Chapter 452: The Greatsword and Further Advancement

The bladeless greatsword shattered three layers of force shields in an instant and slammed into the thick silver spear.

Cambion Boden's face twisted in pain.

His arms could not withstand the force; he was forced to bend his elbows, and the spear struck his chest armor, caving in a section.

His entire body became a drilling projectile, shooting into the Delinbil River with a splash, smashing through a merchant ship along the way.

The violent impact with the water created a massive cavity, and a colossal wave exploded upward on the spot.

Splash—splash—

A brief rain fell.

Luo De raised his left hand; 【Yudian's Ice Blade Domain】 captured a large volume of falling water.

Then, under the enhancement of 【Frost Affinity】, it rapidly condensed into a massive ice spike, plunging downward toward Old Ed, who was rapidly chasing from the other side.

Just as it seemed certain to strike, nine crimson-tinged streaks of cold light flashed past, instantly slicing the ice spike into neat fragments.

But the massive impact robbed him of upward momentum, and he slowly descended, unable to reach Luo De's position.

Boom!

Another explosive roar.

The half-elf Virgil erupted from the ground with a superhuman leap, passing Old Ed's side in a blur, one hand thrusting upward to seize the old man, then hurtling both of them toward Luo De.

Pus and diseased blood oozed from his body; his muscles had swelled further, turning a deep purple-black.

Yet his power's force showed no decline—in fact, it grew heavier, hinting at a breakthrough from early eighth tier to mid-eighth tier.

Old Ed's face remained cold; he drew his hand back, and the blood-red steel sword shimmered with sentient light.

Another 【Nine Flash】 strike.

In midair, the two of them formed a pincer: one above, one below, sealing Luo De's escape.

Luo De threw back his head and laughed loudly.

Behind him, blue-white mist swelled rapidly, and the bronze dragon war-spirit emerged like a mountain, roaring fiercely in unison with his laughter.

The dragon's roar struck their faces; Old Ed and Virgil both froze.

The former was swept away by the greatsword, spewing a gout of blood midair, flying far away and crashing into the wall of Axe Beach, the crimson aura extinguished, fate unknown.

The latter faced the bronze dragon war-spirit directly.

Even with his muscles swollen, he looked tiny before the ten-meter-tall bronze dragon.

【War Spirit Impact】!

Boom!

Virgil, like Old Ed, crashed into the town of Axe Beach.

But his momentum was greater—he flew over the walls and slammed into the earl's ancient castle estate, dragging a trail of dust like a braking skid.

The battle's commotion had already stirred the residents of Axe Beach.

They stared in terror at the man towering in midair, his back to the blazing sun, the bronze dragon war-spirit behind him, wings spread, roaring, its shadow blotting out the sky and crushing the town.

"A dragon invasion?!!"

Terrifying thoughts surfaced in the minds of the confused civilians.

Then came flight, panic, screams.

Militia, private troops, adventurers—even retired fighters—rushed out at the disturbance.

Luo De's face was concealed by the disguise field, so he feared nothing.

Among them, the militia captain forced himself forward; a mage cast 【Illusory Sound】 to amplify his voice.

He spoke in a cold, flat tone:

"Your Excellency! What is your purpose in Axe Beach?"

Luo De did not answer.

He thought, and Shi Laimu covered his entire left palm, then unleashed a 【Gravity Wave】 toward the river below.

Purple magic formed concentric rings, pulling the water's flow.

As the water churned—

Cambion Boden, spitting blood, was dragged upward by the gravity magic.

He did not give up; gritting his teeth, he fired another ray at Luo De's chest.

But the man's body seemed forged from some rare stone—even a charged flame ray could not pierce it; now, to break through was impossible.

Only a charred spot appeared on his bare, muscular chest, a wisp of smoke rising, no wound at all.

He could only watch helplessly as the man seized his throat and lifted him high.

Luo De did not dismiss his war-spirit; he stood proudly, back to the brilliant sunlight.

It pierced the eyes of all who looked at him.

"Look—what's he holding?"

"A demon?! Axe Beach has a demon?!"

"Is this lord exterminating a demon?!"

"But I saw Old Ed and the private troop captain from Lord Bugo's forces—they're also being targeted."

Luo De still said nothing.

He felt it was enough; he tightened his grip, ready to crush the Cambion in his hand.

Well, he couldn't crush him.

After all, he was a peak seventh tier; killing him with one hand without skills was still difficult.

Speaking of which—

This greatsword that slays dragons—

How to put it—

After this round of testing, he discovered a very frustrating flaw.

Perhaps due to its Eternal Stone construction, the greatsword could not be infused with sentience, and it prevented any guidance of spirit or magic below the wielder's elbow.

That meant Luo De could not use 【Giant Slash】 or 【Etheron Flash】 while holding it.

When he gripped this sword, its only function was plain strikes.

But that made no sense.

The item's description clearly marked 【Dragon Slayer】, and he had observed the wound on Bai Long's horn—though slightly rough, it was unmistakably a cutting mark.

This flat, door-sized blade could not produce such a wound.

Therefore, Luo De was certain—

The greatsword possessed a true ability he had not yet unlocked, one that might reveal itself through relentless combat.

That was why he had not yet killed.

As he pondered—

The Cambion Boden in his grip puffed out his chest; the air filled with sulfurous stench, followed by thick orange flames erupting around him.

His power surged instantly; the thick spear swept sideways, now carrying a hint of Virgil's strength.

Luo De released his neck and sidestepped.

Boden unfurled his bat-like wings, pulling away rapidly; the orange flames dissipated, and he gasped for breath.

"Damn. Even in Hell there's no such monster—what the hell is this?"

Then he looked toward Virgil, slowly rising from the collapsed buildings of the earl's castle.

The half-elf had gone half-mad.

He grabbed one of his private troop comrades, tore him apart at the waist with his bare hands, and shoved the body into the seam on his abdomen with a crunch.

Then he forced a flight buff onto himself and charged again toward the man with the bronze dragon war-spirit.

Boden's desire to retreat grew.

Contractual loyalty was one thing—but when life was at stake, it was another matter entirely; he was no old-school devil who worshipped contracts.

As he thought this—

He saw Virgil flying backward again, directly toward his position.

Boden frowned.

He raised his 【Hand of Flame】, similar to a mage's hand, seized the half-elf, and said coldly:

"Listen, Virgil—you're not paying enough. This guy is a monster, a threat with potential to ascend to a Hell Duke. I'm not playing along with you!"

The half-elf's face was blank.

The seam on his abdomen gaped like a mouth; the human body he'd just swallowed was only half-consumed, two legs dangling from his belly—so grotesque even a devil would find it repulsive.

"Y-you're… quitting?"

"Yes, friend—but don't misunderstand. I'm just dropping this job. The population of Axe Beach still needs harvesting."

As he spoke—

Boden suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

He looked down: a thick, bowl-sized bone spike had grown from Virgil's knee, piercing straight through his heart.

"You—!"

"I—I've gained insight. I'll use you to advance further."

(End of Chapter)