Volume 2 chapter 20
Honestly, watching one's own unconscious body from a third-person perspective was an incredibly surreal experience. But Charlo had zero time to dwell on the existential horror of it.
In an instant, his soul was plucked from his physical form by that unknown entity and teleported directly to the battlefield.
The Emperor of Morris, the Pope of the Holy Light, the Sword Saint of Baran, the President of the Magic Association...
One by one, the supreme powerhouses whose names shook the continent lay scattered on the ground. They were battered, broken, and soaked in blood, their legendary dignity stripped away by defeat.
Charlo even noticed two Elven Saints among the fallen.
Eight Saints in total. All lying in the dirt, barely clinging to life, breathing out more than they were breathing in.
And the culprit responsible for this devastation—a towering, colossal Black Titan—was striding toward the South, each step covering a thousand miles.
The height of the Titan was impossible to estimate. Even floating a hundred meters in the air as a spirit, Charlo had to crane his neck just to see the creature's ankles.
"Are you telling me... you want me to deal with that?!"
Charlo felt a metaphorical vein pop in his forehead. He suspected the mysterious voice was playing a cruel joke. With that Titan's physique, Charlo doubted he was qualified to scrape the dead skin off its heel, let alone fight it.
"Of course not!" The mysterious voice explained hastily. "That entity is formed with Clyris's body as the core. However, Clyris's consciousness has been imprisoned by the will of an Ancient Demon Lord hidden within her power. I need you to enter Clyris's Mental World and rescue her!"
"Wait! Clyris?" Charlo stared blankly at the Titan. "You're saying that thing is Clyris?"
"Not exactly..." The voice sounded deeply regretful. "The power Clyris inherited contained a remnant will of the Ancient Demon Lord—Phyllis, the Queen of Greed. I failed to detect it in time. When Clyris used the Demon Lord's power to communicate with the Demon God, that remnant will was repaired and awakened by the Demon God himself. Phyllis seized the opportunity to hijack Clyris's body and channeled the Demon God's power to manifest this Titan of Darkness."
"Clyris has been defeated in the battle of wills. The Titan is now fully under Phyllis's control, and she is marching to destroy the Wall of Holy Light! Therefore, I need you to help Clyris regain control!"
"What?" Charlo instantly understood the gravity of the situation. If Clyris was possessed and broke the Wall, the Abyss would reconnect with the continent.
"What do I need to do?" he asked immediately. The Wall of Holy Light could not fall. If it did, demon armies would flood the lands, sparking a war that would consume the entire world.
"I do not know the situation inside. You will understand once you are there! Go, young man! Save her! Remember: If your conviction is firm, you will be invincible!"
"Eh?!"
Before Charlo could react, he was launched uncontrollably toward the Titan like a spiritual cannonball...
Somewhere Among the Stars. A Realm of Illusion.
A figure of pure white light stood silently in the void.
Suddenly, He recoiled as if struck by a heavy blow. His form stumbled backward, flickering unsteadily, taking a long moment to regain balance.
__________________________
"PHYX!!!"
A terrifying demonic shadow encroached from the edge of the realm, blotting out the sun and dimming the stars.
"Arno... give it up. As long as I am here, I will not allow you to pass."
The figure of pure white looked calmly at the horrific shadow capable of devouring worlds, his voice steady.
"You despicable thing! A coward hiding behind the Wall of Subspace! Come out if you dare!" The Demon God Arno roared.
"Say what you will..."
The Lord of Light remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard the insult.
"You coward! You turtle shrinking into its shell! After all these years, you haven't changed! Still the deserter, still the traitor! You abandoned your own civilization, fled the Battle of Twilight, and hid in this remote corner of the universe to survive like a rat. And now, you still hide behind the Wall of Subspace, relying on that artifact to save your miserable life!" The Demon God mocked viciously.
The white figure wavered slightly, the insults striking a nerve, but He steadied Himself.
"Regardless of the past... I will not let you ruin this planet."
Inside the Mental World.
It was darker than Charlo had imagined.
Upon entering, Charlo felt like he had been thrown into a sensory deprivation tank. He couldn't see a thing.
"Clyris—Clyris!"
In this absolute darkness, Charlo resorted to the most basic method—shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Hey! Are you there? Clyris?!"
He shouted for what felt like ages without a single echo. A bad feeling began to settle in his gut.
"You are noisy! Shut up!!"
But his shouting finally worked. The white-haired, red-eyed Demon Lord materialized, evidently annoyed by the racket.
