Throne of Magical Arcana
chapter-640

Lucien had a strong sense of danger, and the shadow of his Host Star of Destiny shook his soul violently. Therefore, while shouting ‘watch out’ in the telepathic bond, he performed the fastest short-distance teleportation.

His body disappearing where it was, Lucien blinked to the door of the ancillary laboratory, only to discover that the dusty mirror had become clear, and a blurry, twisted shadow was protruding and walking out of it!

It demonstrated its dominance without any reserve, upsetting Lucien and nullifying the Mechanized Mind, Mental Barrier and other spells on him.

It was the air of that monster!

It was the pressure of the demigod level!

“It’s finally here?” During their two skirmishes, the monster had shown its air when it failed eventually and when its two shadows were melted. Therefore, Lucien recognized that the grey blurry shadow was the monster that guarded the ‘Realm of Gates’!

Rhine’s figure broke like a dream, and the dark shadow at the door of the laboratory was regathered into him.

In the telepathic bond, he said with unprecedented solemnity, “Demigod. This is the pressure of a real demigod…”

His conclusion had always been that the monster was not as strong as a demigod, or it would’ve already killed him. However, it seemed that the monster had merely been tricking the people who intruded in the Realm of Gates, letting them approach the end of their life in desperation and pain.

Having witnessed ‘God’s Arrival’ and welcomed Alterna to possess him, Lucien understood the pressure of demigods very well. He did not need Rhine to remind him but simply cast his spell. “Space Staff!”

Time flowed much faster around him. His body split into many identical Luciens, who fled to different directions of Thanos’ laboratory at full speed.

The monster snorted. “You are trying to deceive me with illusions that are not even legendary?”

The transcendent, overwhelming air arrived with its voice, making time and space back to normal. All the real illusions were shattered.

From the void, Lucien’s real self appeared. He did not give up even though he was faced with a demigod. A delicate and exquisite pocket watch appeared in his right hand, whose black second hand ticked forward.

Crack. As Lucien pressed his thumb, paleness arose from the greyness around, and everything was slowed down.

The monster, whose face was changing all the time, was utterly unaffected. It completely left the mirror and approached the two of them, its voice of mockery entering Lucien’s ears across the different time and space.

“If you were a top legend, your ‘Advanced Time Stop’ might have influenced me a bit. Alas, you are not. Do you believe that I can completely kill you with a random attack? That’s the gap between a demigod and the non-top-legends.”

Rhine’s legendary items to resist ‘Advanced Time Stop’ had been consumed, and he was now caught in the effect of time stop and stood like a statue. Lucien’s head was an utter mess. He was grasped by deep desperation. The monster was beyond what he was capable of dealing with. If he had met the top legends who were not immune to ‘Advanced Time Stop’ and ‘Gravity Collapse’, there would be a chance for him to escape with the special features of the Realm of Gates, but it was not going to happen now that he had run into a demigod!

The monster had abandoned the feature that it was only one level or half a level stronger than the target and simply attacked with full strength. Now that he thought of it, the Moon Timer only worked because it played by the ‘game rules’ when he encountered the Rhine that the monster faked!

In his desperation, the toughness in Lucien’s heart and his never-to-give-up belief made him grit his teeth. “Nothing is absolutely certain! I’m going to fight the odds! What about demigods? Can they be more horrifying than fate?”

“Vengeful Gaze!”

“Vengeful Gaze!”

“Vengeful Gaze!”

In the effect of time stop, three crimson rays that were attached with ‘Hand of Uncertainties’ shot out of Lucien’s ruby left eye.

…

Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!

In the magic tower inside ‘Atomic Universe’, Natasha, in a black knight suit, stood before the piano and pressed her narrow, long fingers hard, as if she were venting her emotional turmoil and encouraging herself to fight.

Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!

Natasha’s eyes were slightly red, and her face with brimming with determination. The rhythm of the Symphony of Fate swept over astoundingly, panicking the servants around and making them feel like swallows in a thunderstorm that could not resist the horror of nature.

Why did I waver? Why am I not confident in advanced into legendary? Why do I feel that I’m utterly useless? While playing the piano, Natasha asked herself, gnashing her teeth.

…

The effect of ‘Advanced Time Stop’ was over, and the crimson rays hit the defenseless monster at the speed of light. Then, it penetrated through the monster as if it had hit a cluster of smoke and reached the wall, raising a swirl of scorching light.

“This is…” The monster suddenly sounded rather scared, as if it had sensed something, but then it laughed. “If you were a top legend, the weird spell that you secretly added might’ve hurt me for real. I’ve never seen, nor am I capable of simulating, such weird stuff. However, it’s a pity that you are not.”

“Alright, let me show you 5% of my capabilities.”

The overwhelming, terrifying storm of energy suddenly burst out. The monster waved its hands and launched an attack in the way of a knight.

“Elemental Protection!” Lucien activated the Robe of Grand Arcanists in a hurry.

The colorful spots of light were gathered into a translucent layer of defense and protected Lucien’s body.

Crack. The energy storm was blown at the shield of ‘Elemental Protection’, breaking it apart and hitting Lucien heavily.

Elemental Skin, Magic Absorber, Stone Skin, Energy Immunity and other spells were activated one after another, finally weakening the energy storm to the point that it could not stop Lucien from blinking.

Even so, Lucien, who had blinked to door of another room, felt like vomiting blood. He had been heavily wounded!

