Chapter 67: Mastermind

  The purple teapot glowed brightly. An ocean within the teapot enveloped a black figure shrouded in pitch-black mist. This ocean seemed alive, surging and coiling around every part of his body. When the black figure opened his mouth, the ocean surged in. When he swung his arms, the ocean enveloped them. When he channeled his power, the ocean attacked.

  The black figure was completely bound. Enveloped by a giant ball of water that trapped him within.

  Without hesitation, Kiita lunged forward, piercing through the giant ball of water. The water, upon contact, passed through effortlessly, as if it existed only in the black figure's eyes.

  In Kiita's mouth was a gleaming emerald green dagger, Verdant Punisher, Learner-level Engraved artifact that Nitaan received from the Emerald-fur bear.

  Verdant Punisher glowed brightly as Kiita accelerated, cutting through the ball of water. In an instant, he reached the black figure. With skillful swiftness, Verdant Punisher seamlessly sliced ??through the black figure's throat.

  After Kiita stopped the figure on the other side, the severed throat glowed brightly. The black figure's eyes widened in terror.

  Boom!

  Word of Power ‘Power Gathering’ activated! Verdant Punisher would cause everything it struck to explode! Kiita and Nitaan habitually charged it to its maximum capacity every day to prepare for an unexpected fight, resulting in a maximum explosive force on the black figure.

  A deafening explosion resounded, shattering the giant water ball. The black mist covering the figure instantly dissipated, revealing the headless body of a muscular young man. His throat was twisted, and his flesh was mutilated by the explosion.

  Princess Pailin's face was expressionless. She waved her hand lightly, and a pebble floated out of her pocket. The pebble expanded in an instant, transforming into a statue of a man with a ferocious face. One hand held a cage, the other a thorny whip.

  "Seal," Princess Pailin whispered softly. The giant statue fell, crushing the headless body.

  The moment the statue was about to completely bury the body, the body suddenly emitted a blinding light. In an instant, the body transformed into a giant, headless bird. The statue sealed the headless bird's remains tightly in place.

  At the same moment, the burly man reappeared in the sky, without a trace of injury. His head, which should have exploded, remained firmly on his shoulders. His face was dark and menacing, his eyes filled with rage and surprise. The bird-shaped brooch on his chest shattered, and the mournful scream of the bird's spirit echoed along with the shattered brooch.

  Pale Art: Soul Substitute. Nitaan murmured from nearby.

  "As we suspected, there’s something going on behind the scenes. Right, Sila?" Princess Pailin offered a faint smile, gazing at Sila's figure floating in the sky.

  Sila didn't answer. He swiftly dashed away. His body moved like the wind, instantly soaring away from its original position.

  At that moment, he realized he had been deceived. Princess Pailin would never attack him with just herself and that dog. Something far more sinister awaited him.

  Sila’s body crashed into something mid-air, his face distorted when he discovered that he was trapped by a very huge invisible wall.

  He tries to grab some hostages, yet he realizes that half of FlameFrost Village was deserted. Only the guards on the wall watched.

  It was as if hundreds of square meters of the FlameFrost Village had become a ghost town. Looking into the distance, he saw that the other half of the village was still inhabited normally. He was merely separated from it by an invisible energy barrier that divided the FlameFrost Village into two parts.

  Half of the FlameFrost Village had become a birdcage trapping him.

  The sound of countless spears piercing through the air, hurtling at him at high speed. Leader Mei appeared on the village wall within the birdcage. Her face was serious. A golden circlet wrapped around her head, emitting immense power. Spiritual energy from the circlet flowed continuously into her body. Her eyes glared malevolently at Sila.

  Sila's pupils narrowed. He decisively unleashed his full power. Two Ancient Characters appeared on his body.

  One Ancient Charater was carved on his left eye. As that eye glowed brightly, revealing an Ancient Character resembling an eight-pointed star. Inside was a binding character:

  ‘Seal’!

  The other Ancient Character was engraved on his right palm. The air around his hand twisted strangely, a black mist enveloping his hand, making it impossible to discern anything.

  ‘Conceal’!

  Sila is a Second word Engraver!

  “They’re incredibly well-hidden. Both Devil beast and its controller possess concealment ability,” Nitaan, who had appeared beside Princess Pailin, murmured.

  “Hmm, you were right. That Devil beast is being controlled. That’s why its behavior is so strange,” Princess Pailin nodded slightly, gazing at the fierce battle in the sky.

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  Nitaan gazed at those two Ancient Characters on Sila’s body. It is the same as when he saw two bandits' characters in the border forest. He has never seen that kind of character before, yet he is able to understand it.

