Chapter 610.5: Look, I'm a Sword Saint Too!
Whoosh!
Amidst the fierce cutting sound, red light flared in Hakkar's eyes.
He forcibly suppressed his survival instincts. Locked in a tug-of-war with the altar, his body froze.
Noticing this rare chance, Matthew struck with full force.
The ruined Ghost Blade slashed into Hakkar's neck!
Two-thirds of the neck was severed—his body trembled in pain and distortion.
The ferocious head didn't fall. Two twisted hands instinctively gripped the Ghost Blade.
The Eternal Life Church members, sensing danger, poured their remaining power into the altar and regained control of Hakkar's body.
Sword Saint Hess, arriving just then, saw Matthew unleash his full strength and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
He gripped his greatsword tightly and lunged at Matthew's back with lightning speed.
Sword Saint Secret Technique—Wind Assault Thrust!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The blade's slicing winds pierced through Matthew's body in an instant.
Part of the raging sword aura even struck Hakkar's chest, punching deep, bone-revealing holes.
The sheer ferocity of the strike showcased Hess's unmatched destructive power.
Unfortunately—
He didn't hit Matthew!
Matthew had already bypassed Hakkar's body and dashed thirty meters away.
To Hess's shock, the body that vanished into light upon being struck emitted a very familiar fluctuation.
It was none other than his own Light-Shadow Clone Slash!
Matthew had secretly learned it without Hess realizing.
And at a crucial moment, he executed it effortlessly—even better than Hess himself.
"Impossible!"
Hess, stunned, prepared to pursue Matthew.
But a twisted mass of blood erupted from Hakkar and lunged at him.
Boom!
Hess retreated and cleaved the incoming whip aside, his eyes flashing with realization and venom:
"Those Eternal Life Church idiots tried to attack me? Am I their sacrificial pawn now?"
"Delusional trash. You all deserve to die!"
With that thought, Hess sprinted toward the ruins' exit.
The Eternal Life Church members, still clueless, struggled to regain full control of Hakkar and remained unaware of the looming disaster.
Especially the bishops who had fully committed—they grinned maniacally while directing Hakkar deeper into the Mage Tower.
"Once we unlock the seal, we can control Him completely..."
"Then we can extract His divinity and power, bit by bit, making it our own."
"Exactly. The Cole Elves tried and succeeded. Why else do they have so many..."
"Shut up! Don't let others hear that!"
"..."
Excited, they couldn't wait to drive Hakkar to the tower's core.
Annie looked stunned as Matthew barreled into the Mage Tower.
She never imagined Matthew would fight his way inside.
Before today, even with close ties, she wouldn't have allowed him near the tower's core.
But now, unafraid of death, she decisively opened the gate.
At the same time, she released the final batch of advanced war puppets.
They were salvaged from the swamp ruins—she spent a fortune studying, disassembling, and upgrading them.
Now was the time to test their combat capability.
They didn't need to beat Hakkar—just stall him for a bit.
Seeing the machines resembling Death God 2000, Matthew remarked under Annie's stunned gaze:
"Chainsaws and flamethrowers—great combo. But they need ranged weapons too..."
Annie rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut. As Hakkar roared, she activated the complex protective array and snapped:
"Great, now you're stuck dying with me."
"What were you thinking, charging into this death trap?"
Matthew calmly examined the space, eyes landing on the glowing red seal crystal at the center. He replied:
"Let's talk about how to handle that big guy. You must have a backup plan."
Annie gave him a complicated look. Even someone with her eccentric personality couldn't figure Matthew out.
With a sigh, she reluctantly answered:
"The tower has a self-destruct system. It's strong enough to destroy the seal—and kill Him while sealed."
"It'll also take out the tower and most of the ruins beneath Bloodmoon City..."
Saying this, Annie felt a stab of heartache and helplessness.
If there was another way, she wouldn't consider this last resort.
"Self-destruct?"
Recalling fragments from his memory, Matthew finally understood the ruined debris and collapsed paths.
They were probably collateral from a prior self-destruct blast...
Matthew pieced together Bloodmoon City's fate, Annie's sacrifice, the Church's scheme, and the Mage Tower—clicking his tongue:
"We've unknowingly pissed off so many enemies..."
A glance told him how terrifying the device was.
It was a failed Mystran Core—a bomb!
Mystran Core!
The essential core of a floating city!
Able to endlessly draw energy from the Weave and surroundings.
It looked like a glowing crystal made of countless filaments.
On those threads were micro spell inscriptions.
They danced through a massive orb, tangible yet illusory.
