Chapter 315: Rift (2)
q4adDarkness spread.8Wvzu
QqguEuWHis entire field of vision turned pitch black.ZCBkG
JDUYuri had fought monsters created from grimoire parchments before.OypCD
cpFZzDgHe thought he had at least partially grown accustomed to the aura of black magic.OEeXo
PmF5ZfxHowever, the energy Cedric was releasing was completely raw—far more intense than anything he had experienced before.Ejgw9
pgENM46His voice reached him directly.tYK2H9m
KtjBtp[ I remember the first time I saw you. You were so small, and now you’ve grown like this. ]UikpHF9
RjoX4z“Save the nostalgia for the other world.”GYt
O05KOsxYuri swung Guilty forcefully toward the darkness that filled his vision.HTn
e5biHThe Cut of the Soul and the Heart was the natural enemy of black magic. The blackness split apart, revealing Cedric standing on the other side.SbyYwuV
0ARYuri surged forward as if pushed by a gust of wind, slashing without hesitation.e3v
GdJ9vpHe felt the crunch of bone and the tearing of flesh.Qb36K
UoGM4hBlood spurted.5qn
v6MHHad he finished him?IB3F
6d8No.va57zOR
hr5lKJjTwisting the blade to break his ribs, Yuri shook his head and looked up.Dfl
xlaqWqmIt couldn’t be that easy.MEV
2mTFHe fully released the energy of the Cut of the Soul and the Heart. Mana exploded in all directions, distorting the entire space.O6K
mPzbV8Amid the swirl of black magic and sword energy, Yuri’s eyes searched for Cedric.gmfU
lLjvRHis vision was tinted red.RUo
aWpkwThe body that formed Cedric was torn to pieces.NL3A
cfSZyoCBut—t7f3J3K
czveF[ Not yet. ]6TKhD1
VECOBCedric had not died.fduCgX
040mAmid the chaotic scene, Yuri spotted a dark silhouette moving slowly.JmXggwP
0o2He immediately lunged after it.sRUqW
kPZHe sharpened his sword aura to the maximum. The Cut of the Soul and the Heart never let its prey escape, even if it had no physical form.VOh1PHB
cWisHe slashed, then slashed again.pGcH
3GkTiuThe black silhouette split into two, then into four. His speed was such that the human eye could not follow it.8JSxwG
ZJudzHZYuri’s intent was to completely destroy Cedric’s soul so that he could never rise again.vWaxJ
tmTPHowever, at a certain moment, his sword slowed.gHc8J
Es0His body felt heavy, as if trapped in a mire.3dOr
Sw0l2The cut fragments of the black silhouette scattered like gravel and clung to his body, refusing to come off due to their great viscosity.2Ju
qewobLdCedric’s voice whispered in his ear.kW36
53RAu[ I have transcended, Yuri. ]tHxirYF
q1pYuri slashed instantly to his side, but Cedric was no longer there.9Qse6
gcgjwv[ Unlike you “monkeys,” I am no longer confined to a physical body. ]eRi
fhsvO9An alarm rang in Yuri’s mind.Jzm7
Q0Uj3Without hesitation, he released mana throughout his body. The black masses clinging to him detached as they were engulfed in the explosion.sXErr
dobTHe looked around but could no longer sense Cedric’s aura.26C
Npz1RYuri shouted.K8FcA
HeGuR“Everyone, be careful!”bEi6v
hhQgThe others, who had just been moving toward Cedric, still didn’t understand what was happening.s90vdJ
2CWpsOne of the eastern warriors, looking around in confusion, suddenly coughed blood and collapsed.Q6mYgL
R3uz“Keugh…!”J79OfwC
eba7B4KBehind him, Cedric was smiling.8EaX
T5WlHe looked exactly as before Yuri had killed him—completely intact.q252K
Wc7m[ To me, a physical body is nothing more than a disposable resource I can recreate again and again. ]lKyRa
CkMFNcR“Cedric!”8DNcx
