Chapter 208: Divine Confrontation (3)

“Kylos.”

Carl called Kylos’ name in a low voice.

The fragment of Kylos that had previously welcomed him clearly recognized him.

So he expected this encounter would also begin with a conversation, but the fragment in this temple seemed to possess a distinctly different nature.

Clang!

He struck down the encroaching darkness once again.

Bright yellow sparks flared up as black dust-like particles scattered into the air.

Carl, narrowing his eyes, was soon able to grasp its true nature.

“Demonic energy?”

“That’s what it looks like to me too.”

“……”

King, standing behind, also nodded in agreement.

Carl raised his sword, his expression tinged with confusion.

Why on earth was there demonic energy embedded in Kylos’ fragment?

Was that even truly Kylos’ divinity to begin with?

“Let’s just capture it and beat it down for answers.”

Shrrk.

Carl’s figure vanished as if melting into the darkness.

“No matter how many times I see it, your movements always amaze me.”

As he had said earlier, King withdrew from the battle, folding his arms and assuming the role of a bystander.

In that moment, Carl’s figure shot up into the air, taking position behind the darkness.

Swish!

Demonic energy to fight demonic energy.

An attack imbued with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art sliced through the darkness.

But it was like cutting through smoke with no substance—there was no sensation in his hand.

‘In that case.’

He reached out his left hand and twisted the air.

At once, intense spatial distortion erupted as the space itself was torn apart.

It was a technique of the Primal Unity Qi that exerted heavy pressure on a single point by releasing internal energy.

Shrrk.

Yet again, the attack had no effect.

Standing on thin air, Carl aimed the Heavenly Thunder Sword at the darkness and spoke once more.

“Kylos.”

Thump.

The darkness pulsed.

As if reacting to his call, it wriggled and moved.

‘It does seem to be a fragment of Kylos……’

Had it been contaminated or transformed after being exposed to demonic energy?

That was the only conclusion he could reach.

It was also possible that they weren’t the first visitors to this temple.

“This just got troublesome.”

Clatter.

Carl gripped his sword tighter.

He had hoped to swiftly absorb the fragment upon discovering Kylos’ temple, but now his plans were thwarted.

Shrrk.

The demonic energy infused with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art vanished from the Heavenly Thunder Sword.

In its place surged Kylos’ divinity, a green radiance that lit up the interior of the dark cavern.

“Oh ho.”

With a look of intrigue, King stroked his chin as he observed Carl’s sword.

‘So that’s a god’s fragment.’

When he first heard about it, even coming from Carl, it had been hard to believe.

Absorbing the power of a demigod?

Was this man trying to transcend humanity and become a god?

But Carl’s bizarre actions up to this point lent credibility to the claim, bringing them to this moment.

Swoosh, clang!

For the first time, the Heavenly Thunder Sword, which had only sliced through empty air, met resistance.

Carl drew forth even more divinity, further amplifying the brilliant glow.

Shraaak!

The dispersed darkness turned into long tendrils and came surging toward him.

Carl pulled back his sword and, in a single breath, struck down every incoming attack, then swiftly retreated.

Clang!

But the enemy’s counterattack wasn’t easy either.

As if wary of the divinity imbued in Carl’s blade, the darkness kept hurling out tendrils to prevent him from closing the distance.

“Looks like you’re having a hard time.”

“Not at all.”

Thud.

As Carl shrugged and replied, one of the tendrils pierced straight through his center.

At the same time, his figure collapsed and disappeared—only to shoot forward like a bullet toward the darkness.

‘It’s definitely a fragment of Kylos. The problem is the demonic energy polluting its form.’

He couldn’t understand how demonic energy had fused with divinity in the first place, but for now, separating them was the first task.

Swish!

Carl extended his hand and grasped the darkness with a hand imbued with divinity.

The squirming presence he felt within his grasp was anything but friendly.

Like a spinning blade, it scraped at his protective aura, trying to break free from his grip through a series of attacks.

Screech.

Amid the grating noise, Carl shifted the flow of his internal energy and formed the Absorption Technique.

Shiaaak.

It was a technique akin to the Absorbing Star Great Technique, which absorbed the opponent’s internal energy.

Flash!

The entity, seemingly realizing its power was being drained, struggled desperately.

Because of that, all of Carl’s protective aura was shredded, leaving his palm soaked in blood.

“……”

Yet Carl didn’t flinch, focusing solely on absorbing the energy.

‘They’re not fully fused.’

Divinity and demonic energy were more incompatible than oil and water.

They appeared forcibly merged by some unknown force, but if he could disrupt the precarious balance, it might revert to its original state.

Tap.

After absorbing about thirty percent of the energy, Carl let go.

If he held on any longer, his entire hand would have been ripped to shreds.

Shraaaak.

With a light flick of his hand, Carl flung the blood off to reveal a wound deep enough to expose bone.

He uncorked a potion and poured it directly onto the hand, where it bubbled and sizzled as new flesh rapidly grew.

It was a top-grade potion, more valuable than gold of the same weight.

The most significant difference from the Central Plains might be such instant effects.