  Those characters are called Ancient Character. When Learner is able to fully comprehend his Word of Power, that word will be able to break free from consciousness space and be engraved on the body as an Ancient Characters that symbolizes that Word of Power and is visible to the naked eye. Thus the origin of the name 'Engraver'.

  As Nitaan thought about Ancient Characters, Sila retaliated. Many spears were mysteriously stopped in midair. It wasn't deflected or deflected, but merely stopped in mid-air as if time had frozen. An eight-pointed star appeared around the spears, confining them.

  As a Second word Engraver, Sila was proficient in the use of his own Word of Power. He was able to directly seal the spears in mid-air, negating Leader Mei's attack.

  Leader Mei frowned slightly. Sila's figure vanished, a dark mist enveloping the area. Sila concealed his body, entering a state of invisibility undetected by Leader Mei.

  In an instant, Sila reappeared beside Leader Mei, striking with a palm strike aimed at her head, hoping for a swift death.

  Leader Mei's forehead glowed brightly. She stabbed her index finger in another direction, and her body was pulled along with her stab, reappearing quickly in another location. With her Word of Power ‘Piercing’, she pierces the air and forces her body to move.

  Sila revealed a wicked smile, his eyes glowing, fixed on Leader Mei. A giant eight-pointed star swiftly surrounded her.

  She frowned, tensing her fingers, preparing to move away again. But these eight-pointed stars rapidly shrank, disappearing in an instant.

  A smaller eight-pointed star suddenly appeared on Leader Mei's forehead, attempting to seal her Word of Power. The first star that tried to seal her movement was a decoy!

  Sila used two words simultaneously, concealing the smaller eight-pointed stars from Leader Mei. The large sealing star was used as a distraction to allow the smaller stars to seal the Word of Power on her forehead.

  Leader Mei was merely a First word Engraver, while Sila was a Second word Engraver. Their abilities were clearly different. Yet Princess Pailin and Nitaan watched the battle without concern, even as Leader Mei was on the verge of defeat.

  Leader Mei suddenly opened her mouth wide, and a tooth fell out. That tooth transformed into a giant scroll that covered the sky. The ropes binding it unraveled, and the paper unfolded rapidly, revealing a texture as if made of beast hide. Three Ancient Characters were inscribed on the page, each crossed out by countless rainbow-colored lines.

  Just as the eight-pointed star was about to seal her Word of Power, several rainbow-colored lines suddenly disappeared. A word inscribed on the paper was revealed.

  ‘Cancel’!

  As if everything had been thwarted by some formless force, the eight-pointed star shattered. The seal was completely canceled!

  "An Enlightened-level Engraved artifact! How can a First word Engraver like you possess something like this?" Sila said irritably. He was far stronger than the woman in front of him, yet she possessed a powerful treasure: a golden circlet and that Enlightened-level scroll.

  A golden circlet enhances her so that her First word Engraver spiritual energy can match his Second word Engraver spiritual energy. But what really makes his headache is that Enlightened-level scroll.

  Leader Mei didn't answer. She simply hurled spear after spear at Sila. The spears, sealed in mid-air, were rapidly being canceled, forcing Sila to constantly dodge and conceal himself.

  She wasn't the complete owner of the ‘ Cancel’ Word of Power. She couldn't cancel both the seal and the concealment simultaneously. A fierce battle ensued. Leader Mei's body appeared here and there, dragging herself along the piercing line. Sila tried to keep up, dodging the barrage of spears, but he couldn't catch her.

  Outer edge of the energy barrier. The members of Unit 3 sat cross-legged around a single incense stick, continuously channeling their spiritual energy into it. The smoke from the incense rose into the sky, forming an energy barrier that enveloped half of the FlameFrost Village.

  Even with their focused concentration and spiritual energy, they could still observe the battle within.

  “That Three-Word Sacred Seal is truly amazing. It’s unbelievable that the City Guard unit would allow Leader Mei to bring it with her,” Napha remarked.

  “It’s because Princess Pailin is also on this mission. That’s why the City Guard unit agreed,” Gion replied.

  They watched the fierce battle inside as if it were a theatrical performance. Sila was being relentlessly pursued. Leader Mei’s enhanced spears were both swift and numerous. Relying solely on dodging wasn’t enough. Even though he was able to dodge most, some spears still pierced his body, leaving wounds. Despite this, he showed no signs of weakening.

