Chapter 34: The Duke’s Forbidden Magic

The House of Leipzig.

This was the strongest family in the Theocracy, second only to the Seraphil royal family, and currently the undisputed leader of the noble faction.

As the head of the House of Leipzig, Weisco’s power was beyond question, easily rivaling even the empire’s top Holy Knights. Though he hadn’t unleashed his full inner strength, his mere approach caused Jakarin a suffocating pressure.

“The last time we met was in Sabuyel, wasn’t it, Commander Jakarin?”

Weisco said with a smile, fanning himself with his hand.

“…”

Jakarin offered no reply, instead staring intently at the alluring man before him.

Jakarin was an intelligent man; otherwise, he would never have risen from a commoner to become the commander of the Theocracy’s Star Cross Knights.

Once he realized Weisco’s identity, Jakarin immediately surmised the true purpose of his visit.

The very next instant,

Driven by instinct, Jakarin endured the searing pain and mustered every ounce of his remaining holy power, desperate to escape the terrifying man before him.

Though Jakarin’s movements were swift, his heavily wounded body severely hampered both his speed and strength.

As he forcibly ascended into the air, enveloped by an aura of dark green holy light, attempting to break free from fate’s prison, Weisco merely sneered. He disdained the very idea of pursuit, remaining calm and composed, his fan still clutched firmly in hand.

Suddenly,

From behind Weisco, four colossal blood-red energy hands erupted, surging forward like ravenous beasts. These crimson claws, formed from coalesced energy, swiftly shot into the sky, piercing straight through Jakarin’s body and instantly shattering any hope of escape.

Subsequently,

These energy claws acted like anchors, pinning Jakarin to the cliff face behind him, immobilizing his every movement.

As the blood claws pulsed with surging energy, Jakarin’s robust physique withered rapidly, as if drained of all vitality, and the energy within his body swiftly dissipated, leaving him utterly incapable of resistance.

“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!!!”

Amidst his pained groans, Jakarin continuously coughed up blood.

His face was contorted by the agony.

At the same time,

Jakarin involuntarily lifted his head, trembling, and cast an incredulous glance at the blood-red claws beside him.

Sensing the rapidly surging magic within them, his eyes filled with profound shock.

There was no incantation.

No casting implement.

And it possessed the characteristic of devouring souls…

“You, you’ve actually learned Origin Magic?!”

Magic, one of the means of self-preservation bestowed upon intelligent beings by the great Goddess of Creation.

Compared to singular divine arts, magic offered a diverse array of combat styles, with varying degrees of power.

Based on its might, magic could be broadly categorized into five major tiers: Apprentice, Common, Master, Transcendent, and Legendary.

Among the pinnacle Legendary-tier magic, three types were exceedingly rare and immensely powerful…

These three were Lost Magic, Divine Magic… and Origin Magic.

Origin Magic, however, was universally acknowledged as the most forbidden existence among all forms of magic.

The reason was quite simple.

This type of magic was once wielded by the high-ranking monsters within the Sin Lord’s army ten thousand years ago—an abyssal magic that demanded souls as its price. It not only corrupted one’s own consciousness but also infected those in the vicinity.

Undoubtedly,

Within the Theocracy of Ophelia, which revered the Goddess of Creation, Origin Magic was an absolute taboo.

Yet now?

Weisco, the empire’s sole Duke, had actually learned Origin Magic?

“Do you even know… what you’re doing?!”

Enduring the intense pain, Jakarin fixed a questioning gaze upon Weisco.

Faced with the accusation, Weisco was in no hurry to respond.

Instead, surrounded by the blood claws, he slowly approached Jakarin, who remained pinned to the cliff face, a strange, satisfied smile gradually appearing on his lips. He gazed up at Jakarin’s struggles, as if reveling in a captivating performance.

“If it can enhance my strength, then what is there that cannot be learned?”

“Learning Origin Magic… you truly are connected to the Abyss of Sin Tower, aren’t you? Hmph, you blasphemous wretch! His Majesty, the Holy King, will never forgive you!!”

“Oh, the Holy King?”

Hearing Jakarin’s words, Weisco chuckled playfully.