ff5j3FvYuri charged and sliced his neck. The body fell to the ground, and Francesco, who was nearby, smashed it apart with his sword.96K3s
sLQd5yUCedric didn’t react at all, as if it were a corpse, and was killed right there.dxrk7nU
DPUJpBut then—J8zgNyX
NuDq“Aaaah!”hYqC5F
jYqzi4Jared shouted.nhZT3j1
SbqwhCedric had appeared beside him and struck. A black hand, like a claw, seized his body.JlbdN4
oa8uPrThen, countless threadlike tentacles extended, piercing into his flesh.6d1q
rJiHiWJ“Bastard!”3rM
uqbMoyongchan, who was nearby, rushed in and cut Cedric, severing his torso from his legs.4EPAH
l7ncEven as he was being attacked, Cedric moved his hands toward Jared, and the tentacles invading his body writhed even more violently.QXykad
y4ga2“Aaaaghhh!”3kO
IRLJared’s screams grew louder. He writhed endlessly but could not break free from the black hand Cedric had created.lHFKVn
jc2His eyes rolled back.QAp
98A“Jared, snap out of it!”IopqWh
dPZ9dWUMoyongchan stabbed Cedric repeatedly. The body was torn into dozens of pieces.YIg97
mdAavEven so, the fingers floated in the air, moving as if a puppeteer were controlling his marionette.j2K
L3t5yCedric’s body completely scattered, and the black magic surrounding Jared vanished.t3VN
tZVNMoyongchan shook him by the shoulders.7GMJscB
FKjXz“Jared, are you alright?”bTD9E
lfS“Ah…”3kh
kylH0jLWith a clouded gaze, Jared suddenly thrust his sword at Moyongchan.oqlpr5
w9uvX“What—!”XELRE
unYIVsIThe attack was so sudden he couldn’t react in time.SrbZm
T29DMFjClang!5iuTUq
zyg“…”9fG
HOZnMoyongchan swallowed hard. The strike aimed directly at his chest was blocked by a sword that slid in from the side.Lq6O
CoyrS2xThe tip of Jared’s sword trembled against the opposing blade.JCCtRHR
Dkw9kMoyongchan gave thanks.t3FbKJ
LvOv“I appreciate it, Laurent.”eqMIVaD
3QYdU“You must be careful.”tV5c
n628“I will.”yMO
qaz7DkLaurent kicked Jared in the face.XNfOPb
YmppKKX“Kugh!”6Z4d
QHsWUThen he snatched away his sword, threw him to the ground, and pinned his back with his knee.apGA
7vZRBfoJared screamed and thrashed like someone possessed.qsHp
s76ci0“His body has been taken over by black magic.”ShFFHM
jaREb“That means…”5abw6ZL
vLu203AAs they spoke, Cedric didn’t stop. He continued attacking, and every time he was counterattacked, he switched bodies and withdrew.hnhFF3
isxKqO“Cedric! Over here!”T8uAD
kwVH7Yuri caught up to him again.7ZG
ipOIZCedric, who had raised tentacles to attack around him, arched a brow and faced him.NW9vmzS
dRCkvYuri unleashed the Cut of the Soul and the Heart at full power, adding the force of chaos to confront him with everything he had.OBPfF
rqyB9kHis sword cut not only the body but also the mind and soul.qiPo5lg
2IA88D6He cleaved not only Cedric’s body but also what lay within. The skull, along with the brain and what was beyond, were cleanly severed.eoWenh
qSHuTCedric’s eyes clouded over.vlPPnR
w3qRH6C“Die, Cedric.”tJZbI
u8F8hYYuri believed he had destroyed the core residing in his body. But he was wrong.ZkB
qzv6zcJust like before, Cedric appeared elsewhere, completely unharmed.fHwx6v
GY4APWhat Yuri had pierced wasn’t Cedric’s soul, but merely the remnants of black magic he had been scattering.iFqX35Q
BKbLdYuri clenched his teeth.f41H
rpy“Damn it!”rqk0
R2jQAldIf even the Cut of the Soul and the Heart didn’t work, how could he possibly fight him?Xc4nQts
P1wy6sMeanwhile, Cedric had already advanced into the area where the Anti-Imperial Alliance army was gathered.Od4I