“How about it? Are you desperate now? I love the taste of desperation most. Haha. This is merely 5% of my capabilities.” The monster laughed aloud and approached Lucien and Rhine like a cat playing with mice, while it controlled the defense of Thanos’ laboratory, forbidding teleportation inside.

Suddenly, it stepped forward, shattering the platforms, tables and other things like a dream. Rhine, who was at the door, stepped back, with blood flowing out of his mouth.

“Real Dream? It’s a shame that you are not Dracula. I can wake you up from your dream by the sheer suppression of my overwhelming strength.” The monster laughed gloatingly. “Come on. Bring out all your spells and naturally-endowed talents. I like tricking with people most. I will cast you into the deepest desperation.”

Lucien struggled to suppress his wounds with magic. Then, he turned into a legendary knight, raising the Shield of Truth and slashing the silver longsword!

Desperation?

I’ll never be desperate or give up as long as I have the slightest consciousness!

…

The exciting music made everybody shiver uncontrollably, but Natasha suddenly pressed the keys hard, resulting in an unharmonious noise. Then, she picked up ‘Pale Justice’ and walked out of the magic tower firmly.

I don’t need to finish it to know what I should do!

Until it is over, I should practice, practice, and practice! Even though the chances are one thousandth, I should still strive for it! Weakness and desperation are pointless!

…

The silver longsword cut the monster like a crescent moon. The gaps of void soon tore it apart, but very soon, the pieces were regathered into a twisted shape of a human, who mocked wickedly, “As expected of the Sword of Truth. It’s a shame that you are only a level-three. If it were a knight with the blood power of ‘Sword of Truth’ at the peak of legendary who attacked me, I might have perished just now. It’s a shame that you are not.”

At some point, a small, neat black bow appeared in Rhine’s hands, and a bloody broken arrow had been placed on it.

After he drew the bow, the bloody broken arrow was shot out with the intense air of destruction.

The monster stopped laughing and said in a low voice, “Space Protection!”

Many overlapping spaces seemed to have appeared next to the monster. After passing a lot of them, the broken arrow finally disappeared into the void.

“Not bad. As expected of the Observe with an abundant collection. I didn’t know that Malhanu’s destructive bow was in your hands.” The monster praised. “However, you forgot that I only said that top legends might’ve hurt me. I didn’t say that they could certainly hurt me. Hahaha. How about it? Isn’t it very fun?”

Malhanu’s Bow was a top legendary item known as ‘Godslayer’, but it had a high requirement on the user. After Rhine shot the arrow, the blood all over his body seemed to have been drained. He became dry and slim.

“Godslayer’s Arrow, I’m capable of that, too!” The monster launched another attack. A bloody broken arrow flew out of its hands and shot at Lucien who was protecting Rhine with the Shield of Truth.

When the bloody broken array hit the Shield of Truth, it dissolved the illusionary waves immediately, as if it had knocked down a whole world!

As the unimaginable pressure came at him, Lucien could not hold the Shield of Truth anymore. He was blown away into one of the grey rooms.

…

Inside ‘Atomic Universe’, Natasha, holing ‘Pale Justice’, was fighting in the cosmos with the planets of elements as her imaginary enemies. Beads of sweat dripped off her forehead, reached her eyes, and fell from her cheeks.

As she slashed her swords out, terrifying gaps appeared on the planets.

Natasha did not shout to vent her fury after her every attack. Instead, all of her feelings, determination and blood power were melted into her attacks.

You ask me if I will waver?

You ask me if I will give up?

You ask me if I am desperate?

My longsword will give you answers!

…

“If your Shield of Truth had reached the level of ‘God’s Guard’, my previous attack would’ve been in vain, but it’s a pity that you are not Mecantron. Now, have you gained a full understanding about your insignificance and uselessness?” The monster mocked.

Lucien fell on the floor. Before him was the pit where Sard died just now. He almost slid and dropped to the bottom of it.

The magic circles around emitted cold brilliance and circulated just like before, as if no battles were going on at all.

“Sard died here just now. Are we also going to…” Lucien had a terrible feeling. The monster’s intentional heavy thudding seemed to be reminding them of the arrival of death.

“It’s great that the monster likes talking and tricking people, or we would’ve died after the first attack.” Lucien held back his ominous feeling and looked for a chance of survival from that aspect.

If you want to play, we will play with you!

Thinking hard, Lucien’s eyes were suddenly frozen. At the bottom of the pit where Sard died, the head of a puppet had appeared at some point.

“It wasn’t here before…”

Sard’s death…

The paper scraps and the puppet parts that they had obtained easily…

Maskelyne’s undestroyed notebook…

The coincidental encounter with ‘Mountain Paradise’…

The experiment logs in the laboratory…

After he saw the puppet head, all of Lucien’s questions surged out and got connected. A lightning struck in his head and illuminated everything.

Laughing, the monster walked to Lucien and Rhine. “What now? You’ve given up resisting? You’re desperate now?”

Lucien stood up. As if he were faced with not a demigod but a dog, he cleaned his bow-tie and his suit while he smiled, “Why would I resist?”

Rhine looked at him curiously. The monster also stopped and sneered, “Where’s your fighting will and your resolution a moment ago?”

Pressing his chest with his right hand, Lucien bowed:

“Sometimes, the enemy we think may turn out to be our best ally.”

“Thank you for preserving the experiment logs, the magic notebook and the puppet parts.”

The monster’s laughter stopped.