Chapter 361
The avatar’s body lay sprawled, severed diagonally into chunks. The exposed cross-sections shimmered with a purplish hue, showing no signs of internal organs. Though smaller than its original size, it was still larger than most massive creatures; yet Ian split it in two with one blow.
Ian, taking a step forward, no longer spared a glance at the creature. His attention shifted to Lucia, whom the tentacles had flung aside. She was struggling to her feet, barely escaping the twitching tendrils.
As her legs gave way, Ian’s left hand caught her arm.
“T-Thank you. I’m alrigh—” Lucia’s words trailed off as she reflexively looked up at Ian.
Ian, who only had a vague idea of how bad his face looked, swallowed a wry smile. “Is it really that bad?”
Lucia hesitated, her lips quivering as if searching for words. Even amidst the chaos, her eyes instinctively scanned Ian’s face up close, taking in every detail. The closer view only made his current state more apparent.
From beneath his cheekbone, a thick, violet fibrous mass had replaced the flesh, writhing as it continuously burned under the sacred energy, only to regenerate again. A faint purple haze wove into the red glow of divinity. The jagged, saw-like teeth were unsettlingly sharp,
An intricately grotesque mask appeared to have layered over his original face, though his eyes—still imbued with crimson divinity—remained unmistakably human.
“How did… How did this happen to you?” Lucia finally asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
“It just happened.”“What? That’s not—” Lucia blinked, clearly unwilling to accept such a dismissive answer.
Ian smiled. Or, at least, he attempted to—though he figured that, in his current state, it must have looked far more unsettling than intended. “Don’t worry. I’ll return to normal.”
Probably. Just like before.
Ian hadn’t fully deflected the barrage of radiant light unleashed by the avatar. His defense had been far from perfect. The Barrier of Light had absorbed the initial explosion, giving him just enough time to raise his Platinum Barrier in front of his face.
The explosion left Ian in tatters—literally. He was in critical condition, barely clinging to life, and keeping consciousness was nothing short of a miracle. If not for his high resistance, countless blessings, the Platinum Barrier, and his White Phosphor Armor, he wouldn’t have been alive.
The explosion ravaged his unprotected right arm, legs, and face, leaving them devoid of sensation—injuries so severe they seemed irreparable.
Yet at that moment, two forces came into play almost simultaneously. The holy energy surged from his relatively intact left arm, while fragments of chaos began spewing out chaos energy it had previously absorbed.
This definitely wasn’t in the game.
If it had been, it would’ve likely been two entirely separate events—one for a barbarian warrior and another for a corrupted one.
But Ian was both. So, he found himself in a scenario that had never existed in the game. Not that he had the luxury of rejecting either. Just clinging to consciousness had been a struggle—resisting wasn’t even an option.
And after enduring a painful—extremely painful—process of transformation, he had ended up like this.
Crack—
Ian adjusted his grip on the hilt of his Light Sword. His enlarged, strengthened fingers and sharp nails unintentionally scraped the handle.
He still didn’t fully understand the mechanism, but chaos energy had reconstructed his arm. The mutilated or critically injured areas had mutated, reshaping themselves. Even so, Karha had not withdrawn the Blessing of Battle, a fact Ian no longer found surprising. That entity was likely observing this turn of events with great interest.
Thanks to this, Ian’s current abilities far surpassed his original state. The boosted stats from his transformation, combined with the additional power from the Blessing of Battle, strengthened him more than ever.
Of course, this came at a cost—pain. The holy energy was constantly searing the mutated areas, forcing Ian to endure relentless agony.
I guess this is better than rolling around with my bones exposed… Fuck.
Ian had no intention of explaining this in detail. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Lucia’s pale face and added, “You, on the other hand, looked like madness consumed you.”
“Well….” Lucia hesitated again, her lips trembling as if she might burst into tears at any moment. “The priests… because of me….”
