Free Web NovelChapter 170: Chapter 169 : It’s over
The remnants of Arthur’s shattered domain had not disappeared.
The blood that had rained from the sky and splashed over broken stone, ruined walls, and shattered pillars began to stir. Thin streams of crimson slithered across the ground, flowing back toward Arthur as if pulled by an unseen tide.
’Move,’ Arthur thought.
The blood obeyed.
In the next second, it rose.
Seven separate clusters of blood swelled and expanded, each one twisting into its own miniature domain. Seven crimson spheres bloomed around the golden lion, hanging in the air like malignant moons.
Each one pulsed with a fragment of Arthur’s authority.
They moved.
Just like a pack of hunters circling a single prey, the seven blood domains tightened their encirclement around the lion. Their surfaces writhed, tendrils of liquid darkness stretching out to latch onto the golden construct.
The lion roared, the sound shaking the air.
It lunged toward one of the blood spheres, claws and fangs blazing with condensed energy. With a single swipe, it tore through the nearest domain. That sphere burst apart, exploding into a mist of blood that evaporated on contact with Lucas’s power.
Lucas smirked.
Then his expression faltered.
Because while he tore one apart, the other six moved.
They latched onto the lion’s flanks, back, and legs, pressing in relentlessly. Wherever they touched, golden light warped and dimmed, energy being pulled away and swallowed.
’What...?’ Lucas thought, stunned. ’My domain produces unlimited energy—and he’s... devouring it?’
The golden lion tried to rip another blood sphere apart, but every time it focused on destroying one, the others surged in and consumed a little more of its form. Bit by bit, its massive body shrank—its mane losing luster, its muscles thinning, radiant light flickering like a struggling candle.
The cheers of the Imperius soldiers grew uncertain.
The lion roared again, but the sound was weaker.
In just a few moments, cracks appeared across its golden body.
One more blood sphere was shredded.
But the remaining domains devoured their prize even faster now, absorbing the unstable energy and using it to reinforce their own borders. The golden lion shrank further, then further still, until—
Shatter.
The lion broke.
Golden fragments of light scattered into the air and dissolved.
Lucas’s domain collapsed.
The shining dome vanished, and reality rushed back. The oppressive aura of Infinite Flux disappeared as if someone had extinguished a sun. Lucas dropped back onto the ruined ground, panting, his body aching as the backlash of a destroyed domain weighed on his soul.
In contrast, Arthur stood a short distance away, also breathing hard, sweat beading on his forehead—but one of the seven small blood domains still floated intact behind him, circling lazily like a patient predator that had already finished feeding.
Jessica stared, completely baffled.
"He knew his domain couldn’t beat Lucas’s head-on," Jessica whispered, half to herself. "So in the first clash, he tested Lucas and realized his domain could only fully concentrate on one front..."
She swallowed.
"So he split his into seven smaller domains to overwhelm and consume it from every side," she finished. "What terrifying talent... and quick thinking. And this is just his first time? How did we miss all this...?"
Adrian’s mouth hung slightly open.
Even he hadn’t anticipated this outcome.
Lucas stood opposite Arthur, shoulders heaving, golden energy flickering weakly around him.
He lowered his head slightly, speaking in a voice only Arthur could hear.
"You bastard," Lucas muttered. "What kind of power did you get from that tool of yours...?"
Arthur didn’t answer.
He simply began walking toward Lucas, slow and measured, each step echoing faintly in the sudden quiet.
"Let’s finish this," Arthur said.
A black sword materialized in his hand, its blade forged from condensed darkness. The edge seemed to drink in light rather than reflect it.
[Berserk has been activated.]
[All stats have been increased by 500%.]
Arthur’s entire body shook for a heartbeat as unimaginable power flooded into him again, multiplying what was already monstrous. His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened, and blood pounded like thunder in his ears.
Across from him, Lucas’s own system responded.
[S-Rank Skill: Goddess’s Grace Activated]
[All Attributes Increased by 300%]
[A-Rank Skill: Heavenly Insight Activated]
[Perception, Focus, and Combat Awareness Greatly Increased]
Mana around Lucas surged violently, like a broken river being forcibly redirected into a single vessel.
[S-Rank Skill: Blessed Mana Heart Activated]
[Mana Regeneration and Mana Output Increased by 200%]
Light wrapped around Lucas’s body, forming intricate patterns of luminous armor over his chest, shoulders, and arms. His eyes sharpened, every motion in the world slowing as analysis flooded his mind.
He grinned.