L3wFrom the ground, black tentacles surged like a tidal wave, sweeping through in all directions.1Zk
RxNB33Many died, and those who were caught lost control of their bodies.rXBapj
xbXbSeeing Cedric—who would not die and kept reappearing elsewhere to unleash more black magic—everyone, including Yuri, was shaken.Jo7Glq
AnlXThey had no idea how to fight him.awWx5
Vs7Yuri entered the soul domain, relying even on instinct to keep his focus fixed on Cedric.XmO
FJIlz“…”E7pIfL
vfSQkCedric was creating and discarding bodies again and again. Creating a human body was no simple feat.Dsqb
5ey899UTo craft a perfect vessel capable of holding a soul, even high-level mages like Inariel, Hernando, or Maryrose had to pay a steep price.MQK
c7j0H89But for Cedric, it was as natural as breathing. He had already devoured countless lives, claiming both souls and bodies.ivmZQSh
D8xh3JBlack magic could transgress even the territory of the forbidden without difficulty.z9Fdhc
4cjZEach time he appeared, thick tentacles like the roots of a colossal tree sprouted from the ground, covering it completely. Soldiers caught by them were either crushed to death or driven mad like Jared, losing control of their bodies.ptHlYK
rPE4uCrThe battlefield had descended into chaos, allies fighting one another.ctbyQP
7lDzxEvery so often, enraged knights sacrificed themselves to stab Cedric, but he would simply change bodies.isIqY2p
POAsST7Cedric was, quite literally, fighting the entire Anti-Imperial Alliance on his own.JD98iBN
ePI69KXAbsorbing the life force of countless victims to continue his slaughter, in Yuri’s eyes he resembled a demon descended upon the earth.WRZVbp
U5u“Cedric…”Ar7IwRV
3sNZDYuri murmured his name and lifted his gaze. He could not simply stand by.FkZ0h
Cfi“Yuri Briol.”0crx7i
KO3A8At that moment, Inariel approached.ARvcF80
nmn“Lord Inariel.”oWwMU9
LLM“You must be thinking about how to fight that.”hhseEP
vWYPhv“Yes. What should I do?”Jrw
hpyKprO“Let’s see…”qJxS9
H1If6Inariel said,DyV2Pyg
MYR8“He may look alone, but he’s not. He controls more lives than our entire army. He’s killed many to turn them into his sustenance.”GmVatK
ve4gsQRYuri nodded.OQx
z0FoJust as Inariel said, Cedric had absorbed the strength of the entire Imperial Army.DzL
Qxnv8w8It was as if the Imperial Army and the Anti-Imperial Alliance were fighting each other.T9m1Y
pW1P“Think about it simply. Two armies face each other. To win, what must you do?”KTZ5Nt
rUl“Kill the enemy.”dP3v
y5tXg“Exactly.”Nh4
sQ7gFInariel took a breath before continuing.PfV
YD4c“There’s no other method. Kill while you die. If you kill that body tens of thousands of times, maybe he’ll run out of resources.”Gsa3h
SBBAjbSIt meant they had to keep killing him again and again.Fr9MR
eUwkbnEven as they spoke, the chaos only grew. Because Cedric could appear anywhere, the troops were all disoriented and, in order to survive, were forced to fight their own allies.YsdORzl
yNPQyXYuri took a deep breath.UaXUmaO
jrrH24gThere was no other choice—only to kill.ywWq
6lcNIPu“Let’s go.”LZO
5rtThe rest of the Ten Greats who were with Yuri, as well as the Eastern warriors, began moving.TbQBQQW
H3z“Chase and kill Cedric’s main body at all costs. Everyone else, handle the rest.”xuW
rcoUMoyongchan relayed Yuri’s words to the Murim warriors, and soon they all dispersed.BaK9a
