Chapter 318: The Ending of the Story of the Hero and the Dragon
Serie had already drunk quite a few bottles of the precious divine wine, and the empty bottles were scattered haphazardly on the ground, adding a touch of disharmony to the magnificent hall.
"Hiccup~"
As if she had drunk her fill of water, Serie finally put down the bottle of wine in her hand.
"This thing is indeed top-notch; it's even effective for a legendary mage like me." She felt that her magical power had increased by about one percent.
Don't underestimate this one percent. Given Serie's current magic power limit, it would take at least 100 years of life to increase it by one percent.
Unfortunately, this is one of the few drawbacks of immortal species. Because they can live indefinitely, the accumulation of power is also linked to lifespan; it is commonly known that the longer you live, the stronger you become.
Humans, however, do not have this limitation. Although their lifespan is short, some exceptionally talented individuals can become as strong as some elven mages who have lived for thousands of years in just a few decades.
For example, a certain red-haired disciple who rebelled against his master is a prime example.
This is precisely why humans, despite being a short-lived species, were able to quickly become the dominant race on this continent and even begin to move towards becoming the dominant species.
Feeling that the matter had been discussed sufficiently, and mainly because he couldn't let Serie continue drinking like this, Kurtz got up to leave. At that moment, Olivia suddenly remembered something and called out to Kurtz: "Kurtz, before you arrived, there was an intruder named Flamme who claimed to be your disciple."
Kurtz paused, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Flamme? She is indeed my disciple. She came here?"
"Yes." Olivia nodded and briefly recounted how Flamme had barged in and the subsequent conversation. She even told Kurtz about Flamme's doubts about a friend who had revealed something important out of selfishness, and her final request to return to this place to rest in peace someday.
After listening to Olivia's account, Kurtz immediately realized what was going on. As a modern old soul, he saw through Flamme's fabricated story of making friends in an instant. The so-called "friend of mine" is clearly herself.
Her subsequent confession confirmed his earlier suspicion that Flamme was secretly conducting research into extending lifespan.
There's nothing wrong with this research; many human mages have tried similar research. But Flamme's research went astray. Because she, along with Carlo, may have recreated the magic he created, which could prolong life by transferring life force.
This magic had clearly been abandoned long ago, yet Flamme unexpectedly re-created it using the original runes of holy magic. It can only be said that the two of them ended up doing this by sheer coincidence.
"I don't want this thing to reappear in the world." Kurtz's tone was very calm, revealing no emotion. "However, judging from Flamme's actions and troubles, she still realized the huge risks hidden in this magic and is trying to mitigate them."
Kurtz was quite pleased. After all, the pursuit of immortality is an irresistible temptation for almost all human magicians, especially when they have their own selfish motives, and Flamme is no exception.
In contrast, Carlo, who has yet to appear, is particularly noteworthy.
However, these are ultimately minor matters; Kurtz's main focus remains on the figure within the Demon King's castle.
As for Flamme's wish to sleep eternally in this heavenly kingdom, Kurtz frowned slightly, as this was somewhat unexpected. He couldn't fully understand what this disciple was thinking, nor did he know the deep-seated obsession in the other's heart to accompany him through a solidified magical slumber.
"I'll ask her myself when I get the chance," he thought, suppressing the idea for the time being.
"Olivia," Kurtz looked at the white-winged girl before him and made a request, "I hope you can use the power of the divine realm to keep an eye on the magical fluctuations in the northern lands, especially those related to the activation of sacred magical runes."
The Sky City hangs high in the sky, overlooking the entire northern land. In addition, it has a deep connection with holy magic. As the core of the divine kingdom, Olivia can perceive such shared fluctuations far more efficiently than by searching on the ground.
Now that Carlo has arrived at the northern front, if he uses that life-transfer magic, it will definitely trigger the magical runes within, and Olivia will be able to sense it.
"I will," Olivia agreed without hesitation.
Kurtz nodded, and then blue magical light appeared at his fingertips, drawing a series of magical runes in the air before condensing them into a small light symbol, which he handed to Olivia.
"If...if you find a mage named Carlo who uses holy magic," Kurtz instructed, "give him this rune. It's a small optimization of that life-transfer spell."
