Chapter 576

The view soars as if sprinting. A faint sense of floating transmitted through the hem of my clothes, and a dizzying sensation of falling creeping up from my toes to the crown of my head.

My heart pounds, spreading excitement throughout my body. The thrill of the fall turns into a smile, seeping out from the corners of my mouth.

I take a deep breath, swallowing the wind, and look down at the back of the Grave Devourer, which is getting closer and closer.

Then, exhaling all my breath, I issue a warning to the knights who are struggling with the Grave Devourer.

“Imperial Knight Order! Fall back—! Don’t get caught up—!”

A roar like thunder reverberates through the canyon walls.

“That voice…!”

“The Sword of the Starry Sky! Has Marquis Median arrived?!”

“All units, retreat! Retreat! Don’t get caught in the hero’s battle!”

The knights scatter like ants hit by a waterfall. Their movements are swift and orderly, more like a desperate escape than a tactical retreat.

…They seem faster than when they were fighting the Grave Devourer.

But it was the right decision. The momentum of my fall, concentrated in my feet, had already reached the Grave Devourer’s vicinity.

As usual, I entrusted the control of the Life Force Technique to Hersela, while I raised the Power of Feats I had accumulated to protect my body.

In the past, I would have had to slow down repeatedly to reduce the impact, but now I was a completely different being.

The blessing of the Twelve Knights had eliminated my only weakness.

[Hmm. Shall we make it a bit flashy this time?]

‘Flashy, huh? I like that.’

– Whoosh…!

The tips of my feet pointed downward. From there, the Life Force Technique’s tentacles bloomed like flames, wrapping around my entire body like the bud of a crimson lotus.

Hiding my body within the petals of the flower, I drove my right foot straight into the Grave Devourer’s spine.

– KABOOM!

A deafening explosion, like the collision of a comet, shook the canyon.

My right foot dug deep into the creature’s body. The flesh touched by my foot burst out in concentric waves. Bones and flesh alike were crushed and scattered like dust.

Then, the Life Force Technique’s tentacles wrapped around my body spread out, dispersing the shock of the impact.

– WHOOSH!

The crimson lotus bloomed fully, carrying a whirlwind of blades.

[The application of Jin Ye-ryun. It’s more useful than I thought.]

Hersela laughs with satisfaction. I also grin.

‘Yeah, it’s definitely flashy!’

“KREEEEEEE!”

The Grave Devourer lets out a final scream, as if responding to my admiration.

The swirling petals of the Life Force Technique tear through the creature’s body, shredding it like a rotten tomato in a blender.

The monster’s flesh, now a pulp, splashes like a wave.

—

– Splat.

I step onto the sticky ground, like a black swamp, and wipe the blood and flesh splattered on my face. My right leg throbs as if it had been hit.

In other words, jumping off a cliff only left my leg sore.

With the enhanced Life Force Technique and Power of Feats focused on defense, and the added blessing, I could pull off such insane stunts without a scratch.

“Good heavens…”

“What did I just witness…?”

The knights, who had been retreating toward the defensive line, stop in their tracks, staring at me in awe.

Or rather, at what’s behind me.

The impact of the fall, combined with the Life Force Technique’s precision, had left its mark.

– CRASH!

A heavy noise shakes the ground. The Grave Devourer, now missing its upper half, collapses weakly into the black swamp that was once its body.

I draw Durandal to finish it off and turn around.

“…….”

Strangely, the creature remains silent, showing no signs of regeneration. I hadn’t used Durandal to cut it, nor had I attacked with a priest’s blessing.

Half of its body had been blown away by a single strike, but it was just a physical impact enhanced by the Life Force Technique. Normally, it should have started regenerating, albeit slowly.

Hybrid Monsters might die from this, but Corpses Raised by Magic could regenerate from ordinary attacks without the Blessing of Purification.

Yet, the Grave Devourer, now only a lower half, was melting away, its remaining flesh crumbling.

What’s going on? Is it because of Astraea’s Holy Mark?

No, I’ve never heard of the Holy Mark having such an effect…

I tilt my head, staring at the creature. It’s truly baffling.

“GRRRRRR!”

But now’s not the time to ponder. The remaining four Grave Devourers roar in unison, directing their fierce hostility toward me.

Right. Let’s kill them all first. I can figure out the reason later.

I tap the ground with my foot to shake off the numbness and charge toward the monsters.

“GAAAAH!”

A massive foreleg swings down vertically, aiming to crush me. The giant claws at its tip gleam sharply.

No need to dodge.

I swing Durandal toward its arm. Vacuum Slash. The familiar technique of the Vacuum Blade slices through the air, severing the monster’s arm.

Black blood rains down.

“GRAAAAH!”

The now one-armed monster lets out a roar. Its voice is so loud that my Winter Armor trembles slightly.

“Too noisy.”

Another swing of the Vacuum Blade.