xjRMTo avoid losing Cedric, each took up a position in an assigned area.Cpg
76xauYuri took the largest zone.hpa0a
EqtmTi4“Kraaa!”j7EyIQ
tqwA soldier under Cedric’s control charged Yuri like a madman, swinging his sword.LVol
9efoVYuri struck him in the jaw to knock him unconscious, but the man lunged again like a zombie.97IY3cd
FfWRIn the end, Yuri had to kill him.5Euh
mSAgGuilty cut through his neck.tV5G
vNEIHEven without a head, the body twisted until Yuri crushed his heart underfoot. When the chest burst, it finally stopped moving.LRe6j
tX6TIt was an unpleasant feeling.VpmM72
rbjA4With Guilty in hand, Yuri scanned his surroundings. In several places, Cedric’s tentacles were emerging from the ground.Cor
Yloi9gcIn the distance, he saw Jose drive his sword into Cedric’s body. Cedric, wearing a calm smile, fell—only to reappear elsewhere.sv2XCo
eRxEXKilling him didn’t matter. They had to keep killing him until it did.HOmV
bl4E8HeBut would Cedric really not have foreseen this?7fh32o
EGMdiBWhile cutting down another soldier who rushed him, Yuri began thinking of a better method.Frjew
20nsoW“Yuri Briol. Don’t you say the Cut of the Soul and the Heart can even cut the soul?”inRMqLY
I8sVHearing the voice, he turned and saw it was Laurent.nJALAoR
ergxyJ“And Jared?”GBTZ
YtW5“I tied him up and buried him halfway. Lord Inariel said he’d call the mages to treat him.”QQmW
55SnkK“He’s not in any danger, right?”4WYa
mTpR6“No.”ps6Am
iEN“Good.”DcrOi
xvm“And that guy can’t be cut with the Cut of the Soul and the Heart?”AqVt
oDvNYuri nodded.MasniYz
V6z“It doesn’t work on him…”XklkyK
xC3“Why?”dI5KR
H0JNYuri blinked.FYnV
tuYWhy indeed?7MCpjk
3owThe Cut of the Soul and the Heart could cut anything, being the nemesis of black magic. The same applied to souls separated from the body. Yet Cedric wouldn’t vanish even when cut.XwBsc
C1dXA thought crossed his mind.nDB
XlqQtf“I was wrong.”2Dn
iyoc0“What?”jmeefL
rBsWzjy“He’s not switching bodies.”Iwb
eTx“Then?”kQsXTYR
5TGy3q“Well, partially. What I mean is, that body isn’t controlled by Cedric’s soul. The real Cedric is somewhere else.”6EUn15L
sC86qIG“You’re saying that’s just a decoy pretending to be the main body?”f2wddP
JlH6Jnn“That’s what I think. When I stabbed him…”TYAxMr
EtVSurprisingly, Laurent nodded.Qbgidp
xuPf6Jp“I see. Then how do we find the real body?”8tJ
5ur822“I’ll take care of it.”G6DBL
HL7mrT“I’m not convinced.”ZzLH
DlXH“Trust me.”uRSz8eX
pq2hZVYuri smiled faintly, patted Laurent’s shoulder, and opened his senses to the fullest.ty3
tai1JxHis perception spread.REyCs9W
RrOYuri focused all his energy on finding Cedric’s location.BQJ
DOy2uHis vision blurred.kGX
aVrFteThe noise of the battlefield faded away.NSO
FkXlBsHe concentrated desperately.zSKN
YhaHis sharpened senses received signals from all over the world.kI3sHk
tXGncThen—apR36jl
hHbSYXG“Yuri Briol.”z6i7E
ets7k“Hmm?”kzMJ
yscbg“Are you looking for me?”bRkX
nJ86Suddenly, Laurent said something incomprehensible.bnrKJ
XTkkH“Hm?”OA1o
VUVThe instant he repeated it, Yuri understood.4pSK
Jnq4fIt wasn’t Laurent.ErJtD
CnS5UxM“Huh?”kw7wI
r6z7TZIt had all been an act from the beginning.EcK
WeTupLZLaurent—or rather, Cedric controlling Laurent’s body—thrust a stab.gOTT
OrUXp38“Kugh!”4LbvukB
aA3Z4mYuri felt his abdomen pierced and bent forward.1buIOl
tnRThe blade twisted, shredding his insides.Cc7R7nU
QR3ScMLHe couldn’t help but spit blood.zr6zs
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