Chapter 90

Chapter 90
## Chapter 90

### The Holy Sword’s Trial (3)

Rumble—!

“Kh.”

Heinrich let out a low groan as he used “Blessing: Holy Blade” to parry a dark ray of energy hurtling directly toward him.

The relentless deluge of spells pouring from above left him with absolutely no breathing room.

[Kieeeeek!]

Splat—!

Remaining composed despite the chaos, he assessed his surroundings while slicing through the undead hordes rushing his position with the radiant weapon.

As an initial observation, it was a massive relief that the challenge possessed some semblance of fairness, or perhaps this particular Arch-Lich had a specific background…

Fortune favored him, as there were no formidable, high-tier undead like Death Knights mixed into the ranks.

‘That would have been truly sadistic.’

Furthermore, a vast gulf separated the Arch-Lich looming above from the Hans he had encountered previously, despite both sharing the same monstrous title.

The adversary possessed a nearly limitless reservoir of malevolent energy granted by the ‘Immortal King’s Fragment’, alongside a devastating repertoire that included “Wicked Wisdom” and “Forbidden Knowledge”.

Naturally, this specific Arch-Lich had climbed the ranks through actual experience, making him far more seasoned than Hans, meaning their baseline capabilities were fundamentally miles apart from the start.

‘Even so, this is no walk in the park.’

The creature’s staggering, corrupt mana and a mastery over sorcery refined across centuries were terrifyingly real factors.

Charging forward blindly against such an opponent would only result in his swift demise.

‘To make matters worse, summoning my other manifestations is completely out of the question!’

He wasn’t entirely certain if the simulated realm of the test permitted the summoning of extra avatars anyway, but the spatial crossing array’s cooldown period remained active.

Because of the severe temporal distortion within the challenge, more than a month had slipped by for Heinrich, yet a mere five days had trickled away in the outside world.

He was entirely on his own, forced to conquer this ordeal using solely his personal strength.

‘Then again, Heinrich isn’t truly fighting this battle in total isolation.’

Just as he prepared to push forward, using his flawless form to shatter the skulls of incoming skeleton soldiers,

A terrifying escalation of malicious energy rippled from the airborne Arch-Lich.

Taking advantage of the moment Heinrich was pinned down by the charging thralls, a colossal gathering of force structured itself into an intricate matrix, instantly weaving a devastating spell…

‘A volley of dark blades. A mere trick? I can parry them exactly as I did before.’

Hans had already dissected the magic before the invocation could even manifest.

‘A localized targeting spell of the shadow element, designed to lock down the target before obliterating them… It’s Hell Chains. This poses a lethal threat; evading is mandatory. The deployment vectors number twenty-one. Nine o’clock high, twelve o’clock low, four o’clock lower quadrant… ’

Once the architecture of an advanced spell was laid bare, its mystique vanished entirely.

Lashing out with a kick to repel the Dullahan pressing against him, he immediately lunged forward.

[Groooan…!]

Clack, clack—!

Dodging the grasping hands of the reanimated corpses, Heinrich repeatedly lashed out with his “Blessing: Holy Blade”, striking seemingly empty points in the air.

Zzap—!

Zzap!

With every trajectory his blade traced, the half-formed magical anchors shattered, undone by the opposing divine frequency charging his weapon.

Swish—!

Concurrently, obsidian blades manifested from the earth to obstruct his path, however…

He deflected the incoming strikes within reach and braced himself against the rest, keeping his focus locked entirely on his ultimate target.

Though he only managed to neutralize a fraction of the spatial coordinates prior to activation, a net plagued with massive gaps loses all functionality.

Consequently, the dark bindings that erupted from the delayed anchors missed their mark completely, dissolving into nothingness without inflicting harm.

Heinrich willingly absorbed minor injuries to ensure he bypassed the truly fatal strikes.

[…His evasive maneuvers are quite troublesome.]