Olivia carefully put away the light charm. Although she didn't know what it was for or who the mage named Carlo was, she had no doubts about Kurtz's orders.
Kurtz watched as Olivia put the rune away, but made no further explanation because this so-called optimization cannot save the other party.
It cannot reverse the fundamental fate of that magic, which will ultimately corrupt the user's soul. It can only preserve a sliver of consciousness after the corruption, allowing the user to continue living with a human mindset.
Kurtz had carefully considered the demon race's role. Completely eradicate the demon race? Regardless of its feasibility, a race without any external threats often decays and splits more quickly due to internal strife.
Retaining a certain degree of threat is actually the best way to keep humanity and all races vigilant and united. At least this time, the allied races did a pretty good job, except for a certain human nation.
Before he finds a way to change the life formula of the demon race, Kurtz has no intention of changing the demon race's villainous status.
If Carlo inevitably succumbs to the path of depravity, then a being who retains some rationality and does not bring endless chaos and madness to the world might serve as a suitable test for future generations.
Kurtz had even vaguely seen a scene a thousand years in the future, where an elf girl named Frieren was fighting against the Demon King with her companions.
However, those are all stories from the distant future.
After bidding farewell to Olivia, Kurtz and Serie rested briefly before continuing their journey towards the location of the Northern Demon King's Castle.
Finally, when the two were hovering above the Demon Queen's castle, the scene before them was eerily calm. Despite the vast Demon Queen's city, there was hardly any powerful demonic aura to be detected, and even the most basic defensive barriers were barely visible. It was like an empty city, or perhaps a trap.
Serie cautiously looked around, extending her detection magic to its maximum range: "What's going on? Is there an ambush?"
Kurtz shook his head: "No, it's not a trap. She is just waiting for us."
Before he finished speaking, a figure slowly appeared in front of the two of them.
With black hair and black eyes, she was beautiful, but she didn't even have the distinctive horns that demons are known for. If it weren't for the dense, almost tangible demonic energy emanating from her, anyone who saw her at first glance would have thought she was a beautiful human girl.
And she is none other than the Demon Queen Annalise.
Annalise raised her head, her dark eyes looking directly past Serie and landing on Kurtz. A smile played on her lips as she introduced herself to Kurtz for the first time: "You've finally come, Kurtz. My name is Annalise."
Her voice was calm, as if she were greeting a long-lost friend, even though their last meeting ended with her almost being killed by the other person.
Kurtz's expression remained unchanged, but the magic power within his body had already begun to circulate quietly, and an exact composite sealing magic circle was being constructed at an astonishing speed.
Kurtz did not respond to Annalise, but the outspoken Serie could no longer contain her questions. She stepped forward, staring intently at Annalize, and asked the question that had troubled her for so long: "Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much about Lord? It's like—"
She couldn't quite describe the feeling.
Annalize turned her gaze to Serie, her eyes brightening noticeably; she seemed to have been eagerly anticipating this question.
She laughed: "Me? I am the one that Kurtz himself abandoned."
"Abandon?" Serie frowned, somewhat puzzled.
But Kurtz, standing to the side, had already guessed what was going on. He didn't give up many things, and in that tragic war of killing gods a thousand years ago, the only thing that could be called giving up was his body, which was forced to be abandoned because it had been subjected to an overload of corrosive divine power.
As if she could read Kurtz's mind, Annalise readily admitted this shocking fact. "That's right, just as you think, Kurtz." Her gaze returned to Kurtz. "I am you...the being born from the body you abandoned a thousand years ago."
"The corrupting divine power from the goddess of fertility, filled with madness and curses, did not completely dissipate with your abandonment. Instead, driven by the instinct to survive, it merged with your body. And so, I was born. From your sacrifice and will to live, a completely new existence was born."
"You can also see me as your reflection." She paused, her tone slightly playful: "And that's why I've inherited some of your thought processes, and even some harmless habits."
She had already started giving this man hints. It is precisely because they inherited the other's logic of thinking that they look forward to this fateful encounter and await Kurtz's arrival.
"But why are you a woman? It feels a bit strange," Kurtz said frankly.
In his eyes, Annalise was just the insignificant will of the goddess of procreation. Driven by the instinct to survive, it took over his body, but because of the residual instinct within him, it merged into a completely new being.
That is, Annalise in front of him.
