Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes

Rumble

Dark clouds thickened above them, heavy with foreboding.

The air crackled with static, charged by the release of Ivaim's misfortune.

Before anyone could react, a blinding flash tore through the sky.

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning descended like a spear hurled by the heavens.

The tattooed man barely had time to flinch before the strike found its mark.

BOOM!

Electricity surged through his body, lighting up his tattoos with a ghostly glow.

His muscles seized, and a guttural groan escaped his lips as he crumpled to one knee.

Smoke curled from his scorched skin.

The man struggled to stand, teeth gritted against the pain.

His body trembled, stubbornly refusing to collapse fully. But fate wasn't done with him.

CRACK! BOOM!

Another bolt crashed down, splitting the air with deafening force.

Then another.

BOOM!

Lightning rained mercilessly, each strike faster and fiercer than the last.

The man writhed under the relentless assault, unable to dodge or defend himself.

His defiance melted into desperation as his body convulsed uncontrollably.

To be hit by lightning numerous times... how unlucky!

Nathan's eyes widened briefly, though his usual composed demeanor returned swiftly.

The Black Veil Master tilted her head slightly, her serene expression faltering for only a heartbeat as disbelief flickered in her gaze.

Darian stood stiff, lips parted as though searching for words but finding none.

All three of them were dumbfounded by the absurdity of the scene...

'Even I'm scared of myself now...'

Ivaim admitted silently, watching as yet another bolt threatened to descend.

Nathan paused for a moment, stunned by the chaotic scene, but he quickly recovered.

Without wasting any time, he raised his hands and sent a swarm of metal spears flying toward the tattooed man.

A sudden, sharp screech cut through the air.

The hanged corpses around the arena opened their mouths wide, releasing an invisible force.

The metal spears were flung away as though swatted by an unseen hand.

The tattooed man started to relax, thinking he was safe.

But then—

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The deflected spears turned sharply in mid-air and slammed into over half of the hanged corpses, piercing them like skewers.

"Uh, friendly fire?"

Ivaim muttered, his lips twitching at the absurd sight.

He didn't stop to think too much about it.

Clutching his baton tightly, Ivaim charged straight at Darian.

Darian, quick on his feet, wasn't about to be an easy target.

He lifted his arms, and glowing white chains burst from the ground, writhing like snakes as they shot toward Ivaim.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The chains missed every time.

Ivaim had already stacked up his luck using [Coin of Fortune]!

Without breaking stride, he shifted into a throwing stance.

The baton glimmered faintly as he hurled it with all his strength toward Darian.

Darian saw the attack coming and reached for a mirror strapped to his side, intending to block it.

CRACK!

A stray metal spear shattered the mirror before Darian could lift it fully.

WHACK!

The baton struck Darian squarely in the chest.

The force of the hit was immense.

Darian's feet left the ground as he was sent flying backward, crashing hard onto the arena floor.

The baton was enchanted with a knockback effect!

Huff...

Recovering from the impact, Darian staggered, his sharp eyes locking onto the tattooed man.

The air between them bristled with a silent understanding.

The man gave a firm nod, his expression grim and focused.

Ivaim's gaze darted across the battlefield, sharp and calculating.

That's when he finally noticed something odd...

The intricate tattoos that once covered the man's body had vanished!

The black ink now swirling and gathering onto his palm, forming a perfect, sinister black circle.

Ivaim's pulse quickened.

A foreboding danger was suddenly felt in his mind.

"He's about to pass on the curse! Stop them!"

He shouted, voice cutting through the chaos.

Nathan didn't waste any second as he activated [Metallic Manipulation] once more!

Metallic spears materialized around him with a metallic hum before launching through the air like a deadly storm.

Clang! Clang!

But this time, it wasn't the tattooed man who counterattacked his spears, it was Darian!

Darian, despite his ragged breathing, slammed his hand into the ground.

A shimmering, mirror-like barrier rose around them, encasing both him and the man in a reflective box.

The surface gleamed with an unnatural glow, distorting the light around it.

Nathan gritted his teeth and held his position, stopping the barrage of spears just in time.

His mind raced, remembering all too well what that cursed reflection could do.

If even one spear struck that box, the injury would be mirrored back to him...

Just then, a humming sound could be heard.

