Chapter 460: Have You Been Working Out Lately? (1)
The aura emanating from Ghislain was no longer tinged with red; it was gradually being engulfed by a deeper, more ominous darkness.
“A fool who has lost his mind and forgotten the enlightenment he once achievedhow can such a man be called a transcendent?”
This was the part the Salvation Church had overlooked. They assumed that when Melchior, a transcendent, unleashed his power, he would become unimaginably strong.
However, transcendents are those who establish their own unique world within their inner realm and manifest it into reality. A transcendent who loses their sanity and their world, like Melchior, could no longer be considered as such.
“When you lose your skills, enlightenment, and will, all that’s left is a grotesque, muddied force. Swinging that around won’t make you stronger it makes you weaker.”
For an ordinary knight, such raw physical enhancement might have been useful. After all, it did significantly amplify physical capabilities.
But not for a transcendent. A transcendent is someone who occupies time and space based on their own principles. Without those principles, they cannot stand against another transcendent.
Melchior not only lost his inner realm but was also unable to wield his aura blade. All he had left was brute force a Crusader stripped of anything resembling finesse or precision.
“Your experiment has failed. Not that you’d know, but it failed in my previous life too.”
Using this power always leads to madness and eventual death, rendering it impossible for them to test their theories properly on a transcendent. Thus, even the priests of the Salvation Church were unaware of this truth.
“Kraaaah!”
Melchior couldn’t comprehend Ghislain’s words. He simply let out a beastly roar, focusing solely on eradicating the target before him.
Ghislain’s fist slammed into Melchior’s face once more.
Boom!
Melchior tried to endure, but Ghislain didn’t relent. He struck Melchior’s face and body repeatedly without pause.
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Crunch!
Eventually, one side of Melchior’s face caved in. Even with his body enhanced by the black energy, it couldn’t withstand the greater power pounding against it and began to crumble.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Melchior’s arm broke under the relentless assault, followed by his legs bending in unnatural directions. He could no longer counterattack.
Ghislain didn’t even allow him the respite to collapse. His fists continued to hammer Melchior’s body at an astonishing speed.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The black energy enveloping Melchior’s body scattered and dissipated with every blow. He couldn’t withstand the shockwaves emanating from Ghislain’s strikes.
Rumble.
As Ghislain drew his fist back, a tremendous energy coalesced around it. In the brief moment of reprieve, Melchior staggered and began to fall.
However, before he could fully collapse, Ghislain’s fist crashed into his face like a thunderbolt.
Boom!
Melchior’s head was driven deep into the ground.
“Guhhh…”
A glimmer of sanity returned to Melchior’s eyes. However, with his face completely shattered, his life force was rapidly fading.
Only the persistently clinging black energy was barely keeping him alive.
Having regained full consciousness, Melchior slowly opened his mouth.
“W-Wait…”
His teeth were utterly destroyed, rendering his speech barely intelligible. With a terrified gaze, he looked up at the figure before him.
Wrapped in a black aura, with crimson eyes shining brilliantly.
‘Why does the Salvation Church’s ideal Crusader… no, why has my mind returned? Wasn’t I supposed to lose my sanity?’
Melchior’s thoughts were cut short. Ghislain, who had restored his opponent’s reason through sheer violence, raised his fist again.
“Well, looks like I’ve avenged my mother on a whim. Not bad. No, actually, this is a pretty great situation. I’ve taken revenge and gotten rid of a transcendent from the Ducal Family.”
Ghislain grinned wickedly, his crimson eyes gleaming. He didn’t particularly hold a grudge against Melchior, but it was said that he was one of the reasons his mother had passed away early.
Even so, Ghislain couldn’t deny that because of Melchior’s actions, his mother met his father, leading to his own birth. For that reason, he decided not to prolong Melchior’s suffering and chose to end it cleanly.
“This’ll hurt a little.”
Boom!
Ghislain’s fist flew toward the fallen Melchior’s face once more.
Crunch!
Melchior didn’t rise again. His face was utterly destroyed, and his head was driven deep into the ground.
“Phew…”
Ghislain exhaled deeply, lowering his stance as he straightened his back.
It might have looked like an easy victory, but his entire body ached. He had also used more than half of his mana. The power of the so-called Crusaders was not something to be underestimated.
“He probably would’ve given Tennant a good fight.”
Ghislain chuckled. Even without his enlightenment, Melchior might have posed a decent challenge.
Though, in the end, a true transcendent like Tennant would’ve triumphed albeit after a hard-fought battle.
“You can come now.”
The Black King kept his distance, staying far from the shockwaves of the battle. By now, he was accustomed to it.
He was leisurely chewing grass nearby, completely unbothered, as though he didn’t think his master was in any real danger.
"Let’s go."
Although he had sent Gillian ahead, ensuring there was little to worry about, he still needed to confirm it with his own eyes.
Riding on the Black King, Ghislain galloped straight toward the lord's castle.