"Isn’t it a little unfair to fight me while hiding inside that domain?" Lucas asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
Arthur flicked his finger.
The remaining blood domain shattered.
Crimson mist burst and scattered, then seeped back into the cracked earth. The oppressive aura of his authority faded, leaving only the raw presence of his own power.
"I don’t need a domain to kill worthless pests like you," Arthur said with a thin smile.
Wind swept over the ruined battlefield.
The domains were gone.
Only two brothers remained—each overflowing with power that twisted the air, each ready to carve their existence into the other’s flesh.
Lucas smiled.
’Good thing this guy is arrogant,’ he thought, rolling his shoulders as power surged through his body. ’He dropped his domain himself. His mana has to be nearly depleted. That annoying ability of his won’t be able to block several full-power strikes in a row anymore.’
Golden light flared around his legs.
Then he moved.
His body shot forward with blinding speed, a golden blur cutting through the dust. The ground cracked under each step as he accelerated, a spear forming in his remaining hand, its point aimed straight at Arthur’s throat.
’Die in one go—’
His next step didn’t land.
His foot sank.
Lucas’s eyes widened as his momentum faltered.
His boots were stuck.
The pool of blood that had spread everywhere from Arthur’s earlier domain—seeping into cracks and filling low spots in the broken earth—had thickened beneath his feet. It clung to him like tar, dragging him down, refusing to let him move another inch.
"What—"
Before he could yank his leg free, a voice whispered right beside his ear.
Low.
Calm.
Deadly.
"See?" Arthur said. "I really didn’t need a domain, did I?"
A chill ran down Lucas’s spine.
For the first time, the fear of death crawled up from his gut and wrapped around his throat.
"You bastard—!"
SCHLK.
A spray of blood arced through the air.
Lucas stared in disbelief.
His right arm—from just below the shoulder down—was no longer attached to his body. It spun once through the air, still clutching the spear, before landing with a wet thud on the ground.
Pain crashed into his nerves a heartbeat later.
"Aaaaagh!" Lucas screamed. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Arthur lowered his black blade, blood sliding down its edge.
"That’s payback for my master’s hand," Arthur said.
The sword’s shape rippled.
In the next second, it shrank, compressing into a short, wickedly sharp dagger that fit perfectly into Arthur’s grip.
He stepped closer to Lucas, whose legs were still partially caught in the congealed blood.
Arthur plunged the dagger into Lucas’s thigh.
SCHLK.
Lucas let out an inhuman scream, veins bulging in his neck.
He tried to yank his leg away, but the blood held him firmly in place. Pain exploded up his spine, setting every nerve on fire.
The more he screamed, the more Arthur laughed.
It wasn’t loud or manic—just a low, cruel chuckle that made everyone watching feel colder.
Faces around the battlefield shifted.
Soldiers who had been cheering earlier now stared in horror. Some took an unconscious step back. Even officers who had seen countless battles swallowed hard.
Arthur pulled the dagger out.
Before Lucas could even suck in another breath, Arthur stabbed it into his other thigh.
SCHLK.
Another scream.
Then Arthur’s hand blurred, driving the dagger into Lucas’s left forearm, then his shoulder, then his remaining bicep, each stab precise and merciless. It wasn’t wild brutality.
It was calculated dismantling.
Meat. Nerve. Joint.
By the time Arthur pulled the dagger free again, Lucas’s legs were ruined, his remaining arm half-useless, and his body trembling uncontrollably. Blood pooled beneath him, mixing with the old crimson stains from Arthur’s domain.
Lucas’s legs finally gave out.
He collapsed to the ground, breathing in ragged, wet gasps. His eyes—wide and bloodshot—locked onto Arthur with something that was no longer arrogance.
It was pure, raw fear.
’He’s... he’s really going to kill me,’ Lucas thought, his mind reeling. ’In front of everyone...’
Arthur lifted the dagger one more time.
He raised it high, muscles coiling, ready to drive it down for the finishing blow.
Before it could fall, several figures flashed in around him.
Blades pressed against his neck, back, and sides.
The killing intent around him shifted in an instant—from his to theirs.
Adrian’s voice cut through the tension.
"That’s enough, boy," Adrian said.
Arthur’s hand paused mid-swing, the dagger still dripping blood.
"You’ve won," Adrian continued, his eyes hard. "You’ve proved your worth. There’s no need for any more bloodshed."
"You’ve won," Adrian continued, his eyes hard. "You’ve proved your worth. There’s no need for any more bloodshed."
Arthur stared at him for a moment before speaking, his voice cold and filled with contempt.
"Fuck you, you bastard."
