Chapter 154: The Sanctified Ones

Grozni Gefährlich Morozov Höllenbrand silently observed Caelum’s battle from atop his throne of bones.

’Not only is his physique extraordinary... even his techniques are unlike anything I have ever seen,’ he thought with growing interest.

Earlier, he had cast the Stealth Spell upon Caelum and instructed him to deal with the elf.

In Grozni’s opinion, someone carrying the bloodline of the [Dark One] should have defeated such an opponent without much difficulty.

Yet, after watching the exchange, he reached another conclusion.

’Something is suppressing his bloodline.’

It wasn’t a seal.

Nor did it resemble a curse.

It was as though an invisible force was deliberately preventing Caelum from drawing out the true potential hidden within his lineage.

That discovery only made Grozni more curious.

"But what exactly is that sword technique...?" he murmured.

The sword art Caelum employed was completely unfamiliar.

Its Sword Aura/Qi differed from every school Grozni had witnessed throughout his life, and hidden beneath it was another form of energy that vaguely resembled Spirit Energy, yet wasn’t quite the same.

The combination was bizarre enough that even he couldn’t identify its origin.

Still...

That mystery could wait.

"The pieces required for my escape are finally in place."

A faint smile appeared on the Hollow Lich’s skeletal face, as the skull creaked slightly.

At his command, an enormous magic formation that had been secretly prepared near this section of the dungeon finally awakened.

The formation had remained dormant, hidden from the academy’s Observation Spells.

Now, it activated.

Without producing the slightest fluctuation visible to ordinary eyes, invisible barriers silently rose around the battlefield.

The Earth Walls, within which Ethan and his companions had taken refuge, were instantly isolated from the outside world.

Neither sound, nor mana, nor spatial perception could pass through.

"They had better finish their task quickly..."

Grozni muttered.

"...Otherwise, the consequences will become rather troublesome."

***

The elf’s expression gradually turned cold.

Beside her, the wolf-shaped Wind Spirit fully materialized.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding winds began trembling before gathering around its body as though welcoming their sovereign.

It was a Mid-Level Spirit.

Twin daggers appeared in the elf’s hands, while several magic circles simultaneously formed behind her back.

Without hesitation, the circles released a rain of condensed mana arrows.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The arrows streaked toward Caelum from multiple directions.

He immediately attempted to evade them.

However, the instant they entered his vicinity.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Every arrow detonated simultaneously.

Instead of ordinary explosions, several compressed mana vortices erupted into existence.

The violent rotational force caught Caelum off guard, hurling him dozens of meters through the air.

The elf, however, merely clicked her tongue.

"...Incomplete."

Because the sixth floor was saturated with Dark Mana, she couldn’t fully manifest the true form of her technique.

Under normal circumstances, those vortices would’ve chained together into a massive storm capable of tearing an opponent apart.

Here, their power had been greatly reduced.

She didn’t hesitate.

Although she was primarily a Spirit Archer, the twin daggers in her hands weren’t decorations.

They merely deceived opponents into underestimating her close-combat abilities.

The elf burst forward with astonishing speed while commanding her Wind Spirit to attack alongside her.

The wolf rode upon the currents of wind, rapidly closing the distance despite the instinctive unease it felt toward Caelum.

Then, the swirling cloud of Dark Mana suddenly exploded outward.

A figure emerged from within.

No...

Two figures emerged.

Caelum sat calmly upon a magnificent blue horse whose mane shimmered with divine radiance.

It was his Spirit Summon.

The Divine Mystical Horse, Asta.

The moment Asta stepped onto the battlefield, its sapphire-blue fur glowed brilliantly.

A gentle neigh echoed through the dungeon.

[Mana Disperse].

A wave of pure mana swept across the surroundings.

The dense Dark Mana that had dominated the battlefield scattered in every direction, as though it feared approaching the divine beast.

The entire atmosphere changed.

The elf, who had just sneakily taken out a deadly silver arrow, froze completely.

Her eyes widened.

"D... Divine Mystical Horse...?"

She felt her mind go blank.

Among spirit users, elves, and every race that revered nature.

Very few failed to recognize one of the legendary Divine Mystical Horses.

And unfortunately for her.

She was one of the few who recognized it immediately.

Among the countless races of the Spirit Plane, the Divine Mystical Horses was revered as one of the Sanctified Ones.

Only a handful of races and species throughout the entire Spirit Plane had ever been granted that sacred title.

No one knew when the tradition had begun.

No one knew who had established it.

Nor did anyone know why those beings alone were chosen.

Yet one law had remained unchanged for countless ages.

A Sanctified One must never be made into an enemy.

Among the elves, this belief had long since become law.

An elf who deliberately harmed or insulted a Sanctified One could face severe punishment, and depending on the circumstances, even execution was not impossible.

The title itself carried immense weight.

Another race bearing that same designation was the Spirit Dragons.

Ironically, one of their condensed Essence Cores had already been used by Caelum to awaken his Spirit Sense, though he himself remained completely unaware of the significance behind it.

To the inhabitants of the Spirit Plane.

The Sanctified Ones occupied a position similar to that of the Holy and Divine Creatures worshipped in the Heaven.

They were symbols.

Living embodiments of the Spirit Plane’s will.

The elf’s breathing unconsciously became uneven.

What she didn’t know...

Was that only a few hundred meters away, another creature revered by an entirely different realm was also present.

A being directly connected to the Heavens themselves.

’Damn it! Do I really have to do this?’

She clenched her teeth.

Her mission... or her race’s ancient laws.

For a brief moment, she genuinely hesitated.

Then, her eyes gradually hardened.

"It’s not like they are that kind to me..."

Muttering to herself, she reached into a hidden pocket inside her clothes.

From within, she carefully withdrew a short wooden stick no longer than her palm.

At first glance, it looked ordinary.

Old, dry and almost lifeless.

Yet the instant it appeared...

Every person watching the battle felt a terrible feeling.

Even Grozni Gefährlich Morozov Höllenbrand slowly rose from his throne.

His eye sockets shined analyzing that thing.

"Hoo... a corrupted branch of... The World Tree?"