HPDBC Chapter 107: The Bell
Chapter 107: The Bell
The gap of the stone coffin was pitch black, with nothing emerging from within, yet one could feel a gaze tinged with anger peering outward.Rage. Killing intent.
The emotion carried by that gaze was direct and unrestrained, as though it was his pride and honor itself. At the instant this ferocious killing intent blanketed them, everyone’s movements froze stiff under the sheer impact of that signal. It was the half-awakened probing of the Forbidden Lord of Cinder, enough to make one tremble!
“Calm, calm…”
The presiding priest of the seal reassured the crowd, who had never seen such a situation before. Although he was inwardly panicking to death, as long as the Bell held firm, the nameless Lord of Cinder would not lose control.
It seemed he had not fully awakened. The furious gaze of the Forbidden Lord of Cinder appeared somewhat dazed, sweeping unconsciously within the confined space. Those locked under his aura felt discomfort in body and spirit, but for now no fatal harm had yet occurred.
Seeing the reinforcement of the seal fall into deadlock, the presiding priest glanced at the markings on the chains, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
The progress was stuck at the fifth mark.
Normally, the seal would dip back at least two marks for a buffer, otherwise even clergy specialized in sealing miracles could not withstand the violent surging of energy. The presiding priest gritted his teeth and gave a hushed order.
“Everyone, adjust synchronization… continue lowering the marks. Slowly, keep it steady…”
The markings began to decline once more.
On the other side, Lady Maria had already entered a state of high alert. From the moment the Lord of Cinder had pushed open a crack of the coffin lid, she instinctively felt a tremor from her bloodline. The Pureblood Sovereign sensed a threat, the being inside was immensely strong in bloodline, and the Chaos energy within him, though suppressed, was showing signs of eruption.
The Lord of Cinder had been tainted by Chaos.
Yet unlike ordinary beings corrupted by Chaos, this Lord of Cinder seemed consciously suppressing it. The power of the First Flame was strangling against the power of Chaos.
“What a terrifying aura of wrath and slaughter.”
Lady Liline swiftly packed away her picnic supplies, pulled out a staff of white wood, and, quite naturally, hid behind Maria, poking her head out halfway to peek at the crack in the coffin.
“Can he be soothed?” Maria asked without looking back, eyes fixed on the coffin. The clergy of the Fairy Cult were poor in direct combat, but in buffing they excelled, versatile auxiliaries with specialized strengths in support.
“A little difficult. My lady told me he’s beyond saving.”
Unconsciously inching closer to Maria, Lady Liline gripped her staff with both hands, adopting the look of a squishy clinging to a frontline veteran. Her helpless demeanor, trembling behind Maria while whispering hopeless words, made Maria glance at her, and in that moment, she decided to crown her with a new title.
The busty mascot.
Beyond saving. Time to die. Goodbye.
Perhaps it was Liline’s unfiltered words that stirred the Forbidden Lord of Cinder’s will, for in the next instant Maria felt his once-wandering gaze suddenly lock in her direction. Their eyes crossed in the air, each vaguely sensing the Chaos within the other!
“Not good!”
Maria barked sharply. “Everyone, back from the coffin! Back immediately!!”
“Kill!”
The priests maintaining the seal were caught off guard, stunned by the roar that burst from the coffin. They lost their hold on the energy flowing through the four chains. The markings, once near four marks, plummeted at visible speed and crashed straight past the zero line!
“Damn it…” The presiding priest gaped in disbelief, at a loss for what to do.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Corrupt ones… kill, loathsome… blood! Blood!” The Forbidden Lord of Cinder’s meaningless howls hammered the coffin lid, forcing it to slide several inches aside. His voice was like war drums and thunder, each roar driving the hearts of all who heard it to pound faster.
Maria was affected the worst. At the sound of his roar, her crimson pupils spread veins of blood across the whites of her eyes like spiderwebs. An urge to crush skulls, rip open throats, and unleash fountains of blood gnawed at her relentlessly.
Clang!!
Arthur was the first to react, maintaining absolute clarity of mind. He flicked his coat aside, revealing a cold metallic gleam. With a swift movement, six slender gunblades appeared between his fingers. As he pivoted on his step, all the blades whistled toward the crack in the coffin.
The gunblades vanished silently into the blackness, swallowed whole without ripple. Even the combustion of their fuel was consumed.
“Quick, restore the seal!” the presiding priest commanded. He wasn’t a useless fool, seeing that matters hadn’t fully collapsed, he hastily directed the others to continue the sealing process. Otherwise, if the Forbidden Lord of Cinder crawled out, the seal would be utterly ruined.
“Kill… blood blood! Blood sacrifice bloo, stop, I’m not… aaahhh! ROAR!!”
The Lord of Cinder’s agonized roar finally transformed into a primordial, ancient wail. With a cry like a dragon’s, the coffin lid took a crushing blow!
All four chains snapped at once, and the lid was blasted into the air, hurled over the crowd’s heads.
In that moment, silence.
Wind, voices, the rustling of leaves, drifting smoke, amidst them, a vivid crimson glow emerged from the coffin. His first target was not Arthur, who had attacked him, but Maria.
Whoosh…!
A jet-black shadow streaked from the smoke faster than anyone could react, tearing straight for Maria’s brow! The busty mascot hiding behind her slammed her staff against the ground, unfurling an aura of natural resistance that clashed with and slowed the oncoming shadow!
The black-clad nun’s pupils shrank to pinpricks as she drew her sword. With a deft swing, her blade traced a silver arc at the shadow. Using the momentum of her spin, Maria struggled to fling the forceful shadow aside.
Only then did Maria see its true form.
A greatsword, rusted and scarred, yet still carrying the aura of its battles past. Like a veteran drenched in blood and years, it radiated a twilight malice.
The oppressive aura made Maria’s skin prickle. She knew the design of this sword, familiar, yet in the moment she could not recall which class it belonged to.
Clang…! Clang…! Clang!!
After the initial chaos, the Bell that controlled the Forbidden Lord of Cinder finally tolled.
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