Chapter 487: Gone with the Wind

Amid the howling gale, Lei En was also panting heavily.

During the fourth loop of the battle music, the consumption of soul energy was too great; unlike the time the undead calamity invaded Weizelan, when he could replenish his power by absorbing souls, this fight drained only his own soul power.

And every moment he had to fend off countless wind blades, mend tiny wounds, open hundreds of portals, with even more flashes and Electric Flash Teleports; after a single hammer shattered Maerke's head, Lei En's power dropped to less than twenty percent, and his soul pool was nearly empty.

This was the toughest battle he had faced so far; under the Holy Soul, Maerke's strength was nearly invincible, and the pressure it brought was unparalleled.

The hurricane technique gradually subsided.

Lei En glanced at the war hammer in his hand; it looked almost identical to the forged Thunder Hammer, but only he knew it was the genuine article.

The real Thunder God's Hammer!

He did not fully unleash the Thunder God's Hammer's power; the accompanying lightning spells, including the triggerable "Thunderbolt Ten Thousand Pounds" upon impact, as well as void‑traversing, remote‑hurling hammer abilities, and the mightiest "Thunder God's Wrath" were unused, lest they reveal its secret.

Relying only on the hammer's terrifying weight and instantaneous weight shift, he had already defeated Maerke.

Each Mirror Image‑hitting war hammer that struck Maerke seemed ordinary, but at the moment of impact its weight surged dozens of times, reaching tens of thousands of pounds!

The final hammer swing by Lei En weighed over one hundred thousand pounds!

After the "Destruction Critical" burst multiplied fivefold instantly, the force concentrated at a point, and no matter how strong Maerke's defense, it could not withstand such dreadful damage.

Lei En felt somewhat conflicted.

He was both amazed by the unparalleled might of the Thunder God's Hammer and deeply aware of the absurdity of this duel's seemingly predetermined fate.

The full name of the Thunder God's Hammer is "Thunder God's Wrath, the Skullcrusher's Cursed Hammer."

Its past wielders were either kings or emperors, all renowned, and even more rulers perished beneath the hammer, including several dwarf high‑kings, human lords, kings, tribal chieftains, and alien rulers; the most famous was a half‑god‑level elf Phoenix King.

Now, another king has been added to that list.

The first time Lei En used the Thunder God's Hammer to slay an enemy, he killed a king and smashed the foe's skull, truly living up to the name "Skullcrusher."

As for the hammer's curse, he neither noticed nor felt any discomfort.

As the hurricane technique faded, the obscured view began to clear.

The battle's roar had ceased; the Dragonborn army and the wall guards saw a silhouette in the wind, only one figure still standing, a striking blood‑red cape fluttering behind.

"Lei En won!"

"He really defeated Maerke and claimed victory!"

Ai Mi Li Si and the others were ecstatic; the legends among the Dragonborn could hardly believe it. Their eyesight far surpassed ordinary people, barely catching the battle in the wind, yet still uncertain. Seeing only Lei En still standing now made it clear Lei En had won the duel!

This also meant Maerke must abdicate within ten days, and the Dragonborn would once again become the king of Kangjiatuo!

Ai Mi Li Si felt her heart pounding wildly, unable to describe her feelings; beside her, Luo Wa Gen, A Si Tan, Ding La Ji and the Scale‑Command Blood Guard each wore an uncontrollable excitement, years of planning and hardship finally coming to fruition today.

In contrast, the wall guards were despondent, their eyes filled with panic and bewilderment.

"This is impossible…"

"How could His Majesty the King lose to him?"

The reactions of the two sides were worlds apart: one side thrilled as if soaring to heaven, the other shocked as if falling into an abyss, unwilling to accept what they saw.

But this was not the end.

When the final gust completely vanished, everyone saw the scene clearly.

Lei En stood holding the war hammer, his armor shattered, exposing a scar‑ridden chest; only his cape and trousers remained, and his battle boots were torn to shreds.

The towering Maerke lay on the ground, reduced to a headless corpse.

"Maerke is dead!"

Even Ai Mi Li Si, who had the most confidence in Lei En, did not anticipate this outcome; she had imagined Lei En would win the duel, but could not picture him killing Maerke.

