Rising god
Chapter 75: Disbelief

Chapter 75: Disbelief

The golden-armored knights, their armor unmarred and their breaths steady, towered over the scene. Baines, however, was spent, his domain’s time exhausted. That attack was supposed to have wiped out the remaining.

The gazebo collapsed into the river, the blood moon dissolving back into the crimson flow, which retreated into his body.

The red hair, eyes, and robe vanished, leaving him heaving, the Demon Blade trembling in his grip.

"Banny, are you alright?" Ralph called, stepping forward, but Baines raised a hand to halt him.

-Ralph, what are these things?

Baines asked telepathically.

-That’s why the Treyl thought they could rival the Darkans as the next dragons. They tore out dragon flesh and blood, molding it into these knights. They retained their main body’s techniques, and the Treyl family head can control them, Ralph explained.

Baines’ eyes widened. ’No wonder I can’t see their souls. They’re constructs.’

-How it happened was sheer luck. The family head even killed the researcher afterward, Ralph added.

’If he’s controlling them, that means he’s watching,’ Baines thought, drawing the Bladeless Sword with a steadying breath, adopting a combat stance.

-Are you thinking of fighting that? Each is nearly 7th-star level, and there are fifty,

Ralph warned.

The knights surrounded Baines, their swords drawn, golden lightning coalescing into a barrage aimed at him.

BOOOM!

He activated Veil Phase, turning intangible for a moment as the attacks collided. "Flashburst," he incanted, aura exploding from his feet to propel him forward.

With both swords extended, he unleashed

"Burst."

BOOOM!

The attack clashed with a knight’s armor, denting it despite a lightning barrier’s aid from two other knights, pushing the construct back.

’It survived?’ Baines thought, shocked, as lightning-coated swords targeted him.

He parried instinctively, forced into defense as whirlwinds trailed his movements.

’They’re skilled,’ he noted. These ten knights moved with emotionless efficiency while the rest provided support from behind.

Leaping off the ground, he swung a "Heaven Arc," met by lightning shields from their downward swords.

As soon as his feet touched, he moved through space and targeted one, his blade wreathed in a decaying dark aura.

’Side,’ a mental warning flashed, and he shifted mid-swing, clashing with a sneaking knight. The impact rattled his bones, skidding him back.

’So, aging doesn’t work, Cut doesn’t work, Blood won’t against their lightning, only soul energy and Ashenfall left,’ he assessed calmly, to mask his panic.

Before he thought of what to do with the soul energy, he glanced at his arm and spotted the slave chain.

He sheathed his swords, he outstretched his hand without hesitation.

Clang... Clang...

Chains erupted recklessly, the knights retreating to swing lightning to rip it apart, but the chains were unyielding. It could be deflected away, but it couldn’t cut.

Seeing this, he increased the number of chains, at least twenty per knight, as he thought of what to do.

Every few seconds, he increased the number, giving him enough to analyze.

’The one controlling them is the head of this family, meaning he is using something to tie them down.

They’re like Wick, loyal, strong, and bound to something.

Despite the chaos, they fought flawlessly. By opening their helmet, lightning attacks were released, and they kept to their formations and assisted each other.

’If I use Ashenfall, can I defeat them?’ If it was one, like Wick, it was doable, but this number. At best, he could hold them back like he was currently doing.

The prospect of new loyal soldiers like Wick was truly tempting. Dawnless was a large bonus for him, however, they were weak. In the two battles they had, over fifty had died

And they were all 5th stars.

As he was in his thoughts, the knights raised their swords to the sky.

Golden lightning charged from their swords and connected, changing the surroundings.

Baines visibly trembled at the sight. Who would have thought these knights could use a domain, and not just any domain?

It was like he had been transported to another world. Mountains crackling with lightning from the clouds.

Then came the largest dragon he had ever seen in his short life. It made the dragons in Darkan look like children. It was over 100 meters long with vast wings flapping, dragging any wind with it. Lightning gathered in its giant maw, its intensity crackling as it opened it.

The next moment, it was falling.

’I can’t block this,’ Baines froze in place. Nothing. There was nothing he could do.

Domain: Ashentel.

Another voice intoned, and another change occurred.

The world of mountains and lightning faded, becoming empty, and the air tinged violet.

Baines recognized the energy, and with struggle, he looked up.

Lo and behold, Wick floated above, his energy flaring in full force.

But why, how, and when did Wick reach 8th-star?

Wick pointed his skeletal finger, and the tinge of violet in the air turned to a violet beam that shot at the attacker.

The attack didn’t struggle, both the lightning and the dragon construct just disintegrated into motes of light.

-Master.

Wick’s voice snapped him out of his amazement.

Baines jolted and gathered aura to his mouth, then twisted it strangely.

[’SEVER’]

Before he finished, he keeled forward and coughed out chunks of his internal organs. This time, there was no stoppage. Blood flowed out. And its purpose was fulfilled.

The effect of his words took effect.

Snap...

He had just severed the knights’ connection to their controller and collapsed with a bloody grin on his face.

..

**Cough**

Yill Treyl collapsed from his throne, coughing blood as his face masked total disbelief.

This little threat that was meant to be a test run for his experiment had ended in pure shambles.

Deaf to his servants’ worrisome expressions and help, he rose up and screamed with blood pooling on his clothes.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? CONTACT DARKAN, CALL ANYBODY, YOU USELESS BASTARDS!" He struck his servants in fury as they rushed out to carry his orders.

...

Elsewhere, this group was frantically running with their lives.

’So far we can escape,’ those were the only thoughts in his mind as he fled with remnants of the Black Rose.

Their face shone as they saw the end. They had initially reached their base to gather any valuables they could.

And now, they could escape and regroup.

However,

Bang!

A barrier blocked their escape.

"No... No... NOOOO!" The black rose leader wailed, slamming against it in despair.