Chapter 303: Famine & Humility 3

Although many days have passed since his discussion with Christoper his words of advice remain deep in his mind. Whenever a member of Enigma except for Jin and Yuri, would be halted in their training, the leader himself proposed an idea. Anyone in need of advice to further their strength and emerge anew has numerous visits, discussing their recent drawback

__________________________

2 months ago before the holy war

“So you’re having a hard time adjusting to your vessel? That’s understandable. I too had some difficulties with that matter,”

“Please Mr. Morris can you be a little serious? I never saw you having any problems. I came here for–”

“I know, I know… you want another session concerning you know what. Well, there’s not much to say than to accept it,” The only glimmer left in Blake’s eyes faded upon hearing Christoper’s opinion

“That can’t be!” He slammed both of his arms on his table, as well as confusion, and doubt began plaguing his mind

“Blake you already knew this from the start. So why don’t you stop overreacting? You came here to listen to my opinion…” Morris stood up and vacated his seat whilst he walked to fetch some tea and returned along with pouring a cup for his guest

“You thought I’d say otherwise. My advice isn’t game-changing. Everything I said is from my observation alone,”

“If that was true then why…? Why was I chosen as a Heavenly general? What could I possibly have in common with my vessel?”

Morris had long since forgotten, due to his constant advice, but the person before him, Blake Belfast had an inferiority complex. As the one who’s considered the weakest in their group, he constantly compares his worth with those of his companions. Someone who’s only useful in making potions but was ultimately overshadowed by their leader who wasn’t even an alchemist

“You think killing someone takes brute force or world-bending power like magic? That’s such a shitty mindset, and you know it. Tell me Blake, don’t you have other means of killing people, relating to alchemy?”

Once he gave a little hint to one of his devoted followers Christoper left the room to govern the demonic realm

__________________________

’That time I thought he was ridiculing me, or filling me with nonexistent hope, but at present, I realize its meaning. What alchemy does best is to overstep the laws of the world, not by magic, but by man-made ingenuity. The cause and effect of combining, understanding, and probing every bit of what this world has to offer,’

“I’ll show you the essence of alchemy!!!”

[System: The player Blake Belfast has activated his Contracted Deity’s Blessing ’Apothecaries Allure’

Status: Due to your current role the Blessing you have activated has been readjusted to befit your current vessel

Outcome: Your Role’s Authority ’Decay’ has been granted numerous effects on your disposal]

Blake immediately dodges Raphael’s quick and relentless whip by vaulting from left to right as he shortens their gap

“As I thought, you’re not invincible. Looks like you can only phase through for a short time. Or is it something else?”

“Enough talking, this is a fight, so treat it like a fight, you chicken-winged freak!”

Blake jumps for the last time in his direction heading straight to his foe

“Why don’t you just admit it? You’re running out of time. That you can’t even formulate a plan to properly decipher my attack,”

Raphael sends his whip forward and increases his force allowing his application of divinity to his weapon to rise even higher

“Heavenly Laceration!!!”

His whip then extends and glows in a brilliant light but nearing contact, not a single blood was found

“Foolishness, have you forgotten? You need to hit a solid object for that to work. And as of now, im currently gas!!!”

His incredibly rapid swing causes the force of the whip to create a vacuum which gathers the air around it’s vicinity

“What about now, Knight of Famine? Does your confidence fair well to your crisis? The moment you exit that form you’ll die–”

“I can’t believe im saying this but shut the fuck up!!! Your voice is getting really annoying. Bet you’re all confused huh?”

In a flash, Raphael found his jaw rupturing from Blake’s Decay and then noticed a small trail of smoke in his back. He was flabbergasted, to say the least, most of his foe’s sinister gas should’ve been devoured by his vacuum. However, a small trail not only allowed his foe to break his offense but also caused another damaging blow

[That actually worked!!?]