"As for why it is female..." Annalize chuckled, "that may be due to the source of that divine power, the goddess of fertility. The remnants of her power naturally tend to shape a form that conforms to herself."
Having learned the whole truth, Serie was stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She could never have imagined that the source of this powerful, bizarre demon king was the union of Kurtz's discarded body and the divine power of the goddess of procreation.
This identity is outrageous!
Even Kurtz couldn't fully hide the surprise in his eyes, though he quickly composed himself. Although he had guessed part of the truth based on various clues, it still felt too outrageous when the other party confirmed it in person.
He had originally thought Annalise was born of the corrosive divine power of the Fallen God Land, but he did not expect it to be a combination of his own sacrificed body and that power.
What is this? Another form of resurrection?
Meanwhile, Serie, recovering from her shock, sharpened her gaze and demanded again, "So, what do you want to do now? Do you want to rule the demon race and start a war?"
"I do have that idea," Annalize admitted frankly, a hint of anticipation in her dark eyes. "After all, I really want to witness the story of the hero slaying the dragon unfold before my eyes."
Kurtz retorted, "Don't forget, in this story, you're the evil dragon destined to be slain by the hero's sword; you're the villain."
"Is there anything wrong with being a villain?" Annalize tilted her head, slightly puzzled. "I don't care! Besides, killing me will eliminate the last vestiges of corrupting divine power within me. Isn't that what you've always been pursuing?"
"Although, in my current state, after fusing with divine power, a regular being couldn't completely obliterate me. But..." She looked at Kurtz again, her eyes filled with absolute trust, "I believe in you, Kurtz. You must have found a way to deal with me, right? I've waited for this for far too long..."
Her voice lowered, and the anticipation in her tone could no longer be concealed: "Waiting for that true hero to come and slay me, this evil dragon that brings disaster to the world!"
Kurtz fell silent. He looked at Annalise; despite taking completely different paths, their fundamental way of thinking remains remarkably similar. If it were him, he would do the same.
Either become the legendary hero who saves the world and brings peace, or bear all the sins and become a dragon that brings disaster, waiting for the future hero to slay the dragon and end all the calamities.
Whether Annalise unites the demon race to become the Demon King or absorbs the remaining divine power from the Land of Fallen Gods to create a mobile natural disaster, her ultimate goal is to wait for the appearance of a true hero capable of ending her.
If the hero fails to appear, or if they fail to kill her, then she wouldn't mind turning this charade into reality, bringing disaster to the world, and waiting for a new hero to appear.
Indeed, I am who I am!
"Hihi-HA-HA" Kurtz laughed, a genuine sound that echoed across the ruined city.
He understood Annalise's full intentions. Without further hesitation, he turned to Serie, who was waiting beside him, and said in a relaxed tone, "Let's go, Serie. Just like in the story, go and defeat the dragon as a brave warrior."
He decided not to confront Annalise in front of him. It wasn't that he was being disrespectful; he just needed to clean up the mess after Serie defeated her opponent.
Killing Annalise was not difficult, but properly dealing with the divine power within her body was troublesome. To do so, he needed to concentrate all his attention on casting that unprecedented sealing magic circle.
At that time, Annalise, along with the immense divine power within her, will be sealed and obliterated.
And Serie was the hero he chose to slay the dragon in this drama.
Annalise saw that Kurtz hadn't personally come, and a hint of regret flashed in her eyes, but she quickly let it go. She knew perfectly well that even though she had now merged with the power of the Fallen Gods Land and her strength had increased dramatically, she was still insignificant in front of Kurtz.
Moreover, the opponent also needs to deal with the power within their own body, so naturally, they won't be able to unleash their full power. However, being able to fight Serie, who has learned all of Kurtz's knowledge, and then be defeated by her, is also a decent ending.
"Then, Little Elf," Annalise began to emanate black magic, radiating an incredibly terrifying pressure, "let me see if you have the qualifications to be a true hero."
Serie did not reply verbally, but responded with fierce actions. Magic surged forth from her body like a waterfall, her eyes burning with pure fighting spirit. With a flick of her wrist, countless magic arrays instantly unfolded layer upon layer in the void around her.
"As you wish!"
The next moment, countless super-level spells poured down on Annalize like a raging storm!