The metallic frame was covered in runes even Matthew didn't recognize.
Naturally, he used millions of Fate Power to memorize them all.
Crimson light flowed through the threads.
Even residual ripples caused a warped sensation.
The core had a broken center—clearly a failed prototype.
"Didn't think the Yaoyue family was aiming to build a floating city..."
Annie, seeing Matthew stare, dared not look directly at the seal. Watching the golems fight Hakkar, she explained:
"Our ancestor failed to become a Grand Arcanist but refused to give up. He poured the family's resources into making a Mystran Core."
"Sadly, he both succeeded and failed."
"A core needs not just materials, but deep Weave access only Grand Arcanists have..."
Matthew absorbed this hidden knowledge, eyes on the faintly glowing seal.
The orb rested in a sunken platform.
Surging magical waves flowed like an ocean.
Even a Grand Arcanist couldn't match the failed core's power.
Hearing the rising whispers, Matthew looked away, recalling the core.
It was uniquely linked to Hakkar's seal.
When dormant—
It drained power from Hakkar and the Weave.
Fueling the mighty Mage Tower.
And when needed, it could detonate like a Weave bomb.
The unleashed force could destroy Hakkar and the seal.
But it would also disrupt the Weave and devastate nearby life.
Thankfully, they were underground. Matthew guessed the blast wouldn't reach the city.
As Annie was about to speak, Matthew pointed to Hakkar, smashing the last few golems:
"That brute's strong. He'll break in soon."
"So you should go. I'll handle the self-destruct."
As Annie stared in shock, he handed her a glowing crystal.
Recognizing it, she made a strange face.
A Fixed-Point Teleport Stone!
Once activated, it sends the user to a preset location.
Its effect was powerful and precise, unaffected by dimensional anchors or war barriers.
Of course, such quality came at a price.
Each one cost 1.5 million gold!
Why did Annie know that so well?
Because she made this one—and sold it to Matthew for that price...
Before she could speak, Matthew activated it, waving goodbye:
"Tell everyone to evacuate the ruins. Secure Bloodmoon City ASAP."
"Also, prepare for continued combat. We need to stabilize the city quickly..."
Before Annie could reply, she vanished in the teleport glow.
Matthew patted the idle self-destruct device.
The Mystran Core looked elegant and sturdy—he knew why.
As a floating city's heart, it was even more vital than its master.
If it failed, the whole city would crash.
So Grand Arcanists heavily reinforced it against damage.
But now, Matthew had a different plan.
Once activated, the damaged core began absorbing energy nonstop.
But the output paths had been sealed.
So the buildup grew rapidly, spinning faster and faster.
Matthew felt the dense magic solidify into crystals.
He marveled at the core's might and terror.
"Alert: Self-destruct activated. Evacuate immediately!"
"Alert: Self-destruct activated..."
Red lights flashed throughout the tower.
The Eternal Life Church members assaulting the final door panicked.
Hakkar screamed in rage, sensing danger.
The seal beneath the core glowed wildly.
The brighter it got, the faster the core spun.
Ignoring the whispers, Matthew placed his hand on his battered armor. Time energy surged.
Outside, Hakkar, suddenly fearful, accelerated his assault.
Facing real death—
He realized survival was all that mattered!
Matthew noticed the shift. Feeling the power spiral, he closed his eyes and whispered:
"Struggling is pointless. Embrace your fate."
"Thanks to you, I get to taste god-slaying again!"
Boom!
Rainbow-colored magic flooded the space.
For one heartbeat, order reigned—then chaos erupted.
Everything nearby turned to dust.
The unstable storm of mana fed on the Weave and expanded.
Rumble!
Destruction spread outward.
The Mage Tower crumpled like a toy.
Fleeing cultists were shredded by the shockwave.
Hess, watching from afar, blinked dazedly:
"Did he die...?"
Boom!
Rubble exploded as Annie stared at the collapsed ruins, her heart pounding.
She looked around but saw no familiar silhouette. Tears fell on her dusty robes.
Then, more than ten Thunder Armors dropped to the ground with loud clangs.
Annie's eyes widened as she stared at the cratered wreckage.
For a long time, nothing moved.
She hung her head, gazing at the battered armor piles.
Each piece was scarred and gashed—proof of battles fought.
And now—
They had no wearer...
"You figured it out too? Thunder Armor will sell well. Still needs improvement though."
A familiar, bright voice rang out. She turned instinctively—and met Matthew's deep eyes.
He extended his hand with a sincere smile:
"Come on. Let's get rich together!"