Chapter 428 - 411: The Gods’ Authority

Chapter 428: Chapter 411: The Gods’ Authority

Tula’s eyes were reflected on the cold steel of the blade.

However, his eyes showed no surprise. Instead, they held a hint of regret, as if lamenting the imminent destruction of a precious object.

Then...

"VWOOM!"

A nearly instantaneous [Force Field Wave] erupted from Tula, its violent, invisible force threatening to send both Roland and his sword flying.

At the same time, the solid ground beneath Roland’s feet instantly transformed into a swirling area of an [Oily Technique], while several [Magic Missiles] locked onto his figure, whistling through the air with trails of light.

Roland’s pupils contracted. His charging form came to an unnatural halt, defying inertia. He stomped hard, using the edge of the [Force Field Wave]’s impact to backflip, narrowly avoiding the oily patch beneath him.

His Moonlight Longsword carved several precise arcs, its tip shattering the incoming Magic Missiles and creating a shower of scattered sparks.

Where he landed, the ground spiderwebbed with cracks, a testament to the immense impact he had withstood and his own terrifying physical strength.

Seeing this, Tula elegantly floated backward, his fingers tapping in the air.

[Scorching Beam], [Strong Acid Arrow], [Sound Burst]...

A torrent of various low and Middle Ring spells poured forth without pause, their vibrant magical glows illuminating half the sky.

Burning trees, a pockmarked ground corroded by acid, rocks shattered by sonic waves...

The battlefield quickly became a scene of utter devastation.

Roland’s figure weaved and flickered through the maelstrom of Magic.

At times he would dodge a primary attack by a hair’s breadth; at others, he would use his impossibly precise Sword Skills to parry and deflect the spells he couldn’t fully evade.

His Power, Agility, and reflexes, bolstered by the Source Core, had already surpassed the limits of a mortal.

This allowed him to hold his ground in the storm of Magic, even managing to continuously close the distance and counterattack.

As the battle raged on, the calm surface of Tula’s heart, once like a tranquil well, began to ripple, eventually turning into a tempestuous storm.

"How is this possible..."

After using another short-range [Flash Technique] to dodge one of Roland’s vicious slashes—which clung to him like a persistent plague—an expression of shocked anger appeared on his flawless face for the first time.

’He’s just a mere human. How can he possess such strength?’

In contrast to Tula’s shock and anger, Roland’s gaze grew even calmer.

With a swing of his sword, his blazing Fighting Spirit erupted, once again shattering an [Ice Wall Technique] that Tula had hastily conjured.

The agitation he had felt from facing a powerful enemy gradually subsided.

’His power is indeed immense. Both the base power of his Magic and the speed at which he draws and mobilizes Magic Power far exceed that of a conventional Caster. He’s almost... a monster. But...’

As the thought crossed his mind, a sharp glint flashed in Roland’s eyes. He stomped hard on the ravaged ground.

[Charge] activated!

"BANG!"

With a muffled sound, his figure blurred into a residual shadow that almost blended into the surroundings, closing in on Tula in an instant.

The [Flowing Slash], which previously required his full concentration and strength to execute perfectly, was now performed with effortless, fluid grace.

The Moonlight Longsword cut through the air, creating a powerful, ear-splitting wind pressure.

The power imbued in the blade was so immense that the very space around its edge seemed to distort slightly.

It descended upon Tula with the force to split mountains and sever rivers.

Seeing Tula fumbling to hastily erect a defense, a cold, mocking smirk touched the corner of Roland’s mouth.

’All that power, yet no substance.’

’He’s like a child swinging a Divine Weapon, with no idea how to use this power rationally or effectively.’

’His tactics are rigid, lacking variation. He relies too much on overwhelming force. Hah... ’

The instant the thought concluded, the blade, burning with Blood-colored Fighting Spirit, viciously struck the multiple layers of [Mage Armor] and the [Force Field Barrier] that Tula had hastily cast.

"BOOM!"

The ear-piercing sound of shattering mingled with the roar of exploding energy.

The Protective Spells shattered on impact, and the resulting shockwave blew away all the surrounding rubble and broken wood.

Tula grunted, a flash of disbelief on his face.

As if struck by a catapult, he was violently smashed out of his mid-air suspension, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seeing this, Roland naturally wouldn’t give him any chance to breathe.

Although he didn’t have extensive experience fighting Casters, he knew their core weakness well.

Once engaged in close combat and their casting rhythm was disrupted, their threat would be drastically reduced.

Therefore, as Tula’s body hit the ground, before the dust had even settled, Roland was already lunging forward.

He activated [Charge] again, his body shooting like an arrow from a bow, unhesitatingly plunging into the spreading cloud of dust.

His keen Perception, like an invisible radar, instantly pierced the visual obstruction and precisely locked onto Tula’s somewhat battered position.

The Moonlight Longsword hummed as Fighting Spirit gathered on it once more, a fatal blow poised to strike.

