Chapter 171


    It was slowlying back to Arthur. Not only did he feel the power surging through him, but the memories of the many battles he won in his past life poured through his mind. It was not easy to emte what he had done. However, he had no other choice. He had to fight.


    Arthur floated back into the sky as his body flickered with electricity. A gaping hole on his chest closed, healing slowly as the pain of the injury went away. He focused his gaze and looked down at Nichs.


    The Noble Knight was leaping through the air, jumping on magical symbols that glowed with the power of the Void. His rapier glinted with a dark light, and he moved fast, blurring with each step he took.


    Seeing this, Arthur began to conjure another bolt of <strong><em>Void Lightning. </em></strong>However, he paused when he caught a glimpse of Garron being beaten down by Kale down below. The Steel Tank struggled to get back to his feet, trying to protect himself with whatever defensive Skill he could. However, each time, these protective auras were ripped apart by Kale’s magic.


    It seemed like Kale was intent on beating Garron to death with fists. And because of thetter’s already-injured state from earlier, there was nothing he could do to fight back against the fat man.


    Arthur gritted his teeth, ncing between Kale’s looming figure and the rapid ascent of Nichs. After a moment’s hesitation, he unleashed his <strong><em>Void Lightning </em></strong>down into the ground. Nichs paused for a split-second, watching as the purple st shot past him. It streaked straight towards Kale who was none-the-wiser.


    <em>“Kale, you idiot!” </em>Nichs shouted.


    The fat man blinked, raising his head just in time to see the <strong><em>Void Lightning </em></strong>reach him. He tried to erect a barrier. And perhaps he got it off just in time. But it wasn’t strong enough to deflect the attack. He screamed in pain as he was engulfed by a powerful explosion.


    Was it enough to kill him? Arthur highly doubted it. However, he knew it was enough to keep Kale down for at least long enough for Garron to recover. In the meantime—


    “I got you!” the Noble Knight snarled as he reached the former Lich King.


    Arthur cursed as he tried to fly out of the way. But he was too slow. Nichs shed him across the chest— a deep gash that would soon close, so Arthur did his best to ignore it. Unfortunately, Nichs wasn’t finished.


    The Noble Knight raised an open palm, shining with a spell circle. Arthur blinked, only to entangled by a dozen purple chains. They were heavy, restricting his movements. And with a whipping motion, Nichs sent the former Lich King flying straight down.


    Arthur’s bones shattered as he impacted the ground. He wheezed in pain, feeling his ribs puncture his lungs. Blood sputtered out of his mouth, but before he could even regenerate in the slightest, Nichs whipped the chains again.


    The former Lich King was smashed into the ground again and again. Nichs simply stood on a glyph, hovering high in the air,ughing as Arthur’s body was utterly broken.


    “I—” Arthur gasped, seeing the world spin around him.


    But he couldn’t steel himself. All he felt was pain. He couldn’t fight back against the Noble Knight, being beaten to the ground. Everything was a blur around him. He could barely even catch a glimpse of Kale emerging from a smoking crater, healing slowly and gradually from the earlier attack.


    Arthur’s vision began to grow dark as he was repeatedly mmed against the ground. He would’ve passed out there and then, but he heard a cluckinging from the side. The panicked cries of a familiar chicken.


    And the former Lich Lord saw, for the briefest of moments, Bucky backed up against a tree, cornered by Sienna.


    His eyes went wide as he knew what was going to happen next. He couldn’t allow it. His mind shed with a vision— a memory that he tried to repress and forget. But he still remembered it nevertheless.


    The day he tamed the Five Grand Revenants of Arelioth’s Path. How he defeated them with only a single spell.


    He had been a Lich lord once. But more importantly, he was an [Archmage of Death]. His powers extended far beyond reanimating an army of corpses. He could conjure grand magic that even [Archmages] couldn’tprehend. He could manipte all the elements, and he could even shatter all the bones in a body with the snap of a finger.


    He didn’t need to fight the Five Grand Revenants. All he needed to do was control their movements. So that was what he strove to do now.


    Just because Arthur was now limited to the power of the Void, did not mean that he could not cast magic. So he drew the outpouring of the Void’s essence from his soul, and he pooled it into the tip of his fingers. He took in a deep breath, focusing despite the pain— ignoring his breaking bones.


    Instead, his mind drifted towards the solid bones of the three S-ranks. He felt their presence very clearly. And all he had to do was raise his hand out—


    And <em>snap.</em>


    Arthur felt the chains holding him vanish all of a sudden. He heard the screams of pain echoing around him, and his broken body began to repair. He picked himself up as he saw a figure falling from the sky. Nichsnded with a heavy thud right next to the former Lich King.


    The Noble Knight was screaming in pain alongside his teammates. His neck was bent backwards, his head twisted out of shape. Arthur stared down at Nichs, before sweeping his gaze over to Kale and Sienna.


    All three of the S-ranks were crying in pain where theyy— their necks having been snapped in an instant by the former Lich King.


    <em>Their bones shattered from the mere flick of his wrist.</em>


    Arthur wanted to finish them off, but he himself was still healing. He turned to Garron and Bucky and shouted at them.


    “Grab Noele and run!”


    The chicken and the burly man both exchanged a nce for a second. However, before either of them could react, Arthur recoiled in pain.


    A rapier stuck out of the former Lich King’s chest. He stumbled forward as his body rushed to heal his newest injury. But behind him, Nichs rose to his feet.


