Chapter 23: Madness
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Six massive meteorites slammed heavily into the six special-grade executors. These six special-grade executors were all tearing open the earth with both hands, trying to burrow into the ground. However, the tremors from these six giant meteorites crashing into the ground echoed through the heavens and earth like thunderclaps.
"Boom!"
Six enormous craters, each over ten meters wide, appeared out of nowhere. At the same time, a terrifying shockwave spread in all directions. The ground rolled like waves, houses collapsed, and trees shattered and splintered everywhere.
Within a radius of several hundred meters, everything was reduced to ruins.
This terrifying roar resounded throughout the entire city of Hess. Whether it was the ascetics walking out of Hess, the members of the Dawson Conglomerate, or other experts—everyone felt the tremors here.
...
The spreading shockwave washed over Linley, but he stood there like an idiot, not moving at all, letting the shockwave ravage past him.
Linley stood frozen, tears streaming down his face.
"Ah, ahhh—" Linley seemed to have forgotten how to speak. Trembling all over in pain, he roared in terror and grief, then fell weakly to his knees.
A heart-wrenching sensation engulfed Linley's entire being.
Scenes of being with Grandpa Doehring involuntarily surfaced in Linley's mind...
---
The first time, when that white light transformed into an old man in a moon-white robe with white hair and a white beard, little Linley had shouted in fear, "You, who are you?"
"Little one, hello. My name is Doehring Cowart, a Saint-level Grand Magus of the O'Brien Empire!" Doehring Cowart had first made contact with Linley then.
---
"Grandpa Doehring, why aren't you saying anything? How is my elemental affinity?" Linley had asked during his first test of magical talent.
"Excellent, very excellent. Your elemental affinity is extremely high," Doehring Cowart had said, his face full of smiles. "As far as I know, it's hard to find even one in a thousand mages whose elemental affinity matches yours. Truly." Doehring Cowart's praise had made little Linley incredibly excited.
---
A Saint-level Grand Magus from the O'Brien Empire era, and a little child. And so, with the help of the O'Brien Empire Grand Magus, the child embarked on the path of magic...
---
The flat-blade style of stone carving, training in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. Under the guidance of the elder Doehring Cowart, Linley grew at an astonishing speed.
When Linley became the center of attention...
No one knew that behind him was the soul of a Saint-level Grand Magus from the O'Brien Empire era.
---
"Linley, from now on, you'll have to rely on yourself," Grandpa Doehring had said one last time, affectionately patting Linley's head.
As that earth-shattering forbidden spell, "Meteor Shower," was cast, Grandpa Doehring's soul had dimmed.
"Linley, farewell."
"Remember, live well."
---
Scenes of being with Grandpa Doehring in his childhood kept flashing through Linley's mind. That elder who had tolerated him and taught him had become someone Linley could not live without.
"No, no—"
Linley kept shaking his head.
He refused to believe that Grandpa Doehring was truly dead. Dead, with his soul dissipated.
"It's impossible. Grandpa Doehring, come out. Come out!" Linley stared at the Ring of the Dragon God and roared continuously. Then he began to plead, tears sliding down his cold scales.
Blood kept seeping from Linley's body, but he felt nothing.
"Grandpa Doehring."
Linley so desperately wished that another white light would fly out of the Ring of the Dragon God, transforming into the moon-white-robed, white-haired, white-bearded Grandpa Doehring. Linley couldn't believe that Grandpa Doehring was dead like this, gone from him forever.
Ever since he was a child and had been with Grandpa Doehring...
Linley had never been apart from Grandpa Doehring. Never!
Deep in his heart, Linley had grown accustomed to Grandpa Doehring's presence. Even when he was imprisoned by the Radiant Church back then, he had never felt so helpless.
His heart had always been steady. Because behind him was Grandpa Doehring.
But now...
Grandpa Doehring was gone forever. Forever!
"Why, why?" Linley's voice trembled. "Heavens, my father is dead, my mother is dead. Why, why must you take away my last Grandpa Doehring too?"
"Why!!!" Linley threw his head back and roared.
The sound echoed through the heavens and earth.
"Ah, ah..." Linley fell weakly to his knees and wailed loudly. But no matter how much he cried, that kind elder would never come again.
He was dead forever.
"Grandpa Doehring."
Linley felt an unprecedented weakness—a weakness of the soul. Without a father, without a mother, and now without Grandpa Doehring, who had always been by his side...
The only one still with him was Bebe, who didn't even know Grandpa Doehring existed.
"Boss, Linley boss." Bebe pushed Linley nervously.
Linley turned to look at Bebe.
"Bebe." Linley suddenly pulled Bebe into his arms.
"Boss, you were calling out 'Grandpa Doehring' just now. Who is that Grandpa Doehring? I felt such terrifying spiritual energy. What was that?" Bebe was still confused and bewildered.
Thinking of Grandpa Doehring, Linley felt a piercing pain in his heart.
He looked down at the Ring of the Dragon God on his finger. But Grandpa Doehring was gone forever.
"Crackle~~" A faint sound suddenly came. Linley turned to look.
He saw that in one of the craters created by the meteorites, a figure in a purple robe was struggling to climb out. Not just him—the other five were also slowly crawling out of the ground with great difficulty.
Meteor Shower—an Earth-system forbidden spell.
If a Saint-level Grand Magus had cast "Meteor Shower," these six would have been one hundred percent dead. But Doehring Cowart was a Saint-level Grand Magus without a single trace of magical power.