When Serie stepped into the fray, she launched a full-scale attack without holding back, determined to prove to Annalise that she was qualified to be the hero of this tale.
Faced with this devastating attack, Annalise's face also showed a solemn expression. She mobilized the corrosive divine power within her body, transforming it into a black longsword to block the extremely fast attacks. At the same time, various magic arrays appeared around her, knocking down the subsequent attacks one by one.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth-shattering explosions continued to resound, and the shockwaves generated by the collision of magic and divine power spread outwards in circles, completely tearing apart the clouds in the sky. Even the buildings of the Demon King's city below collapsed in the aftershocks.
Serie's magic power is immense; each strike is enough to destroy a small mountain.
Annalize's power was in no way inferior to hers. She could not only withstand Serie's magic with divine power, but also launch counterattacks from time to time, forcing Serie to use defensive magic.
The two fought their way up to the clouds above the Demon King's city and then fought back down to the castle ruins. The speed was so fast that only two streaks of light could be seen constantly clashing, accompanied by the colors of various magical elements.
Both Serie and Annalise have surpassed the scope of ordinary magicians, and even legendary magicians are far inferior.
In Kurtz's eyes, Serie had already vaguely touched the threshold of a demigod.
In her battle with Annalise, Serie fought with increasing ferocity. As the most outstanding genius of the Elven race, she unleashed the magic and combat experience accumulated over thousands of years without reservation.
She gradually adapted to Annalise's strange divine power and began using more targeted offensive magic to counter it.
Faced with the unfavorable situation, Annalise showed no sign of panic. Instead, the anticipation and joy in her eyes grew even stronger. She seemed to be enjoying the battle and the drama heading toward its predetermined end.
Finally, a divine strike from Serie sent Annalise crashing to the ground, creating a crater tens of meters wide.
Meanwhile, Kurtz had completed his final preparations. A vast and complex magic circle has been constructed. This magic circle is based on the power of all the holy swords he has collected, and is supported by the holy sword of the Southern Unified Empire. It is a grand magic circle that can even seal gods.
More importantly, it is not just a seal, but a furnace for a specific being, capable of continuously purifying the corrupting divine power within Annalise's body.
Facing the defeated Annalise, Kurtz raised his hand and gently pressed it toward her.
Annalise, who was struggling to get up from the deep pit, suddenly stopped moving. She felt an indescribable, irresistible force emerge from the surrounding space and act on her body, even enveloping her very existence.
Beneath her feet, a magic circle composed of the light and shadow of several holy swords, superimposed with complex runes, slowly emerged, its range covering the entire battlefield and even including the ruins of the Demon King's city below.
"This is—!" Upon sensing the power contained within the magic circle, Annalise was utterly shocked. This shock then turned into understanding, and finally into an almost liberating exclamation. "As expected, you always exceed my expectations, Kurtz."
She gave up resisting, even deliberately dissipating all her strength, opening her arms as if to embrace this inevitable end.
Serie also stopped attacking, panting as she looked down. She knew the hero's story of fighting the dragon was coming to an end.
Countless chains, composed of the power of the holy sword and magical runes, shot out from various nodes of the grand magic circle and directly wrapped around Annalize's body.
They did not cause any harm, but rather enveloped her like a cocoon of light, while the divine power and demonic energy within her were rapidly drawn out and dissolved with the help of the magic circle.
Annalize's figure gradually blurred within the cocoon of light. She didn't struggle, but simply watched Kurtz quietly until her last shred of consciousness faded. With her last strength, she softly spoke, her voice reaching Kurtz's ears:
"Thank you...and...goodbye!"
The cocoon of light solidified completely, transforming into a crystal suspended in mid-air. Inside the crystal, the outline of Annalize, sleeping peacefully, could be vaguely seen, along with the divine power being continuously dissipated.
The magic circle around the large object began to shrink, eventually merging entirely into the sealing crystal. It will continue to operate with the power of the holy sword until the day when all pollution and demonic nature are completely purified.
Kurtz came to Serie's side, seemingly lost in thought. He stood motionless, watching the sealed crystal hang suspended in the sky.
Serie looked at him, then at the spot where the seal hung, and finally said nothing, only gently holding his hand. No matter what, she will stay by his side.
[End of Chapter]
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