Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 185: Chapter 184: Soul-Devouring Surge

For years, everyone had thought Lurans was completely incapable of fighting, but his duel with Ossen today changed that perception.

Not only could Lurans fight, but he could also fully unleash the power of the Meteor Level.

Moreover, even though he hadn’t fought much in thirty years, his combat prowess was as sharp as ever, even managing to overpower Ossen.

Of course, it was undeniable that Lurans’s old wounds still had a massive impact on him.

He was incapable of fighting for extended periods. Furthermore, if he took a heavy blow in battle, he might be unable to suppress his injuries, causing his combat strength to plummet.

For instance, in the duel that just ended, Lurans’s injuries had flared up, causing him to spit up blood. He had only managed to catch his opponent off guard because he understood Ossen and knew of his impatient, overeager mindset.

If Ossen had managed to keep his composure at that moment, choosing to wear Lurans down instead of rushing in to his own defeat, the duel would not have ended so quickly.

Regardless, the day’s duel made one thing clear to everyone: the master of Wushan Castle was not completely powerless.

Even though Lurans wouldn’t fight unless absolutely necessary, if truly pushed to the brink, killing a fellow Meteor Level might be difficult, but he could easily kill a Silver or Golden Level Knight.

After the duel ended, the nobles remained in Wushan Castle, waiting to determine the extent of Lurans’s and Ossen’s injuries.

Unfortunately, the Marquis was not receiving any visitors for the time being. Even Ossen, after regaining consciousness, refused to see anyone, turning away Dianey and the others at his door.

In a dimly lit room, Ossen panted heavily, like a grievously wounded lion.

The physique of a Meteor Knight was incredibly powerful. A treated abdominal wound less than five centimeters long couldn’t possibly provoke such a strong reaction.

Ossen’s current state was clearly not caused by a mere superficial wound.

“Damn you, Lurans! What did you do to me?!”

He closed his eyes, sensing the condition within his body.

He could sense a dense mass of black energy at the site of his abdominal wound, radiating outward like a burning black Flame.

At the same time, traces of this black energy permeated his entire body. Though less concentrated than at the wound, it refused to dissipate. This Dark Energy had been carried throughout Ossen’s body by Lurans’s Power of Thunder and Lightning.

Ossen circulated his Fighting Qi, attempting to touch it.

But the moment his Fighting Qi made contact with the Dark Energy, a piercing pain shot through him. The more contact he made, the more it hurt, until beads of sweat covered his forehead and he was forced to stop circulating his Fighting Qi.

’Just imagine,’ he thought. ’When a Knight fights, the circulation of Fighting Qi is far more intense than this. All the Fighting Qi in the body is mobilized, and this Dark Energy is everywhere.’

’At that point, wouldn’t every inch of my skin, every one of my organs, and every single bone have to endure endless pain?’

“Damn it!”

“Damn it all!”

Ossen seemed to realize what this Dark Energy was. But the more he understood, the deeper his fear grew, and the more he panicked.

He had only just become a Meteor Level Knight. He’d been too excited to sleep well for nights. He was supposed to be embarking on a grand new Chapter of his life; there were so many things waiting for him to do.

He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life confined to a castle like Lurans.

“Suppress… Suppress it!”

’That’s right, I can definitely suppress it!’

Ossen closed his eyes again, surging his immense Fighting Qi forward to envelop the Dark Energy.

He intended to endure the momentary agony as the price for completely suppressing the Dark Energy.

“AHHH!!”

Waiting outside the door, Dianey and the other nobles exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what could have happened to Ossen to make him scream so horribly.

But without his permission, they didn’t dare to rush in. All they could do was wait anxiously outside.

「Meanwhile, in Lurans’s bedroom in the rear courtyard of Wushan Castle.」

“I knew it would come to this.”

Great Mage Miroslav was holding a large crystal test tube, in which he was mixing an unknown, blood-red Magic Potion.