  Eight-pointed stars appeared on the wounds, sealing them away to prevent further harm. Many times, Sila managed to get close to Leader Mei by accepting some of her attacks. Yet Leader Mei always managed to escape with only minor injuries.

  Whenever Sila's body seemed about to disappear, the paper in the sky would glow, the Ancient Character on it would illuminate, and Sila's body would reappear. His power was repeatedly neutralized. The Three-Word Sacred Seal was controlled to suppress Sila's Word of Power. If Sila tried to seal Leader Mei directly, the power would also be neutralized.

  Sila used a giant eight-pointed star to envelop Leader Mei's body. When the power neutralization activated, Sila used the opportunity to conceal himself and close the distance. However, Leader Mei, with her high combat experience, would not make such a mistake. Seeing this, she continuously dodged, becoming a blur in the sky.

  Sila’s body appears again, gritting his teeth as his attacks miss again.

  "But Nitaan and Princess Pailin’s instincts are truly unbelievable. Are they really human?" Kasa sighed.

  "That's true. I was totally shocked when they told me their plan," Tawan nodded slightly.

  "Hey! "What did Sila pull out?" Gion said, drawing everyone's attention back to the battlefield.

  Sila's face was now dark. He reached into his shirt pocket. Picking up a bottle of golden liquid and taking a gulp, Leader Mei frowned. She violently swung her spear, aiming for the bottle.

  Sila easily stopped the spear in mid-air with his sealing ability, simultaneously sealing Leader Mei's body and forcing her to cancel this star instead. The golden liquid flowed rapidly down Sila's throat. His body instantly expanded, his eyes glowing golden.

  Sila waved his hand, concealing his body and disappearing. When Sila reappeared beside Leader Mei, the golden light surrounding him pulled her back, preventing her from piercing the air with her fingers. Sila smirked. A giant sword appeared from thin air and swung down swiftly.

  Princess Pailin frowned. She stomped her foot, shattering her shoe, revealing her meticulously cared-for bare white feet. Fragments of the shoe floated into the sky, merging with the sheet of paper in the air.

  Numbers of rainbow-colored lines retracted into the paper and vanished. Behind the rainbow lines, another Ancient Character appeared:

  ‘Parry’!

  A barrier of energy instantly appeared, surrounding Leader Mei's body. Sila’s giant sword was deflected, and his hand twitched, numb with pain.

  "How much treasure does Your Highness possess?" Kasa's eyes widened in admiration. Now she wasn't sure if any of the many seemingly ordinary items on Princess Pailin's body were actually powerful treasures.

  "Sometimes I feel sorry for myself," Napha sighed.

  The atmosphere outside and inside the energy barrier was drastically different. Inside, a fierce battle raged between a First word Engraver and a Second word Engraver. On one side was a middle-aged woman radiating a dazzling light, hurling spears through dimensions one after another. On the other was a gigantic, pitch-black figure wielding a colossal sword. Wherever they moved, the surroundings crumbled rapidly. Ruins and ruins of houses and buildings start piling up.

  However, outside the energy barrier, peace prevailed. There was no fluctuating spiritual energy coming out of the barrier. Not even a sound escaped.

  The battle reached a critical point. Leader Mei, empowered by one of Princess Pailin's earrings, attacks the gigantic figure of Sila and knocks him to the ground. Sila's body instantly shrank back to its original size. His eyes glowed red. He could no longer continue fighting. With Princess Pailin's immense treasure, defeat was imminent.

  In his frenzy, Sila gathered his spiritual energy and pierced a hole through his own abdomen. His hand fumbled inside, searching for something.

  Leader Mei’s face contorts deeply. Even Princess Pailin clutched her bracelet tightly, ready to throw it away at any moment.

  In that blood-soaked hand lay a small black bottle. It exuded a thick aura of evil. If one listened carefully, a clear, mournful sound could be heard emanating from it.

  Princess Pailin felt an immediate sense of unease just by looking at the bottle. Sweat poured down her body. Her instincts screamed at her to stay away. Nitaan and Kiita felt the same. Nitaan's face was grim as his spiritual energy quickly channeled to Kiita.

  At the same time, Kiita's body transforms into a gleaming steel. He leaped to stand in front of Princess Pailin and Nitaan.

  Nitaan grabbed Princess Pailin and jumped back several tens of meters. He felt extremely unsafe. Even Kiita, standing in front with his 'Fortress' activated, felt a shiver run down his spine.

  "If I am not to escape this place alive, then all those villagers will accompany me to the Realm of Tiran!" Sila laughed maniacally, gripping the bottle violently.

  The faint crackling sound now pierced their hearts more deeply than any attack.