In the end, three heroes successfully defeated the demon Diablos.
The cult cut apart and sealed the demon's body.
Yet even a portion of the corpse brimmed with vitality, enough to transform the sealed site into a sacred realm.
And after years of experimentation, the cult finally achieved what it had long dreamed of:
Strength and longevity.
The perfect medicine produced by the [Diablos Cells]—the [Diablos Nectar]—could grant its users immense power and an immortal body.
The cost, however, was that one had to consume the medicine every year. And its production yielded only twelve tablets annually, meaning only twelve members of the highest ranks were eligible to take it.
But so be it.
Alpha: "An organization so ugly and vile does not deserve to exist in the beautiful world envisioned by the master."
The cult had caused countless tragedies.
This scum had committed countless evils.
They were no longer qualified to enter Utopia, destined instead to fall into hell to pay for their crimes.
Jack Nelson: "Hmph! Do you really think I'm afraid of you? Until now, I was merely buying time. Now, I'll let you witness my true power…"
Delta: "Take this!"
Before Archbishop Nelson could finish speaking, Delta smacked him across his bald head.
However, the manner of this man's death was bizarre.
Like a shattered mirror, his entire body cracked apart, and a new Nelson appeared at a distance just seconds later.
Alpha raised an eyebrow.
She wondered if this too was a power of the Sacred Domain. Although she had obtained high-level permissions, the cult had occupied the Sacred Domain for hundreds of years and must have mastered most of its functions.
Nelson: "You attacked me so suddenly! Do you have no honor? Let me tell you this: as long as I am within this sanctuary, I am immortal, and now… behold as I destroy you!"
He shouted into the air:
"Come forth! Olivier!"
The next instant, an elf resembling Alpha emerged from nowhere. She wielded a massive sword, her eyes vacant, like a lifeless doll.
"What? Olivier, the hero?"
Even Alpha was slightly surprised.
The figure before them at that moment was one of the heroes who had defeated Diablos thousands of years ago.
Olivier—the source of the entire Night Raid's elven lineage.
Nelson: "Hahaha! Surprised, are you? This is merely an imitation of Olivier. After all, the sanctuary contains countless memories. As long as sufficient magical power exists, people or objects from those memories can be manifested."
Alpha: "A pitiful little trick."
Nelson: "No matter how high your awakening level may be, you are no match for the source of your own lineage. And… there is more than one clone!"
Nelson sneered as the number of Oliviers multiplied, dozens appearing in an instant. As long as the sanctuary retained memory and magical power, it could manifest without limit.
Though this ability worked only within the sanctuary, it was still utterly outrageous.
Replicas of Olivier now stood before the Night Raid girls—the source of their bloodline.
But—
Alpha: "Destroy them all."
Girls: "Yes!" ×N
A fierce battle erupted the very next moment.
The Night Raid girls charged fearlessly toward Olivier, raising their blades to clash with her. Each was overwhelmingly powerful, and the thunderous sound of their combat shook the sanctuary.
This was nothing like novices dueling in the outside world.
If the battles of Iris Midgar and the others on the surface were merely skirmishes among beginners, then this clash between the Night Raid girls and Olivier was a duel of masters—players of level 100.
The quality and scale of combat were worlds apart.
At first, Nelson was confident, believing he held the advantage and could triumph.
After all, these were replicas of the legendary hero who had once defeated Diablos. How could they possibly lose?
Even if every Night Raid awakener was powerful, Olivier was their progenitor. No matter how strong the descendants became, they could not surpass the original.
Yet—
Nelson: "Impossible! This is impossible! How can this be?! What have you done?!"
Alpha: "That is all."
The legendary hero was slain unilaterally.
Dozens of clones were cut down—even in one-on-one battles.
These girls had already surpassed the very source of their bloodline.
Nelson felt his worldview collapse. How could something so absurd exist?!
But most shocking of all was Alpha herself.
She alone defeated ten Oliviers, overwhelming them and killing them instantly.
Her sword advanced, cleaving every enemy before the blonde elf into halves.
Alpha: "It is true that the source of our lineage lies with the three heroes… but the source of our power does not come from them. It comes from the master."
The difference in awakening levels of lineage determined only the amount of magical power.
True comparison depended on equipment and swordsmanship.
The swordsmanship of the Night Raid was supreme—the ultimate art forged by Leon, integrating the essence of every martial art from his past lives.
It surpassed Olivier's by dozens of levels.
Moreover, every girl wore form-fitting slime suits, granting absurd resistance to both physical and magical damage.
Each was also equipped with at least three types of magical accessories, including enchanted weapons.
Olivier, by contrast, wielded only a single sword.
A crushing gap in both swordsmanship and equipment.
And beyond that, they had teamwork.
Defeating dozens of replicas of ancient heroes was child's play.
Alpha: "Now, it's your turn, Archbishop Nelson."
Nelson: "I cannot die! As long as I remain in this sacred realm, I cannot die!"
Alpha: "It doesn't matter. Even if you don't die, if I kill you a few hundred times, your spirit will collapse. That will be almost as good as death."
This elf looked so beautiful, yet her words were so ruthless that Nelson nearly died of fright.
He scrambled, crawling and rolling deeper into the sanctuary.
Now he needed only to reach the sanctuary's core, where magical absorption was strongest. Once these women's magic was drained, he could still claim victory!
Girl: "Master Alpha, shall we pursue him?"
Alpha: "Of course."
Girl: "But the deeper we go into this sanctuary, the more our magic will be drained."
Alpha: "Do not worry. I have already sensed his aura."
Alpha shook her head as she spoke.
There was not a trace of concern on her face. Darkness loomed in the path ahead, yet to her, there was nothing to fear, nothing to hesitate over.
But then—
Alpha: "Well, you clearly said you weren't interested, and yet in the end, you reached the sanctuary's core faster than we did. Truly, I am speechless."
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."