According to magical principles, magical power is the general, and elemental energy is the soldier. Spiritual energy, through magical power, controls the elements to form a massive spell.
But Doehring Cowart's soul, relying on his immense spiritual energy, directly controlled the elements and forcibly cast the "Meteor Shower" spell.
Because he had no magical power, even though Doehring Cowart burned his soul, the power of this Meteor Shower was only ten to twenty percent of a normal one. But even that ten to twenty percent of a forbidden spell's power had smashed the six special-grade executors half to death.
Watching these six purple-robed figures struggling to climb out...
A boundless fury, rage, and unwillingness surged from the depths of Linley's heart.
"Ah—" Linley shot toward one of the purple-robed figures like lightning. The special-grade executor, seeing Linley charging at him, was so terrified his eyes bulged wide.
"Ah—" Linley's hands suddenly exerted force, directly tearing this special-grade executor in half.
"Die!" Linley grabbed another purple-robed figure's head and ripped it off.
"Drink!" Linley's claws plunged directly into the chest of the third special-grade executor, ripped out his heart, and crushed it to pulp.
"Go to hell!" Linley opened his mouth and bit down hard on the fourth special-grade executor's throat, tearing it out.
Eating his flesh, drinking his blood!
"Ah!" Linley's figure instantly appeared before the fifth special-grade executor. The executor, already severely injured and unable to resist, could only watch in terror as Linley tore him apart from the thigh, splitting him in two.
As for the sixth executor—
"You, you—" That already severely injured sixth special-grade executor saw the horrific scene before him and watched Linley charge over like a demon from hell. He trembled all over in fear, then collapsed.
Even though the sixth special-grade executor was already dead, Linley still punched his head with all his might, smashing it to pieces.
Bebe watched this scene, somewhat shocked.
The warriors watching from afar were completely stunned. They had never imagined anyone could be so cruel and terrifying. Especially Linley's current appearance—most of his scales were shattered, blood stained his entire body, and his dark golden pupils were tinged with red.
"Boss, what, what's wrong with you?" Bebe was getting worried.
After madly killing the six special-grade executors, Linley sat down weakly on the ground. He sat there blankly, not knowing what he was thinking.
"Boss." Bebe pushed Linley anxiously.
Linley suddenly looked up, but tears couldn't stop flowing. He lowered his head again, burying his face between his knees, and began to cry.
...
The six giant craters, the hundreds of meters turned to ruins. The six purple-robed men had been brutally killed by a demonic monster.
But this demonic monster was now sitting with his head between his knees, crying.
...
Hundreds of meters away, thousands of onlookers had gathered. Seeing this scene, many found it unbelievable.
"That demon is crying?"
Many were astonished.
"That demon seems... seems very sad," a young man said uncertainly to his friend beside him. His friend paused, then nodded as well.
The distant onlookers didn't dare approach. They had already seen the terrifying scene of the battle. Even some rank 8 experts understood the gap between themselves and that being.
"A demon crying?" Yale, Reynolds, and George, who had rushed over from afar, heard the murmurs and were stunned.
"Move! Move aside!" Yale roared.
Immediately, the guards of the Dawson Conglomerate pushed the onlookers aside. Yale, Reynolds, and George rushed in frantically.
When they reached the innermost area, all three were dumbfounded—
Hundreds of meters around were nothing but ruins. The six giant craters were enough to imagine the terrifying power. The six mangled corpses could show the brutality of the one who killed them.
And the demon, whose scales were mostly shattered, was sitting there, head buried, crying.
When they saw Bebe beside the "demon," and especially the black mithril heavy sword lying on the ground, Yale and the others fully confirmed Linley's identity.
"Third bro." Yale, George, and Reynolds immediately rushed over.
At this moment, Munday Dawson also arrived from behind. He immediately ordered his men, "Quickly dispose of those six corpses. Leave immediately. Don't let anyone know it was our Dawson Conglomerate." After saying this, Munday Dawson quietly left.
"Third bro." Yale, George, and Reynolds called out worriedly.
Actually, back in Fenlai City, when Linley had attempted to assassinate Clayde, Yale had already guessed that Linley could transform into a Dragonblood Warrior. He had also told George and Reynolds. Now, seeing Bebe and the scattered black mithril heavy sword, they naturally identified Linley.
Linley's body trembled slightly.
He raised his head and looked to the side. Seeing Yale, Reynolds, and George, he finally spoke: "You..."
"Let's go quickly," Yale urged. "The purple-robed special-grade executors you killed—if the Radiant Church finds out, it'll be a disaster." Yale immediately pulled Linley up.
Linley stood up as well.
"Bebe, let's go." Linley picked up Bebe and walked straight out.
But Yale was stunned, because he noticed that Linley didn't even bother with the black mithril heavy sword. He quickly called out, "Third bro, your heavy sword."
"Heavy sword?" Linley turned around, then seemed to come to his senses. He walked back, picked up the sword.
At that moment, a group from the Dawson Conglomerate arrived and quickly disposed of the six purple-robed executors' bodies.
"What's wrong with third bro?" George whispered to Yale and Reynolds.
Yale shook his head in confusion. "I don't know. Bebe is fine too. But third bro seems even worse than last time he was heartbroken. He looks completely lost."
Linley, under the guidance of the Dawson Conglomerate's men, quietly slipped through the alleyways to a secret mansion residence.