“That old geezer can barely protect himself; how could he possibly concern himself with me?”

As he spoke,

One of the blood claws beside Weisco slowly rose, strikingly forming itself into a clenched fist.

“I’ll give you one last chance, Jakarin. Abandon that old man and pledge your loyalty to me. I will spare your life.”

“Dream on…”

“Heh, I knew you’d say that.”

Before the words had even fully left his lips, the colossal blood fist slammed down upon Jakarin.

“BOOM!!!”

With an earth-shattering roar and the tremor of the entire cliff face, Jakarin’s upper body was utterly pulverized by Weisco’s strike. His remaining torso slowly slid down after Weisco retracted the blood fist, falling back to the ground. Thus, the renowned Commander of the Star Cross Knights met his ultimate demise within the shroud of night.

After pulverizing Jakarin’s body with a single punch, the blood fist unfurled, transforming once more into the shape of a claw.

As magic surged around the blood claw, Jakarin’s mangled remains and the surrounding fragments of flesh rapidly converged and compressed. They were seemingly guided by an unseen force. Ultimately, they condensed into a football-sized, blood-red orb of energy, which the blood claw gripped tightly.

Watching the blood orb, a peculiar glint of excitement flickered in Weisco’s crimson eyes.

‘The essence of a high-ranking Saint. Absorbing this should significantly boost my cultivation.’

Pondering this,

Weisco glanced over his shoulder with a sidelong look.

The instant Weisco looked behind him, a flash of red light appeared, and a ghostly figure clad in a crimson robe respectfully knelt behind him.

“Duke, what are your orders?”

“Jakarin has a granddaughter, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, Duke.”

The man respectfully lowered his head.

“Though, to be precise, he had two granddaughters and one grandson.”

“Bring them here. To absorb Jakarin’s cultivation, I’ll need the souls of some direct blood relatives.”

“Alive or dead?”

“As before, their state matters not. However, try to keep them as intact as possible; being too fragmented is rather disgusting~”

“Understood, Duke.”

****

However, speaking of which,

“My dearest Helibea~, how audacious of her to seek help from the Abyss of Sin Tower just to conceal the truth? Oh my, my~”

Gazing towards the distant territory of the Orna family, Weisco lightly chuckled, his fan covering his mouth.

“Ultimately, she’s still just a little girl; her plans are simply not meticulous enough…”

Yet, as if recalling something, Weisco slowly raised his eyebrows.

“Frankly, Xiamiya Seraphil. A disgrace to the royal family whose strength remains only at the second tier. How exactly did she survive last night?”

Weisco had never suspected Xiamiya of hiding her true strength.

When Xiamiya returned to the Capital of Truth, Weisco had already been observing from afar, secretly gauging her power.

“Her power couldn’t possibly contend with the Blazefrost Nation’s Death Knights.”

This could only mean one thing:

Someone was protecting her.

With a moment’s thought, the answer formed in Weisco’s mind.

‘People from the Holy Sanctuary?’

No wonder those individuals hadn’t simply eliminated the Child of Curses. So, this was their scheme?

Among the three major factions of the Theocracy of Ophelia, the Holy King faction’s power had sharply declined with the Holy King’s deteriorating health.

The individuals from the Holy Sanctuary likely sought to seize this opportunity to reclaim their central position. They intended to support Xiamiya, that girl.

After all,

The Third Holy Princess was inherently timid, making her quite suitable as a puppet.

“So that’s it, so that’s it…”

Weisco murmured with a chilling sigh, fanning himself all the while.

The very next moment,

With a snap, Weisco closed his fan and smacked it into his palm.

“If you truly succeed, I will be rather troubled.”

As expected of Baroyena,

They appeared indifferent to matters within the capital, yet in reality, they had long since intervened.

Alas,

The puppet you’ve chosen is truly quite useless.

A frail, second-tier girl.

Even if someone protected her, what difference would it make?

With this thought, Weisco’s lips curved upward slightly, revealing a chilling, meaningful smile.

Then,

The alluring red-haired man slowly turned, looking at his subordinate who was kneeling on the ground.

“Inform the Roberitz family. I have some tasks for them~”