Chapter 3015: The Bennett of Ten Thousand Years Later

The shrill cry was mixed with the language of ancient demons. Those who couldn't understand it thought it was a threat, but Xia De, who could understand it, knew it was fear.

More flames separated from its body as it trembled, transforming into low-level elemental demons. Then, the ancient evil spirit abandoned the sorcerers around it, transformed into a ball of fire clad in black-and-white armor, and flew across the clearing before the giant throne as if wanting to escape. But the old man in the light merely flicked his finger, and its flight direction was deflected, sending it straight into the thick, impenetrable darkness to the south of the clearing.

No one could see clearly what was there, only two giant figures colliding in the darkness. The manic laughter, accompanied by indescribable filthy power, poured into the surrounding forest. Even though there was light representing the power of Tree and Time above and on the ground, the area near the south remained extremely dim due to that darkness.

Although the unknown terrifying existence looked like an ally, anyone with reason knew "he" was likely even more dangerous than the ancient evil spirit derived from the concept of fire.

"Good, good, good!"

The white-robed old man sitting on the central throne clapped his hands with a smile. The battle in the clearing continued, but those low-level fire demons, while numerous, weren't very strong. So, as the ancient one clapped, Thomas Bennett, who was bound tightly to his seat by sea-blue light, stood up like a puppet being manipulated.

His state was very strange. Since escaping from the "Time Transit Station" a few hours ago, he had experienced an unknown amount of time. Although he still maintained a human form, his inner self seemed to be human no longer.

The long passage of time gave him an ancient feeling that even the evil spirit just now couldn't match. This was something the insect-man and the dragon beast didn't possess.

But unlike the demon that became increasingly violent after receiving the World Tree's power, his trembling and resistance became weaker and weaker as he stood up, eventually turning into a puppet being manipulated, walking toward Emilia with his head lowered.

The giant body gradually shrank as he walked toward the elf, likely returning to a normal human size by the time he reached her. And as he walked, the sound of splashing water appeared from nowhere, and a fishy smell of the sea, which didn't belong to the forest, permeated the clearing illuminated by the emerald light.

Emilia, held by Miss Olanode, looked cautiously at Thomas Bennett walking toward them, but clearly saw the shadow of a mermaid flash beneath his feet on the glowing ground.

Thomas Bennett was undoubtedly much stronger now than he was when he escaped a few hours ago. His age, originally younger than Emilia's, was now likely greater than the sum of all the humans present. Even if Emilia could exert Thirteenth-Ring power tonight, she was absolutely no match for this kind of enemy.

As Bennett continued to walk over, the sorcerers guarding Emilia bit their lips and rushed up to try the effects of melee attacks. But they were all stopped by Sister Dafilene. The sister held a long sword in her right hand pointing to the ground, and a black sickle held vertically in her left hand.

Her robe dragged on the dark water beneath her feet, and she walked forward silently, stopping in the increasingly clear tide. The sickle tapped the ground lightly, and ripples appeared on the dark water surface that no one dared to look at. There didn't seem to be many changes in the surroundings, and the water beneath their feet didn't recede in the cold, damp air.

But soon people noticed that although the tide didn't recede, the sound of water was gradually moving away.

Shadows swallowed the ubiquitous green light at some point, and darkness descended. Faint sparks of fire lit up on the sister's long sword, and dark golden light flickered on the sickle transformed from her life ring.

When she looked up at Thomas Bennett, the moon seal that pierced her left eye shone beneath the secret silver eye patch. The traces on the eye patch, similar to scars, possessed a brilliance more splendid than fire and death, even causing the eye patch itself to emit a faint silver light.

Although this was power bestowed by Xia De, even Xia De didn't know why the "Moon Seal" would manifest so specially on Sister Dafilene.

She "saw" the truth of Thomas Bennett, and "saw" the soul of Thomas Bennett, which had reached the end of time and was ultimately completely lost in time.

The long sword in her right hand had already been submerged by the rising tide. Now, as the sister lifted the long sword, a gap was broken in the water surface. The brilliance of the First Fire flickered on the 【Ashes】, and the authority of Death manifested in the dark water domain as the dark golden sickle swung down.

The sister merely performed the simple action of swinging the sickle forward, which stopped Thomas Bennett, now two meters tall, in his tracks. The mystery and unshakable feeling of the ocean surrounding him seemed to be cut away by this sickle. And when the 【Ashes】 pointed toward Thomas Bennett's face, the man, recalled from the depths of his soul by Death, changed his expression drastically:

"Wait, where am I... Vista Forest? I'm back? This is..."

He looked clearly at the faces of his opponents, turned around, and looked clearly at the remaining three "people" sitting on the giant thrones.

The white-bearded ancient one sitting on the throne in the light smiled at him:

"Thomas, since you're back, perform well."

