CHAPTER 117: | I HADN'T BEEN SERIOUS SINCE EARLIER

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  Disbelief, that was the raw, cutting emotion that he felt in this very moment, he saw his opponent, who he’d judged to be as someone honorable, launch such a despicable sneak attack from the behind.

  This… this inhumane man had completely utilized his own partner, completely ignoring the danger it posed to her, merely to bait him with his keen interest in her strange physique.

  He was in complete, utter disbelief.

  The image of his opponent being an honorable foe in his mind was gone now, replaced with the ugly reality of a scum who would do anything to win.

  “I was a fool… for believing that you’re someone that deserved respect!”

  I smiled at his disappointment, then flicked my hand.

  The woman posing as Samantha moved in a pragmatic way, her hands turning into a spear that dripped with fine, dry sands.

  Then she lunged it onto Lumicor’s nape.

  Squelch!

  “It’s truly impressive that you’ll be running with the notion of me using my woman as a bait for someone as unimpressive as you.”

  “…”

  ‘Huh?’ Lumicor was in pure disbelief at the scene unfolding in front of him.

  I-it was… it was impossible… that someone would be able to mimic the existence of others so perfectly that it even fooled him into thinking that golem was Samantha.

  “Y-you!”

  He stuttered, wide with disbelief.

  He was visibly shaken at this ridiculous scene before him, but soon, he regained his cool.

  His head became as cold as ever, watching the spear impale his nape in silence.

  “I see…”

  His expression changed drastically.

  Now, it was colder than ever and more resolute than before.

  His arrogance was completely replaced with a stark seriousness, of having realized how foolish his actions had been since earlier.

  “It’s quite impressive that you’ll come up with such a shameful method to deal with me…”

  He stopped for a moment as he lifted his head and gazed straight right at me, his eyes now hold a frosty golden ember peering through my entire intent.

  ‘…’

  The world fell into a heavy silence.

  It was dark, deeply dark, down in the abyss.

  There was nothing to be seen, nor was there anything glimmering like gold dust down here, since what was left in this desolate place called Atlantis was nothing but ruins and the thick, coppery scent of blood loitering in the currents.

  In the deepest place, where only the remains of an earth dragon and the rubbles of a fallen civilization could be seen, five figures came into focus.

  One of them was kneeling on the ground, a spear impaling his neck.

  The other three watched him, each of them having a different expressions, as the last figure, a woman with white features, could be seen laying on the seafloor with blood seeping out from her neck.

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  “?!!”

  The silence was broken with a sudden brilliance coming into existence.

  It was an ember of fires at first, covering Lumicor’s neck, but soon his entire neck was consumed with a blinding radiance.

  The light broke through the dreadful darkness of the abyss.

  Tssst! Tsssst! Whiirrrr…

  Impatience?

  No, it was confidence.

  His face was filled with renewed confidence.

  It wasn’t arrogance nor pride to satisfy his ego, but it was the confidence that he was still in control of this very situation.

  The radiance burning in his neck took a more soft and ethereal glow as they transformed into starlight, illuminating his surroundings with the gentle, endless light of the night sky.

  “I applaud you for such a shameless ingenuity. I admire your boldness to ponder such an absurd idea… but now it’s time to end this game of mice and cat and let’s reach the conclusion that we both wanted.”

  “…”

  I didn’t answer him as I merely stared.

  Silence reigned in the abyss.

  Lumicor had already been defeated the moment he was caught in the trap that I meticulously designed for him.

  It was arrogant of him to think that the two of us were still equal in this situation.

  I was already above him the moment I’d decided to end this fight, so why should I listen to the wails of the defeated?

  It was unnecessary, and it was pointless to entertain his notions.

  He was nervous, seeing me smile like I usually had done, but this time something was different.

  My smile carried something eeriely absolute, as if he was nothing but a mere mongrel begging to be killed.

  “How disappointing. I didn’t expect that someone as intelligent as you would still consider me as your equal based on this situation.”

  I merely stated it calmly, then stared at Lumicor, who was scrambling for answers like the fool he was after hearing my words.

  His expression turned into confusion, then shock, into disbelief, before returning into confusion again as he stared at me, then asked in a curt manner.

  “Tell me, how are we not on equal terms?”

  His figure that was held by the earth glowed softly.

  Then, in the next seconds, it turned brighter, and the world seemed to pause for a short moment as he reappeared inches away from behind me with thousands of starborn swords appearing all around me.

  “How foolish…”

  It was ignorant of him to think that he still could hurt me with these mere projectiles.

  Still, it was an admirable attempt, but it was utterly useless since this body of mine is made of earth.

  I smiled with confidence, then I downright ignored him as I walked towards the woman whose presence exuded that of high nobility.

  She was seated in the rubble, a stark contrast to her elegance, smiling softly while watching the starborn swords slipping right through my skin like they were an ethereal projectile.

  Step… Step… Step…

  Her gaze was intense.

  It was to the point that it felt embarrassing.

  Samantha weren’t merely watched me advancing towards her, but she was passionately observing every meticulous detail in my body.

  “It’s impressive that you’re still able to imitate your previous form in its finest state when your pitiful form is merely made of the sand that could be seen everywhere.”

  Her words were precisely on the point.

  This form of mine is truly a replica of my former self, since it was personally sculpted by me.

  It was a form that took after my previous self, I sculpted it, copying every finest detail of my fleshy form without any restraint.

  It was painfully difficult, especially when I am moving my body, since this current form is made of fine powder of sand, stitched together, moved together to form an incarnation.

  It was impressive that Samantha could see this masterpiece of mine without any failure.

  Truly, sculpting this form wasn’t entirely useless, since the woman that I am presenting it to showed her interest and acknowledgement.

  “Indeed, this form is made of fine sand, so it’s quite difficult to maintain this form for more than a century, since it’s taking a toll on my mind. But if you, my lady, appreciate this form of mine, then I’m deeply pleased at myself.”

  Hearing my words, Samantha chuckled lightly.

  But after noticing how unladylike she was right now, she frowned slightly, then delicately coughed as she then composed herself in the next moment before she stared at me with a soft smile on her face.

  “I am deeply moved by your words of flattery, Alister. So, do praise me more. Then maybe… I would pay more attention to you.”

  I smiled softly at her words, then flicked my hand, since Lumicor’s existence wasn’t exactly needed in this lovely atmosphere right now.

  Flick!

  In Lumicor’s perspective, his world completely went still as he calmly watched the departing figure of his enemy.

  But before he could move his body, pain flared through every corner of his muscles.

  All he could feel was a hellish pain.

  In his excellent judgment, he coated his eyes with mana, then peered through his body and saw a large amount of powdered sands flowing through his bloodstream, then into his mana circuits.

  These very sands stopped, then exploded outward, destroying his body with every passing second.

  He sighed in relief, since he still could recover this amount of damage, but before he could relax, another wave of pain intruded his body yet again.

  Those bloodied sands shifted their forms, then into golems that were as small as a red blood cell.

  These very golems then glanced at each other before nodding at each other as they then interconnected their arms together to form into a seal that was foreignly unknown to him, and it was in that moment that his heart completely went still and he blacked out.