This wasn’t an isolated incident; seeing the pattern repeat multiple times caused the Arch-Lich’s irritation to mount.

Initially, he intended to savor the sight of his foe flailing in agony, but the human’s uncanny ability to slip away from genuine, high-tier assaults was turning into an annoyance.

[The boy possesses undeniable talent. That radiant blade combined with an unnatural perception capable of reading my incantations. The holy institution has bred a formidable hunting dog.]

The Arch-Lich shifted his strategy.

Validating the knight’s prowess, he resolved to obliterate him using the absolute zenith of his power.

The moment that vow was made… the surrounding ambient negative energy began converging violently upon his form.

‘Right now!’

And that exact sequence…

Was the precise opening Heinrich had been angling for while intentionally masking the true depth of his capabilities.

The divine aura, supercharged by “Blessing: Capacity Increase”, flooded into his weapon.

The luminous edge of the blade dilated to an astronomical size.

Fixing his gaze on the floating Arch-Lich, who was entirely preoccupied with gathering energy in the heavens…

He instantly triggered “Blessing: Leap” straight toward the creature.

Flash—

[What?!]

A momentary lapse in defense, born from the Arch-Lich focusing his entire concentration on finalizing a cataclysmic incantation.

In an explosion of radiance, Heinrich materialized high in the air.

That microscopic window of vulnerability provided the perfect bridge for Heinrich to close the distance.

‘It worked!’

Had he executed the teleportation carelessly, the Arch-Lich would have blasted him out of the sky the microsecond the movement concluded.

The execution window for “Blessing: Leap” was exceptionally brief, meaning a reckless teleport directly into a mage’s personal space without setting a proper trap was nothing short of suicidal.

Spellcasters were notoriously paranoid beings who invariably prioritized their own defense, keeping numerous contingency wards ready for sudden threats.

He possessed the mechanical speed required to instantly bombard an intruder with multiple counter-spells using those very wards.

[Futile effort!]

True to form, numerous magical arrays rapidly crystallized around the monster, who had abandoned his previous casting to respond to the threat.

‘A passive defensive barrier, kinetic repulsion field, omnidirectional curse, automated retaliation grid… ’

Regrettably for the creature, he had granted Heinrich far too much leeway.

Propelling himself directly toward the Arch-Lich, he discharged concentrated divine energy from his back and limbs while suspended in midair.

He tanked the outward-spreading wave of the curse using the sacred shroud protecting his flesh, while his extended blade clove cleanly through the dark conflagration.

Forcing his way through the unnatural kinetic pressure attempting to push him back, his weapon finally shattered the inner sanctum of the enemy’s defensive barrier.

[…Improbable?!]

This flawless execution of consecutive actions wasn’t merely the result of “Blessing: Holy Blade” carrying a natural elemental advantage over dark energy.

During the opening phase where the monster casually tossed spells to test him, Hans had already map-read, disassembled, and reverse-engineered the entity’s entire magical framework.

Adhering strictly to Hans’s insights, Heinrich seamlessly severed the structural integrity of the wards, tracing the ley lines of the mana flow with his glowing edge.

The entire sequence transpired in a heartbeat, executed through a combination of superhuman physicality and mastered martial prowess.

The moment the enemy’s total defenses were wiped clean by the lightning-fast descent of the luminous sword…

Crack—!

The holy blade bit deeply into the Arch-Lich’s collarbone.

[Aaargh!]

With the blade remaining wedged firmly inside his torso, the monster plummeted out of the sky alongside Heinrich, smashing violently into the terrain below.

Thoom—!

A dense cloud of pulverized earth billowed outward, blinding the area.

“Cough…!”

Heinrich emerged from the haze, staggering slightly as he forced himself onto his feet.

He used his sleeve to brush away the crimson trickling down his jaw.

‘To think he managed a counter-strike in that exact pocket of time, even with that much divine power insulating my frame… ’

The retaliation had occurred at point-blank range, rendering the impact unavoidable.

