Chat group, if you have anything to say to my Holy Sword,

Kevin doesn't crave fighting, and he's afraid of getting hurt, but... he doesn't want the future that Xiling spoke of to happen!

Mei is dead, and Xiling will likely die too, because he is a hero and will rush to the front, while Kevin will have to live for another 5 years...

What a joke! He absolutely cannot allow that kind of future!

We'll either die together!

Either you fight alongside your companions to overcome that predetermined future!

Ratahn's aura has reached its peak, and may even have surpassed it. At this moment, he is undoubtedly under the blessing of the Silver Law, because he possesses the Great Rune, and he has not refused this blessing!

When he was suffering terribly, the Silver Law was like a ray of white light, healing his ailments. Having already received this blessing, what right did he have to refuse it?

Facing the man who resembled the blazing sun, Rataen raised his weapon as he had fought before, and shouted to Kevin, "I am the eldest son of the hero Radagan, I am known as General Shattered Star, and I am also a general of the Red Lion Army. My name is Rataen!"

The sound was like thunder, spreading far and wide. At that moment, the people of Red Lion City heard the general's voice again.

Looking at the live stream from afar, Penglai Temple's Jiuxiao stomped her feet excitedly, as if she were the one in the battle.

Ratahn's roar seemed to be telling the entire border region that he had returned.

Kevin, facing the strongest demigod who had returned, felt an indescribable pressure.

"So strong, so strong! That bastard Xiling really picked a good opponent for me!"

The helmet on his head was ripped off, and Kevin's lips curled into a smile. He threw the helmet far away while shouting, "Kevin Kaslana!"

Kevin flung the helmet into the distance, and the air seemed to fall silent. But when the helmet hit the ground with a loud thud, in just a moment, the entire Weeping Dune was blown away, and countless grains of sand even buried Red Lion City.

The Weeping Sand Dunes were no longer enough for the two to fight. With just one strike, Kevin was blasted away. The bowstring was drawn taut, more like a spear than an arrow, and the strike seemed to pierce through the stars.

The instant Ratan knocked Kevin away, he had already drawn his bow and drawn it fully. The arrow flew out instantly, and as Kevin was flying backward, he actually reached out his left hand and caught the arrow that was about to pierce through everything.

Kevin's foot slammed into the ground, and then a spin seemed to change the arrow's direction. Like a javelin, Kevin hurled the arrow at Ratan, and the arrow burst into flames in the process.

Ratan extended one hand forward, and the flaming arrow seemed to encounter some kind of resistance, stopping in mid-air and falling to the ground.

After making this move, Ratan raised his twin swords to block Kevin's Fiery Greatsword, but he kept retreating. However, Kevin realized something was wrong. His greatsword seemed to be attracted by a magnet. A bad feeling rushed into his mind. Before he could do anything, he was directly shoved into the sand pile by Ratan.

Just as Ratahn was about to deliver another blow, Kevin grabbed one of his giant blades with one hand. The immense force instantly pulled Ratahn away, and Kevin punched Ratahn in the stomach, sending Ratahn flying backward.

Kevin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Ratan got up from the ground and wiped the blood from his face as well. He said to Kevin, "You are strong, but also weak."

"How to say"

"You possess immense power, yet you don't know how to use it. Otherwise, that previous attack would have pierced my abdomen and caused me even greater damage."

Kevin chuckled. "I'm your enemy. Why are you telling me this?"

Rataen shook his head seriously. "You didn't want to kill me. You even held back earlier, otherwise I would have been dead long ago."

"......so what"

Ratahn pointed at Kevin and said seriously, "I, Ratahn, consider you a friend. Even if you want to kill me next, it doesn't matter."

Kevin took a deep breath and said, "You don't actually think you have the victory in the bag, do you?"

Ratahn shook his head. "I can sense you're still getting stronger."

Rataen looked at the setting sun.

"You remind me of the sun; when you rise, you are as blazing as the sun, and when you are about to set, you will still radiate the most intense flames."

Kevin planted his greatsword in the ground. "Then why don't you hurry up and defeat me?"

“No, you waited for my prime,” Ratan planted his two giant blades in the sand dune, arms crossed. “I should also wait for your prime.”

