Chapter 162 – The Death of Bahanger

In Doleiz City, within the Lord’s Castle.

Standing by the window, Bahanger frowned deeply as he watched the sky above Doleiz City grow increasingly dark. The thick clouds seemed almost tangible, and he could vaguely see the flowers and trees below swaying desperately in the fierce wind, the pink bougainvillea trembling in the storm. A chill seeped through the window. The ground quickly became mottled, followed by deafening thunder rolling from afar, flashing across the sky—a storm was approaching.

“Sigh!”

Bahanger let out a soft sigh and slowly moved away from the window, dragging his severely injured body.

Despite several priests’ exhaustive healing efforts, Bahanger’s severed arm ultimately could not regenerate. Moreover, his body had been too deeply corroded by Tisha Xia’er’s potent toxins. Even now, the dwarf’s skin continued to cycle through “growth and decay, regrowth and further decay,” with large patches of muscle stained green exposed to the air. With every movement Bahanger made, the unhealed bones in his body emitted a series of horrifying, uneven cracks.

“Lord Bahanger, it is very late. You should rest.”

Without any warning, a calm voice came from the castle entrance.

“Annoying! Didn’t I tell you this strongest dwarf doesn’t need rest? Such a minor injury can’t trouble me, Bahanger. You’d be better off urging those blacksmiths to finish my new hammer quickly… Wait, you…”

Bahanger’s impatient words cut off abruptly. With all his Battle Aura devoted to combating Tisha Xia’er’s semi-energy poison, his perception had dropped to an unprecedented low.

Only now did he realize that the “servant” who had spoken seemed very unusual, and a thick scent of blood faintly wafted from outside the door.

“Damn it, you are…”

Bahanger roared in anger as he quickly reacted, immediately reaching for his hammer. But it wasn’t until his remaining left hand groped around his waist that the straightforward dwarf remembered—his hammer had been destroyed in the battle with Tisha Xia’er.

“Damn… You despicable bastard, Moradin will curse you…”

“Bang!!”

In his desperation, Bahanger shouted curses, but all he received in return was a purple-glowing “Kinetic Cone.”

“Boom!!”

“Ha!!”

The explosive shockwave blasted a large hole through the castle floor, causing the entire Lord’s Castle to tremble violently. Purple energy fragments instantly riddled the entire room with holes. Amid the thick dust, a panting figure gasped for breath uncontrollably.

The first “Kinetic Cone” had been blocked by Bahanger’s urgently activated Battle Aura. However, the toxin continuously eroding his body prevented his Battle Aura from accumulating, with consumption rate nearly matching recovery. Now, after withstanding one attack, Bahanger had no Battle Aura left!

Unlike Bahanger, who knelt half-collapsed in the rubble with reopened wounds, Punk emerged full of vigor. His black Mage Robe with crimson patterns fluttered without wind, and brilliant blue magical energy spun rapidly within his pupils.At this moment, two “Kinetic Cones” infused with more mana were already floating at the tip of the Emerald Staff, waiting only for Punk’s command to instantly tear through the air and pierce Bahanger, who had lost all defensive capabilities.

“Hello, pleased to see you again—especially under these circumstances. I believe Mr. Kangkai would be delighted to discuss with you the fascinating experience of having your body torn apart by magic.”

Punk sneered at Bahanger as both Kinetic Cones shot explosively toward the enemy.

With the System’s precise calculations, Punk had already deduced Bahanger’s next evasive move based on the dwarf’s muscle contractions. As a result, Bahanger’s dodge not only failed to serve its purpose but instead seemed to propel him directly into the path of the Kinetic Cones.

The outcome was inevitable: both Kinetic Cones, emitting terrifying sonic booms, struck Bahanger’s body—one shattering the dwarf’s spine, the other pulverizing his remaining arm.

Watching torrents of blood gush from his arteries and feeling his last vestiges of strength rapidly fade with the blood loss, Bahanger let out a bitter laugh and gave up resisting. He slumped heavily into a rubble pile, throwing his head back in roaring laughter and baring a mouthful of blood-stained teeth.

“Hehehe, Kangkai told me your damn goal is probably that worthless wooden box. That pretty boy did give it to me, but even though I’m a bit slow, I’m not stupid enough to carry it around waiting for you to steal it. I hid it securely—go search for it! Dig three feet deep if you must! If you find it, I’ll admit defeat, hahahaha!”

“Search? Of course I’ll search—but the primary tool won’t be a shovel. It’ll be your corpse.”

Punk gazed coldly at the laughing dwarf, then aimed at Bahanger’s head and unleashed the final Kinetic Cone!

Facing the rapidly approaching energy projectile, Bahanger only had time to futilely raise his hand in front of his face. In the next instant, the Kinetic Cone drilled through the dwarf’s pitifully weak Battle Aura like an electric drill, immediately grinding his skull into pulp. White bone fragments and crimson flesh mingled together, drenching Bahanger’s headless corpse.

None of the splattered paste went to waste—Punk promptly collected it all, storing the mangled remains along with Bahanger’s body into another wooden barrel.

“Good. Now the main course is served. Next comes an elegant side dish.”

Casually discarding Bahanger’s Storage Ring—which contained merely a few bags of Gold Coins and several bottles of strong liquor—Punk leaped expressionlessly from the crumbling castle and vanished into the gloomy twilight.

——————————————

At the gates of Doleiz City, a woman planning to visit relatives outside the city was leading a Little Girl by the hand, step by step toward the exit.

The Little Girl, with her hair in pigtails, appeared sweet and delicate, skipping cheerfully as she walked.

The woman, however, moved with hurried urgency. The weather in Doleiz City grew increasingly oppressive, with signs of an approaching storm now unmistakable.Seeing the sky growing dark, the woman quickened her pace considerably. Since the chaos had subsided, Doleiz City had become extremely strict, and the city gates would close during abnormal weather. Therefore, she had to hurry if she wanted to leave the city.

“Mommy, mommy, what is that?”

Suddenly, the Little Girl pointed at the iron gate that had appeared at the city entrance and asked in her clear, crisp voice.

The gate materialized amidst a hazy, colorful glow, then seamlessly fused with the bricks of the city wall as if welded into place. The blocked entrance was so tight that not even a mouse could slip through.

The young woman did not answer her daughter’s question. She knew that the sudden appearance of an iron gate was anything but normal. Praying to Pelor, the Sun God, she quickly scooped up her daughter and rushed toward home, even though the small wooden hut was unlikely to offer any real protection.

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(End of Chapter)