“The ingredients are running low. I’ll have to procure some more for you after I head back this time.”

Lurans took the test tube and downed the Magic Potion in one gulp.

A warm current instantly flowed from his mouth, down his throat, and into his stomach. From there, it spread throughout his body, greatly alleviating the icy chill that had gripped him.

“Thank you,” Lurans said.

“I’m charging you for it. What’s there to thank me for?”

Miroslav chuckled and put the test tube away. “I won’t linger. I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Your condition has worsened considerably. You should avoid fighting in the future if at all possible.”

“Don’t worry, I’m aware of my own condition.”

Lurans smiled. “I believe after this duel, those other Meteor Level fellows won’t be getting any ideas about me so easily.”

“You’re a truly devious man. Ossen must hate you to the bone!”

Miroslav packed up his toolbox and handed it to his assistant.

“Rest assured, I won’t be selling this Magic Potion to him.”

With that, Miroslav rose and took his leave.

“Mosite,” Lurans called out.

The old butler appeared at the doorway. “My lord, what are your orders?”

“Go and bring Ronin here.”

Mosite bowed in assent.

A short while later, Ronin appeared in the room.

Ever since Lurans began refusing guests that afternoon, and with Dianey and the others preoccupied with Ossen, Ronin had taken on the role of host, preparing the evening banquet with Holwart.

Now, being summoned by Lurans, he felt a mix of anticipation and unease.

“Grandfather, how are you?”

Ronin walked to the bedside. When he saw Lurans’s appearance clearly, he froze.

Lurans’s hair had become even more gray, and he looked as if he had aged another ten years. His body was more stooped than before.

Ronin couldn’t find the words to describe how he felt. The change in Lurans in just half a day was heartbreaking.

“How did this happen?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Lurans pointed to the chair beside the bed, motioning for Ronin to sit.

“For years, I have been enduring the corrosion of a Dark Attribute Magic called Soul-Devouring Surge.”

The old man began to explain his condition.

“This Magic is unique. Once inside my body, it binds itself to my flesh, blood, and Fighting Qi. The moment your Fighting Qi makes contact with it, it grows stronger.”

“The more you use your Fighting Qi to suppress or cleanse it, the stronger it becomes. Not only that, but it inflicts a bone-deep, gnawing pain and an extreme cold, eventually making it impossible for you to use your Fighting Qi like a normal Knight.”

Soul-Devouring Surge.

Ronin murmured the name softly. ’So this is the Dark Attribute Magic that’s been torturing Grandfather all this time.’

’What kind of twisted Magic is this?’

Seeing his grandfather’s obviously aged and weakened state, Ronin’s heart grew heavy.

“Is there no cure?” Ronin asked.

Lurans shook his head. “Miroslav has helped me explore many options over the years, but they were all essentially ineffective. He did, however, create a Magic Potion that can alleviate my pain and dispel the unnatural cold.”

“It’s with the help of this potion that I’ve managed to get my condition under some control. I’ve even, unexpectedly, learned to briefly wield this Dark Energy.”

Ronin immediately recalled the final moment of the afternoon’s battle. “Grandfather, did you infuse that Dark Energy into Ossen’s body?”

“Hahaha, I did!”

Lurans managed a faint smile. “A challenge must come at a price! Knowing Ossen’s personality, he’s undoubtedly trying to use his Fighting Qi to suppress the Soul-Devouring Surge inside him as we speak. What he doesn’t know is that suppressing it recklessly will only cause a more severe backlash.”

The news left Ronin utterly stunned and astonished.

’Thinking back,’ Ronin realized, ’Grandfather must have been planning this from the moment he accepted the challenge.’

“Then Ossen… from now on, he’ll be…”

“Just like me.”

Lurans said, “From now on, he’ll have to avoid fighting whenever possible. And when he does, he’ll suffer even greater torment, just as I do.”

Ronin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He never imagined that Lurans, in a single move, had effectively crippled the newly promoted Meteor Level Knight, Ossen!