Chapter 363

Chapter 363: One Strike to Kill

"What a pity. No matter how much you struggle, you could never defeat a demon viscount!" The demon viscount grabbed Midi’s head, shaking his limp body as he burst into laughter. "Foolish human! Now you understand the gap between us? To me, you’re but an ant!"

Midi lay powerless, even losing the weapons most vital to a Demon Swordman. The dual swords "Eliminate" and "Kill" slipped from his lifeless fingers like falling meteors, silently embedding themselves into the hard stone below.

When a warrior loses his sword, he loses his life. What fear could a swordless Demon Swordman inspire?

No cunning demon should have allowed such a dangerous foe this close. Yet with Midi disarmed, his spine broken, and his body paralyzed, the demon viscount saw no threat.

Demons were cautious but never cowardly. To gain power, they would gamble—when victory seemed certain. Now, as Midi hovered near death, his memories remained intact but undefended—the perfect chance to seize the full "Inheritance of the Sea Emperor."

The extraction carried risks. Fina and Alice lingered nearby, while Rot still watched. The process would drain the demon’s power, but Rot had spent his strength in earlier attacks, and the Holy Blood heirs posed no threat.

The demon viscount cast a cold glance at the outskirts. A defensive magic array bloomed around him, golden runes swirling within. His wings unfurled, black feathers blazing with Demon Realm fire. Only then did he lean close, locking eyes with Midi.

"Look into my eyes. Reveal every secret!" The demon’s voice thrummed with magic, darkly hypnotic. Most would succumb, becoming willing slaves.

But not Midi.

Even near death, his star-dark eyes blazed with sudden blue light as he met the demon’s gaze. The demon viscount froze—his body petrified by psychic energy.

Then the "paralyzed" Midi moved.

His trembling right hand drew the mysterious dagger "Golden Forgiveness" from his waist. The blade flashed cold as he drove it into the demon’s skull with ease. Like before with the giant octopus, the dagger acted on its own—a golden serpent ravaging the demon’s body from within.

The psychic bonds shattered. The demon viscount roared, horror-struck, but couldn’t even crush the weakened Midi. He lacked strength to fling his foe away, collapsing as Midi slipped from his grasp.

How was this possible?

Gazing down at the weakened black-haired human at his feet, the demon viscount couldn’t comprehend how his opponent had drawn the dagger and thrust it into him. Hadn’t he personally shattered the man’s spine, leaving him completely paralyzed? Even with diluted Dragon’s Blood in his veins, such rapid body repairs should’ve been impossible.

And those mind-related abilities that restrained even him – what were they? The demon viscount’s thoughts scattered as his Vitality and magic drained away, his demonic heart-core already pierced. "I’ll drag you all to death with me!" he snarled hatred, eyes blazing with malice.

Sulfuric hellfire erupted from his body, surging toward the fallen Midi. This Demon Realm flame could consume both physical form and Soul instantly, corrupting magic and eroding will. One touch would obliterate the defenseless man.

A white ice wall burst from the ground, intercepting the flames. Warm green currents then enveloped Midi – Fina and Alice had acted the moment he’d drawn the dagger. Only Midi’s earlier "fight calmly" gesture and their trust in his planning had stopped them from charging sooner. Seeing their loved one tormented had been agonizing.

As hellfire gnawed at Fina’s ice barrier, the demon viscount’s mad laughter dissolved into ash-laden winds. His final will lingered as a spreading curse within the flames.

When escape proved impossible, Fina and Alice wordlessly shielded Midi with their bodies. The trio clung together – like winter-stranded beasts sharing warmth, like unyielding reefs against tidal fury, like undying flames in apocalyptic storms.

The hellfire eventually died, leaving the Behemoth’s Second Spine peak blanketed in volcanic-like ash. From this gray waste emerged a warmth-bearing mound.

"You…unhurt?" Midi rasped.

"You’re the one who matters!" Alice’s usually icy voice shook with concern. Midi weakly brushed ash from her hair. "Mobile again," he smiled.

"Reckless fool," Fina murmured, eyes glistening.

Midi smiled helplessly at her tearful look. "Necessary risk. Against such power, we needed extreme measures."

His plan had exploited demonic nature – knowing the viscount wouldn’t kill valuable Prey like Holy Blood heirs or the Sea Emperor’s inheritor. The initial "all-out attack" was mere theater to lower guard. Only after being "paralyzed" could Midi close the fatal distance.

And during that feigned helplessness, he’d done the unexpected – advancing from level 59 to 60.