘Not yet.’


    Yet Kraush resolutely gripped the fading consciousness from the pain.


    He felt as if his insides were being melted by the mes, but he brushed that off.


    The intensity of the mes gradually grew, bubbling forth with a ferocity akin to a zing inferno.


    Mirages sparked and swayed around Kraush, distorting the space around him.


    <strong>Now.</strong>


    <strong>CLANK!</strong>


    At that moment, a sound of gears locking echoed from Kraush’s mouth.


    He sensed the strengthening essence of enhancement potions coursing through him.


    This was the fourth iteration of the refined enhancement potion—a substantial upgrade.


    As a result, Kraush’s output heightened at an astonishing ratepared to before.


    Alongside that, his body could confront the overwhelming flow of ck mes.


    ‘What a darling he is…’


    Without a doubt, he was no ordinary genius.


    Kraush, along with the physique that endured the ck mes, exhaled a stream of searing smoke.


    <strong>Annihtion of the Heavens.</strong>


    This was the strongest state Kraush could achieve.


    And in this final moment, he revealed his ultimate card.


    Kraush stirred the four seasons embedded deep within him.


    The dominating force of World Erosion that had been unleashed by the seasons shuddered upon his call.


    The mes began shifting in color.


    Gradually, the inferno transformed from ck to white.


    In an instant, the white me engulfed everything, consuming all light around it, igniting with an intensity that resembled the sun.


    Everything burning in<strong>Annihtion of the Heavens</strong>suddenly transformed into Aura, the power that defends the world.


    Kraush’s thunderous mes erupted silently.


    The white mes disyed undeniable strength against the forces of World Erosion.


    And that applied to foes in that realm as well.


    Before Kraush, who was now extending his gaze skyward, stood vi, flying above.


    The dark red energy contained within his dual swords had condensed to the utmost degree.


    Finally, vi swung those swords toward the smoky hands.


    <strong>Dance of the God Killer—Two Swords.</strong>


    <strong>Fifth Style.</strong>


    <strong>God Killer’s sh.</strong>


    <strong>SLASH!</strong>


    The intersecting shes obliterated the smoky hands, reaching the clouds.


    As a result, a raging storm descended upon the entire Holy Kingdom, shaking it to its core.


    In the sky, light broke through the spaces where the clouds had been cleaved by vi’s devastating strike.


    Clearly, vi wasn’t anyone who had simplye about through history; he had disyed overwhelming power.


    And beneath him…


    In the heart of that sunlight, Kraush’s white mes zed at their peak.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As the radiant mes surged forth, Kraush unexpectedly turned around, swinging them behind him.


    It was a curious choice that left observers puzzled.


    However, Kraush hesitated not at all.


    <strong>CLANG!</strong>


    The sound of metal echoed through the air.


    Behind Kraush, the elderly practitioner, Yurma, widened his eyes in shock.


    He was none other than the same practitioner who had aimed to kill Kraush all along after cleverly hiding in the smoke instead of fleeing.


    But it seemed Kraush had understood the n all along.


    He didn’t waste energy on the trap he’did, entrusting it to vi instead.


    Confusion settled over Yurma’s face beneath the brim of his hat.


    And at that moment, from Kraush’s sword, white mes burst forth in unison.


    The power emanating from those white mes was vast enough to astound even Yurma.


    Through the white mes, Kraush’s crimson eyes remained solely fixed on Yurma.


    As Yurma finally recognized the situation, realization dawned.


    ‘Gotcha.’


    In that moment, Kraush’s white mes engulfed Yurma entirely.


    <strong>Annihtion of Fire.</strong>


    <strong>Sixth Style.</strong>