Chapter 497

It’s a pity for the leader who tried so hard to make a grand entrance, but when a defenseless enemy appears right in front of you, what warrior in the world wouldn’t strike?

As soon as I saw him, I unleashed Durandal, even manifesting a Heroic Tale.

This wasn’t something that would end with just taking down one guy, so I didn’t use Reversed Heaven at full power, but it was enough to pierce his chest.

The blade of the longsword pierced his heart and stuck out from his back.

“Guh…!”

The giant spewed blood filled with Magi.

Standing just over 2 meters tall with muscles like a statue, his Magi-tainted skin was blotchy with dark spots, and he had four eyes.

A foul, fishy stench emanated from his entire body, and the stench of monsters also seeped out.

Like the others, he seemed to have mixed his body with a monster. With not a single strand of hair, he no longer looked human.

“Kuh… Ugh…!”

Overconfident in the defensive power of the Magi enveloping his body, he was unarmored and bare-chested.

In front of Durandal’s blade, Magi or Mana armor meant nothing, so to me, it was just an unpleasant display.

At least, to maintain some semblance of dignity, he wore a lavishly decorated hide around his lower body, which looked like Beastman Hide.

Anyway, as soon as I pierced his heart, I pushed the blade sideways to slice through his upper body.

If he had died instantly from the heart stab, that would have been ideal, but in this world, there are plenty of tough guys who don’t die that easily.

This guy was no different.

“Gaaah!”

Faster than I could slash Durandal horizontally, the Magi enveloping his body exploded outward, sweeping the area.

The impact felt like being hit by a carriage. My body was flung backward.

Since it was a move meant to push me away rather than kill me, with my light weight, I had no choice but to be sent flying.

Still not dead? What a shame. It was a chance to end it quickly.

Twisting my body forward, I switched to a reverse grip and plunged Durandal into the ground to stop my backward momentum.

The marble floor tore apart as the blade dug in, scattering dust.

Using the longsword like a cane, I landed on my toes, half-bent at the waist. My body, pushed by the force, scraped the ground with my boot soles, letting out a screeching sound.

“That face… It must be Ai-shan Gi-or Ha-shal-leur, the Empire’s top warrior! To ambush without even a greeting, how despicable, just like the Empire’s top prostitute!”

The Guide, who had blasted me away with Magi, shouted while blood poured from the hole in his chest.

A cultist rapist talking about despicability? What a shameless bastard. Well, if he had any conscience, he wouldn’t be a cultist.

“Tch, isn’t it proper etiquette to die when a blade pierces your heart?”

I clicked my tongue in disappointment and pulled Durandal from the ground.

He seemed to be in considerable pain, his egg-like face twisted like a testicle. Though he was talking fine, there was no sign of his heart wound regenerating.

Of course, wounds from Jin’s Silver Sword can’t be healed by impure power. That’s why even Isabella and Ryu-rik had to respond differently, not relying on regeneration.

Isabella died once and revived or used insect bodies to block, while Ryu-rik detached parts of his body before being cut.

Unless using such grotesque methods, the only way to heal wounds from Jin’s Silver Sword is through a priest’s miracle or waiting for natural healing.

In other words, this guy would also choose some grotesque method.

“Too bad, but this little wound is nothing! I am Diraid, the Guide of Eternity. I walk through eternity, ascending toward immortality!”

The bald cultist, who revealed his name as Diraid, laughed heartily and stretched his left arm to the side.

His arm elongated like a snake, grabbing one of the cultists attacking the carriage. The movement was like a snake pouncing on prey, matching Seilon’s sword speed.

“Huh…?”

The startled cultist turned to look at Diraid. His wide eyes were filled with clear fear.

“The time has come to guide you. Become one with me and live the eternal life!”

With a proud smile like a father looking at his grown son, Diraid retracted his elongated arm, pulling the cultist to his front.

In an instant, the cultist was dragged over. Before he could say anything, Diraid’s other hand plunged into his chest and pulled out his heart.

“Guh…!”

The convulsing cultist went limp and died, leaving behind a twitching heart. Hot blood gushed from the roughly torn blood vessels.

“Behold, the greatness of the Eternal Ascension Path!”

Diraid released the cultist’s corpse and shoved the pulsating heart into his own chest.

His chest split open, swallowing the subordinate’s heart. Blood vessels and muscles wriggled like worms, connecting, and the gaping chest squirmed shut.