’By utilizing Apothecaries Allure I used reproduction in which I can propagate a potion or gas I once used. I was a little worried it wouldn’t work but it seems Decay is categorized as a deadly gas that destroys everything it touches. The tough part was how to replicate it, but I just found out that the longer one struggles with Decay a fragment of that power remains in their body,’

[Haha, aren’t I resourceful, although he’s good at hiding it I can see some cracks in his face signifying Decay’s effect. It’s not that your attacks had no effect, on the contrary, his power’s now limited as he’s rapidly recovering from your strikes. It seems that each strike you’ve incurred is expanding the influences of your Authority in his body sooner or later he’ll fall]

’Well that or either I die. Let’s not forget that my time in my Origin mode is less compared to the rest. It’s all up to me,’

The end was slowly reaching his life and with his limited time he went for the offensive and the seeds he planted flares upon command. Although Raphael knew of his ploy he couldn’t allow himself to be struck by another of his Decay and so he retaliates. His whip made quick work of Blake’s plants but upon its destruction, it secreted a gas that startled the modest angel

“Heavenly Lacera–”

“Expand!!!”

As he commanded the gas spread and Raphael felt the hardening of his flesh and Blake leaps, preparing another Decay

“This is the end–”

Blake’s first stopped midway upon impact, although his gas surely struck his foe, and then he saw it. Raphael’s hardened flesh ripped from his sheer brute force alone, and his whip that surrounded his Decay. From the rampaging divinity, it seems he overestimated himself, as the heavenly aura expanded and formed a bomb

“So it seems you have to surround yourself with Demonic energy to phase through? Tough luck. You’re dying with me–”

Something snapped at that moment, and Raphael felt the entirety of his body weakening, along with the loss of his grip. This led to his foe’s quick getaway as his body was slowly expanding the volume of heavenly aura. Blake then retreats to the upper region of their stadium and at that moment Raphael ponders the cause of his defeat

’That surely wasn’t the work of Decay? Although it broke my body over and over it didn’t weaken me in any way. That was something else entirely, but what exactly? The scale!!? It wasn’t a weapon but a symbol of his power. Did he lead me down here so I wouldn’t notice when the time he’ll use his other authority? But what is it?’

Raphael had already accepted his demise and released the effect of his virtue and that’s when he realized. He smiled upon learning that all this time, he was the one dying at every point in their scuffle, that his defeat was no fluke. The thirst of his throat, the growl of his belly, and the weakening of his body, what did him in wasn’t Decay, it was…

’Starvation? Although the Knight of Famine was said to be the existence of the Decay of this world it had another Facade. Starvation was its name, as the land grew bland and lifeless, scarcity in provisions wasn’t something out of the ordinary. Not only was I dealing with Decay, but my body was also battling Starvation, and it came to a point where my power overflowed,’

“Well played… Knight of Famine,”

Onto Blake’s side of the story, he sprouted dozens of vines to coat his body as the barrier remained standing. Although he could’ve waited for Raphael to explode, and escape from the cave he wasn’t sure of the debris that followed. His body suffered so much from his fight, let alone escaping was far deadlier than withstanding the impact, of his foe’s demise

[Brace yourselves!!!]

The explosion easily bypassed the first and second layers of his defensive vines and the final layer was barely standing. But Blake wasn’t disheartened, this whole time this wasn’t a means of enduring the explosion, he planned to lessen its force. Upon the destruction of the final layer, he accumulates all the demonic energy with all his might and blasts Decay at the explosion

“This battle wasn’t a fluke, nor will I die whilst being the victor. I’ll show you that I too am strong. Because… I… Will… Survive!!!”

The now weakened explosion from the overflowing heavenly aura was no match for the rampaging Decay. It came to the point that it far exceeded its force thus drilling a hole through the depths of this world. Fairly weakened, and out of breath, Blake Belfast watched as his surroundings crumbled before his very eyes

“Did you see that, Mr. Morris? I too am strong… Although not like the rest. I’m more powerful than I led on,”

[Nooooooooo!!! Blake don’t die! Get a move on quick. We can still find a way. I won’t let you die, not like this]

’I’m sorry… but this is how far I’ve gotten,’

He stared blankly at the stalactites right above his head slowly shaking until it finally broke off and descended. This was his end, he couldn’t feel any strength within his body and was devoid of all bodily function except from his sight. He watched closely as the debris slowly made its way to pierce his skull and suddenly it stopped

“Good job out there. I can’t believe you defeated him. I have to say your chances were slim, just enough for me to arrive,”

A pale silhouette with a scythe on her back appeared with a pocket watch in her hand arriving at the nick of time before his passing

“Are you the Grim Reaper?”

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