The Devil's Cage

Kieran didn’t panic at all as he faced the Sanctuary Force seeping from the walls and the dashing, shining armor.

He pulled the trigger once more on [Python-W2].

BANG!

The transcendence level of [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] allowed the revolver’s bullet to travel at a specific angle. It passed through the dashing armor and headed towards the room behind it.

CHANG!

Another broadsword appeared in the room, blocking the bullet.

A second identical shining armor with Sanctuary Force over its body appeared again in Kieran’s sight.

The seeping Sanctuary Force on the wall became denser by the second.

"As expected of Smulder, he didn’t just set a single protective measure!"

When Kieran saw the two shining armors that almost took up the whole path, he wasn’t relieved just yet because his testing wasn’t over.

While enduring the stinging pain all over his body, Kieran was estimating the distance between himself and the other two enemies by using his eyes. When they were less than 5 meters away from each other, Kieran moved.

He dashed quickly and leaped over the first shining armor like a monkey, dodging the first slash from the broadsword.

While he was in mid-air, [Boots of Modii] shone softly, allowing Kieran to step on air itself and perform a double jump.

Kieran jumped higher. Not only did he dodge the second shining armor’s forward thrust, there were no more obstacles between him and the room.

Bang Bang Bang!

Kieran pulled the trigger repeatedly without delay and three rounds of revolver bullets were fired into the room.

This time around, there wasn’t a third guardian armor that blocked the bullets.

The bullets perforated its target precisely: the diamond emitting the Sanctuary Force.

However, the diamond didn’t even budge upon impact. Kieran was surprised.

The diamond then merged itself with the delicate iron stand and sunk into the ground, revealing only the diamond on the surface as the diamond was embedded on the ground.

Kieran didn’t have any time to wonder why that happened because he already picked up the air-breaking noise from the broadsword behind him.

"SCHMIDT!"

Kieran yelled loudly. He performed a back turn with his body and swung [Arrogant Word] together with his moving body.

Fuuu!

The greatsword whipped up a violent wind from its slash that was similar to a huge typhoon assaulting the pathway.

The sharp blade edge with its tremendous force wielding was able to slice rocks and perforate metals.

Tsssk Gank!

An ear-numbing, metallic screech came right after [Arrogant Word] sliced the armor’s broadsword in half. Not only did the sword break, the armor that was wielding it was damaged as well.

A big crack appeared on its helmet that went all the way down to its armor, revealing the guardian armor’s true face.

The things inside the armor wasn’t a man. They were gears, springs and complicated contraptions surrounding a prism shaped crystal imbued with mystical runes.

Spark, Spark Spark!

Mini electric sparks were seen from the prism crystal. The guardian armor’s body twisted according to the small sparks but it was very unsynchronized.

"An iron puppet?!"

Kieran was shocked by the truth underneath the armor...

He never thought that Smulder would utilize the iron puppets to guard the diamond.

After all, according to his knowledge from the books, most iron puppets were used as bodyguards in alchemy labs by grand alchemists.

In fact, iron puppets were absent in recent generations of alchemy lab. Even if there was one available, it would have been treated as a collection by some alchemist.

No one would treat them recklessly and waste such great gifts as Smulder did.

"So this is the Sanctuary’s inheritance and powers?"

Kieran muttered while taking a step back.

Wuuu!

The broadsword whipped up a heavy whistle, grazing Kieran’s nose from above.

Though the broadsword didn’t really touch Kieran, the Sanctuary Force imbued in it made Kieran felt like he got burned.

After one of the iron puppets was destroyed, the remaining one entered a special attacking stance.

The Sanctuary Force that was glimmering over its armor started to shine brightly. Although the white light from the armor wasn’t as dense as the light when he came into the pathway, the brightening Sanctuary Force from the wall seemed like it should not be underestimated as well. The brightening light forced Keiran to back off uncontrollably for a few steps.

What made Kieran anxious was the Sanctuary Force on the wall. It was getting denser by the second and eventually it seemed like it was going to reach a density similar to when he entered the pathway. It was going to be a fatal kind.

When that happened, Kieran would be placing himself on the chopping board, about to be minced into a pile of meat paste.

"Sh*t! I can’t delay anymore. I must deal with this now!"

When that thought came into Kieran’s mind, he gripped [Arrogant Word] hard and threw himself towards the remaining iron puppet.

However, just as Kieran was dashing towards the iron puppet, the iron puppet and the wall suddenly dimmed and eventually turned gloomy once more.

The Sanctuary Force was gone!

A moment ago, it was shining brightly and getting denser by the second. However, it became a flickering candle under the wind that was ready to be blown off any second.

The whole pathway returned to its dark, gloomy state, relying on the torches to shed light.

"Yes!" The sudden change of tides made Kieran think of Schmidt who entered the room while he was dealing with the puppets. However, before Kieran could spare any more extra movements...

Dong Dong Dong!

[Fusion Heart] in his chest was beating rapidly. The long-suppressed, devilish and sinful aura and the rampant sulphuric aura erupted at the same time.

Fuuuuu!

The formless energy wave blasted out in all directions with Kieran at the center.

Creature of Desire even appeared in its mirage form beside Kieran. Its sinful eyes and relentlessly intertwining limbs were like those of a hungry beast. Under its dazzling rainbow color shine, its sharp teeth appeared above the iron puppet’s helmet.

The wide mouth with layers of grinding teeth opened up and chomped off the iron puppet entirely; it was removed from Kieran’s sight completely.

A series of grinding metal and breaking noises came from the mouth and it was not the end. After devouring the iron puppet, the creature’s appetite grew even more. More mouths appeared from thin air and started to tear apart the walls around it. The mouths kept on grinding the walls piece by piece. Or more precisely, the Creature of Desire was feeding on the Sanctuary Force!

Kieran who was connected with the creature clearly felt an unusual satisfaction from within.

"What the...!" Kieran was astonished. But before he could relate to more, the vigorous beating of his heart filled his ears.

Dong, Dong Dong, Dong Dong Dong!

It was like rumbling thunder or war drums sounded before a war.

Phantasmal illusions started to take shape before Kieran’s eyes. He saw pieces of dark-red, distorted, uneven mirrors gather around him and shatter one after another.

The sinful, chaotic, cataclysmic aura spread out around him. Horrible faces appeared one after another, laying their violent, cruel gazes on him. A moment later, the gazes turned into something that seemed to express flattery.

Kieran extended his hand, which was covered in magma, and crushed those disgusting faces that harbored ill-intentions against him.

Magma?

He tilted his head down in a dazed state and he saw that his body was replaced by a magma-like body that was vigorous and powerful. A thought from his mind extended its fiery wings outwards; it was so huge that it covered the sky itself, blocking any light from above.

Darkness instantly enveloped the land and his sight.

Suddenly, a dash of white appeared with the darkness. It was becoming brighter by the second.

Kieran looked at the dash of white as if he was looking at the person that he dreamt of all day and night.

He wanted to extend his hand and touch it but his magma hand forced him to stay still.

The white person was getting farther and farther away, eventually disappeared into nothing.

Kieran then felt sad. He blamed himself. He was angry at himself. Tons of negative feelings were mixed inside his mind, causing him pain and suffering; it was torturing his mental and physical state!

He looked up at the sky and roared in rage and pain!

ROOOOAR!

The roar changed everything around him; the sky above and the land below went through drastic changes.

He was in a hallucinogenic state but it felt like reality to him.