"...At my peak, I was ridiculously strong."

"I am not incapable of fighting."

Kevin looked at that towering figure, who stood with his arms crossed, staring straight at him. At that moment, Kevin understood why so many people loved him; it was the spirit of Ratan.

The two did not speak again, as if they were both waiting for the final moment to arrive.

As the sun rose above the horizon and the stars descended from the other side, Kevin and Rataen opened their eyes at the same time.

The two men simultaneously drew their weapons.

Kevin pointed his greatsword at Ratahn, his tone serious, "Let's make a bet."

"...What are we betting on?"

"You will lose in three minutes, and then you will have to hand over the Great Rune."

“Okay,” Ratan didn’t refuse, and without even asking Kevin what would happen if he lost, he agreed immediately.

“Then bear witness,” Kevin said, pointing his sword to the sky. Day and night seemed to revolve around him, like a prayer, like a spell.

"I am the unchanging night, I am the eternal sun."

The black sword armor was covered by the starry sky, and a black and white halo reappeared above Kevin's head, his icy blue eyes shining as brightly as the sun.

From that moment on, everything reversed. Ratahn felt the immense pressure from Kevin, but his face remained expressionless as he raised his weapon.

2 minutes 59 seconds.

The massive figure was sent flying backwards from the sand dunes, and before it could even use gravity magic to adjust its direction, a greatsword engulfed in flames appeared before it.

The giant blades crossed to block the attack, but the immense force slammed Ratahn directly into the ground, instantly creating a crater in Galid.

Ratan suddenly spread his arms wide, and Kevin felt as if he had crashed into an invisible wall. It was Ratan's gravity magic. Controlled by the gravity magic, Kevin stared expressionlessly at the twin blades that Ratan had raised.

Just as the opponent was about to land, two shadow clones emerged from Kevin's shadow. They blocked Ratahn's weapon, and the next second Kevin broke free and kicked Ratahn away.

2 minutes

The two engaged in a fierce battle in the crimson, corrupted Galid. Monsters caught in the fray died instantly, and Kevin was knocked away by Ratahn's attack.

1 minutes

Countless meteors fell from the sky, only to be cleaved in two by a single slash of fire, sending countless pebbles crashing down on Gailid.

30 seconds left

Ratahn was slammed deep into the ground by Kevin.

10 seconds left

Kevin's greatsword broke during the fierce battle.

5 seconds left

Kevin kept punching Ratahn's head.

2 seconds left

Ratahn was knocked unconscious by Kevin.

Kevin ultimately won the bet.

-

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I feel like writing any more would be a bit rambling. Also, please vote for me!

Chapter Thirty-Four: Montgomery and Montgomery

Above the royal city of Rodel, the dazzling light of the Golden Tree was obscured by a silvery-white dome. The once solemn and sacred Throne of Elden had now expanded dozens of times, transforming into a gigantic platform suspended in the sky, almost covering the entire sky above the royal city.

Before the entrance to the tree, a throne made of pure silver stood silently, with Xiling leaning against it, the holy sword in his hand.

He watched the live stream in the chat group, watched Kevin and Rataen fight, watched the two make a bet, and only when he saw Kevin win and fall to the ground, panting heavily, did Xiling put down the Holy Sword and a smile appear on his face.

"He won all of these; Kevin really is a cheater."

The reason Xiling let Kevin go was because he had seen Kevin's strength; he was very strong. The blessing of day and night made him so strong that he was practically a monster. And Ratahn was currently at his weakest point. That's why Xiling dared to let Kevin go. Even if he couldn't win, he could use the chat group to escape.

Xiling knew Kevin wasn't a decisive person, and sure enough, he had been holding back. Even more surprisingly, Ratahn had accepted the Silver Blessing. The Silver Law rejects all foreign influences—whether it's the chaos of the Madfire, the faith of the Golden Tree, or the corruption of Crimson—under the order of Silver, they will all be purified. And Ratahn, once one of the strongest demigods, now wielding the Silver Great Rune, not only suppressed the Crimson Corruption but even regained his peak power.

When Xiling saw this, she wanted to rush to Kevin's side immediately.

