N-A-A Page 161
Page 161
Fim raised his small fist slightly, a hint of emotion gathering in his empty eyes, and gently punched Mino's chest:
"Mino, no, Sese."
Mino reluctantly raised his hands in surrender.
Suddenly, Fim stopped moving abruptly, and a single blue ahoge (cowlick) on his head stood up sharply, pointing straight to the top... After a long while, it finally fell down.
"Fim, what's wrong?" Mino noticed the change and asked curiously.
Fim shook his head and honestly said, "Swell is gone."
"But then again, it seems, it's still there."
Although Mino didn't understand what had happened in the perception of the zombie demon Fim, he knew that Svir, located on the top floor of the Demon King's castle, had already taken action.
Among all the demons, the zombie demon Fim, whose original body was human, still possessed the power of a great demon even after being weakened. Mino had noticed this long ago... The seemingly dull Fim was actually one of the demons with the most acute senses. She could sense even the slightest movement.
"Fim, you've worked hard. Go back and rest." Mino gently rubbed Fim's head.
With his eyes closed, Fim's expression revealed a hint of contentment, and he nodded gently.
The bow swayed lightly behind her, and the sound of her footsteps faded away at the end of the corridor with the clatter of her little leather shoes.
"So those demons... have they really started making their move?"
Mino sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
In the corner, Altotai straightened up: "My lord, of the great demons, only the Book Demon Svir has made a move, and at night no less. It seems they don't intend to cause direct destruction, but rather to extend their clutches to the capital of Kur, making the activation site of the God of All Weapons their main battlefield..."
Looking out the window with concern, Artotai said somewhat uneasily, "It's a pity we're sitting here; there's nothing we can do to stop it."
"Hehe, that's not necessarily true." Mino's lips suddenly curled into a smile by the bedside.
"It's time to let these demons...remember the hero's terror once more."
He knew that now was the perfect time to use the Hero's Descent spell.
【Spirit Summoning Spell - "Hero's Descent"】: Allows you to remotely control the body of "the one being watched by the goddess," unleashing your unique and powerful abilities. The spell is deactivated when the power is exhausted.
Those evil forces plotting to wreak havoc on the capital could never have imagined that a symbol of human courage and hope would appear at this unexpected moment, using a power that completely shatters the balance and utterly reverses the situation!
Thinking of this, Mino rolled over onto the bed, pulled the covers over herself, closed her eyes, and muttered a low murmur:
"Link Start!!! (The Hero Descends!)"
Chapter 227 The Hero Descends!
Zila——!
The moment Shana's body came into contact with the light barrier, countless tiny sparks exploded from her body. Rays of light overflowing from the sacred prohibition drilled into her body, forming a strong confinement and transmitting an extremely strong repulsive force to her entire body!
"It's going to explode! The holy power is going to explode!" Darkfrey warned in terror.
It's like a spear and shield rubbing against each other intensely inside the body. As the heat reaches a threshold, destructive energy can tear the human body apart effortlessly.
No divine power can escape the capture of the divine prohibition, which is why the more powerful a paladin is in divine power, the easier it is for the divine prohibition to reduce them to an ordinary person.
Lightning and fire spread and grew within her body, and terrifying repulsive forces squeezed and tore her body apart. It was at this moment that Shana opened her eyes.
She knew that the repulsive force was not directed at her, but at the power within her body.
"Since that's the case, then stay..." Without retreating an inch, Shana instantly relinquished control of the divine power within her, allowing the barrier of prohibition to peel away the holy power from her body like unraveling silk!
boom--! ! !
The barrier of prohibition emitted an unprecedented hum, and strands of the purest divine power emanated from its surface, intensifying the light within the room. The fire-attribute holy power caused the room's temperature to soar, transforming it into a hellish environment that distorted the air itself.
The next moment, a pure golden light suddenly burst forth in the cell, unleashing a terrifying storm of light!
Pfft!
Using that powerful force, the red-haired girl stumbled and passed through the light barrier that was almost suffocating her, collapsing to the ground covered in sweat.
"My lord! My lord, are you alright? My lord!" Darkfrey rushed anxiously to Shana's side, his blade twitching.
As a sacred artifact, its body is composed of minerals. After the prohibition, it can slowly reassemble its power. However, it knows that Shana, who has now passed the sacred prohibition, has also lost her greatest support as a human, and her body has become extremely fragile.
Even the most ordinary civilians can receive nourishment from the power of light in situations filled with divine power, which can enhance their physical condition... But at this moment, Shana is completely detached from divine power, and her body is as fragile as a piece of paper. Who knows what changes might occur to her body?!
"Cough cough! I'm fine, Darkfrey!" Shana struggled to her feet, her arms a little sore, but her eyes brightened.
"We did it! Darkfriars! Even after enduring the hardships of this prison of light, my body broke free of its shackles and regained its freedom! We created a miracle!"
“Uh, this is probably... just because you, my lord, are so reckless.” Darkfrey stammered, speechless.
Boom—another loud noise came from outside.
Shana raised her head, a strong sense of mission emanating from her, her tone deep and confident: "This is only the first step, Darkfried! Now, it's time for us to show our true power! I believe that even the most formidable enemy cannot withstand my decisive blow!"
“In your current state, you can’t withstand a single blow from anyone, my lord!” Darkfrey was extremely worried.
"Enough talk! Let's go!"
With a tug on her black cloak, Shana lifted the somewhat heavy Darkfriar and ran wildly out of the confinement room, quickly... disappearing from sight.
boom! boom! boom!
