Chapter 44: Teaching a Lesson
Before the shattered Dark Prison Gate, the air seemed to freeze at this moment. Blood dripped from Douglas's chin, wounds inflicted by the chaotic energy vortex. If not for Douglas's formidable strength, he would have been torn apart within it.
The reason Douglas appeared here was simple. Within just a few hours after the Dark Prison stopped merging with this world, all Dark Prison fissures closed. The entire Dark Prison became isolated from the outside world, returning to a sealed state. Only the Ancient God faction possessed methods to reach the outside.
Negotiating with that Ancient God was clearly impossible. The Dark Demons and Wraiths could only freely enter and exit the Dark Prison by pledging allegiance to Soul. As a follower of the Ancient God, Soul naturally knew how to open passages.
At this point, the Dark Prison had been completely taken over by the Ancient God, with Soul playing an indispensable role, having become the Ancient God's proxy.
Douglas and Soul were mortal enemies. Additionally, all the Dark Demons and Wraiths within the Dark Prison had submitted to the Ancient God faction, making Douglas desperately eager to leave the Dark Prison.
Just then, Douglas thought of the Dark Prison Gate. As one of the former Three Giants of the Dark Prison, he knew that opening the gate from the inside would allow him to return to the outside world. He was neither a Dark Demon nor a Wraith. Once outside, he could find ways to develop his forces or gather old friends to take revenge on Soul and the Ancient God.
Douglas had been studying the inner side of the Dark Prison Gate for some time. Unfortunately, destroying the gate from within was nearly impossible. Just as he was growing frustrated, a loud crash echoed from the Dark Prison Gate, followed by rapid shattering.
Before Douglas could react, he was sucked into the chaotic energy vortex, leading to the current situation.
Su Xiao drew Dragon-Slaying Flash. The situation was straightforward: the enemy of my enemy is my friend? That didn't apply here, because both Douglas and the Ancient God were his enemies.
"So this is my destiny? I... cannot accept it. I bear the surname Eld, born to command thunder."
Black lightning surged across Douglas's body. A long blade formed entirely from fragments rapidly constructed in his hand. This sword was about 1.3 meters long, with a blade four fingers wide and no guard.
"Kukulin, do you know? I can no longer use my true name. My family—seven generations of hunters—each generation hunted Dark Demons and Ghosts. From birth, the hunting instinct was carved into my bones. Seven generations hunted 1,752 Dark Demons and 68 Wraiths. And what was the result? I watched my parents executed by the East Valley Federation. By then, the Dark Prison Gate was already sealed. They were no longer needed.
You joined the Watch Guild using the Eld family's letter of recommendation. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Douglas, his face covered in cracks, smiled because he knew he would die here today.
"Fox Hyena·Yas was clever. Only by being needed does one have value. If we truly killed all the Dark Demons, what would happen? Peace? Hahaha... human greed has no limits!"
Douglas suddenly vanished from his spot, dragging a black electric arc behind him as he slashed at Su Xiao.
Clang!
Blades clashed. Douglas gripped the hilt with both hands. His aura now seemed like a fusion of beast and gentleman.
Dozens of meters away, Button·Sunny stared at Douglas. She had confirmed that this mysterious stranger was very strong. This was clearly an opportunity—a chance to escape.
With these thoughts, Button·Sunny's heart grew hot. She even wanted to shout, "Go, mysterious stranger! Defeat this monster!"
With a crackle, the black electric arc was torn apart. Su Xiao raised Dragon-Slashing Flash, the muscles on his right arm slightly bulging as he delivered four lightning-fast slashes.
Douglas's close combat wasn't weak. Amidst the clanging and shockwaves, he blocked Su Xiao's four strikes, then his long blade split into four short blades, slashing toward Su Xiao's neck, left arm, abdomen, and lower leg.
Just as Su Xiao was about to be hit, he activated Dragon Shadow Flash, entering a space-penetrating state, and delivered a straight kick.
After the four short blades passed through Su Xiao's body, he immediately exited the space-penetrating state, landing a straight kick on Douglas's lower abdomen.
Watching from the side, Button·Sunny saw this. Her cheek twitched as she silently mourned for the mysterious stranger for three seconds.
Boom!
A blast of air exploded outward. Douglas's body curled like a shrimp. Suspended midair, his eyes bulged, blood vessels bursting in the whites of his eyes. With a "wah," he spat out a large mouthful of blood. The fabric around his lower back shattered in a ring, torn apart by the immense impact force.
Douglas grunted and flew backward into the chaotic energy vortex. The moment he entered the pitch-black vortex, fine wounds appeared all over his body, as if he were about to be torn apart.
Douglas's eyes were filled with disbelief. Before, he could still exchange blows with Su Xiao, though he was taught a harsh lesson, he at least managed to hold him off. But now, in a single exchange, he was nearly beaten into submission.
Clearly, Douglas hadn't noticed one thing: during their last encounter, Su Xiao had heavily held back. Douglas's strength was inferior to Haogui. If the two fought to the death, the gap would be even greater. If Haogui hadn't fought with bare fists, he could indeed have had a real battle with Su Xiao, with the outcome depending on circumstances. After all, Haogui's strength surpassed that of the previous world's Tiger Wasp Lord·Tamisha.
Earlier, Su Xiao needed Douglas to escape back to the Dark Prison to track the location of the fusion source.
Just as he entered the black energy vortex, Douglas felt like he was about to be torn apart. But in the next instant, he felt a pulling force. A metal wire dragged him out of the vortex.
Douglas was utterly bewildered, but he soon understood what was happening. The moment he exited the vortex, he was kicked back in again.
After repeating this five times, Su Xiao pulled his left arm, and Douglas flew out of the vortex, crashing to the ground with a thud, motionless.
"Let me... die like a warrior."
Douglas tremblingly raised his arm. Su Xiao crouched down, slamming the hilt of his blade downward. With a thud, darkness engulfed Douglas's vision.
After an unknown amount of time, Douglas's eyes slowly opened. He immediately smelled the combination of formalin and medicine. He was lying on a hospital bed, surrounded by various instruments.
"You're awake?"
A somewhat hoarse but magnetic voice came. Douglas shifted his eyes toward the source. At this moment, only his eyeballs could move.
Turning his gaze, he saw a doctor wearing a crow mask.
"As expected of the Eld family's direct line. I thought you were done for."
The bird-beaked doctor stood by the bed, reaching out to tap Douglas's eyeball with a finger, as if confirming something.
"The Wraith residing inside you has been extracted. Strange, why was she willing to consume her soul to help regenerate your body?"
Hearing the bird-beaked doctor's words, Douglas's eyes widened in fury.
"No need to thank me. I disposed of that Wraith for you. Having a Wraith reside in your body is harmful to your health."
"Ah!!"
Douglas roared from the bed. Surprisingly, he could actually shout—a medical miracle.
"Just kidding. She's still here."
The bird-beaked doctor picked up a nearby glass bottle. Inside the solution, a small shadowy figure was swimming.
Seeing this swimming shadow, Douglas's eyes showed both relief and pain—relief that the Wraith hadn't died, pain because the Wraith was doomed to die.
After confirming Douglas was fine, the bird-beaked doctor picked up a syringe and injected the liquid into Douglas's arm.
"Welcome to the Watch Guild, one favored by the world. We've been looking for you for a long time."