* * *
The assassins who had broken through the encirclement used the cover of darkness to infiltrate the lord’s castle. The ordinary guards were incapable of stopping them.
However, once inside the castle, their troubles began. With knights and soldiers swarming the place, they had no choice but to move in stealth.
Snap!
Camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings, the assassins attempted to avoid detection, gliding through shadows cast by pillars, ceilings, and various objects.
But perfection was unattainable. Deviating from normal movement paths, they eventually triggered concealed magical alarms.
Bzzzzz!
A surge of powerful magical energy rang out as the alarm blared.
Knights and soldiers stationed within the castle began chasing after the assassins.
"Capture them!"
"There they are!"
"Report it quickly!"
Despite their best efforts to evade pursuit, several assassins were eventually caught.
Slash!
"Ugh!"
Surrounded, the assassins couldn’t withstand the coordinated attacks of the knights and soldiers. Even as highly skilled assassins, it was impossible for them to cut down the overwhelming numbers.
Thus, they resorted to their last, hidden means of power something entirely unsuitable for assassination.
Boom!
"Graaaah!"
The assassins, cornered within the castle, exploded their life force, transforming into monsters.
Those who escaped the encirclement became Crusaders. This final act allowed some individuals within the lord’s castle, capable of inflicting significant damage in a last stand, to escape while others sacrificed themselves.
"Fall back! They're Crusaders!"
The soldiers retreated, and the knights stepped forward to confront the assassins-turned-monsters.
But the vastly enhanced assassins overpowered the knights. Even the few magicians of Ferdium who joined in couldn’t easily suppress the monstrous assassins.
However, they were not the only ones present.
Whirl!
Bang!
An axe flew out of nowhere, shattering the head of a rampaging assassin-turned-monster in an instant.
“It’s Sir Gillian!”
Someone shouted in relief.
With a furious expression, Gillian charged ahead of everyone else, launching attacks against the assassins.
His daughter, Rachel, was staying here. It was only natural for him to rage like a mad lion.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
When the Fenris knights joined in after Gillian, the Crusaders fell quickly. The numbers were in their favor from the start.
Soon, the returning knights and soldiers of Ferdium filled the castle entirely.
The exposed assassins were defeated shortly thereafter. No matter how skilled or powerful they were, they couldn’t contend with such sheer numbers.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Randolph spoke up.
"What? Are they all dead? Aren’t there more?"
Eight assassins lay defeated. Randolph tilted his head.
"Weren’t there about ten or eleven earlier? Could it be that some haven’t been caught yet?"
The knights' expressions grew tense. The magical alarms hadn’t gone off, and the knights and soldiers stationed all over the castle hadn’t discovered any others.
They might still be hiding outside the castle, which meant a thorough search would be necessary. If they found them, that would be fortunate. But if the assassins had fully retreated, they’d have to remain on high alert indefinitely.
At that moment, Belinda, covered in wounds, appeared, shouting. She was visibly exhausted, her breathing heavy.
"What about the lady’s room? Rachel! What about the marquis and his retainers?"
Randolph, startled, responded hastily.
"Belinda? What happened to you? Are you okay? Where are you hurt?"
"Is the lady safe? Is Rachel safe?"
"Wait, why the sudden informality yes! They’re safe! Knights and soldiers are inside the room right now!"
Before Belinda could sigh in relief, the magical alarm went off again.
Clang!
The sound of shattering glass followed immediately.
Belinda’s face turned pale.
"That’s the lady’s room!"
Flash!
Belinda’s body was enveloped in darkness before vanishing. Gillian’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the technique he had glimpsed for a moment.
It seemed as though she had crossed the walls.
But there was no time to marvel. Rachel would be with Elena.
Gillian and the knights quickly moved toward Elena’s room.
As expected, the remaining assassins had scaled the walls to infiltrate Elena’s quarters. The magical alarms set in the room went off, but the assassins moved swiftly.
Inside, the assassins found two frightened women. One of them, with golden hair, was their target.
"Graaaah!"
The assassin who had shattered the window immediately transformed into a Crusader and charged forward.
Of course, there were those standing in his way.
"Stop him!"
Four knights and dozens of soldiers surrounded the two women. Even the soldiers who had been guarding the door outside burst in, breaking the door down.
The knights at the forefront swung their swords.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their attacks didn’t land effectively. The knights, fighting a Crusader for the first time, were taken aback.
They tried to muster more strength to subdue the enemy, but the monster had already broken through with overwhelming force.
Boom!
"Argh!"
The soldiers were pushed back in an instant. The monster roared and stretched out its hand. A few more steps, and it could snap its target’s neck.
But the knights weren’t the only ones protecting Elena.
Swish!
Suddenly, eight maids dropped from the ceiling, blocking the monster's path. These were assassins trained by Ghislain and Belinda.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The transformed assassin’s charge was halted there. The maids bound the monster with sturdy wires attached to their daggers, attacking it relentlessly.
Knights arriving late also poured all their mana into slashing at the monster's back.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The monster was quickly reduced to shreds by attacks from every direction.
