Arena

Kajad appeared without a sound.

“Above us!”

Only after Dana warned us with a shout did we notice his arrival.

A skinny, tall old man was floating in the sky.

The magic formation-like tattoo drawn on his skinny arms and neck were very peculiar, to say the least. 𝒇r𝙚𝙚𝓌𝙚𝑏𝗻𝑜𝘷𝗲𝘭.c૦𝑚

Other than that, he was just an ordinary old man, but somehow, the word ‘power’ could be associated with him.

He had a cold gaze.

His eyes emotionlessly looked down upon us as though a God looking down on his creations.

“How bothersome.”

The old man extended his hand out towards us.

Black magic, the size of a fist, gathered in his palm.

It didn’t seem like the quantity was much from the outside, but Dana seemed to have judged otherwise.

“Urgh!”

Dana also started forming hand seals.

Blue and white light started intermixing. That seemed to be the dual circle of mana and soul energy.

The ball of black magic in Kajad’s hand started swelling.

Eventually, space started being distorted due to the ball of black magic and a tunnel appeared in the void like the gates to the exams.

‘I saw that before when I fought that high priest in the pirate islands!’

I remembered that that high priest had opened up such a passage and poured out monsters from it.

Kajad seemed to be about to take something out from it as well.

It would probably be unthinkable to compare what was about to come out to the puny undead that the high priest took out before.

And it was just as I expected.

Something crawled out from that black passage.

The head came out first, and it seemed to be a man.

It was a knight clad in thick silver armor from top to bottom. Even the silky red cape didn’t look ordinary.

‘That must be really strong, right? It’s something Kajad took out after all…….’

I gulped and aimed my pistols at Kajad, on guard.

The silver knight had just come out half way.

“Don’t kid me. Do you think I’ll stay still!”

It was from Derek.

As expected of an elf warrior, he had armed himself and attacked while everyone stood there in shock.

“Kasa!”

Flicker!

Derek finally showed his real power.

Derek, fused with Kasa, flames started flowing from his two swords like an inferno.

Flicker! Boom!

The flames assaulted both the silver knight and Kajad at once. I was surprised by Derek’s courage in attacking Kajad without being overwhelmed by his presence.

Kajad extended his other hand out.

Flicker!

Black flames appeared from his hand and that flame collided with Kasa’s flame.

However, the silver knight couldn’t defend against Kasa’s flames and was wrapped in flames.

-Gaaah!

The silver knight unsheathed the sword at his waist and swung it in a fit of agony.

Kasa’s flames were shattered to pieces by the aura blades coming out of the sword. Oh my word, that was an aura master!

Seeing an aura blade, Derek first took a step back in surprise.

However, he didn’t seem afraid at all and gripped on his two swords in preparation to attack.

Just as I was deeply impressed by Derek’s courage, Dana shouted.

“Out of the way!”

Dana was flying towards Kajad and the silver knight. Derek halted his steps.

The silver knight had a leg out of the passage as well.

Dana threw the fusion energy of mana and soul energy to the silver knight.

Flash-!

Blinding light enveloped the surroundings.

-Graaaah!

The scream of agony was incomparable to before.

Eerie black smoke started coming off the silver knight.

Seeing that, Kajad quickly shook his left hand that was controlling the black passage.

Pah!

The silver knight disappeared into the passage, and the passage disappeared as well.

Dana continued to utilize his dual circles to attack at Kajad with his fusion energy.

Kajad was unable to regain his calm this time and gathered black magic with both of his hands.

Booom!

Blinding white light clashed with pitch-black magic energy.

It was a strange sight of seeing light and dark intertwining together.

Dana’s blinding white light instantly vaporized the skeletons that were around.

Black smoke started coming off the skeletons whenever the white light touched them and they soon became pieces of scrap bone and fell down.

After the clash of blinding light and eerie dark, Dana landed back onto the ground.

Kajad also stood in the air, undamaged.

“To think you’d defeat Sir Lapirin that I was quite fond of. As expected of someone I caught notice.”

“You said Lapirin?”

Odin reacted violently to that. What was up with him? Was that someone famous?

Immediately noticing my curious look, Cha Jihye explained from the side.

“He’s a legendary expert that was at the front lines in conquering the continent. He’s considered as the model vassal for all, with wisdom, courage, and loyalty.”

“He made his own vassal an undead? That’s insane!”

When I insulted him, Kajad shrugged it off.

“I gained his approval in using just his body. It was his will to serve me, even if it was just the dead body, even after his death.”

Phew, looks like he revived him with the fake Marbles of the Soul like the case with Heising.

Kajad glanced at Dana.

“Two different energies in one body. To think you’d realize a contradiction like that. How interesting. That is as impossible as a dead man coming back to life.”

“I am an examinee, after all.”

“Yes. I have gone against the law of this world, while you were permitted to do so by the law.”

Kajad’s eyes started shining eerily.

“Possessing two energies in one, huh…….”

“……..”

Even though he may be pressured by the freakish Kajad’s insane amount of attention, Dana still maintained his calm.

“Yes, there was that method.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have thought of a way to solve all the problems.”

“Are you aware of the origin of the problems though?”

Dana asked and Kajad nodded his head.

“Sure I do. Just look at me! Look at this failure of a freakish monster that I’ve become! My idiotic descendants didn’t understand a word I told them and ruined my great plans like this. Do I still need to tell you what the problem is?”

How surprising.

Kajad was aware that he himself was not right, and was furious about it.

