Chapter 142 The Gate of Hell
Chapter 142 The Gate of Hell
I managed to trap Lance in an ice prison due to his own negligence, and I now held a significant advantage in this battle.
However, Lance remained unfazed; he refused to accept defeat. He trembled with rage, reminding me that even if I had outsmarted him, he would not fall to a mere physical attack because his body was immortal.
"My light magic can restore my body to its prime state, and as long as the Pope lives, I can return from the dead," he boasted. He claimed that the moment he broke free from the ice, his body would be revived by the heavenly power bestowed upon him by the Irish Kingdom.
"Don't get cocky, Dark Lord. Even if you’ve imprisoned me in ice, I still have an ace up my sleeve. As long as my consciousness remains, I can command the Archangel, and I will ensure that everything you possess is destroyed!" he shouted furiously.
I bowed my head, my hand still gripping the Dark Lord Sword, which was impaled in Lance's chest. I knew the danger the Archangel posed, and I was fully aware that the battle was far from over just because I had frozen his physical form.
"I know how powerful you are, but mark my words: I will never allow you to destroy my empire or kill the citizens I protect!" I declared bravely, my eyes burning with determination.
As I unleashed dark energy, the holographic interface of the Dark Lord System materialized and displayed a skill. I only had 170,000 Dark Lord points left, and if I failed to defeat him with this move, it would surely be the end for me.
"I'm gambling everything on this," I muttered as I activated 'Create Magic.'
Above us, a massive black magic circle, spanning five hectares, appeared, manifesting a gigantic, terrifying gate adorned with countless colossal bones and skeletons.
"Gate of Hell!"
The surroundings were swallowed by dark energy as the gate, nearly two hundred meters tall, emerged. Everyone who witnessed it was paralyzed by fear.
"What is that thing?" Lance asked.
"That thing," I replied, "is going to be your grave."
"No! You cannot defeat me with just this! Archangel Michael!"
The Archangel raised its sword, preparing to strike. "Destroy them! Put an end to the evil in this world!"
"I won't let you!" I yelled, surging with intense dark energy.
The giant gate swung open, and thousands of hands reached out, grabbing hold of the Archangel. It was completely enveloped by these arms, effectively pinning it in place. Then, a massive suction force began pulling us all toward the gate to seal us inside.
"What? Are you planning to trap me inside as well?"
"I'm glad you realize your fate," I shouted. "You will rot in that dark dimension for all eternity!"
Darkness gradually consumed us. As the Archangel sank deeper into what felt like an abyss, the gargantuan gate began to close. The suction force was so immense that my flight magic wasn't enough to pull me back out.
"Farewell, Lance!"
"No! This isn't over! I won't die here!"
Using teleportation magic, I managed to vanish and appeared inside the palace in a matter of seconds. The Gate of Hell successfully sealed shut, and moments later, it retracted into the magic circle and vanished into the sky.
I collapsed onto the palace floor, completely exhausted—I hadn't been able to control my exact landing coordinates.
"I'm alive! I actually made it out!" I gasped, breathing heavily. I had pushed my own energy to the limit, leaving me utterly drained, but I let out a sigh of relief. I had defeated the leader of the enemy forces.
"I did it. I defeated the leader of the Knights of the Cross. I won!" I shouted.
Popo immediately appeared by my side to offer a warning. "Don't get too complacent or start celebrating just yet. Even if the enemy commander is gone, the battle isn't over."
To Popo, it was too early to rejoice, especially since I couldn't be sure if the empire was safe from the remaining Irish Kingdom forces.
I also noticed that the chaos continued, and I could still sense powerful auras nearby. Popo told me I needed to help the others take down the remaining four members of the Knights of the Cross.
"You need to assist the others to defeat the four remaining members," Popo added.
I forced myself to stand, checking the Dark Lord System. I only had 60,000 points left, which meant I could only use level 5 magic three more times.
"How am I supposed to defeat four enemies with only 60,000 points?" I asked.