"Ah?! Clyris—"
Seeing the familiar face, Charlo felt a surge of joy. But before he could finish his sentence, the Demon Lord’s scythe slashed down.
Charlo was sent flying on the spot. The terrifying blade-beam nearly split his spirit in half.
"Hiss..."
Charlo gasped, sucking in cold air through his teeth. It was his first time experiencing spiritual damage, and it hurt like hell. He checked himself over and was relieved to find he was still in one piece.
"Little brat, how did you get in here?" The Demon Lord leaned on her scythe, asking haughtily.
"You... could you be the 'Queen of Greed'—Phyllis?!" Charlo looked at the flowing white hair, the arrogant expression, and connected the dots with what the mysterious voice had told him.
"Oh? To think that after twenty thousand years, someone still remembers my illustrious name!" The Demon Lord looked surprised, then smirked.
"So, tell me. How did you get in?"
Charlo looked around frantically but saw nothing. His heart sank. Only Phyllis was here; Clyris was nowhere to be seen. That boded ill.
"Haha... well..." Charlo scratched his head, feigning awkwardness. "I don't know either! I just accidentally... slipped in! I really don't know anything!"
"It seems I will have to do it myself..."
Phyllis sighed slightly, and her figure vanished.
In that instant, Charlo's focus spiked to the limit. His pupils constricted.
But he still couldn't track her speed.
He was sent flying by another slash of the scythe.
Phyllis didn't let up. She chased after him, her massive scythe weaving a net of death that allowed no escape.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Slash after slash rained down. Charlo saw stars, completely unable to fight back.
"Damn it... is the gap this big?"
He was beaten around like a ragdoll, questioning the meaning of his existence under the relentless assault.
But amidst his wavering, Phyllis's attacks grew faster and stronger, as if she had no upper limit.
Wait?! No upper limit?
Charlo suddenly realized something.
"Remember: If your conviction is firm, you will be invincible!" The mysterious voice echoed in his memory.
"CLANG!"
Phyllis's scythe swung down again, but this time, it was blocked by a longsword.
"What?"
She froze for a split second. Before she could recover, Charlo slashed back, sending her flying.
"Ugh! How... is that possible?!"
Phyllis clutched her chest, staring at him in disbelief.
Standing before her, Charlo was now clad in shining silver knight armor, holding a longsword, flourishing the blade with practiced ease.
"The Mental World is a magical place, isn't it?"
Charlo smiled.
"Hmph, foolish! It is true that physical rank does not determine spiritual strength, but it does determine the quantity of your mental energy. You are merely a Sixth-Rank Knight. Maintaining that armor consumes mental energy constantly. How long can you last?" Phyllis mocked.
"Ah..." Charlo awkwardly dispelled the armor, keeping only the sword.
"Cut the crap! Where is Clyris?" Charlo pointed his sword at her.
"You came for her?" Phyllis raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down with amusement. "I didn't expect a boring girl like her to have a lover!"
"What lover? Don't talk nonsense! Answer me!"
"Hehehe..." Phyllis laughed softly. "What a pity. You are too late. She has disappeared. By now... her soul has likely scattered into nothingness! You can't save her! Hahaha..."
"What!?" Charlo froze.
"But don't be sad... I'll send you to reunite with her right now!"
Before her voice faded, Phyllis charged, scythe raised high.
At the same time, a boundless pressure descended, crushing down on Charlo like Mount Tai.
Caught off guard, Charlo nearly dropped to his knees. The terrifying pressure made his grip on the sword falter.
But at that critical moment, deep within his soul, the System—which had been silent for so long—suddenly lit up.
"Ding-dong! Level 3 Threat Detected. Engaging Protective Field..."
"Engagement Successful!"
A mysterious force surged out. Instantly, the crushing pressure vanished.
"This is..."
He was confused, but Phyllis gave him no time to think. The tip of the scythe was already at his forehead.
Charlo hurriedly raised his sword to block, using the force of her heavy blow to slide backward and create distance.
"What?" Phyllis was perplexed. He had reacted instantly, his movements sharp and unhindered.
"Why... are you unaffected by my pressure?"
"Who knows? Maybe I'm just lucky!" Charlo smiled. He finally understood—the System he had neglected for so long was finally pulling its weight!
"You..."
Phyllis choked on her words, her face darkening. "Fine! Even if we compete purely on mental energy, I can outlast you! You are just a Sixth-Rank Knight!"
She didn't pause again, rushing forward to engage Charlo in a duel of spiritual blades.
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