However, just as he was about to act, he stopped.

Because he saw a smile on Kevin's face.

That wasn't arrogance, nor contempt, but a pure, burning fighting spirit. Kevin's eyes gleamed, as if silently declaring, "I can still fight! I can become stronger!"

Xiling stopped what he was about to do. Trusting his partner—that's what true courage is. Xiling watched the entire live stream intently until Kevin won. Only then did Xiling's tense shoulders relax slightly. A slight smile played on his lips as he gave Kevin a thumbs-up on the screen.

"Well done, Kevin!"

Xiling only turned off the live stream after seeing Penglai Temple Jiuxiao arrive at Kevin's side.

The changes in the Golden Tree have attracted various forces to investigate, but this is exactly what Xiling wants. He has prepared the battlefield and is waiting for the guests who are about to arrive.

Kevin's side is sorted out, but the Faded Ones haven't found the Blood Dynasty yet.

......

With a casual slash, Mongot flattened the haystack in front of them. The two continued forward. As they walked, Mongot suddenly spoke: "You are a Faded One."

The faded one nodded.

"...Why did you set foot on this land? What are your convictions and mission?"

The Faded One looked at Mongot with a puzzled expression, as if wondering why the other would ask such a question, but still replied, "I have no obsessions or missions, and as for why I came to the borderlands, I don't know either."

Montgomery frowned slightly. "You...don't know?"

Mongot knew why the Faded Ones were at the Borderlands; they were a group of long-dead souls who, guided by some force, had been resurrected and returned to the Borderlands to carry out some kind of mission. However, the Faded One standing before him now said he had no mission and didn't even know why he was at the Borderlands...

After a long silence... Montgomery spoke, his tone tinged with emotion, "You are very different, and your companions are very different too."

"Really?" Faded laughed, joking. What the other person said would be fine for other people, but it was a bit strange to use it on him. He was just an ordinary magician, what could be so special about him?

Mongot looked at the smile on the faded man's face without saying anything. The two walked in silence, encountering many monsters that attacked them, but Mongot easily dealt with them all.

After an unknown amount of time, Menggot smelled a pungent, thick smell of blood. It reminded Menggot of the war years when countless lives were lost on the earth. But that was only during wartime. Why was there such a thick smell of blood in this underground world?

"Looks like we've arrived."

Montgomery's voice was deep and cold as he quickened his pace and headed straight for the edge of the cliff.

The faded one followed closely behind, and as he stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance—

His pupils suddenly contracted.

blood.

Blood that stretches to the horizon.

Crimson liquid spread across the land like a river, viscous and putrid, as if the entire land had been soaked in the organs of some creature. In the pool of blood, swollen, mutated crows and rotting wild dogs churned wildly, their bodies festering and oozing pus, yet they still greedily tore at the rotting flesh floating in the blood.

The air was filled with a nauseatingly sweet and fishy smell, and every breath felt like death was being poured into one's lungs.

"Is this... the Mungwen Dynasty?" The Faded One's Adam's apple bobbed, his face turning slightly pale. "This is... kind of disgusting."

He couldn't find a more euphemistic word, so he simply followed his heart.

Mongot didn't respond, but took a deep breath—his gaze fixed on the dilapidated building in the distance, and he murmured softly:

“Monge… my brother, I’m here.”

The next second, he leaped off the cliff and plummeted straight down!

"boom--!!!"

His body crashed into the blood pool like a meteorite, the crimson waves instantly engulfing the surrounding monsters. The blood crows and rotting hounds were startled; they let out piercing screechs, their swollen eyes locking onto Mongot, and then pounced without hesitation!

Montgomery didn't even look up.

The cursed sword swept across, unleashing an arc-shaped slash that spread like a storm, instantly shredding all the attacking monsters into minced meat, with blood raining down.

He stood in the middle of the pool of blood, looking at the palace in the distance.

Then--

"Come out and see me, Monger!!!"

The roar was like a thunderclap, the sound waves transforming into a tangible shockwave, forcefully lifting the blood pool into a wall of waves several meters high! The surrounding withered trees shook violently in the sonic boom, the rock walls cracked, and rubble tumbled down.