Chapter 451 – It Has Begun

People often say that effort leads to success, but is that truly the case?

At least in the merciless world of Fearun, effort is merely a relatively important prerequisite. Without effort, success is impossible, but even with maximum effort, success remains only a “possibility.”

Kane serves as a rather typical example of this.

Though Punk didn’t know what Kane’s initial goal had been, nor why he had mistaken the Nightmare Cult for his target, when he saw Kane’s fury erupt upon hearing Sorsend’s response, Punk could basically confirm that this high-risk, time-consuming endeavor of Kane’s was destined to yield nothing. Sorsend clearly had no connection whatsoever to Kane’s objective—the knight had targeted the wrong enemy from the very beginning.

Did this happen because of Kane’s foolishness? No, not at all. Punk felt such occurrences were utterly normal.

Generally speaking, at power levels where advancement difficulty increases exponentially, situations like Kane’s—staking everything only to end up with nothing—are the most common norm. After all… this world is vast beyond measure, and the schemes hidden within it are far too numerous. Individuals like Punk, fortunate enough to encounter opportunities with minimal side effects, are extreme exceptions.

Even when betting one’s life, the possibility of success remains minuscule. So, should powerful beings halt their progress because of this?

Of course not. Gambling with their lives still offers a sliver of chance for advancement, whereas refusing to gamble condemns them to die of old age at the Master-Level. Every Legendary is a monster who clawed their way back from death’s door countless times. Those Master-Level experts who indulge in pleasures like Ben Lajie or remain cautious and law-abiding like Kirk Weilen are destined to be stuck at level nineteen. Only “madmen” like Kane and Punk, who fight without hesitation, have any hope of treading the path to Legendary.

Therefore, Punk knew that despite Kane’s current rage, if there was any possibility of gain, this fellow would still charge forward without looking back. As the saying goes, a strong individual’s resources are earned by risking their life—and even then, resources aren’t guaranteed! Expecting rewards without taking risks? Where in the world does such good fortune exist?

Though this logic holds true, and Kane must have mentally prepared for gaining nothing or even perishing during this “life-risking” endeavor… when actually witnessing all his efforts come to naught, anyone would inevitably feel profound disappointment and fury. Such bitter resentment is unavoidable even for Punk, let alone for Kane, a warrior aligned with chaotic evil.

Thus, upon sensing the violent, savage Battle Aura erupting from Kane, Punk silently sighed inwardly and began preparing his spells.Kane’s reaction was entirely within Punk’s expectations. From the very beginning, this knight’s willingness to exchange a few words with his enemy before fighting stemmed from his desire to ask that crucial question. Now that the question had been asked, the answer received, and the enemy would never let him leave… was there really anything else requiring further contemplation? Immediately venting the fury in his heart was the most natural course of action.

Thus, accompanied by the intense glare of vast amounts of Light Battle Aura gathering at the tip of his lance, with his eyes blazing with incandescent fire, Kane unleashed his Combat Skill without hesitation and charged toward Sorsend:

“Master-Level Combat Skill—Charge!”

Amidst a burst of brilliant, flowing light, Kane’s figure instantly vanished from his original position, replaced by a laser-like streak resembling a white serpent that shot through the cavern toward Sorsend. The sharp Battle Aura even pierced through space, causing large, dark fissures to swirl around the “white serpent.”

No more pre-battle taunts were needed, nor any concern for the battlefield. A knight’s charge was always relentless, a fight to the death. This sudden, unprovoked eruption of lethal intent was the magnificent style of an evil-aligned knight.

However, unlike many true madmen of chaotic alignments, even in the throes of extreme rage, Kane’s rationality remained perfectly clear. Though his expression was as ferocious as a demon’s, the tactics he employed after initiating his Charge were still meticulous and rigorous.

Instead of opting for the most powerful straight-line charge, Kane chose the lowest-power “zigzag” dash within the Charge Combat Skill. This significantly reduced the lethality of his technique, but in return, his trajectory became an irregular, twisting line. With hundreds of abrupt directional changes occurring in an instant, most spellcasters would find it extremely difficult to accurately target him.

While this version of the Charge Combat Skill, due to its reduced power, would struggle to breach an enemy’s magical defenses… Kane’s goal wasn’t to pierce Sorsend’s skull in one strike. He merely wanted to close the distance with the enemy as quickly as possible. As a martial combatant, swiftly closing in was absolutely the top priority when facing a spellcaster.

However… Sorsend was no ordinary spellcaster.

He wouldn’t idly stand by and allow Kane to approach. In fact, almost the very moment Kane’s Battle Aura erupted, Sorsend had already completed the preparation of his spell.

“Hehehe, young man, you must learn to calm your mind. This old man’s guests have not all arrived yet… But since you’re so impatient, let this old man play with you for a while.”

Chuckling with a sinister, throaty tone, a hint of crimson began to glow in Sorsend’s pupils.

Although Sorsend was reluctant to personally engage in combat to buy the remaining time, with Kane suddenly launching an assault, even he had no choice but to respond seriously after his ominous sneer. If he didn’t want to activate the trap prematurely and give Ovakain a great advantage, he had to hold his own against Punk and Kane for a minute or two.Of course, the confident Sorsend wouldn’t feel fear because of Kane’s outburst. In his view, although defeating Punk and Kane together wouldn’t be easy, buying a minute or two was quite simple.

Thus, carrying ample confidence and a bloodthirsty, cruel smile, Sorsend boldly unleashed his spell:

“Master-Level Conjuration Spell—Mosa’s Heart of Terror”!

Metamagic—Spell Guidance.

Sorsend’s spellcasting could be considered proof of this Level 19 Peak Spellcaster having lived to the end of his lifespan. This old man’s spellcasting was even slightly faster than Punk’s, and the power of this psychic spell went without saying. The 19th-level casting grade granted it terrifyingly potent lethality. Unless the target possessed fifteen layers of insane magical protection like Ovakain, the outcome of taking it head-on generally wouldn’t be favorable.

However, even as he watched the dreadful psychic energy cone unleashed by Sorsend rapidly closing in on him under the effects of the “Spell Guidance” metamagic, Kane showed no trace of panic. He continued his “Charge” Combat Skill, and at this moment, the resolute knight even abandoned the “Zigzag Charge” technique in favor of a direct charge. As for the high-speed energy cone about to strike his head… Kane didn’t even glance at it.

He was absolutely certain—at this moment… Punk would definitely intervene!

(End of Chapter)