Having finished treating the wound in an instant, Carl flexed his hand a few times.

The skin still felt slightly tight, but it returned to a flawless state as if nothing had happened.

“Just three or four more times should do it.”

Carl spoke in a low voice.

The price for making him bleed would be steep.

Until now, he had only taken the treasures without disturbing the temples, but this place would be thoroughly destroyed as retribution.

Boom.

A gray energy rose atop the Heavenly Thunder Sword.

He wondered if layering divine power over the Primordial Unity Divine Art would allow it to inflict physical damage as well.

It was a method too difficult for an ordinary person to even attempt, but with his mastery of Primal Unity Qi at its peak, Carl performed it as easily as breathing.

“Oh ho.”

From the rear, King, who had been watching the battle between Carl and the darkness, let out yet another murmur of admiration.

To control two conflicting energies so fluidly.

Carl had been formidable before, but it seemed he had undergone explosive growth during the time King had been away.

‘At this rate……’

King—Yohanel—gauged Carl’s growth.

He had only just turned twenty.

A twenty-year-old who didn’t act like one, but physically still in his growth phase.

If he reached his prime, when the body and skills were at their peak—just how strong would he become?

‘……Looks like I’ll need to train harder myself.’

He even wondered whether Carl might one day challenge the title of strongest on the continent—a title King himself had never reached.

Ssshhk─!

Meanwhile, Carl continued his fierce battle with the darkness.

He had planned to seize the creature and drain its power if the chance arose, but after being severely wounded once, the darkness now avoided Carl with pathological caution.

Yet it could not overcome the fundamental opposition between divinity and demonic energy, and eventually it was driven into a corner.

Zzzzzzzt.

As if to deliver the final blow, the radiance of the Heavenly Thunder Sword intensified.

It had been a while since he fought without worrying about others’ gaze, and it felt refreshing to go all out.

Once he absorbed this fragment, tainted by demonic energy, Kylos’ divinity would evolve once more.

‘The more divinity I absorb, the more something within me changes.’

At first, he hadn’t felt anything unusual.

He had assumed it ended with the ability to wield divine power, but absorbing a demigod’s vessel didn’t stop there.

If he absorbed the fragment before him, he might sense an even clearer transformation.

“To do that……”

Rumble─!

Carl’s sword scattered bolts of thunder.

It was a powerful move from the Heaven Quake technique that pressed down on space itself and cornered the darkness.

Clang!

But contrary to his intent, Carl’s sword was blocked by something that suddenly jutted out from the darkness.

“……?”

The hand holding the sword.

It had pale skin blotched with black spots.

Soon, the rising darkness receded to reveal a man.

—Damn it, my head’s killing me. What the hell is going on?

He had the appearance of the Kylos Carl knew and absorbed.

But he now gave off a decadent air, like someone soaked in alcohol and drugs, staring sharply this way.

—You have my power. How dare you, a mere apostle, point a sword at me?

“……Apostle?”

Carl let out a dry laugh.

Did this guy really mistake him for a follower of Kylos?

“That’s what I’d like to ask. Why is demonic energy mixed into divinity?”

—Hmm? You’re not an apostle. How does a human body contain a fragment of a god?

This version of Kylos seemed a bit of a fool.

Carl didn’t answer but cautiously raised his sword, waiting for an opening.

—Hah, don’t tell me a mere human is aiming for the seat of a god. How laughable.

Realizing the situation, this deranged Kylos also gripped his sword with a furious expression.

Divinity mixed with thick demonic energy surged, filling the entire cavern.

King, arms still crossed, took several steps back to avoid getting caught in the expanding domain.

Flash─!

Carl also unleashed his energy, solidifying his own domain.

He pushed back Kylos’ divinity with an area only he could fully control.

‘And on top of that……’

Carl began extending his energy sense like a spiderweb.

It was an applied technique mimicking Arachne, the secret art Laysis learned from Instructor Frahan.

When someone like his opponent emitted erratic energy, there were always power imbalances in different zones.

If he could exploit those gaps……

Crack.

A rift opened in space, followed by a bursting noise.

Though it was nothing but empty air, immense pressure crushed the area.

—……

Seeing Carl match him in a battle of presence without backing down, a look of shock crossed Kylos’ face.

—How…….

Shraaaak!

Heaven-Flow Twilight Flash, the secret art of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, burst forth in a surprise attack.

Since it had been deployed through the Primordial Unity Divine Art, its power was several times greater, sweeping through the cavern.

Even King had to draw his sword to avoid getting caught in it.

“……Incredible.”

The tight balance shattered in an instant.

Which meant that even amid their clash, Carl still had reserves left.

Crash.

The armor of divinity shattered.

As Kylos gasped in shock and stepped back, Carl appeared behind him.

“This is getting tedious. It’d be easier if you all just gathered in one place.”

Thud!

A powerful hand shot forward and grabbed Kylos’ neck.

Gripping with force enough to break bone, Kylos screamed as he felt his power rapidly drain away.

—You bastard……!!

“You can explain yourself inside. Your seniors should be waiting for you.”

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