It was then that Ian realized the source of the thick stench of blood. He had been so consumed by the agonizing transformation that he hadn’t witnessed the priests losing their lives.
So they really kept their promise. Though there was no need to prove it like this.
With that thought, Ian asked, “Even Miguel?”
“Miguel’s in the back… unconscious. The legion… too many of them are dead or injured. Even after they died, they— It’s all because of me. I—”
“Nothing here is your fault.” Ian cut her off sharply. “You did your part. The responsibility lies with me. They’re my legion.”
It wasn’t an empty consolation. The anger searing within him burned even hotter than the holy power consuming his flesh.
Even in his current state, Ian could still perceive the condition of his legion. Nearly a quarter of them were dead or gravely wounded. The damage had accumulated during the time his body was being reconstructed, leaving a sense of loss akin to losing a part of himself.
“Sir Ian.”
If it weren’t for Lucia, the loss of life would have been greater.
Ian looked down directly into her quivering eyes and, flicking his now-thickened tongue, added, “And vengeance is mine. Stand back. It’s not over yet.”
Lucia froze for a moment before turning to look behind her. The fragmented mass of the avatar’s body, which had collapsed into pieces, twitched as if sensing their gaze and rapidly reformed into a single shape. Perhaps it had been feigning death, waiting for them to let their guard down.
Ian turned toward the creature and added, “Step back. Take care of Miguel.”
“Okay.” Lucia retreated as instructed, but she glanced back at Ian and added, "Please, make sure of it. Avenge them."
So, blood really does run deep.
Ian thought of the red-haired knight as he glanced briefly at Lucia.
“I’ll do my best.” His voice carried a low rumble. Despite his grotesque appearance, Lucia’s lips tugged into the faintest smile before she stepped away.
Ian’s gaze shifted to Miguel, sprawled motionless in the distance.
Sleeping soundly all by yourself, huh?
Knowing full well that wasn’t the case, Ian scoffed inwardly before immediately kicking off the ground.
Thud—
The strength in his mutated lower body had long surpassed human limits. Ian closed the considerable distance in just two strides, raising his Light Sword high.
Let’s see what you’ve got, you motherfucker.
The crimson divinity, enhanced by chaos energy, ignited like a blazing inferno. A moment later, the brilliant yellow Light Sword flared like molten lava and slashed down in a straight line, cleaving through the massive, molten-looking mass forming before him.
Boom—
The Light Sword split the nearly reconstructed mass in a single stroke. Flames danced in Ian’s eyes as a fiery pillar shot up the length of the blade.
Swoosh, boom—
The Pinpoint Explosion sent the avatar’s body, now severed in two, flying apart in tattered pieces.
“Oooohhhhh!”
Cheers erupted among the legionnaires. Although still fighting the mutated creatures, the legionnaires saw a drastic change in the situation from moments before. Ian’s battle roar had reignited the divine blessings empowering them.
“The Great Warrior? What even is that form?”
“Did he overcome the curse of the void?”
“He’s transcended beyond human!”
Several soldiers nearby murmured in awe as they caught sight of Ian.
Ian paid them no mind. After all, Karha’s divinity was still burning across his entire body—there was no reason for them to mistake him for a demon. Explaining his transformation was impossible anyway, so he let them think whatever they wanted.
Boom—
Before the explosion fully subsided, Ian swung his Light Sword several more times. At the same time, his crimson eyes glimmered faintly as ashen magic mixed into their hue.
Crackle!
Lightning gathered in Ian’s left hand as he swung the sword. After a few slashes, he thrust out his palm.
Rumble.
Blinding lightning rained down on the severed mass, illuminating its twitching surface. A violet gleam flickered faintly. Ian’s eyes, now a bluish tint, were fixated on the avatar.
The air grew icy, and a sharp Ice Blade formed mid-air.
Crunch—Boom!
The Ice Blade plunged into the mass, detonating from within and scattering frost in all directions. Ian’s narrowed eyes glinted as he lunged forward, swinging his Light Sword with relentless force.