Thus, Diraid regained his heart. Not regeneration, but replacement. In a way, it was similar to a Healing Miracle, though much more raw and disgusting.

—

I wasn’t just standing by watching him recover. Quite the opposite, but unfortunately, I failed.

As soon as Diraid grabbed the cultist, I charged at him and swung my sword. However, three officers, reinvigorated by the Guide’s appearance, rushed to protect him, causing me to be a step too late.

The one with crab-like arms covered his entire body in exoskeleton and swung a scorpion tail from his side, while the one with tentacles between his legs had his lower body transformed into a bundle of long tentacles, like an overturned jellyfish.

The one with a tentacle tongue only had two additional tentacles, but they sprouted from his eye sockets, making it disgustingly creepy.

What kind of freaks are these?

[Truly an unpleasant sight. I’d close my eyes if I could.]

‘Yeah.’

Hersela muttered in a tone of disdain, seemingly sharing the sentiment.

Anyway, after repeatedly cutting off the scorpion tail and dodging and slicing through dozens of tentacles, Diraid had fully recovered.

“Did you see it clearly? This is the Power of Bonds! We support each other and march toward eternity!”

“Really? Isn’t that just your delusion?”

Nonsense from a lunatic. If that’s what bonds are, then Freide and the Beastmen might as well be called family. It was no different from a sword-wielding robber claiming voluntary donations.

I gripped Durandal and charged at Diraid. The silver blade of Jin’s sword shone with golden runes, emitting a blue afterglow. The distance closed in a single breath. Diraid laughed heartily and raised his Magi.

“Hahaha! Join me on the path to eternity!”

Black energy surged like a wave, enveloping his body. It wasn’t the Magi armor that had been breached earlier, but likely some combat power.

“Go to hell!”

I sharply observed his transformation and swung Durandal at his exposed neck.

-Clang!

A clear metallic sound. The swiftly swung blade was blocked by his right arm. Diraid’s right arm, which had been human just moments ago, had transformed into a massive cleaver-like weapon!

No, more like a greatsword. The rectangular blade blocking Durandal was as long and thick as my height.

His transformation didn’t stop at his right arm. Shiny scales densely covered his entire body except his head, and his left arm, now long enough to touch the ground, had a third arm sprouting near the elbow.

“Geeeeeek!”

A fleshy mass resembling a goat’s muzzle burst from his abdomen, letting out a long cry. Oozing green fluid, it looked like it would spew acid or something.

From under the Beastman Hide covering his legs, three tentacles as thick as arms wriggled out, maintaining their original form, which was disgustingly grotesque.

A Hybrid Monster-like appearance. The only human-like part left was his head.

Though, even his head wasn’t human. His completely bald crown proved his inhumanity.

[Blocked, huh? Looks tougher than expected.]

Hersela showed interest. Maybe she thought of Or-han seeing such a sturdy body. To think of her father while looking at such a monstrosity, truly a filial thought.

“Behold! This is the first step toward eternal ascension, a body transcending the limits of humanity!”

“Really? You look disgusting. Even breeding monsters would result in something better than you.”

An honest opinion. Listening to him, it seemed he aimed to surpass human limits by attaching monster parts, but the result was too hideous.

“Everything is ugly during evolution. So, become a part of me and complete me, Ai-shan Gi-or Ha-shal-leur!”

Diraid pressed down on me with his greatsword. As I tilted Durandal to deflect his blade, three tentacles shot out as if waiting.

One aimed for my face, while the other two targeted my groin. What a crazy bastard.

The blatant intent was so disgusting that I reflexively activated Reversed Heaven, kicking his side and leaping back.

-Boom!

The sensation of kicking a black iron wall. Definitely disgustingly tough scales.

“Where do you think you’re running?!”

As soon as I retreated, he retracted his tentacles and whipped his left arm, now long enough to touch the ground, at me. The force rivaled Ryu-rik’s strikes. The claws at the end shone like beast’s talons.

“Then stop fighting like a jerk!”

The silver blade, filled with anger and disgust, deflected his claws, emitting a flash. The impact was heavy.

-Slash!

As Diraid’s claws gripped Durandal’s blade, the third arm on his elbow extended, aiming for my eyes. Bullet-like speed. I was a beat too late to retrieve my sword to counter.

“Don’t you dare!”

I twisted my head, dodging the fingers aiming for my eyes, and bit off his arm, pulling it out. A foul taste filled my mouth.