Chapter 1338: Chapter 1338

"...What does that mean?"

Mr. Hood asked, his gaze fixed on the devastating remains of the battle strewn across the table.

"In a battle of minds, Candle Mr triumphed over the ancient Titan. The Titan's soul has been extinguished. Its corporeal form, ill-suited for the rules of this age, has turned to stone, along with the very bones it corrupted. That's the long and short of it..."

Corpse Gentleman explained, his voice rising and falling with growing intensity. The only word that could possibly describe his emotion was "ecstasy."

Magic Miss asked uncertainly, abandoning all thought of performing that dubious ritual.

"Candle Mr won. To think that after tens of thousands of years, we would be defeated at the hands of a mere mortal... It's truly unexpected. I suppose this is fate. We should have known. Ancient creatures rising from the depths of the earth rarely come to a good end. Don't you humans have similar tropes in your chivalric tales?"

Corpse Gentleman inquired, rising from his chair under Vanilla's watchful gaze. It was one of the rare times he had stood since the game began.

"I'm surprised you read those chivalric tales... but wait. If the Titan—the primary soul and consciousness—has perished, then why are you still..."

"You may know a thing or two about psionic devices, but our situation is... unique. The Titan's consciousness was comprised of two parts. The first was its original mind and soul—the very part Candle Mr just annihilated. The second was a malevolent power it absorbed from the depths of the earth during its long slumber. Though the two had merged, the psionic device was able to... cleave off a portion."

"You're the evil part!"

Mr. White Cat exclaimed, shrinking behind Vanilla.

"You could say that."

Corpse Gentleman slowly pushed his chair back under the table.

"That Titan was a simpleton, all brawn and no brain. Relying on him alone, how could such an ingenious escape plan ever have been conceived? The moment he used the psionic device to splinter off a part of his consciousness to control this body, I gained a measure of autonomy. Afterward, by hosting these gatherings, by luring participants one by one into the morgue, controlling and assimilating them with the device, my independence grew. And just now... it was finally extinguished, and I... I am finally free.

Over the last decade, using the Titan's psionic device, I have brought no less than a hundred Enchanters and common folk under my control. My reach extends far beyond Nolan—I have agents as far as Dullin, on the other side of the continent. To finally break free from that bondage... this feeling of liberty is exquisite. Truly... exquisite."

Corpse Gentleman's voice was no longer a flat monotone. It now carried inflections, and the four listeners could sense the potent emotion behind his words. But this only made him seem more terrifying. A corpse with a human touch, after all, is the most frightening kind of monster.

"Do you know why I'm telling you all this?" Thɪs chapter is updated by novel•fire.net

He asked, standing behind the chair with his hands clasped behind him, his gaze sweeping over the four people and the cat.

"Because you've already decided to kill us. That way, your secret is safe... It's an old, tired trope."

Mr. Hood replied, standing behind the cat with everyone else.

"It is rather cliché," Corpse Gentleman admitted, "but I've spent years inside a mortuary cabinet. My entertainment was limited to those chivalric tales. You must try to understand."

Corpse Gentleman replied unhurriedly.

The clear sound of dripping water reached their ears. In an instant, black water flooded past the shadows, closing in on the cat and the players.

"You don't truly believe I'm no match for that cat, do you?" he scoffed. "No, no, no. Since the day I gained consciousness deep underground, I have faced only one truly formidable foe: the machine that lies directly beneath Nolan. Apart from that... I have no equal.

Do you know why I kept preventing your explorer from leaving? It was an insurance policy. Until this game is over, none of you can leave this room. And no one from the outside can help you—not even your precious Candle Mr... Now, let's just see who comes to your rescue!"

Beneath a pitch-black sky, Nolan was a city in turmoil. The sudden earthquake had plunged the urban center into chaos. People scrambled from their homes, pouring into the streets despite the downpour, all seeking the safety of open ground.

This wasn't the first earthquake of the year, however, so the citizens of Nolan were grimly accepting of the situation and quick to begin helping themselves. Still, the occasional clap of thunder that sounded like the roar of a beast, coupled with the phantom of a colossal giant that had just been seen rampaging through the city, was enough to thoroughly terrify the more faint of heart.

Idle minds turned to ancient myths, speculating that perhaps a dragon had just flown over the outskirts of Nolan. The reality was far more complex than they could imagine; they failed to guess the truth only because dragons were far more famous than Titans.

Jenkins awoke atop the head of the petrified giant and stared blankly at his surroundings. The vines had vanished, leaving only five Blasphemy Seeds at his feet. His own bone giant had turned to stone along with the Titan. His sword and cane were embedded in the bone giant's skull, enduring the silent fall of rain.

He fell silent for a moment, a sudden sense of melancholy washing over him. He retrieved his two weapons and scanned the area, ensuring he'd left no trace of his presence. Then, he leaped to the ground and burned the sixth skeleton—the one that would have aided the Titan's escape—before mounting his unicorn and flying toward the black clouds shrouding Nolan.

First things first, he had to get his cat. Jenkins was certain Chocolate wouldn't want his beautiful fur soaked by the rain, so the cat was probably still waiting for him on the stairs. As for the curses—the one on him and the one lingering over Nolan—that was a matter for Alexia. Right now, Chocolate was the priority.

The rain was torrential, making flight difficult. Jenkins hunched low on the unicorn's back and summoned the glowing motes representing his abilities. He saw that the blank bubble he'd earned from the game had been filled. It glowed a brilliant, vivid red—

Titan's Power (Red Martial).

It was a straightforward ability. While standing on the earth, his strength, constitution, and regenerative abilities would be enhanced. When not standing on the earth, his resistance to all manner of extraordinary spells and curse rituals would increase.

It was a well-known Red Martial ability. In the current era, the only way to acquire it was with the aid of the Church of War and Victory, by undertaking a trial on a remote island rumored to be the burial ground of an ancient Titan. Only ten candidates were chosen each year, and less than half ever returned alive.