Chapter 450 Chapter450-Karthus, Fully Possessed
John was visibly astonished upon receiving the news of Storm City's attack.
He hadn't anticipated that the Dark Faction's assault would achieve such significant success.
Moreover, the information provided by the quartermaster indicated that even the barracks and training fields of Storm City were not safe.
While parrying Karthus's attacks, John simultaneously opened his communication channel.
To his dismay, there was no incoming message from Emma and SkyStars.
Surprisingly, he also failed to receive any updates from Blue Sea and Adam, despite having an agreement to keep each other informed of their movements.
"Again, this happens. Why can every villainous faction cut off communication channels? The Mystery Faction could do it, and now the Dark Faction too," John muttered, frustrated by the situation.
John had previously encountered communication disruptions, but he was taken aback that the Dark Faction also possessed this capability.
Realizing that Storm City had been attacked and that Emma and SkyStars were likely in grave danger, John knew he had to quickly conclude the battle at the Defend Wall and rush to support Storm City.
"Rally the other guards of Storm City to exert their full strength. I'll deal with Karthus as swiftly as possible and then come to aid you. The sooner we finish here, the faster we can return to Storm City," John instructed, even before the quartermaster could inform him that all guards of the Order Faction at the Defend Wall were to follow his commands.
Since escaping the Godslayer Temple, John had been in a commanding role, directing others.
Given that he had encountered players and NPCs whose abilities fell short of his, it was only natural for John, with his superior strength, to take the lead.
Although the quartermaster harbored some reservations, he complied with John's directive and quickly returned below the Defend Wall to coordinate a full-scale counteroffensive with the other guards of Storm City.
Simultaneously, Karthus once again harnessed the immense power of the devil wand to escape the trap set by John.
Freeing himself from the constraints of the Abyssal Prison, Karthus exuded extreme confidence.
"John, it seems I've overestimated you," Karthus spoke with a brazen arrogance, his voice slightly quivering.
"I thought your strength would have significantly increased after such a long period of leveling up. But it turns out, your power isn't as formidable as it used to be. Just relying on the devil wand, I have successfully broken free from your Divine Skill, Abyssal Prison!"
In his audacious tone, Karthus's voice betrayed a hint of tremor.
His facial expressions had become far more exaggerated than before, his entire being now more akin to a powerful demon.
Upon observing Karthus, a slight smile appeared on John's lips.
He could discern that Karthus was nearing complete possession by the devil wand.
John's strategy was clear: he needed to launch an all-out assault.
Karthus, in responding to John's attacks, would be forced to continually wield the devil wand.
The more Karthus used the wand, the faster the demonic possession would ensue.
"Beat me first before you claim victory," John retorted coldly and then deployed the skill [Morphing Mirage]. This shape-shifting ability made his figure vanish instantly.
Karthus was well aware that John's disappearance was a precursor to an imminent attack.
Reacting quickly, Karthus raised the devil wand and unleashed a potent dark spell.
"Even if you turn invisible, it won't stop me from defeating you! Now, witness my true power at its peak!" Karthus declared, lifting the devil wand high.
An almost endless stream of dark power from the wand began to concentrate on Karthus's eyes.
As Karthus's eyes turned a deep red, numerous crimson pupils emerged in the air around him, each radiating a sinister energy.
[Shadow Curse (Divine Skill)]
[Skill Description: In the shadows of the Dark Realm, demons harness the power of darkness to take physical form. The demon known as Shadow was one of the first to materialize, specializing in curses. Wherever Shadow's gaze falls, endless darkness ensues.]
[Skill Effect: Ignores all invisibility skills, revealing the true forms of all hidden units within 100 meters of the user. Curses all units within a 100-meter radius of the caster. During the duration of the curse, afflicted units lose 15% of their maximum HP every second.]
Shadow Curse is the most powerful ability Karthus gains after acquiring the devil wand.
The greatest advantage of this skill lies in its unlimited damage potential.
The damage from Shadow Curse is a percentage of the target's maximum HP.
Regardless of how high the HP of other players or NPCs is, Shadow Curse can eliminate an opponent within 7 seconds.
Naturally, John's invisibility effect cannot persist in the face of Shadow Curse.
However, the disappearance of the invisibility is actually a part of John's plan.
Karthus's movement speed is not as fast as imagined.
By the time John's eye effect fades, John is already just a step away from Karthus.
Almost instantaneously, John used [Divine Blade].
A powerful force converged in his hand, forming a pale blue short sword.
On this sword, John added a second Divine Skill, [Unrivaled Strike].
Under the influence of these two Divine Skills, the pale blue short sword conjured by John could inflict significant damage on Karthus.
Although it wasn't enough to kill Karthus outright, it could seriously injure him.
The moment John appeared beside Karthus took him by surprise.
Karthus hadn't anticipated John's speed to be so extraordinary.
Karthus could naturally see the pale blue short sword in John's hand.
Even though Karthus was unaware of the full extent of the sword's power, he instinctively moved to block it.
Karthus raised his devil wand, and it collided directly with the pale blue short sword formed by John's Divine Blade.
Both John and Karthus felt a tremendous impact.
Simultaneously, the pale blue short sword in John's hand was shattered by the devil wand.
Seeing this, John naturally retreated to a safe position as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, Karthus appeared very pleased.
From Karthus's perspective, John's failed move meant that his strongest strike had been easily blocked.
"I can finally eliminate you and avenge my past defeat! You once caused my level to drop to zero, and now I will do the same to you!" Karthus said with a mad laugh, full of arrogance.
However, his expression soon shifted from ecstasy to surprise, and then to fear.
Karthus could feel the devil wand merging with him.
His eyes, filled with disbelief, were fixed on the devil wand.
"Why is this happening? Didn't you promise to help me defeat John? Why are you trying to take control of my body now? This wasn't part of our agreement!"
Karthus thought his pact with the devil wand would not be broken, but he had greatly overestimated the trustworthiness of the demons from the Dark Faction.
John, standing not far away, watched as Karthus was gradually consumed by the devil wand but did not immediately act.
He knew very well that attacking now would only end up saving Karthus.
Eventually, Karthus was completely devoured by the devil wand, which finally broke free from the suppression of the sealing power and revealed its true form.
[Shadow (God-tier Devil)]
[One of the ten Origin Devils, an entity even the seventy-two Devils must look up to, the true power source of the Dark Realm. The most powerful and terrifying creation born from the Origin Darkness!]
As Shadow broke free from the seal of the devil wand, John could immediately see the information related to this God-tier Devil.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com