However, it wasn’t the only one to have entered.
"Graaaaah!"
Another monster charged right after it. This time, the knights, already having faced one, mustered all their strength and attacked the creature. The maids guarding Elena joined in as well.
After neutralizing the second monster, everyone involuntarily let down their guard.
Snap!
Taking advantage of the brief moment of respite, a third assassin lunged forward.
"Block it!"
The knights hastily swung their swords, and the maids threw their daggers, but they couldn’t deliver a critical blow.
Despite accumulating wounds all over his body, the assassin eventually reached his target.
He had seized the opportunity by stepping over the sacrifices of his comrades.
The assassin reached out toward his target.
At that very moment, Rachel shoved Elena out of the way, placing herself between her and the assassin.
"Rachel!"
Elena’s cry rang out as Rachel closed her eyes.
"Tsk."
The assassin briefly glanced at his intended target but found the maids had already slipped into position, flanking him.
With no other choice, the assassin grabbed Rachel by the neck with a firm grip.
"Don’t move!"
It was a gamble. She wasn’t the marquis’s daughter, so he couldn’t be certain she’d be useful as a hostage. Still, he refrained from using a poisoned dagger, just in case.
Surprisingly, everyone froze. While not as significant as Elena, Rachel was also a very important figure in Ferdium’s territory.
The assassin’s gamble paid off. Panting, he tightened his arm around Rachel’s neck.
"Back off. Unless you want to see this woman die."
Everyone took a cautious step back. Watching them, the assassin was lost in thought.
‘Damn it, my target was supposed to be the marquis’s daughter. Who the hell is this woman? For now, I’ll hold out until the branch leader arrives.’
Death was inevitable for the assassin. If so, then he needed to at least complete his mission. Otherwise, his death would be meaningless.
He believed that if Melchior arrived, the commotion he caused could create an opening to assassinate either the Marquis of Ferdium or his daughter.
“Rachel!”
At that moment, Gillian, who had just arrived, saw the assassin holding Rachel hostage and ground his teeth. Rachel’s face was flushed red with blood pooling there.
Seeing his daughter get captured made him want to rush forward and smash the assassin’s head to pieces.
But Belinda held him back as he trembled with rage.
“Wait. One mistake, and it’s over.”
The assassin was highly skilled. Even the slightest exertion of force could snap Rachel’s neck.
As everyone stood frozen, unable to act, Ghislain arrived.
“Young Lord!”
“My Lord!”
The assassin, hearing the reactions, realized that the man who had just appeared was none other than the Count of Fenris.
Ghislain spoke with a cold, composed expression.
“If you want to die peacefully, let her go. Unless you want your head smashed like your branch leader’s.”
“What? The branch leader… is dead?”
“That’s right.”
The assassin’s face filled with disbelief. Their branch leader, dead? Was the Count of Fenris truly that powerful?
“You’re lying. Don’t lie to me. The branch leader is a transcendent. How could you still look so unscathed?”
Ghislain appeared mostly unharmed, save for looking slightly disheveled and fatigued. No matter how strong someone was, a fight between two transcendents shouldn’t leave one looking so untouched.
Ghislain turned to Belinda and spoke.
“She took care of him.”
Belinda’s body was covered in wounds, lending credibility to his words. The assassin swallowed hard. It was almost impossible to believe, but if true, he had no idea how to respond.
“So, what will it be? Do you want to die peacefully, or painfully?”
“...”
While speaking, Ghislain spread threads of mana.
Given the assassin’s apparent skill level likely advanced restraining him would risk Rachel’s neck being broken. Instead, Ghislain subtly lifted a shard of debris lying behind the assassin.
‘I’ll pierce his head in one strike.’
This was different from usual. Any mistake could cost Rachel her life.
Ghislain focused intently, while everyone else watched the assassin with bated breath.
The assassin, too, racked his brain for a solution.
‘She may not be as significant as the marquis’s daughter, but killing this woman might still be worthwhile. If I then unleash my energy…’
As the standoff continued, with everyone tense and focused, something completely unexpected happened.
“Let go of Rachel!”
Elena, who owed her life to Rachel, suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the assassin’s arm, clinging to him.
She moved so quickly that even the maids beside her couldn’t react in time.
The assassin’s face lit up with glee. Without hesitation, he tried to strike Elena with his free hand.
Crunch!
That is, until the arm holding Rachel snapped.
“Argh!”
In that moment, Ghislain’s lifted shard shot forward and pierced the assassin’s head in a single strike. At the same time, everyone around him attacked.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The assassin’s body was torn apart, pierced, and slashed, falling to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Boom!
The assassin had been defeated, but no one cheered. Instead, an awkward silence filled the room.
Everyone stared at Elena, disbelief written across their faces.
Elena, for her part, simply blinked and looked down at her hands.
Ghislain, regaining his composure first, stammered as he asked, “E-Elena, you….”
“Huh? What? What is it?”
“Have you been working out lately?”