Chapter 274 Chapter273-Leave the Rest to Me
The distance between Hills and the Desire Devil Ghana diminished with each heartbeat, to the point where Hills could vividly see the grotesque smile stretching across the demon's face.
He had closed his eyes, accepting the inevitable demise that awaited when the Darkblade would pierce his flesh.
The sole hope harbored in his conscious was to inflict even the slightest wound upon this fearsome demon with the last vestige of Holy Light divine power within him before death claimed him, standing as a guardian of humanity's dignity.
Ghana, on the other hand, was utterly indifferent to the unfolding scene.
Because he could keenly perceive that the spear in Hills' grasp held but a dwindling residue of Holy Light divine power.
An attack of this magnitude was nothing but a slight itch to a being of the Devil's caliber. Ghana could fully afford to bear such a price.
"No, Hills!"
The teammates, gravely wounded and collapsed on the ground, could see through Hills' intentions.
They cried out in unison, a symphony of dismay and desperation.
Some even turned away, unable to bear the sight of Hills meeting his end, hearts brimming with sorrow and rage.
Struggling, they tried to rise, eager to lend their final ounce of strength for their fellow comrade.
Yet, the damage wrought by Devil Ghana had been too massive, leaving them powerless in their attempts to muster the energy lingering within.
The more clear-headed among them, individuals like Dragonfang and Saphir, started searching for any sign of John, unable to believe that their leader would remain indifferent in this critical juncture.
But no matter how they sought, they found that John, who had previously been lingering at the outskirts of the battlefield, silently watching, had vanished without a trace.
"Where's the captain? Someone save him, quick!" Dragonfang shouted with a hoarse voice, tearing at his throat with the intensity of his cry.
Saphir slowly shook his head, forcing down the fresh surge of blood that threatened to spill from his lips, "I don't know, but I trust that Galewind isn't the kind to abandon us in the face of danger..."
As the Darkblade was on the verge of piercing through Hills' flesh, a soft sigh echoed beside the battling priest's ear.
"Sigh..."
In the next instant, Hills felt a tremendous force pulling him back, hurtling him through the air away from the point of impact.
Taking his place was John, one hand holding the protruding Holy Light spear, while the other extended a single finger to meet the Darkblade thrusting from the side.
This blade, forged from dark divine power, had caused Hills countless troubles before.
Yet, before John, its once imposing presence dwindled to a weak whisper, halted entirely by a mere finger, unable to advance a fraction more.
"You've done all that you could, reaching the limits of your abilities. Take a good rest; I'll take it from here..."
John turned his head, offering Hills a gentle smile, a beacon of reassurance amidst the chaos.
Hills stumbled and sat heavily on the ground, clutching his chest, yet his face bore a smile of relief.
Even though his entire body was soaked in blood, and the energy within him nearly depleted, he felt incredibly exhilarated.
For some reason, as he gazed upon John's figure — not as tall as he imagined, yet exuding a supreme sense of security — he felt as if all problems would be solved with the captain's intervention.
It was a confidence unspoken, a trust unfounded given their brief acquaintance; Hills had undergone years of rigorous training at the Holy Light Church's tribunal, facing countless battles big and small.
He shouldn't have been so quick to place his trust in a young man he had met only a couple of times. Yet, in this moment, his defenses were completely lowered.
"Captain, you must defeat this damned Devil, for the light, and for all of humanity!" Hills' voice, darkened by exhaustion, sounded more like a murmur than a cry.
With a smile, John nodded gently, uttering in a nonchalant tone, "Don't worry, just rest well."
John waved his hand towards the sky and a faint beam of Holy Light descended from the heavens, enveloping all the members of the Elite Demon Hunting Team in its radiant embrace.
[Divine Guardian (Divine Skill): Under the protection of a deity, all impurities are purified. Once released, it forms a defensive barrier that can expand or contract, covering a space up to 100 yards in radius. Within the Divine Guardian barrier, one remains untainted and all voodoo effects become null. It can also withstand a full-force attack from enemies below the Demigod level...]
Everyone looked up in unison, faces filled with curiosity as they gazed at the sacred barrier enveloping them.
They could feel the potent magical power infused within it.
Simultaneously, their physical conditions began to visibly improve at a rapid pace; their injuries were slowly healing, and their internal energy was gradually restoring.
Hills suddenly lifted his head, his face awash with astonishment as he turned toward John.
