The cut was immensely deep, making Asur feel as though his entire body would split apart at any moment. Yet even amid that overwhelming agony, the Vorometallicae clenched his teeth tightly and summoned every remaining ounce of his strength.
Channeling his fury into his fist, the Vorometallicae unleashed a thunderous counterattack aimed directly at Vlad.
The chilling sound of metal fracturing echoed through the chasm as Asur’s massive fist collided violently with Vlad’s helmet, cracking it severely and sending the young Depravita plummeting toward the rocky ground like a meteor.
A bloody grin spread across Asur’s face as his punch landed successfully, and a triumphant satisfaction flickered momentarily in his fiery eyes. But before he could truly savor that fleeting victory, his chest wound suddenly trembled.
Without warning, the horrific gash expanded violently in all directions, as if a monstrous force within was tearing him apart from the inside out.
The Voroe Sage couldn’t suppress a howl of unbearable pain as the sinister power of the Mark of Cain erupted within his wound, violently sundering his flesh and rapidly siphoning away his life force.
The most terrifying part for Asur was that the vitality drained from him did not simply vanish into the ether; it was being transferred elsewhere.
A deafening roar of rage and killing intent echoed fiercely as Vlad’s battered figure erupted with newfound energy. Half of his helmet had shattered completely, revealing his bloodied and bruised face beneath. However, his blazing eyes still shone fiercely, reflecting pure killing intent and unwavering determination.
Vlad channeled every last shred of his remaining power into his sword, gripping it with both hands as if holding onto life itself.
The Depravita’s voice thundered with hatred and deadly wrath as he swung his blade downward, unleashing a pitch-black arc of energy that brimmed with the devastating, space-rending power of the Void Severance technique.
Asur, barely able to remain standing, raised his eyes one last time, meeting his doom head-on. A final, despairing cry of pain and fury tore from his throat as Vlad’s brutal strike landed squarely upon him.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!"
The resulting explosion obliterated an enormous portion of the canyon wall, sending waves of destruction reverberating through the entire region. Rocks shattered, debris flew, and the very ground trembled violently beneath the impact.
When the dust finally settled, Asur’s broken body collapsed lifelessly onto the stone floor of the chasm. The wound Vlad inflicted was devastating—a massive slash cutting so deeply that only the skin on the Voroe’s back prevented his body from separating entirely into two halves.
Vlad’s vision blurred dangerously, his consciousness wavering on the brink of collapse. He was certain the last punch had fractured his skull, as the world around him seemed to spin uncontrollably.
Knowing he had no time to waste, Vlad swiftly gathered the two halves of Asur’s corpse and took the creature’s storage ring and belongings. He then quickly departed the Howling Chasm, acutely aware that such an intense battle would draw unwanted attention. In his severely injured state, any additional conflict would likely prove fatal.
With the guidance of the A.I. Chip, Vlad skillfully evaded any further dangers and safely returned to the Golden Sky Fortress, immediately heading toward his residence. Upon entering, he barely managed to swallow a handful of potent healing potions and panaceas before finally losing consciousness, and collapsing heavily onto the floor.
Vlad did not awaken until the next day. His head was throbbing intensely, and exhaustion still clung to every muscle. However, thanks to both his resilient Depravita constitution and the medicinal potions he’d consumed, the broken bones in his skull had already begun to fuse back together.
It took several additional hours of focused meditation and rest before Vlad felt himself fully recover. Sitting upright, he exhaled deeply as he reflected solemnly on the deadly encounter he had narrowly survived.
"That fight was far too dangerous," Vlad murmured seriously to himself, a solemn glint in his eyes. "If not for the reinforced defenses provided by Void Flesh and my Astral Singularity Body, that single punch would have completely shattered my skull."
He clenched his fists tightly, a burning hunger for even greater strength igniting within him. Such a close brush with death only intensified his desire to push beyond his limits.
Once Vlad ensured his recovery was complete, he immediately returned to Marshal Maximo’s castle. There, he engraved three more enhanced Darkness Devouring Runic Formations before leaving the castle.
This time, rather than returning immediately to the battlefield, Vlad locked himself away within his residence. Taking out numerous parchments, he began a series of meticulous experiments, striving to push his Runic Master skills toward the Legendary Tier.
His goal was simple but ambitious: forging Legendary Tier Demon Cages. Achieving this would not only fulfill his promise to Spartacus but would also grant him yet another powerful tool capable of contending with the overwhelming might of Legends.
Vlad immersed himself completely in his work for an entire week. Each day, he tirelessly refined and honed his skills, advancing steadily closer toward his ambitious goal. During these days of intense research, Vlad also received visitors sent by Janus and Agamenon, engraving two Sage Tier Demon Cages daily to make up for the week lost during his recovery.
Not only did this significantly increase Vlad’s wealth, but it also allowed him to experiment and further strengthen his runic skills. Naturally, those who came to Vlad were unaware that they were serving as guinea pigs; they were simply overjoyed at receiving the powerful enhancements the Demon Cages provided.
Just as the busy week concluded and Vlad prepared himself mentally to return to the battlefield once more, two unexpected visitors appeared at his doorstep.
Normally, Vlad would immediately turn away uninvited guests. However, recognizing the identities of the arrivals, a genuine smile spread across his face.
Standing at his door were the Depravita of Greed and the Depravita of Envy.
Ouroboros and Fafnir greeted Vlad enthusiastically, wide smiles etched clearly across their faces. Vlad felt genuinely pleased to see the white werewolf and the light-fire dragon once more.
It had been several months since they’d ventured deep into the Great Swamp to train, and Vlad had received no news from them since their departure.
Now, observing them closely, Vlad quickly realized that their intense training had yielded extraordinary results. Ouroboros and Fafnir exuded auras of formidable strength, clearly having achieved significant breakthroughs.
"Come in," Vlad invited warmly, quickly ushering them inside. As soon as the doors closed and privacy was ensured, Vlad’s attention sharpened, carefully assessing the strength and progress of the duo.
From Fafnir, Vlad immediately sensed an intense soul force along with the profound, cosmic aura characteristic of powerful Sages. Clearly, the dragon had made impressive strides, elevating his cultivation dramatically during his time away.
Meanwhile, Ouroboros lacked the distinctive soul force and cosmic presence of a Sage, but his immense vitality and the terrifying physical pressure emanating from him were undeniably monstrous.