    “I have had enough,” the Noble Knight snarled, eyes shing with the power of the Void.


    —--


    Nichs was getting tired of this.


    It was simply bothersome— an annoying obstacle that he couldn’t ovee. But the most frustrating part was that he knew it was something he could easily deal with. After all, he was an S-ranked adventurer who had also been touched by the Void.


    He was certain that he could tackle even SS-ranked threats now. A B-ranked adventurer, a [Bartender], and a chicken should have been no match for him alone. And that was not to mention Sienna and Kale who were here helping him as well.


    Yet, somehow, both Sienna and Kale were lying on the ground with their necks broken. Nichs, too, had his head suddenly twisted by some powerful magic. But even with the pain running through his body, and the paralyzing feeling gripping him, he still managed to muster up the strength to hurl his rapier at Arthur.


    Now, the Noble Knight was back on his feet, healing from his broken neck. He cast his gaze towards the biggest source of his problems.


    <em>Arthur.</em>


    “You—” Nichs snarled, marching forward.


    The bartender wheezed, conjuring up a crackling bolt of lighting. But the Noble Knight saw iting and teleported forward with a sh of light. He mmed his foot down on Arthur’s head with enough force to crush any ordinary skull.


    Somehow, Arthur managed to resist having his head exploded. He gritted his teeth, pushing against the metallic boots of the Noble Knight. Nichs grunted, grimacing in anger. He grabbed his rapier and sliced up, opening Arthur’s stomach.


    That made the bartender recoil in pain, slumping back onto the ground. However, before Nichs could capitalize on this, he heard a loud cluckinging towards him.


    <em>“Bawk bawk bawk!”</em>


    Nichs looked up just in time to see a chicken leaping into his face. He stumbled back as he screamed, prying it off. However, Garron mmed into his side a momentter. That sent the three of them tumbling forward.


    They wrestled with each other— Nichs against the chicken and the Steel Tank. It wasn’t difficult, just especially annoying when he found his neck being snapped by Arthur’s Void magic a momentter.


    The Noble Knight roared in pain before he cracked his neck back into ce. A pulse of his wisping purple aura exploded from him, sending both Garron and the chicken flying back. He rose to his feet and screamed as he pointed at the staggering Arthur.


    “I will kill all of you!” Nichs unleashed an uncontrolled st of the Void’s essence at the bartender.


    Arthur barely created an ice barrier in time to block the attack. Nichs drew forward, roaring in anger.


    “I have had enough of this!” He marched forward and punched a hole through the ice barrier.


    Arthur’s eyes went wide, and Nichs grabbed him by the neck. After a moment’s struggle, the Noble Knight heard a <em>crack. </em>Arthur’s body went limp, although it wouldn’tst long.


    “But it’s long enough,” Nichs whispered, turning to Garron and the chicken.


    They were both picking themselves up from a group of fallen trees, still dazed from the earlier st. Nichs grinned savagely and started forward.


    “I have to admit ,you are tenacious, surviving this long. But you should have yed dead,” he said as he was wreathed in the essence of the Void. He took another step forward, watching as the chicken ran back, but Garron failed to rise to his feet. “Because now I’m going to make you wish you were actually dead.”


    Nichs raised his rapier as he loomed over Garron. The chicken clucked in a panic, but could only watch. The Steel Tank gritted his teeth, staring up at the Noble Knight in defiance.


    “Goodbye—” Nichsughed, swinging down with his de.


    And there was a sh of a golden light. It was just for a split-second, but it was blindingly bright. It almost made Nichs wince. However, he pushed through the sudden glow and followed through with his attack.


    He blinked, watching as his rapier struck the empty ground. The earth ripped open, and the thickyer of sleet covering the forest floor was shattered. The impact from his attack would havepletely obliterated the Steel Tank.


    But Garron wasn’t there.


    Nichs stared with a frown for a moment, before he heard a soft voice speak behind him.


    <em>“Are you alright?”</em>


    Immediately, the Noble Knight spun around. He saw Garron lying on the ground a hundred feet away, looking up in confusion. And standing right next to him was—


    “What…?” Nichs froze. His eyes went wide as he stared at who it was. “Noele?”


    And there she was. The Noble Spellsword stood there with her two swords sheathed at her side. She nodded at Garron with a smile on her face as he stared at her.


    “You’re alive,” the Steel Tank said.


    <em>“Bawk bawk bawk!” </em>the chicken cheered from the side.


    Arthur raised his head from where hey, a small grin on his face as he eyed Noele standing there.


    “It’s alright,” the blonde girl said reassuringly. “I’ll deal with these backstabbing bastards.”


    Nichs clicked his tongue. He sighed and shook his head as Kale and Sienna appeared at his side.


    “I feel like this is bing a trend. Why won’t any of you stay dead?” The Noble Knight raised his rapier, eyeing the Noble Spellsword. “No matter, I shall make quick work of you.”


    He took a single step forward, and Noele’s gaze snapped towards him. Suddenly, she vanished, carried by a golden light. Nichs paused, but it was toote. Noele was standing beside him with both her des already raised.


    “No you don’t!” she yelled, swinging down at him as he gaped in shock. <em>“Glorious Noble sh!”</em>


    All at once, Nichs was engulfed by a brilliant golden st, screaming in pain as his body was ripped apart.