Chapter 148 Prey and Key
The earth was covered by surging abyss, with wolf-headed greatswords and dark blades scattered with filth, flowing with a cold radiance.
The terrifying demonic power made the already fragile space continuously collapse and annihilate, with thick, dark cracks spreading like black lightning, torn into numerous fragmented pieces by distorted power.
Hodrea’s steps landed in the encroaching darkness, the trace of his voice completely swallowed, yet it struck the hearts of Ig and the young girl like a heavy hammer.
Even Ophi, whose lighthearted expression had gradually become solemn, her ice-blue, lustrous, beautiful eyes filled with seriousness, her slender, pure white fingers tightening around the ice long spear, watched the swordsman’s figure slowly enter her sight.
“Ice Dragon Girl… surging with ancient elements. Is this the intention of the Black Dragon Gedohoya, as the Saintess spoke, to manifest the power of ancient elemental spirits in his daughter?”
Hodrea walked closer, everything he touched turning into lusterless darkness, even the frost annihilated again. A pair of deep eyes fell upon the girl’s icy, slender body. He suddenly revealed a disdainful smile:
“However, ancient elemental spirits… they are but a division of chaos, having already perished once. Even if they reappear, how can they pass through true eternity?”
“Hmph, you always say this filthy abyss is real… that’s utter madness. Even Veer ignores you, so how can you comment on us here!”
Ophi raised her head and responded angrily.
Although she was not very accustomed to her identity as the water spirit “Undine,” let alone embodying past elemental spirits, hearing Hodrea boastfully comment on her made her small face flush red with anger, and she shouted indignantly.
“Hodrea, your target has always been me.” Ig, pressing on his sword, walked closer to the Ice Dragon Girl and suddenly said.
Hodrea did not speak, his dark pupils falling upon Ig even more deeply. The two black greatswords reflected black light rays, seeming to condense into substance, emitting an aura of annihilation and withering.
Ig looked at his face: “You are a being close to legend, able to easily catch Little Fei’s spear. Even the Young Lady’s attacks, and Fuya’s, are not unstoppable for you… Even if Veer could leave, it shouldn’t have been so easy.”
Seeing the boy’s expression, Hodrea suddenly laughed.
“The high priest of the Night Elves entrusted me to keep you here. However, I am not his subordinate. I did not hold back just now; dark elves cannot do much.”
“And Miss Verafia… she was once an old friend of the Sword Saint, and likewise, the Goddess of Flame. Even if she is destined to wither, if possible, I wish to see her in her form as the Goddess of Life.”
“As for you – Ig, you are right. Just as I said last time, you have seen the abyss, and likewise, on this earth, you will accept His will.”
Ig’s gaze trembled. The opponent drew his greatsword, its tough blade creating a sharp sound as it scraped against the darkness. Behind Hodrea, the entire abyss river surged. “However, in this era, the incarnation of the abyss can only be me – just as the destiny of the abyss dictates, you will be slain by my blade!”
Hodrea forcibly bestowed the mark of the abyss. Moreover, during their last meeting, he did not hesitate to use force to compel Ig to use the power of the abyss, to fall into the abyss. At this moment, however, he claimed Ig was his competitor and needed to be slain here… Such a matter was incomprehensible to anyone.
But Ig did not refute. In this world, from the mark of the abyss, he could faintly sense the flow of the abyss and understand Hodrea’s intentions.
Beneath their feet, under this withered giant tree, lay the ocean of the abyss. The swordsman before him undoubtedly saw him as prey – as the key to obtaining the abyss.
Ig pressed his palm onto the sword hilt.
Ophi did not quite understand their cryptic dialogue. Hearing the enemy in front of her claim he would kill Ig, she still showed an angry expression, waving her slender hand, and the ice spear aura instantly pierced out:
“Damn guy, with me here, you can’t kill Ig!”
Pure water elements condensed behind her, gathering on Ophi’s dragon wings, and the dense abyss fluctuations were instantly torn apart.
She landed in front of Hodrea, her gorgeous frost ice turning into battle boots, wrapping her lotus-like legs. The moment they touched the ground, an ice tide surged, and at the same time, the ice spear blade, like a falling meteor, thrust towards Hodrea!
Hodrea raised his sword to block. Frost instantly froze before his eyes, a momentary ripple erupting, and a flower of frost condensed on the dome.
Ig’s footsteps followed Ophi, his long sword raised, light and fire surging on the straight blade edge, and he slashed down.
“Hodrea, whether you want to see Veer again, or kill me and take the power of the abyss, you will not succeed.”
The opponent raised his FRAN Greatsword, the sword edge of ultimate brilliant gold striking the wolf-head carved patterns entwined with black turbidity. In the trembling firelight, a harsh clang erupted.
Hodrea swung his sword back, and the turbid black demonic energy suddenly exploded around him. The surging fluctuations shattered the frost, repelling the Ice Dragon Girl and Ig!
Hodrea walked slowly, the filthy demonic power burning on his sword edge like chaotic black fire. Terrifying auras spread from the cracks covering the sky, representing the limit of the Sacred Domain, the power at the edge of legend.
“Ig, you can try to kill me. Even if this water spirit girl beside you assists you, I don’t mind. However, the high priest of the Night Elves, Zorgia…”
Hodrea’s steps suddenly paused, as if stepping on a breath, causing Ig’s pupils to suddenly contract, and the colors of the entire world suddenly stopped.
Ig saw Hodrea slowly raise his head, a few wisps of silver moonlight falling on the cold greatsword.
Suddenly, an abyss black light surged, instantly tearing the moonlight into shreds, and on the swordsman’s usually cold face, ferocity was evident, filled with uncontrollable madness.
“Ig, pray that you can hold on until Zorgia arrives!”
His long sword was raised in front to block, the black greatsword roaring and pouring down, the gushing abyss fluctuations like thousands of star rivers falling!
Ig’s thoughts were almost broken, echoing Hodrea’s unprecedentedly arrogant words.
Hodrea, he was allied with the Night Elves. But what he said was not that they should defeat them before Zorgia’s arrival, but rather that they should pray to be able to hold on until Zorgia arrived.
— That’s right, Zorgia, the high priest who also fell due to the power of the abyss, in Hodrea’s eyes, was also a competitor for the abyss!