An eerie, haunting melody filled the air.

It was the Black Veil Master.

Her voice, ethereal yet powerful, hummed a soft lullaby in the air.

Since physical attacks couldn't break the mirror-like barrier, she had chosen a different approach... one that aimed directly at the mind.

The tattooed man noticed immediately.

His head tilted unnaturally, and without moving a muscle, his lips curled back in a grotesque grin.

Then, disturbingly, his mouth stretched wide, far beyond human limits, revealing rows of jagged teeth glinting in the dim light.

But he wasn't countering the song... he was absorbing it!

The vibrations, the energy, even the Black Veil Master's power itself—he drew it all into his gaping maw like a vortex.

Seeing this, the Black Veil Master abruptly stopped her singing.

But it was too late.

A dark, trembling power radiated from the man's body, distorting the air around him.

His chest heaved once, and then a single word escaped his lips:

"Death."

The word was simple but devastating.

Ivaim's eyes widened as his chest tightened.

He suddenly felt as though his heart and brain had stopped functioning!

Nathan dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, his body convulsing under the weight of the sound.

Even the Black Veil Master, concealed within her shrouded veils, couldn't withstand the force.

Her figure trembled violently before she collapsed to the ground, veils slipping away to reveal a pale, drained form.

Darian seized the moment.

Around the coliseum, the hanged corpses swayed before the chains recoiled, pulling them from their twisted perches and letting them thud lifelessly to the ground.

The chains on their necks were released and were being redirected!

With a flick of Darian's wrist, shimmering white chains shot toward Ivaim and the others.

The metallic links hissed through the air like vipers, closing in fast.

Ivaim's instincts screamed at him to move, to leap away, but his body wouldn't obey.

His muscles remained frozen, paralyzed by the lingering effects of the man's fatal word.

The chains wrapped mercilessly around Ivaim's neck, constricting with crushing force.

Gasping, he struggled, muscles straining as he fought to activate [Lucky Leap].

But nothing happened...

The chains weren't ordinary... they suppressed his abilities completely!

Dangling in the air, Ivaim's vision blurred.

Desperation clawed at his thoughts as he fought against the suffocating grip.

Seeing their struggles, Darian's clenched fist relaxed slightly, lowering just enough for the chains around Ivaim's neck to ease their crushing grip.

Gasping, Ivaim inhaled sharply, his head spinning from the sudden rush of air.

His lips twitched into a weak, sarcastic smile.

'I can't tell if he's being merciful or just dragging this out to kill us slowly...'

He thought bitterly.

Darian, however, remained silent, his sharp gaze fixed downward, lost in thought.

The tattooed man pretended not to notice Darian's fleeting show of restraint.

Instead, he stepped forward, his voice steady and commanding.

"Do you remember the oath?"

The man asked, raising his hand to reveal a perfect black circle resting ominously in his palm.

Darian's shoulders tensed, but he said nothing.

"All you need to do is recite it..."

The man continued.

"Speak the words, and the curse will naturally transfer to you."

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

Darian finally broke it, his voice low and uncertain.

"How can I be sure you'll release my father once I take it?"

The man's expression remained impassive, as if the question was of no consequence.

"Your father is bound by the curse itself. When you absorb it, the decision will be yours... whether to set him free or not."

He paused for a beat before adding coldly,

"And once the curse becomes yours, you'll naturally surpass me in power. By then, you can kill me if you desire to think that I had deceived you..." Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Ivaim's stomach twisted at the sheer brazenness of the statement.

The man spoke of power and death as if discussing a mere transaction.

Darian's lips pressed into a firm line, doubt flickering in his eyes.

From where he dangled, Ivaim desperately wanted to intervene, to use [Whisper] to sway Darian's thoughts.

But the chains binding him suppressed his abilities completely.

For a moment, Darian stood motionless, the weight of the decision heavy on his shoulders.

The world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for his answer.

Then, at last, Darian lifted his chin, resolve hardening his expression.

"Alright..."

He said quietly but firmly.

There was no hesitation this time.

All those years of relentless training and sacrifices...

Every wound, every scar — had led to this moment.

He would bring back the man his mother loved so dearly.

He would bring back the father she never stopped waiting for.

He would restore her happiness...

Even at the cost of his own.