As the force of the blast had sent him careening backward, he had methodically cut down the intervening undead to stabilize his footing and collect his thoughts.

‘…The real issue is that the blow drifted.’

His primary objective had been to cleave the monster’s skull clean through, but the trajectory had been forcibly altered by the target’s instantaneous reflexive twitch at the absolute last microsecond.

[Ugh…! To think a lowborn templar could humiliate me…!]

Granted, the retribution visited upon the Arch-Lich was immense.

An attack saturated with such concentrated holy energy was inherently poisonous to his existence.

Even now, the horrific fissure across his torso refused to close, besieged by flickering white holy embers that severely disrupted his ability to govern his dark magic.

‘I cannot afford to let this drag out. I must settle this immediately.’

The trajectory of their descent had carried them a significant distance from where the battle began, yet a dense cluster of the undead still hemmed him in.

Should the remaining legions from the initial zone manage to converge on his current position, his odds of survival would plummet.

“Huuu…”

Pure white flames erupted across Heinrich’s frame, purging residual curses while actively knitting his flesh back together.

His specialized biology was rapidly mending his fatigue even within this microscopic window of rest.

‘Moving out!’

Focusing his gaze and tuning his awareness to its absolute limits, he charged directly into the swirling vortex of dark energy and the accompanying artillery of spells.

Supported entirely by the absolute premier specialist in the field of dark sorcery.

—

Regardless of the tier or nature of the dark magic deployed against him, he read the blueprints of the spells before they could manifest structurally.

He systematically neutralized them using his counter-elemental holy blade, driving the edge precisely into the structural vulnerabilities of the magic.

His reinforced skeleton and muscles refused to yield, even when a handful of spells breached his guard.

Whenever injuries accumulated, they vanished almost instantly through the synergy of his innate regenerative traits and divine restoration spells.

His staggering reserves of holy mana seemed to flow from a bottomless reservoir.

Every motion was calculated, and his refined, elegant swordplay continuously carved through the ranks blocking his advance.

Until finally…

Slash!

The weapon of pure light crashed down upon the crown of the monster’s skull, erupting in a dazzling flash as it severed the creature completely down to its pelvis.

Fwoosh—!

The Arch-Lich let out a muted rasp as the sacred conflagration bursting from his cloven form began consuming his remaining essence.

[…An exceptional display, warrior of the faith…]

His physical vessel, ruined past any hope of restoration, was rapidly dissolving into gray powder and breaking apart.

[That weapon of radiance, paired with an intellect capable of breaking my sorcery… The institution truly possesses an exceptional hound.]

Regardless of his own arrogance or the fact that he had been caught completely off guard, Heinrich’s combat efficacy was undeniably monstrous.

He accepted his defeat dispassionately, even offering a parting sneer.

[Hehehe… Yet to your misfortune, true death eludes me. I merely part with my autonomy for a brief season.]

Provided the core container housing his fundamental soul remained unmarred, an Arch-Lich was a perpetual entity incapable of permanent erasure.

[What a pity. You appear to have depleted your entire arsenal of surprises. When our paths cross again… fortune will not smile upon you a second time. Hehehe.]

Despite the severe exhaustion and wounds marring his body from the grueling engagement, Heinrich offered zero acknowledgment to the provocation.

He simply stood amidst the wreckage of bone and ash, drawing heavy breaths as he watched the Arch-Lich disintegrate into dust.

[Still, it served as an entertaining diversion. Engineering the exact flavor of despair I shall visit upon you while my vessel reconstitutes will pass the centuries nicely. I genuinely look forward to our subsequent encounter…]

The moment the final remnants of his form scattered into the air…

An earthen doorway materialized on the exact patch of ground the entity had occupied.

“…The trial concludes despite failing to permanently erase his existence?”

It was highly probable the mechanics of the trial deemed the absolute destruction of the soul irrelevant, treating the encounter purely as a metric to gauge his worthiness.

