Chapter 183: The Erosion Begins
Deep within the El Country Imperial Palace.
This was not a resplendent hall, but a vast underground chamber.
In fact, this basement was quite empty. Aside from the stone platform in the very center, there were no other miscellaneous items, only the soft glow emitted by the magic ore embedded in the walls.
And upon that stone platform, a silver longsword quietly floated.
Holy Sword El's Light.
This holy sword, having been broken and re-forged, was not as dazzling as Orger, Sword of Divine Authority. Instead, its blade displayed a rustic, dark silver hue.
Kurtz had specifically inscribed corresponding magical runes during the forging process to allow it to carry the power of faith, and now these runes flowed quietly across the blade's surface.
Even without emitting any light, its mere presence here seemed to be the center of the entire space, enough to attract everyone's gaze.
Grausam was no exception.
The moment this Greater Demon stepped into the basement and his gaze met the holy sword, his perfect disguise was shattered almost instantly.
"Ugh!"
He grunted, his body trembling uncontrollably, as if subjected to an invisible mental attack.
This sword, this legendary human holy sword, emitted such pure power of faith that the moment his eyes touched it, he felt a burning pain searing through his very being.
It truly lived up to Schlacht's desires.
Grausam couldn't even imagine what terrifying power this holy sword, which had absorbed a thousand years of human faith, possessed.
He endured the burning pain, forcing himself to stand steady. His fingers dug into his palms, drawing blood.
Deep in his eyes, an unconcealable greed and shock had already replaced everything else.
El's Light, the legendary artifact entrusted by Godslayer Kurtz to the dwarves for forging, condensed the power of human faith.
It was one of the three most powerful swords in this world, on par with the missing Orger, Sword of Divine Authority, and the holy sword Auge held by the elven sage Serie.
Witnessing its existence firsthand and feeling its terrifying power, Grausam truly comprehended the madness of Schlacht's plan.
What a magnificent feat it would be to reverse the power of this holy sword!
"Master Grausam? What's wrong?" El Fidel, the Emperor, deeply affected by mental magic, asked with a hint of confusion.
He saw Grausam's face turn pale and his body tremble the moment he saw the holy sword, as if he was enduring immense pain.
The holy sword's presence also filled him with awe and an invisible pressure, but his reaction was far less intense than Grausam's.
"Nothing, Your Majesty." Grausam quickly regulated his breathing, forcefully suppressing his physical discomfort, and forced a smile back onto his face. "The holy sword's might is indeed formidable. Even I felt boundless shock, so I was momentarily distracted."
If Fidel were in his normal state, he would have long since noticed the impropriety in Grausam's words.
After all, mere pressure certainly wouldn't cause injury.
And Grausam's discomfort, even pain, upon seeing the holy sword was peculiar. It must have triggered some passive mechanism of the sacred sword.
But the current Fidel was firmly controlled by Grausam's mental magic and was utterly incapable of connecting these dots.
Therefore, regarding Grausam 's explanation, he nodded without the slightest doubt. "I see, but if the power of the holy sword is so terrifying, then we...?"
He looked at the holy sword, his eyes filled with longing.
Grausam took a deep breath, knowing that the opportunity was fleeting.
He had to get close to the holy sword and complete the most crucial step.
He cautiously stepped forward, walking towards the holy sword suspended on the stone platform.
With every step closer, the pain from the divine might grew more intense, but the madness in his eyes burned even brighter.
Closer, even closer—
Finally, he stood before El's Light, trembling as he reached out his hand and slowly grasped its hilt.
The moment he gripped the hilt—
Buzz!
Holy Sword El's Light suddenly erupted with unprecedented brilliance.
The light was not an attack, but an instinctive repulsion.
A shockwave composed of the power of faith suddenly burst forth from the blade.
"Ah!"
Grausam let out a sharp, anguished cry.
Under this shockwave, he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, tumbling several times across the floor before stopping, then spitting out a mouthful of dark purple blood.
"Damn it!" Grausam cursed inwardly, struggling to breathe through the searing agony.
He had been careless!
He hadn't expected the holy sword's repulsion to be so strong.
Although he had previously learned from Schlacht that Holy Sword El's Light had a special protective mechanism that required the blood of the El royal lineage to unlock its first layer of power restriction—
He had only wanted to approach the holy sword to probe this seal, but he didn't expect to be directly thrown back upon mere touch.
Fortunately, he had put considerable effort into manipulating Fidel successfully. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to complete the first step of the plan.
"Lord Grausam!"
Fidel rushed over, and when he saw Grausam's twisted, charred arm, his face was filled with confusion. "What happened? Why did the holy sword attack you?"
Facing Fidel's inquiry, a hint of violence and shame flashed in Grausam's eyes.
"Cough, cough! Your Majesty, it's nothing."
Grausam struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his uninjured arm. "The power contained within the holy sword is too immense. My magic suffered a backlash. It seems activating it will be more difficult than I imagined."
He painstakingly fabricated an excuse, secretly pulling out the crystal that Schlacht had given him, a thing that emitted an ominous dark purple light.
"Then what should we do?" Emperor Fidel became even more anxious.
He looked at the floating holy sword, then at Grausam. Controlled by mental magic, he had lost all ability to think and instinctively trusted the human before him.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry."
Grausam's voice carried a drowsy power, and his powerful mental magic was unleashed once again at full force.
Under the interference of this mental magic, the slight suspicion that had arisen in Fidel's heart regarding Grausam's injury vanished without a trace in the next second.
"I have other methods to try, but I need you to do me a small favor."
"Please speak, Your Excellency." Emperor Fidel immediately nodded, his eyes once again becoming utterly vacant.
"Please use your blood, Your Majesty, to unseal the first seal of El's Light."
"How do you know that, Your Excellency?" Fidel instinctively asked.
The fact that only royal blood could unseal the first layer of El's Light had always been a closely guarded secret of their royal family. How did Grausam know this?
Facing Fidel's inquiry, Grausam did not answer immediately, but continued to release his magic, then explained: "Your Majesty, please do not concern yourself with these matters. What is most important now is to unleash the power of El's Light."
[End of Chapter]