Duke Feishe, Prince Moersi and others were also taken aback, abruptly standing to stare at Maerke's corpse, their eyes nearly bulging out. They had all fought Maerke before and knew how terrifying his power was; they never expected him to die at Lei En's hands within just half a day.

"How did he do it?" Di Lan Laobodi muttered to himself.

"No!"

A desperate shout rang out; Duke Bu Lan Deng, who had been silent since his capture, could not accept the result, and despite his grievous wounds he struggled wildly, aggravating his injuries, coughing up blood, his face twisted, nearly losing his mind.

Another captive nearby, Ke Si Te Dan Si, remained silent, but his hands trembled slightly.

Jinsilan's city wall erupted in a fierce uproar.

Lei En had quietly switched back to the Thunder Hammer, and as he looked at Maerke's corpse he froze for a moment, then became alert; his Soul Eye saw that Maerke's soul was still within his body, not yet departed.

He had seen this phenomenon many times; Maerke had not truly died.

The wounds on the headless corpse were unrepaired and ragged; the left shoulder was reduced to a sliver of flesh, the right leg broken, and a gaping hole the size of a fist sat over the heart—Maerke could never revive.

The reason he hadn't died instantly was that Maerke's life force was extraordinarily resilient; after all, he was a near‑Saint Rank transcendent, merely reflecting light.

A gentle breeze rose from Maerke's neck, laboriously forming a head.

But his head had been completely blown apart, leaving no flesh; "Endless Spring Breeze" cannot create something from nothing— the breeze only encircled the soul, at most shaping a hollow shell of a head, and the soul was in a severely weakened state, posing no threat.

Lei En raised the war hammer, about to deliver a final blow to send Maerke on his way.

"Wait."

Maerke's voice sounded, hoarse and low, as if carried from distant winds, ready to be snuffed out like a candle in the gale.

The Soul Eye detected no hostility in Maerke's soul, so Lei En halted the hammer.

Maerke's corpse wobbled and rose.

His head regrew, the wounds on his body were suffused with a translucent breeze, his face animated; at first glance he seemed indistinguishable from a living person.

The distant Dragonborn army and the wall guards fell silent.

Everyone widened their eyes, thinking Maerke had died and revived, only losing the duel without dying. The guards cheered, but Ai Mi Li Si wore a look of anxiety, not understanding why Lei En showed mercy instead of striking down this greatest enemy outright.

She almost went to act herself, but was restrained by Duke Feishe and Wa Luo Gen and others.

"Your Majesty, please do not act rashly."

"If you intervene in the duel, according to the rules, the Speaker loses."

Lei En's All‑Things Voice heard their conversation but ignored it; his Soul Eye saw clearly that Maerke's "zombie" state came at the cost of a severe wound to his own soul—no need to strike back, in a few minutes he would burst forth dead again.

The current Marck is just an empty shell; any ordinary transcendent could kill him.

"Thank you." Marck's chest rose and fell laboriously, yet his expression was relaxed, as if relieved.

Lei En nodded, but did not understand his intention.

Marck, as Grolsh's Divine Chosen, and Grolsh is likely watching this place, ready to usher Marck into His divine realm at any moment. The longer his soul lingers in the mortal world, the more damage it suffers; Grolsh would need to expend more divine power to reshape his body, which would affect his standing in the divine realm.

"Do you have anything to say?" Lei En asked.

Marck gave no reply, his gaze fixed on Lei En's war hammer, eyes filled with boundless wonder and yearning. His expression tightened Lei En's chest; evidently, the other had already guessed.

"You just used the Thunder God's Hammer, didn't you?" Marck's voice was barely audible.

Lei En pursed his lips in tacit acknowledgment.

"Heh…" Marck chuckled self‑deprecatingly, "The world's strongest legendary weapon, indeed, surpasses my Furious Warhammer; in the end I still lost. To die beneath the Thunder God's Hammer and become a member of the 'Skullbreaker' is a kind of honor."

"You were the first I killed," Lei En said lightly.

"Definitely not the last," Marck shrugged.

Boom—

At that moment a huge roar echoed through Jinsilan City; Lei En looked from afar and saw a magical clash's explosion near the Red Dragon Fortress at the city's center. Two Weizelan chairmen had slipped into the city to sabotage the Red Dragon formation—what could have happened?

