Chapter 345: Elimination

After Helag transformed into the dark golden armored giant, Asil reacted swiftly.

He had been displeased with Helag and wanted to take him down.

With Helag initiating the attack, Asil seized the opportunity to strike.

Standing behind Helag, Asil’s skin turned crimson, and his eyes became vertical slits.

His Abyssal Plane aura intensified, making him resemble an Abyssal creature.

His muscles swelled, enlarging his frame, though still dwarfed by Helag.

Asil moved quickly, his right hand morphing into a spike, losing its human form.

He aimed the spike at Helag’s neck, hoping to catch him off guard.

In this state, Asil’s strength surged, and his spiked hand could pierce thick metal.

Helag’s dark golden armor seemed thin, and Asil was confident of penetrating it.

Asil focused on Helag, but as the spike neared, Helag vanished.

Startled, Asil felt a strong sense of danger.

He sensed someone behind him.

As Asil prepared to dodge, a giant hand gripped his neck.

The hand applied slight pressure, and Asil’s neck cracked.

Helag, using Deep Blue’s environment detection, easily noticed Asil’s sneaky move.

Even without Deep Blue, Helag’s senses would detect Asil’s attack.

He flashed behind Asil, grabbing his neck.

With minimal effort, Helag crushed Asil’s neck.

Despite this, Asil didn’t die, showing no fatal injury.

He attempted to stab Helag’s arm with his spiked hand, trying to break free.

Helag’s free left hand caught the spike, tearing off Asil’s right hand, spraying blood.

Asil groaned in pain, clearly suffering.

From his severed arm, tendrils of flesh reached for Helag’s arm.

These tendrils struck Helag’s armor, producing metallic clinks, unable to breach it.

Helag swung his arm, slamming Asil into the ground.

He launched a relentless assault, reducing Asil to a bloody pulp.

It happened in an instant.

A centipede-like red worm wriggled from the flesh, fleeing the courtyard.

This didn’t escape Helag’s detection.

He stomped on it, crushing the creature, splattering its insides.

Helag deduced Asil’s power came from the centipede.

Such creatures, weak on their own, faced no barriers entering the wizard plane.

But combined with cultists, they rapidly enhanced the cultists’ power.

This fusion state, gaining power from Abyssal creatures, was known as demonization among Dawn wizards.

Once demonized, one became neither human nor ghost.

Cultists and creatures formed a parasitic bond, mutually dependent.

Though Asil seemed dead, reduced to pulp, if the centipede escaped, he could regenerate.

This enticed many to become cultists.

They craved power and longevity, even if it meant coexisting with creatures.

Asil, a third-class wizard apprentice, gained first-level wizard power through demonization.

This quick power boost tempted those facing promotion barriers.

It also allowed rapid, mass production of subordinates.

It bypassed training, granting immediate power for use.

After crushing the centipede, Asil was truly dead.

Helag turned to Franz, suspecting he controlled many this way.

Recalling the slum residents, Helag noted many had Abyssal auras.

Perhaps they harbored similar creatures, under Franz’s control.

If true, Franz wielded immense power.

No wonder Seranthiel hesitated to act against him.

Franz stared at Helag, shocked.

He couldn’t believe the young man dared attack, ignoring rules.

Helag’s power surprised him; Asil lasted less than a second before being pulverized.

Seeing Helag focus on him, Franz felt immense pressure and tried to flee.

But Helag wouldn’t allow it, appearing before Franz and delivering a powerful slap.

Franz’s head flew off like paper.

Helag caught the head.

“Is he really dead?” Helag doubted. If Franz died so easily, he wouldn’t have had to act; something was amiss.

Franz’s headless body lay still, blood pooling.

Helag sensed countless tiny insects rising from Franz, fleeing in all directions.

He realized Franz’s creature was a swarm.

If even one escaped, Franz could survive.

Ordinary wizards might not notice the insects or kill them all.

Helag, sensing Abyssal auras, easily spotted them.

Perhaps Seranthiel had tried to kill Franz, only for him to reappear later.