Being a practitioner of the Holy Light class, he was no stranger to the Divine Guardian, a Divine Skill.
It was the ultimate defensive technique of a Paladin.
Could it be that their captain's true class was that of a Paladin?
Hills found himself momentarily confused, as if he were a monk who couldn't quite find the head he was supposed to scratch.
In the midst of the battlefield, John resisted the oncoming Darkblade with one hand while holding a lance formed of Holy Light divine power in the other, unhesitatingly piercing it through Ghana's chest.
He lifted his head, his face graced with a smile as he gazed intently at Ghana.
Even though the Soul-Devouring Devil before him had revealed its true demonic form, towering over them at a height of several tens of meters, John remained fearless, his eyes even reflecting a hint of curiosity.
"Almost forgot about you, this somewhat special speck..."
Ghana seemed not to care about the lance that had penetrated its body, instead breaking into a wild, unrestrained laughter. "You can't possibly think that with just this small residue of Holy Light divine power, you can completely defeat me, can you?"
John shook his head with a light smile.
Releasing his grip on the Holy Light spear, he spoke nonchalantly, "After all, you are a Devil. Even gravely wounded, you can't be defeated by such a scant amount of divine power... I didn't plan to settle everything with just one move, but I am rather curious about one thing now; does every individual in your demon race look different?"
Ghana's manic laughter abruptly froze on its face, replaced by a look of bewildered suspicion as it stared at John.
It wondered if this person had lost his mind.
Why would someone suddenly pose such a mundane question amidst such a fierce battle?
John noticed the inquisitive look in Ghana's eyes and explained with a light chuckle, "It's okay if you don't want to answer, I'm just suddenly curious about this matter. After all, the Desire Devil Mammon that I met last time seems to have a true form quite different from yours..."
The hesitation in Ghana's eyes became even more apparent. Suddenly, as if realizing something, it roared skyward, "Damn human, are you mocking my appearance?"
Manipulating the Darkblade with divine power, Ghana furiously jabbed towards John.
However, John seemed to be like a phantom, swaying left and right in mid-air. Each time, the Darkblade only managed to graze past him, never inflicting any harm.
Dodging the thrusts of the Darkblade, John remarked nonchalantly, "Don't get me wrong, I am not mocking you for being ugly, even though you indeed are quite hideous..."
"I am simply curious about how your demon race procreates. All seventy-two Pillars of the Abyss Devils call Azazel their Father God, yet I have never heard of Azazel having a wife. Could it be that all of you were birthed by him alone?"
The Desire Devil Ghana became increasingly enraged, the fury in its eyes nearly materializing into flames potent enough to reduce John to ashes.
Being exiled here meant that, like the Desire Devil Mammon, it was a loyal follower of Azazel.
Only a defeat in a power struggle had forced it to descend upon the Godslayer Continent.
Hearing John brazenly insult the revered Azazel in its heart stirred unimaginable rage within Ghana.
"Damn human, I don't know what kind of information you obtained from Mammon, but your words have thoroughly enraged me..."
Ghana's roar reverberated like thunder, shaking the entire Soulstone Temple to its foundations.
"I will seize you, extract your soul, and burn it in the Shadowflame for all eternity, never to find release..."
Suddenly halting his evasive maneuvers, John cocked his head and raised his hand abruptly. "The Shadowflame you mentioned, is it this thing here?"
Ghana's gaze fell upon John's hand, his face of rage suddenly frozen, eyes sinking into deep bewilderment.
Overwhelmed with shock, it even forgot to manipulate the Darkblade hovering in the air.
In John's hand emerged a clump of dark fire silently burning.
[Shadowflame Ember (Divine item): ...]
[Current Level: Level 5]
[Attributes: Perfect control over Shadowflame, capable of individual attacks as well as area damage. Inflicts 70% true physical damage and 75% true magical damage in individual attacks. In area attacks, inflicts 45% true physical damage and 45% true magical damage to enemies within 3000 yards.]
[Mana Consumption: None]
[Cooldown Time: 8 minutes]
…
Since last obliterating the Fallen Angel Leviathan with the Shadowflame, the ember had leveled up to five, with its attributes significantly enhanced, now possessing the power to devastate lands and skies.
Desire Devil Ghana wasn't perturbed by the potency of the Shadowflame; rather, its stunned face came from not anticipating in the slightest that John could control this force exclusive to the abyssal demons.
"You... what exactly are you? Why can you control the Shadowflame, the unique power of our demon race?"
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