The monster, still roaring, raises its other arm to shield its head. The Vacuum Slash cuts through its arm and dissipates.

…It’s good for long-range attacks, but the power is a bit lacking.

Well, it’s not a big deal. If it sacrifices an arm to block, I’ll just swing again.

– CRACK!

The third Vacuum Blade splits the monster’s head in half. Again, no signs of regeneration.

“SCREEEEE!”

“GRRRRR!”

“GAAAAAH!”

With two down, the remaining three monsters charge at me.

Two from the front, one from behind. They tear through the canyon walls with their bodies and claws, like bulldozers with blades.

“You think attacking together will make a difference?”

I laugh and swing my sword toward the one behind me.

There’s a saying that three can take on one, but that only works if they’re on the same level.

These guys would need thirty to even stand a chance against me.

– CRACK!

A low Vacuum Slash severs the legs of the Grave Devourer approaching from behind. It stumbles and collapses.

I don’t even glance at it, charging forward.

The two monsters in front, shoulder to shoulder like lovers, swing their arms and the intestines protruding from their abdomens at me.

“GAAAAAH!”

Tentacles as thick as human torsos, with the force to crush rocks, come rushing at me.

But compared to the Arm of the Evil God, this is laughably slow and weak. Every trajectory is clear.

I ignore what won’t hit me and cut down what will. With each swing of Durandal, their intestines are sliced apart.

Before the echoes of their roars fade, I’ve already broken through their attacks and reached them.

‘Let’s use some Life Force Technique!’

[Do as you please. Since when did you need my permission?]

I pull my left arm back, fingers pointed. The Ice Blade, infused with Life Force Technique, emits a dangerous hum.

I imagine a spiked thunderbolt, refining the shape of the gathered energy. Crimson energy crackles like lightning, exuding a menacing aura.

“HYAAAAH!”

With a passionate shout, I twist my waist and thrust my left arm forward. My fingertips, like bullets, pierce through the Grave Devourer’s torso.

My arm sinks in up to the elbow. The lightning of the Life Force Technique flows through the Ice Blade, spreading inside the monster’s body.

Shredding flesh, muscle, bone, and intestines.

Thunderous Rend.

Among the Life Force Techniques I’ve mastered, this is the most lethal. A single strike is enough to bring death, like a spiked thunderbolt.

“GRRRRRRR!”

The Grave Devourer writhes and screams.

Like thousands of parasites burrowing into its skin, tearing its flesh apart, its insides convulse violently before bursting, spraying a fountain of blood.

Of course, that’s just an assumption. The moment the Life Force Technique’s energy spread inside its body, I had already pulled my arm out and leaped toward the next monster.

Unlike other techniques, Thunderous Rend moves on its own, tearing apart the enemy and cutting off their life without my control.

It’s like injecting a deadly poison.

While it’s overkill for human-sized enemies, it’s incredibly effective against larger foes.

For them, it’s like being stabbed by a needle—a small wound that causes excruciating pain until death.

That’s three down.

“GR, GRAAAAH!”

The fourth monster is pinned under the writhing body of its comrade, unable to move. Why did they charge so close together?

It flails desperately, extending its ribs like claws to strike, but I’m not one to fall for such last-ditch efforts.

No, I don’t even need to respond.

[How dare you!]

The Life Force Technique’s tentacles stretch out from behind me, catching each of its ribs.

With Rotholandus’s blessing, I could have taken the hit, but Hersela didn’t even allow that. She blocks it without me asking.

The tentacles only hold the monster’s ribs for a brief moment, but that’s more than enough time to swing my sword.

I grip Durandal with both hands and bring it down.

“HYAAAAH!”

A blue arc splits the monster’s skull in half.

Four.

—

The Grave Devourer, its head split vertically, dies instantly, collapsing face down. The one writhing from Thunderous Rend also falls, having exhausted its strength.

Like the others, it shows no signs of regeneration.

What’s the reason? The ones hit by the Vacuum Blade also died, so it’s not just the Life Force Technique.

If it’s because of the Holy Mark, why is there no reaction from the chest where the mark is? The Holy Mark usually heats up when its power is activated.

I tilt my head in confusion but turn to approach the last remaining monster. It’s crawling on the ground, unable to regenerate its severed leg.

Hmm…

Should I experiment with this one?

I swing Durandal, cutting off its arms, leaving only its torso. I dissect it in various ways, studying why my attacks block the regeneration of Corpses Raised by Magic.

I try crushing it with pure strength, stabbing it with Life Force Technique’s tentacles, and hitting it with just the Power of Feats.

Later, I even lift knight’s swords and boulders, dropping them to test physical attacks based on height.

“GRRRRR…!”

The Grave Devourer, now reduced to a test subject, lets out a pitiful groan.

“Good heavens… Marquis Median is torturing the monster!”

“As expected of the Empire’s Greatest Sword…! To him, even monsters are just toys!”

The watching knights mutter in awe—or perhaps horror.