Neither the person nor the sword noticed that within the thick light barrier, a spiritual light was anxiously striking the barrier, continuously making slight noises as it bumped against the sacred prohibition, but it could not penetrate the light barrier, leaving only silent ripples.
Desperately watching the red-haired girl disappear into the distance without looking back, the light fluttered around the confined room like a butterfly, finally hovering aimlessly and helplessly, its pure, holy light, unique to the "Mark of the Hero," flickering with a pitiful gleam...
With the departure of the red-haired girl, the Knights were left in a desolate and cold void.
A cold wind swept through the night, howling incessantly and rustling the trees and grass. The eerie shadows no longer fell to the ground with the moonlight, but instead slithered in like a hidden venomous snake, heading straight for the location of the solitary confinement room.
Another gust of wind blew by, and a blond man wearing a cloak and a mask appeared within the knightly order.
"It's so quiet. It seems that all the paladins have indeed come out in force."
Dane looked around cautiously, extending his senses to check his surroundings before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
He tucked his short, golden hair into the shadows of his cloak, raised a pair of malicious eyes, and revealed a smug smile: "That solitary confinement cell where Shana was imprisoned, it will come and go with me..."
"I never expected to get such a good opportunity. The hero, who has always been under the strict protection of the Knights, the hero I couldn't find an opportunity to assassinate... is now delivered to me like a lamb to the slaughter." An unprecedented killing intent flashed in Dane's eyes!
If Shana is eliminated, the position of hero can still fall into his hands.
He will gain the respect of all the people, true fame and status, and power enough to make Thanaus think twice! Instead of burying himself in being some adopted son of a grand duke, an outstanding candidate!
"Shana, don't blame me..." Dane drew his longsword and stood in front of the confinement cell: "If you have to blame someone, blame your bad luck. It's destined that I, Dane, will take your place as the hero!"
Gathering formidable power in his hands, Dane was certain he could kill Shana the instant the restriction was lifted. Only then did he confidently raise the corners of his mouth and look at the empty confinement cell before him.
"Eh?"
Dane stood there, stunned.
"Where is he?" Dane rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He was certain that the Holy Decree had moved him to the highest level of solitary confinement, and all that was left was empty air!
"Where did such a big person go?!" Dane's eyes widened. Since the sacred prohibition of the confinement room was still open, it meant that the Knights had not released Shana. So what happened? It couldn't have been someone who ran away on their own, could it?!
"Wait...that's not right."
Overwhelmed with disbelief, Dane peered into the solitary confinement cell from every angle, until he noticed something unusual.
Using the authority granted by the paladin, he completely shut down the divine prohibition, and the pale golden light curtain dissipated and dissolved.
Immediately afterward, a beam of light fluttered out anxiously. Sensing the unique divine aura emanating from it, Dane was completely stunned:
"The Mark of a Hero?!"
What happened...? This mark of a hero, representing the goddess's gaze and approval, is locked up? Where is Shana, who should be inside too? Did she ascend to immortality?!
The Hero's Mark fluttered around in a panic, but soon it finally found a spot and tried to fly away—after a brief moment of distraction, Dane's face lit up with ecstasy: This was truly effortless! Directly usurping the Hero's Mark, wasn't that even faster than killing the hero and taking his place?!
A massive shadow loomed over the mark of the hero.
Grab it and refine it instantly!
The divine power absorbed the hero's mark into his body without any hindrance. Before Shana, Dane was already the most suitable hero candidate in terms of power. At this moment, it was still no difficulty for him to take in a hero's mark that had lost its source of power.
Ignoring the weak and struggling mark of the hero within him, Dane's eyes gleamed, and he burst into wild, excited laughter:
"Hero! I've succeeded!"
“I, Dane Brando, have finally become…”
next moment.
A strange link seemed to form in the void, and a mysterious soul force plummeted down, falling upon the "person watched by the goddess" who had absorbed the hero's mark and was completely unaware of it...
Everything went black, and Dane lost consciousness.
His body fell straight to the ground with a thud, but he quickly got up, grimacing.
"Is this the body of the new hero...?"
A voice came from a handsome blond face, and the slightly gloomy aura on his face suddenly dissipated. "Dain's" bright eyes blinked, and he looked himself up and down with some curiosity. Soon, he sighed with satisfaction:
"Not bad."
"The area below the neck has a very strong aura of light and power, only slightly weaker than mine..."
Chapter 228 Iron -> Paper; Paper -> Spirit; Spirit -> Iron
Mino was very satisfied with the body she had been given.
He possessed abundant divine power within him. Although he didn't know why the aura of light around his head was somewhat weak, overall, he was a highly promising candidate for a hero. This made him feel right at home, and his body below the neck was perfectly suited to the role.
"I'm absolutely ecstatic!!!"
Mino was somewhat excited. Although it was just a soul descending, this was still his first time successfully escaping the Demon King's castle!
"This is one small step for Minotaur, but one giant leap for mankind!"
A surge of pride welled up within him. Mino surveyed his surroundings and quickly murmured, "This is... the Knights' confinement cell? How did 'I' end up here? Am I here to rescue someone?"
"And this outfit." Mino had originally wanted to see what the new hero looked like, but after looking at the cloak and mask he was wearing, she gave up on the idea:
"Mysticism? Well, at least it doesn't infringe on their privacy. But why... does the new hero not even have a sacred artifact?"
The longsword in Dane's hand was already of a very good quality. As the adopted son of the Grand Duke, his personal sword was also an expensive weapon passed down from the dwarves. However, compared to the sacred artifact, it was not impressive.
"It doesn't matter. I just happen to be using a one-handed sword, which came in very handy."