“I wished to become the eternal, righteous ruler of this world, and become the very unending law of this world. I wanted to save mankind from pain and agony, and it was something only I could do.”

“It’s something that no one can do.”

“No, not yet. One person still has the qualification.”

“Didn’t you call yourself a failed product just now?”

“It is not me I’m talking about.”

“Then……..”

Saying that Dana suddenly stopped speaking.

His expressions stiffened.

Seeing his reaction, Kajad smirked.

“How smart. How about it? Won’t you become my successor?”

‘WHAT?!’

I was scared out of my wits.

Everyone here was the same.

Kajad continued regardless.

“I shall inherit to you all of my power, wisdom, knowledge, experience and even my throne. I have failed, but you, who possess two energies in your body, should be able to succeed.”

“You want me to become the undying, eternal king of this world?”

“Indeed.”

“Don’t kid me!”

The one that shouted at the end was Odin.

“That’s right!”

“What a schemer!”

The other examinees also raised their weapons in hostility.

That dude was trying to poach Dana right in front of them!

However, something unexpected happened.

“Inherit everything that I am, and then kill me. Then, you should be able to finish your mission, and I will be able to accomplish my will through you, and through you, this world will meet peace.”

The examinees that were gearing up to attack Kajad all suddenly flinched.

Did he choose death in order to achieve his wish?

If that was true, then indeed, all the problems would be solved.

That freakish Kajad looked more rational and reasonable then we thought.

“…….Do you mean that?”

“Yes. How about it? It won’t be easy, but thanks to you, everyone will have a happy ending.”

Undying, eternal ruler.

If someone asked me to do that, then I would refuse.

That kind of life didn’t seem happy at all.

I chose to become an examinee because of my fear of death, but that ironically made me not want an infinite life without end in sight.

Naturally, Dana shouldn’t want that either.

Despite that, though, he still couldn’t refuse it so easily.

If he sacrificed himself and accepted that proposal, then indeed, everyone else, except for him, would become happy.

“How is it? Now choose.”

“I……”

Blurring his words, Dana nodded his head and spoke in resolution.

“Accept your proposal.”

“A wise decision.”

Kajad raised his hand with a satisfied smile.

Paah!

Insane amounts of black magic started gathering in his hand. The quantity was incomparable to last time.

“Now then. Come here. This contains everything that constitutes to me. You can possess two energies at once, so you will have to give up one of them to accept this.”

“It might be a trap!

I warned.

Only then did Odin and the other examinees started getting prepared for battle.

Dana nodded his head.

“Do not worry.”

Leaving my warning behind, he flew towards Kajad.

A large amount of blue energy started gathering in Dana’s right hand. That energy was mana.

“Giving up mana? How wise of you. It will be better to retain soul energy and give up magic. With my inheritance of black magic, you should be able to complete your immortality much more easily.”

“Yes.”

“Now then. Accept it.”

“I shall.”

Kajad has black magic in his hand, while Dana had mana in his hand as they approached each other.

The two started getting closer.

I aimed my pistols at Kajad in nervousness.

I was suffocating due to the turnout of events.

When they got closer, the two finally met eyes.

Then,

Flicker!

Black flames started appearing from Kajad’s other hand like a tsunami.

“Gahahahaha!”

Black flames engulfed Dana.

However, at the same time, Dana also utilized soul energy to fuse the two energies.

“I knew it!”

Flash!

The black flames and the combined energy clashed with each other.

“Living again is such a precious experience! How can I so easily give it up! Hahahahaha!”

Kajad retook the black magic in his hand and fueled power into the black flames.

Boom!

Dana’s light started being pushed back. The sweat on his face was proof of this.

“Attack now!”

I shouted and started firing my guns.

“Attack!”

Odin also swung his aura blade towards Kajad. Other examinees started attacking as well.

Derek also joined with Kasa’s flames.

This was a full-out attack.

“Kraaaa! Don’t bother me!”

Kajad lost his reason and randomly swung his other hand with a loud shout.

A black curtain enveloped him.

All of our attacks were unable to break that curtain and were stopped.

“Urgh!”

Dana’s mouth uttered a groan.

‘This is dangerous!’

Intuitively feeling danger, I shouted to Sylph.

“Sylph, fusion!”

-Nyan!

Like how Derek fused with Kasa, I did the same with Sylph. Not only that,

“Guardian of Wind!”

I amplified Sylph’s power several times with my special skill, Guardian of Wind.

I then started dashing towards Dana.

HIs light started to lose its brightness.

The black flames seemed as though they would engulf him at any moment.

Cladding myself in vortices, I broke through the black flames.

Boom!

Breaking through the flames and expanding my vortex to have Dana in its range as well. I then carried him and escaped to the ground.

Black flames chased behind me but I was able to protect myself with Sylph’s enhanced vortices.

“Urgh!”

I swallowed a groan. The pressure was immense.

Eventually, the black flames died down.

Derek and the other examinees also stopped their attacks and regained their breathing.

It didn’t seem as though it was easy for Kajad either, as he looked exhausted.

“You noticed that quickly.”

“If you still had such a will to be reasonable with yourself, you would have taken your own life a long time ago.”

Hearing Dana’s reply, Kajad nodded powerlessly.

“Yes, that’s right……. However, I was not able to, and this is the state I am in right now……. I was engulfed by an endless desire to devour other souls.”

“……..”

“My reason returned momentarily after seeing your potential, but…… I want to end all of this now.”

His tired expression probably showed his psychological state right now.

However, Dana’s expression wasn’t good either.