Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Sad Misfortune (2)

"I don’t know who you are, but you’re quite strong. Could you be one of the Seven Cardinals?"

The Cardinal of Lust was shocked. She focused her gaze, and the space where it fell suddenly shook.

A tall, black-haired, handsome man appeared before her.

She was momentarily stunned—not by his aura or power, but by how handsome he was.

"Who are you?" she asked warily, preparing to fight.

Although his looks had captivated her for a brief moment, she was not someone easily swayed by appearances.

Moreover, the man was incredibly strong. He could control space—a power almost impossible for any living creature to master, except for those with truly extraordinary talent.

The man, none other than Nolan, smiled faintly and took a few steps through the air before stopping about ten meters away from her.

"Don’t you know me? How strange. If you’re part of the Seven Cardinals, you should know me," he said casually, his gaze resting meaningfully on her.

As an organization that deeply hated the empire, the Underworld Gate should know every member of the imperial family, including him.

Yet now, one of the Seven Cardinals did not recognize him, which was truly surprising.

The Cardinal of Lust frowned. She had not been with the Underworld Gate for long, so she did not fully understand who their enemies were besides the imperial family.

Seeing that she did not respond, Nolan made a guess—the woman before him was a new member.

"Ah! I see. I understand!" Nolan smiled faintly as he said, "Don’t tell me you’re a new member? A replacement for those who died."

This assumption was not unfounded. According to Malverna’s previous report, every Cardinal except the Cardinal of Pride had taken part in the attack that night.

The Cardinal of Lust’s expression grew serious. Not only was he strong, but he was also sharp-minded.

’This opponent won’t be easy,’ she muttered cautiously.

She wasn’t afraid. She had great confidence in her own power. Still, caution was necessary.

Without further thought, she slightly raised the map in her left hand. In the next instant, the space between her and Nolan shook.

A moment later, the scenery around them changed. The snowy plain vanished, replaced by towering mountains buried under thick layers of snow.

"Oh? Teleportation magic?" Nolan looked surprised. "Don’t tell me you also possess spatial abilities?"

He looked at the Cardinal of Lust with admiration. Very few could accomplish such a feat, and he had not expected to encounter one here.

The Cardinal of Lust did not respond. She pressed her thumb onto the map in her hand and pulled it to the right.

A giant hole abruptly opened in the sky. From the darkness, a massive black mouth emerged and lunged at Nolan.

Nolan dodged swiftly, but the mouth refused to let him escape.

It pursued him relentlessly, as if something within had locked onto his position.

"You let your guard down!"

The Cardinal of Lust raised her right hand and formed a rapid hand seal.

In the next instant, five-meter-long thorns burst from the mountains below and shot toward Nolan.

Nolan twisted his body in midair, narrowly avoiding them. He neither counterattacked nor destroyed the assault, which deeply irritated the Cardinal of Lust.

’What’s going on? Why isn’t he stopping my attack?’ she thought anxiously.

She knew Nolan was powerful. Her attack should have been neutralized. Yet, for some reason, he did nothing.

While she was still confused, Nolan’s figure suddenly shot toward her.

Startled, the Cardinal of Lust hurriedly tried to evade. However, the space around her suddenly froze.

Her body could no longer move as freely as before.

Whoosh!

The giant mouth and massive thorns that had been pursuing Nolan abruptly changed direction and rushed toward her.

"No!" she screamed inwardly.

Srck!

Her body was torn apart by the attack, fresh blood spraying in all directions.

Nolan turned and chuckled softly. "How foolish. Did you really think I couldn’t attack you without using my power?"

He couldn’t understand how the leader of the Underworld Gate could be so incompetent.

They recruited useless people and placed them in high positions.

Aside from being brainless, he could not even find an insult harsh enough for the leader of the Underworld Gate.

But suddenly—

Whoosh!

A cold gust of wind swept in from behind him.

Nolan’s eyes widened in shock, and he immediately teleported ten meters forward.

When he turned around, he saw the Cardinal of Lust floating in the air, a black knife clenched in her left hand.

Nolan narrowed his eyes and asked warily, "How did you do that?"

The Cardinal of Lust grinned and sneered. "Did you really think I would die that easily? You’re too naive."

She raised the knife and licked a drop of blood from its blade.

"By the way, you’re the one in danger. Didn’t you notice my knife grazed you?"

Her words startled Nolan. He reached for the back of his neck and felt a thick, sticky liquid.

When he looked at his hand, horror filled his eyes—his neck was wounded and bleeding.

Thump!

His heart pounded wildly. Nausea and dizziness surged together, as if something was writhing inside his body.

Krrk!

A long thorn burst from the left side of his stomach. That wasn’t all. More thorns erupted from his neck, chest, and thighs—piercing through his body from every direction.

Nolan froze in midair, his face filled with disbelief and fear.

"How... did you... do that?" he asked in a trembling voice.

The Cardinal of Lust chuckled softly and replied casually, "Because of my knife."

She toyed with the blade before continuing, "This knife can kill instantly thanks to a special poison embedded in it. I also infused it with my magic, so the result is what you see now."

Nolan could only remain silent. The excruciating pain made it impossible for him to speak.

In the end, his consciousness felt as though it were being dragged away by an invisible hand.

His body fell and vanished into the darkness of the mountains.

The Cardinal of Lust smiled faintly and returned the knife to its sheath.

"I thought he was strong, but I was wrong. He’s really weak," she sneered, then let out a small sigh. "What a pity. He’s very handsome. If I’d had the chance to play with him, it would’ve been so much fun."

Her heart began to race again, but she quickly calmed herself.

Just as she was about to leave, the surroundings suddenly shifted, returning to the place where she had first met Nolan.

The Cardinal of Lust froze. Before she could react, a playful voice sounded in front of her.

"Yo, are you one of the Seven Cardinals?"

She turned toward the voice and saw Nolan appear out of thin air, smiling casually.

"You..." Her eyes widened. "How can you... be alive?"

...

"Tsk! Tsk! Illusions are truly practical. Without exerting any power, I can easily defeat my enemies."

Nolan floated in the sky, wearing a black cloak and a demon mask.

He stared at the Cardinal of Lust, who hovered motionless with her head bowed.

His gaze then shifted into the distance as he whispered softly, "This is your chance to rise completely, Malverna. Settle your grudge, and you will surely break through to a higher level. I guarantee it..."