A resounding crash!
A deafening boom!
The Eltz Mountain Range was rocked by a series of widespread attacks. Many black-robed figures and magical beasts hidden within the mountains were caught in the crossfire, and numerous mountain resources were laid to waste.
“What is happening?”
The leader of the Eltz Mountain Range’s evil forces rushed towards the scene with their subordinates.
“What is happening? I, too, wish to know what is happening!”
Merlin appeared silently before the leader, a flash of crimson light glinting in his eyes as he seized the man’s head with one hand.
“Lord Reid!”
The surrounding black-robed figures were instantly startled.
Bang!
Without a word, Merlin slammed the man he held forcefully onto the ground. The impact instantly created a deep crater, leaving the man sprawled in the center, eyes rolled back, utterly unconscious.
“I didn’t seek you out, yet you dared to seek trouble with me.”
Merlin’s magic surged outwards, manifesting as a hurricane that erupted from all directions.
“Perish, all of you. You have no need to exist in this world.”
His voice was cold and merciless. Merlin raised his right hand, revealing a ring engraved with the character ‘狱’ (Prison/Hell) on his finger.
“Six Paths, Naraka Path!”
“Soul Reaping Chains.”
As Merlin lifted his right hand, countless rusted chains erupted from his palm, each one piercing through the body and soul of a different individual.
“May your souls be scattered to oblivion.”
With a forceful squeeze of Merlin’s right hand, the chains snapped, and the souls of all those bound instantly shattered into fragments.
****
“Who are you?”
Inside the mine, Merlin materialized out of thin air before Luoge East and her four companions. His sudden appearance caused all the black-robed figures and magical beasts surrounding them to instinctively recoil several steps.
“Who did this?”
Merlin ignored everyone else, his gaze fixed intently on Jeanne D’Arc, who was being carried on Luoge East’s back.
“A big monster.”
Alisa Dragon replied faintly.
“A big monster?”
Merlin looked at Alisa Dragon.
As if speaking of the devil truly made him appear, the ‘big monster’ Alisa Dragon had described suddenly emerged.
A pair of sharp claws first tore through the earth, followed by a hideous, mangy dog-like head. It then lunged, attempting to strike Merlin with a claw.
Clang-clang-clang!
The sound of chains resonated instantly. Before the monster’s claw could descend, a golden chain coiled around it, binding it and restricting all its movements.
“Then, the others shall vanish.”
From Merlin’s right palm, rusted chains once again erupted, piercing through every black-robed figure and magical beast. They had no chance to resist as their souls were torn out, shattering just like those outside.
Luoge East and her four companions felt that Merlin, in that moment, was akin to a grim reaper from the underworld, wantonly harvesting souls, a sight that sent shivers down their spines.
Yet, from that moment on, their impression of Merlin deepened considerably. They had always perceived him as a gentle and kind elder brother, never imagining he possessed such a ruthless and merciless side.
To him, the souls of others seemed as fragile as glass, easily shattered with a mere touch.
It was widely known that, long ago, all continents had decreed that anyone involved in harming souls would be considered a primary target for elimination. The nations of each continent regarded soul-harming with even greater severity than they did evil forces, making its eradication their foremost priority.
Such acts of soul destruction had last occurred centuries ago. Now, with its resurgence after hundreds of years, it remained uncertain whether Merlin would eventually be discovered and branded as the number one target for extermination across all continents.
****
“You should return now. Please, do not tell Jeanne D’Arc about what happened today. I beg of you.”
After healing Jeanne D’Arc, Merlin produced a scroll of Angelic Wings and handed it to Shavier Aznar.
“We won’t tell Jeanne D’Arc, and we won’t speak of today’s events to anyone.”
Luoge East understood that today’s events couldn’t be revealed to Jeanne D’Arc, nor to anyone outside. If word got out, Merlin would be branded an enemy across all continents, and surely Jeanne D’Arc wouldn’t wish for such an outcome.
“Thank you. Once you’re back, ensure Jeanne D’Arc rests well. Tell her I’ve been away for a few days and asked her to look after Xiao Qing at home.”
“I will inform her,” Shavier Aznar affirmed.
“Very well, then. You may go.”
The moment he finished speaking, the scroll in Shavier Aznar’s hand activated, instantly teleporting the six of them to their home in Sachsen City.
****
“Now, it’s time for a small punishment.”
The instant Merlin raised his right hand, a sheathed katana materialized within it. In his left hand, he held a small vial filled with a dark green liquid: a chronic corrosive poison.
While not immediately lethal, this toxin, once introduced into the body, would slowly corrode every part of it until nothing remained to be eaten away.
This chronic corrosive poison was an A-grade item Merlin had acquired from a previous mission. He had initially deemed it useless and tossed it into his Gate of Babylon to gather dust, but now, it finally found its purpose.
He applied the toxin to the katana’s blade. As he drew the sword, a crimson flash, tinged with a faint dark green, streaked forth.
[Item: Kirihito Moji]
[Rank: Rare]
[Type: Weapon (Katana)]
[Description: Wounds inflicted by this blade will not heal.]
The poisoned Kirihito Moji left a small, seemingly innocuous wound on the monster before Merlin sheathed it.
Roar!
The monster thrashed wildly, roaring in agony as the wound continuously corroded. Yet, it remained firmly bound by the Chains of Heaven. Such torment would likely be unbearable for anyone.
“Anyone who harms Jeanne D’Arc shall repay it a hundredfold!”
By the time Merlin departed, not a trace of the monster remained, as if it had simply vanished into thin air.
****
“System, search for all branches of Andumali’s Serpent.”
[‘Searching for all branches of Andumali’s Serpent…’]
“I shall ensure you exit the stage of history prematurely.”
Andumali’s Serpent: one of the seventy-two powerful evil forces on the European continent, an intelligence network planted by the radical faction of the Demon Realm, and the true culprit behind the destruction of Domremy Village.
In the game, Andumali’s Serpent was ultimately annihilated by a corrupted Jeanne D’Arc alone.
However, she did not achieve this feat entirely on her own. Her destruction was aided by a high-ranking demon, the Fallen Angel Lucifer Kentest, who was responsible for truly corrupting Jeanne D’Arc and turning her against the European continent.
[‘Search complete.’]
“Lock all locations.”
All the information appeared before Merlin. Andumali’s Serpent indeed had numerous branches, though the one in the Eltz Mountain Range had already been completely eradicated.
Merlin changed his name, activated most of his passive skills, and finally donned his equipment.
[Name: Merlin (Changeable)]
[Level: 500 (Max)]
[Race: Human]
[Gender: Male (Changeable)]
[Age: 17]
[Class: Priest (Changeable Class: Mage)]
[Affiliation: Ten Rings of Authority (Adventure Group)]
[Karma: -1000]
[Strength: EX (?)]
[Constitution: EX (?)]
[Endurance: EX (?)]
[Mana: EX (?)]
[Spirit: EX (?)]
[Agility: EX (?)]
[Personal Data: ???]