So that’s why the quest description was worded that way.
Neither physical attacks nor elemental magic seemed to inflict fatal damage on the creature. Although the chaos energy forming its body was evaporating, the remaining amount was still immense. It felt like trying to drain a vast lake with a single spoon.
This thing was not designed to be killed outright, even in the game.
The quest’s completion condition was to survive until the avatar died. Likely, once the erosion reached its limit, the creature would begin to self-destruct, similar to the mid-boss Mev, the Bleeding Avenger, from Chapter One.
A being that defied the laws of the world was likely intended to be dealt with by divine intervention, which made sense. However, Ian had no intention of letting this thing live until then.
Boom—
There were still two hours left until the corruption process concluded. Ian’s body, reconstructed by chaos energy, wouldn’t last that long. Even now, the shards within him were vomiting chaos energy to repair his divine-scorched flesh.
Even if he endured until the end of the erosion, the gods might pass judgment on him afterward. Perhaps Karha would again purge the mutated parts, but he couldn’t guarantee a perfect restoration of his original body.
That’s the rational reason.
Ian swung his sword relentlessly, his breath escaping in deep, guttural growls. His fighting spirit and the burning rage within whispered one truth: the legionnaires who had fallen deserved vengeance.
It might have been an emotion caused by the Blessing of Battle, but Ian didn’t care. The dead were his legionnaires, and they had willingly given their lives for him. That fact remained unchanged.
Even Nila, who was undoubtedly among the dead, deserved its vengeance.
So let’s see who collapses first, you bastard.
With that thought, Ian kept moving, not pausing for even a moment. By now, pieces of the avatar’s body lay scattered all around him, torn apart.
Whoosh—
That’s when every fragment glowed with a brilliant violet light.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted in the next instant, swallowing Ian whole. The explosion flung him backward, and he instinctively raised his Platinum Barrier to shield his face.
As he flipped backward midair, the avatar emerged through the dense explosion like a coiled spring, its form hastily reconstructed. A massive violet-glowing fist shot toward Ian with incredible force.
So, you’re pissed too, huh?
Ian watched the approaching fist, his left arm flicking out to the side. In the blink of an eye, the Whirlwind burst forth from his movement.
Whoosh!
Ian’s trajectory veered sharply to the left, his body twisting clockwise mid-spin.
Thud.
The avatar’s colossal fist grazed past him, missing by inches. All Ian had to do was extend his Light Sword forward.
Slash!
The bright yellow blade carved through the avatar’s thick waist, leaving a glowing arc in its wake. By the time Ian completed his spin and landed smoothly, the avatar’s upper and lower halves were misaligned at a sharp diagonal.
Shwack—
It was then that tentacles sprouted from the avatar’s severed waist, latching onto its lower half and pulling the two sections back together.
Crackle!
The avatar bent forward sharply, landing on its feet without toppling. Such a maneuver would have been impossible for any human.
Not using your tentacle legs anymore?Looks like you’re mimicking my movements now.
Without hesitating, Ian launched himself toward the creature again. At that moment, a dozen tentacles erupted from the avatar’s back like wings, flaring out in all directions.
Whoosh!
The tentacles lashed out, tracing erratic paths through the air, each brimming with violet energy.
Ian’s focus reached its peak. He was able to track every trajectory with absolute clarity. Now, with the combined effects of the Blessing of Battle and his partial demonization, his enhanced physical abilities easily kept pace with his heightened Concentration.
Boom—Clang! Slash!
Thanks to that, instead of dodging the tentacles coming at him, Ian swung his sword almost instinctively,
“Lu Entre, have mercy,” Lucia murmured under her breath, dragging Miguel further away.
At this moment, Lucia couldn’t keep up with Ian’s sword movements. All she could see was a dazzling whirlwind of golden afterimages spiraling fiercely around him as he charged forward in a straight line.
Severed tentacles rained down in a flurry, scattering wildly in every direction.