The arrogant creature who had spoken with such hubris was ultimately nothing more than a construct generated by the trial environment, akin to a scripted entity within a simulation.

Yet, rather than stepping through the exit, Heinrich remained stationary, crossing his arms as a thought crossed his mind.

‘Hmm… The risk factor is considerable, but the execution should be feasible.’

He reached a conclusion without delay.

It paid to be meticulous.

‘Even if this environment is merely an illusion, leaving things unfinished sits wrong with me. Furthermore, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.’

Before taking another step, he reached out and casually made contact with the gateway.

Mirroring the mechanics of the initial trial, the ambient power of the zone rushed inward, instantaneously repairing his battered physique.

As an added benefit, his shattered plating and mail were restored to a pristine state.

‘Excellent. The mechanism functions perfectly.’

Feeling a surge of internal satisfaction at his physical form, which had grown demonstrably more potent through the trials, he shut his eyes and centered his consciousness, elevating his divine power.

Locking onto a specific set of spatial coordinates…

He immediately executed “Blessing: Leap” toward those precise boundaries.

Screeech—!

The protective wards sealing that hidden location fought back against his entry, but Heinrich channeled an overwhelming torrent of divine mana via “Blessing: Capacity Increase”, breaking through the defenses by sheer force.

“Whew— That was a tight squeeze.”

He materialized inside a pitch-black, suffocating subterranean crypt.

This chamber, situated a vast distance away from the prior battlefield, sat at the absolute maximum boundary of his newly upgraded “Blessing: Leap”.

‘The air is dangerously thin. My stay here must be brief.’

The lack of oxygen was trivial, given that longevity wasn’t required.

Heinrich scanned the dark space, a subtle smirk forming on his features as his eyes locked onto his target. He stepped closer.

An object sat positioned atop a central pedestal, heavily insulated by layers of protective sorcery.

“Greetings. It seems we cross paths once more.”

Hummmm—

The ‘Arch-Lich’s essence’ began to shudder erratically, projecting an aura of sheer panic.

The entity clearly had never anticipated the knight tracing his soul container so rapidly after his physical dissolution.

That certainty explained his long-winded parting speech prior to vanishing.

Heinrich, however, hadn’t merely been idly standing by while the monster crumbled to dust.

To be precise… the success belonged to Hans, who had been operating tirelessly through Heinrich’s sensory array from the shadows.

He had mapped out the trajectory of the corrupt mana as the physical form collapsed, reverse-engineering the signal to pinpoint the exact spatial coordinates of the soul anchor.

Such a calculation was elementary for an entity of Hans’s caliber, the true Immortal King.

Hummmm— Hummmm! Hummmm—!

The core pulsed violently, discharging waves of dark energy.

Even without vocal cords, its sheer terror and indignation were palpable.

Crack!

Naturally, Heinrich had no intention of engaging in dialogue to begin with; he simply brought his holy blade down, cleaving the core cleanly in half.

“Ah— That brings a sense of closure.”

He smirked with deep satisfaction, watching the fragmented core dissolve completely under the pressure of the sacred energy.

In that exact moment,

The mechanical consciousness governing the trial resonated within his mind once more.

This time, however, the directive had fundamentally shifted.

‘Oh? Did my actions grant me extra credit?’

It appeared the system evaluated his thoroughness with immense merit.

Sufficient merit to completely bypass an entire upcoming phase of the challenge.

‘I can almost detect a hint of computational confusion from the system.’

Regardless, the outcome was highly favorable, as everything had concluded perfectly.

Letting out a soft chuckle, he strode confidently toward the newly manifested archway, throwing the valves wide open.

As an intense, blinding radiance washed over his entire physical form… he took a step forward.

In this manner, Heinrich successfully cleared the trials required to claim ownership of the legendary weapon.

Achieved with the absolute, unreserved backing of the ‘Immortal King’.