Marck turned his head, glanced casually, noticed Lei En's complexion was off, and suddenly said, "You needn't go in."

Lei En stared at him, not understanding his meaning.

"I never intended to burn Jinsilan," Marck said with a hint of pride, "It was only a lie to you and the dragon‑born. Later, when you send people to investigate the city, you'll find no one knows of any plan, because it never existed."

The Soul Eye showed he was not lying.

Only then did Lei En realize that he, Emily, and the others had been toyed with; the explosion in the city must have been the two chairmen battling those two mysterious legendary Wizards.

It must be said, Marck's letter was very misleading, granting only an hour to accept a duel challenge, leaving no time to verify the letter's claims.

He wagered that Emily and he would not dare risk the lives of a million people.

And he himself could only be forced to agree to the duel.

If Marck won and killed him, he would have a chance to turn the tables; with his strength he was confident, but he hadn't expected to capsize in the ravine.

"What a pity..."

Marck shook his head regretfully, "My plan was sound, execution flawless; I only overlooked your strength. In fact, regardless of the duel's outcome, I would abdicate. I only want you to return Duke Brandon to us; he is my best friend."

"Even if I lose, there will be a ten‑day buffer for those who once followed me to retreat, and I will leave Kangjiatuo forever, never to return."

"But I never imagined I'd die at your hands..."

Marck's voice deepened; his body grew ever weaker, the breeze through his wound slowed, his mind turned translucent, as if it could drift away with the wind at any moment.

"You can give up the throne?" Lei En asked, astonished.

"Cough cough…" Marck coughed a few times, his complexion shifting, seeming unable to hold on. He could only sit down, memories flashing in his eyes, and sighed, "I never intended to be king; in my youth my greatest dream was to be a carefree mercenary, take many women, sleep with women of different races, but the heavy burden of my clan fell on my shoulders, pushing me forward."

"Back then, if it hadn't been that madman Siruiya, who burned many of my clan mates, I wouldn't have rebelled; that was his own doing."

"These years, Walter Duns and his daughter have done those unsavory deeds; did you think I didn't know?"

Marck sneered, "I simply don't care."

"Raising an army against the Duns family was only to teach them a lesson, not let them go too far, and to skim a sum of money from them to replenish the treasury."

"I've thought more than once of abandoning the throne, taking my Spirit Wind Stag and hammer, sailing to the New Continent to be a wandering mercenary—fighting, adventuring, hunting Demons all day, and at night cuddling women in taverns—that's the life I want, indescribably wonderful!"

"If I win this duel, rescue Boro, and after you withdraw your troops, I will immediately disband my subordinate noble lords, letting each flee for their lives."

"And I will go to the New Continent myself, fulfill that old dream, perhaps even ascend to Saint Rank."

"What a pity, no longer any chance..."

Marck's face was full of regret and sorrow as he stared at Dragon Tooth Bay to the east, the direction for sailing to the New Continent.

Lei En was somewhat surprised; Marck turned out to be that kind of person.

After his soul enters the divine realm, he will become a divine attendant under Grolsh, with scarcely any chance to leave; his freedom is bound, never able to roam like mortals. For someone who has been king for decades and accustomed to being aloof, it will likely take a long time to adjust to life in the divine realm.

But none of this concerns him.

Lei En watched Marck's body become ever more translucent; the other was willing to ruin his soul to feign death, not merely to spout nonsense.

"What is your purpose?"

"I want to make a deal with you," Marck's eyes flashed with a hint of affection, "I have many illegitimate children, most already grown and unaware of my identity; that may be safer for them. But there is one I cannot bear to leave, and I hope to entrust him to you."

"Why do you think I'd agree?" Lei En nearly thought he misheard; the other actually wanted to entrust his illegitimate child to his own killer.

"Because you come from Weizelan."

Marck smiled confidently, "Don't you want to know the origins of those two legendary Wizards? That's my bargaining chip."

Lei En was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Fine."

Marck seemed to have known Lei En would agree; he whispered a few words, then, with lingering longing, glanced at the world and let out a long sigh.

A cold wind blew, and Marck's body turned into a breeze and vanished.

(End of Chapter)