The man, struggling to split the time rift to escape, saw his pupils disappear, and his complex expression turned blank. He turned to face Sister Dafilene again, then charged at her with his bare hands.

Sister Dafilene met the attack silently, her long sword coated in flames and her sickle coated in frost. As the dark golden sickle swung forward, black ice crystals spread in a line across the receding water surface, forcing Thomas Bennett, whose movements were restricted, to leap into the air to dodge.

"He's not immune to damage anymore!"

Realizing that although Thomas Bennett was still very strong, he was no longer invincible, the sorcerers flew into the air to join the battle.

The battle on the ground moved into the air, and Sister Dafilene, Miss Ingram, and Professor Stewart led dozens of high-ring sorcerers to besiege Thomas Bennett, gradually moving the battlefield to the canopy of the giant tree above.

At this moment, six golden thunderbolts flew from the forest, hitting Thomas Bennett, who had flown into the branches, directly. He staggered, and his body continued to fly upward. The sorcerers who had parted the bushes beside the clearing also revealed themselves. The joint team of the Church of the Sun and the Church of Peace, led by Mr. Minsk Todels, the "White Dove Messenger," had arrived to provide support.

The team had only twenty-odd members, and everyone looked injured. They must have seen the situation from afar, so they showed no confusion upon entering the clearing. Mr. Todels led half of the sorcerers to fly to the battlefield above the canopy, while the rest stayed in the clearing to deal with the situation ahead.

With the Twelfth-Ring Chosen of Death as the core, the sorcerers cooperated closely to besiege Thomas Bennett. None of his methods worked in front of Sister Dafilene; his power of time was seen through by the sister's left eye, his rapid physical regeneration was countered by Death, and all the strange abilities he gained from traveling through tens of thousands of years of time were no match for the burning of the First Fire, not even the ability to control people's hearts and amplify desires obtained from "Desire" worked on the cold sister.

After all, that was just "charred wood."

"Brilliant!"

The ancient one sitting on the throne clapped his hands gently:

"Among the seven Chosen who have appeared so far, I admire Balance the most, but the most special one is this Death. The nun who carries the fire goes on to inherit the seat of Death; I think apart from the Ancient Gods, no one could have imagined such a possibility."

"That fire, older than the world, seems to be gathering the scattered sparks. By then, she might be the strongest Chosen. But she is also lucky; if she hadn't met a powerful soul who could help her share the fire, she would have long since gone mad from that fire."

The eyes of the man who struggled to split the time crack and escape disappeared, and his complex expression turned blank. He turned around to face Sister Daifulin again, and then rushed toward the nun with bare hands.

Sister Daifulin greeted him silently, her long sword attached with flames and her sickle attached with frost. The dark golden sickle swung forward, and black ice crystals on the gradually receding water surface spread forward in a line, making Thomas Bennett, who was controlled in action, only able to jump up and dodge in the air.

"He is not immune to damage now!"

Realizing that although Thomas Bennett was still very strong at this time, he was no longer invincible, so the people also flew to the sky with Sister Daifulin.

The ground battle thus came to the air. Sister Daifulin, "Nightmare Witch" Miss Ingram, and "Iron Punisher" Professor Stewart led dozens of High-Ring Shushi to gradually turn the battlefield into the tree crown of the giant tree above their heads.

It was also at this time that six golden thunders flew from the forest and hit Thomas Bennett who flew into the tree branches. He staggered and continued to fly upward, and the Ringed Shushi who separated the bushes beside the open space also appeared together. It looked like the joint team of the Sun Church and the Peace Church that had gone through a battle, led by Mr. Minsk Toddles, the "White Dove Messenger," came to support.

The team members were only twenty or so, and everyone looked injured. They should have seen the situation here when they were far away, so they had no doubts about the situation at this time after entering the open space range. Mr. Toddles led half of the Ringed Shushi to fly to the battlefield above the tree crown, and the remaining people stayed in the open space to deal with the next situation.

With the Twelve-Ring Death Chosen One as the core, the Ringed Shushi cooperated closely to besiege Thomas Bennett. All his means were useless in front of Sister Daifulin. The power of time was seen through by the nun's left eye, the rapid physical regeneration was restrained by death, the strange abilities obtained by crossing tens of thousands of years of time could not beat the burning of the initial fire, and even the ability to control people's hearts and amplify desires obtained from "Desire" had no effect on that cold nun.

After all, that was just "burnt wood."

"Wonderful!"

The Ancient One sitting on the throne clapped lightly:

"Among the seven Chosen Ones who have appeared now, I appreciate Balance the most, but the most special one is this Death. The nun who inherits the fire goes to inherit the seat of death. I think except for the Ancient God, no one can think of this possibility.

That fire that is older than the world seems to have collected the scattered sparks. By then, she might be the strongest Chosen One. However, she is also lucky. If it weren't for encountering a powerful soul that could help her share the fire, she would have become crazy because of that fire long ago."