In that critical moment, a cold warning born of pure survival instinct shot up Roland’s spine like a venomous snake.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Roland forcibly reversed his forward momentum, kicking off the ground and retreating backward and to the side.

The next moment, everything changed!

"In the dark name of Lady Rose, bind!"

Tula’s cold voice echoed from within the dust cloud.

It wasn’t a traditional Spell Chanting, but more of a declaration.

In an instant, countless sticky, pitch-black strands of Shadow Spider Silk materialized out of thin air, both where Roland had been and along his path of retreat.

They were not physical, yet they carried a blood-freezing chill and a powerful binding force, snaking toward him as if alive, far faster than any of the previous Magic.

Although Roland dodged in time, a few strands of the silk still grazed his left leg.

A bone-chilling cold and a feeling of sluggishness immediately spread from his leg, causing his movements to slow by half a beat.

But this was only the beginning.

"Lebilas Innor, reveal your authority to hunt!"

As his voice rang out, the air around Tula sharpened, and countless emerald-green Energy Arrows coalesced from nothing.

They didn’t shoot in straight lines. Instead, as if guided by the most skilled hunter, they carved cunning arcs through the air, closing in on Roland from all directions and sealing off every possible angle of escape.

Each arrow contained the Power of Nature, enough to pierce gold and stone.

Roland’s pupils constricted. His Moonlight Longsword became a wheel of light as he executed [A Knight Does Not Die Unarmed] to its absolute limit. The ringing of metal on metal was incessant as he barely managed to parry and shatter most of the Energy Arrows.

But some still slipped through the net, grazing his body and leaving behind stinging pain and minor wounds.

"Next..."

Seeing Roland’s battered state, a flash of satisfaction crossed Tula’s eyes.

"...is Lady Shuni’s ’Blazing Care.’"

The next moment, a dancing flame of constantly shifting colors appeared in his palm. This flame wasn’t just hot; it carried a strange power that tugged at the heartstrings and disturbed the will.

Like a manifestation of desire, it swept toward Roland as a wave of fire.

Roland raised his sword to block. His Blood-colored Fighting Spirit collided with the bizarre flame, producing a HISSING sound.

The flame didn’t immediately break through his Fighting Spirit defense, but the strange energy within it sent Roland’s mind into a daze.

It wasn’t a Spiritual Shock, but a peculiar energy capable of stirring all of a mortal’s base emotions and desires.

It instantly rendered his [Will of Steel] ineffective and caused the flow of power within his body to fall into disarray.

Just as Roland was struggling to cope with the various attacks, Tula slowly rose from the dust cloud.

He was surrounded by the chaotic and powerful glows of several different types and colors of energy.

They were stolen, incomplete Authorities belonging to different Deities.

Although he couldn’t perfectly command any single Divine Favor Power, making his control seem crude and unrefined...

...their fundamental tier was extremely high. By alternating or even mixing these powers, he created a suffocating suppressive force.

Roland’s exquisite Sword Skills and Extraordinary Physical Qualities, which he had relied on to hold his own, now began struggling to keep up before these powers that operated on the level of Rules.

The situation was instantly reversed.

Watching Roland struggle to dodge the chaotic and violent onslaught of Divine Power, his body accumulating more and more wounds, Tula hovered in the air as the swirling, chaotic light around him calmed slightly.

That gentle, compassionate smile returned to his perfect face.

"I must admit, human,"

Tula’s voice cut clearly through the aftershocks of the Magic and the hissing of energy to reach Roland’s ears.

"your tenacity and skill have indeed exceeded my expectations."

"In this age of dwindling Magic Power and weakened mortals, to have forged a mortal body to such a state, even forcing me to use the power of this... ’gift,’ is something you can be proud of."

He raised a hand slightly, temporarily halting his relentless assault.

But the dangerous Shadow Spider Silk, emerald arrows, and bizarre flames still swirled around him, like leashed hounds ready to pounce again at a moment’s notice.

"However, you should know better than anyone that mortal power has its limits."

"What you seek is nothing more than greater power, a wider world, and perhaps... the ability to protect those things you hold dear."

Tula’s gaze seemed to pierce through the heart, his tone filled with temptation.

"Look at this world! The Elves are in decline, humans fight amongst themselves, and the Gods have gone into hiding... This is a wasteland that needs to be reshaped! And I will wield the Authority to reshape it."

His voice grew louder, filled with an unquestionable fanaticism and confidence.

"Submit to me, human. Offer up the Divine Favor the Gods bestowed upon you. This is not a loss, but an opportunity to merge with a greater existence. I will lead you beyond the shackles of mortality to witness and participate in the establishment of a new Order."

"Your power and will deserve a higher starting point, not to be burned away in vain here, only to flicker out and die."

"So?"

Tula tilted his head slightly, awaiting Roland’s response.

"Will you choose to embrace the destined future and share in my glory? Or will you stubbornly remain on this sinking ship of the old world and sail with it into the Void?"