As I stood, I heard loud explosions echoing from the outskirts. I didn't like what I was feeling; I knew this was coming from another member of the Knights of the Cross. I immediately ran toward the western sector to assess the situation. Along the way, several Irish soldiers attacked me.
"You insolent fools!"
With a burst of fire, I easily knocked them down and continued running.
"Daniel, stop wasting your energy on the weaklings! Do you think you'll be of any help if you run out of energy?" Popo cautioned.
"I know," I answered, "but I'm not good at hand-to-hand combat. It’s easier to just use a spell."
A few minutes later, I reached the site of the battle and was shocked to see Orla and Vanilla struggling against one of the Knights. The enemy was radiating overwhelming power and wielding an unusual weapon—tendrils protruding from his back, which he used to assault the girls.
Clay had encased Vanilla's body, but she kept hacking through it. Orla rushed to help, shattering the incoming clay attacks. I could see that both of them were panting, their strength fading.
"Hahaha! I told you, you're just wasting your energy. As long as I live, my clay will never stop attacking!"
The clay simply reformed on his body as if it had a life of its own. Once again, he launched an attack. Even though Orla’s physical strength was immense, her punches were useless because the clay just kept reforming. Vanilla’s blades were equally ineffective, and they both knew their energy was rapidly depleting.
I immediately called out to Orla and Vanilla, telling them to move aside. "Get back! Fire Burst!"
The flames spread, incinerating the clay. The enemy quickly created a wall to protect himself.
"My Emperor!"
Vanilla and Orla ran toward me, checking on me. "What happened? Are you alright? Weren't you fighting as well?" Orla asked.
"Yes, fortunately, I managed to defeat their leader," I replied.
Vanilla and Orla were overjoyed, finding it hard to believe I had succeeded. However, I warned them not to be too complacent; the fight wasn't finished.
"I don't know, but it seems they have no intention of stopping. We really need to take them down," I said.
Vanilla sighed, admitting that their opponent was powerful and used advanced weaponry. She confessed that she was having a hard time destroying the clay because it just kept regenerating.
"I want to use Level 5 magic, My Lord, but I'm afraid I'll destroy the palace," Vanilla admitted.
"Lady Vanilla is right," Orla added. "If I use my heavy attacks, I might destroy half this area with my Level 5 Power Blow."
Popo then ordered me to use 'Appraisal' to check the enemy's stats. I saw that his power level was nearly 18,000—stronger than mine. Vanilla and Orla were at 15,000.
I smirked in frustration. "Why is it like this? If I didn't have the Dark Lord System, these women would be stronger than their own Emperor?" I whispered to myself.
Popo warned me that we were in danger. As long as the enemy had energy, he would remain immortal against physical strikes. "Only powerful magic spells can defeat him, and you lack the Dark Lord points to cast another high-tier spell," Popo noted.
Suddenly, a massive rhino made of clay formed and charged at us.
"I'll handle this one!"
Orla surged with power, bracing herself against the one-ton behemoth. She blocked its charge with her bare hands and threw it into a nearby wall. I grinned at her raw strength. "She's beautiful, but her physical power is insane. The strength of an Orc is truly something else."
The enemy then summoned another creature—a clay dragon—which spat out a blast of energy that disintegrated everything it touched.
"Watch out!" I shouted, dodging the dragon's attack.
We managed to evade the onslaught, and Vanilla immediately lunged at the dragon, effortlessly decapitating it. After neutralizing the enemy's weapons, they retreated to where I was standing.
"My Lord, the palace will be destroyed if this continues," Vanilla said.
"Lady Vanilla is right," Orla agreed. "First, we need to lure him away from here so we can fight properly."
"I know," I replied, "but even if we move him, I doubt we can win. His energy and abilities are superior to ours, and unfortunately, I've exhausted most of my energy fighting their leader."
Popo suddenly perched on my head, mentioning that he had an idea. "Right now, you’re useless in this fight, and you can't be sure your magic will overcome his immortality.
But I've thought of one way. Are you prepared to gamble everything again and prove yourself useful to your consorts?"