Chapter 924: A Shattered Soul
"Huh... You seem to know very little about spatial power. Well, that’s not surprising, considering you’re a subordinate of the Singularity of Chaos."
The mysterious voice sounded again.
Then, right before Malverna’s eyes, Lucifer’s charred and battered body slowly rose to its feet.
The red demon mask he had been wearing was shattered, revealing an aged face that was half-charred.
Both of his eyes glowed bright red, with strange pupils shaped like the sun and the moon.
Malverna’s eyes widened as she met his gaze.
"Those eyes... Aren’t those Nolan’s Eyes of Chaos!?" she exclaimed inwardly.
"Pfft!" Lucifer chuckled softly. "You guessed right. My eyes do resemble the Singularity of Chaos. Surprised?"
Malverna’s heart pounded. She couldn’t understand how this man could possess the same eyes as Nolan.
Gritting her teeth, Malverna channeled the demonic power within her.
Crack!
The space pressing down on her slowly cracked, as if it were about to shatter at any moment.
"Oh? You’re quite impressive. It seems being around that man has allowed you to unconsciously master the power of space, even if only a little." Lucifer let out a small laugh. "Interesting... Very interesting!"
He clapped his hands before extending his right hand toward her.
"How about you join me? I can guarantee you everything—wealth, power, and anything else you desire. Whatever the Singularity of Chaos can offer you is nothing compared to what I can give you."
His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
But Malverna merely sneered at him and spat contemptuously.
"Tch! Don’t even think about it, you bastard! Even though I hate Nolan, I won’t betray him... I won’t!"
Lucifer stared blankly at the hand she had just spat on.
The next second, immense rage erupted from his body.
Boom!
The spatial force trapping Malverna intensified dramatically.
"Argh!"
Malverna screamed in pain as cold sweat streamed down her forehead and back.
The pressure made her muscles feel as though they were being torn apart from the inside.
"Just because you’re a little stronger doesn’t mean you can act arrogantly in front of me, Order of Chaos, Malverna," Lucifer said coldly. "Since you’re so stubborn, I don’t mind erasing you from this world."
His red eyes blazed brightly.
The moment Malverna met his gaze, she felt as if her soul were being crushed by an invisible hand.
"Argh!" she screamed hysterically.
She tried to fight back, but it was useless. It was as if a giant boulder were crushing an ant.
The red light in Lucifer’s eyes grew even brighter, causing the pain tearing through Malverna’s body to intensify.
Crack...
A faint cracking sound echoed through the air.
Then—
Boom!
A loud, shattering sound rang out.
Malverna, who had been screaming in pain, suddenly fell silent. Her blue eyes slowly dimmed, as if her soul had been torn from her body.
Lucifer smiled faintly.
"This is the price you must pay for offending me," he whispered indifferently. "Your soul is already shattered, so let’s say goodbye to your body."
He raised his fist. The space around him suddenly tensed before shaking violently, as if it were about to collapse.
Just as he was about to swing his fist at Malverna’s face, the necklace around her neck suddenly lit up brightly.
Whoosh!
A shadow burst from the necklace and punched Lucifer directly in the face, sending him flying dozens of meters away.
He rolled across the ground several times before finally coming to a stop.
Lucifer was stunned.
"Who’s interfering with me!?" he shouted angrily.
When he looked up, he saw a handsome black-haired man standing in front of Malverna.
The man’s bright purple eyes glowed faintly, with strange pupils shaped like the sun and a star.
"Y-You... Singularity of Chaos—no... Nolan Lorian..." Lucifer snarled.
"Nolan" simply stood there calmly, showing no intention of attacking him.
Lucifer got to his feet and crouched, preparing to strike. But before he could move, a sudden wave of weakness washed over his body.
"Damn it! My time’s up!" he cursed.
He gritted his teeth, mustered the last of his strength, and darted toward Nolan like lightning.
"You’re nothing but an avatar! How dare you defy me!?"
Boom!
A massive explosion went off, its deafening blast completely drowning out the thunder in the sky.
Smoke and dust billowed into the air, obscuring the battlefield.
When the smoke finally cleared, "Nolan" stood there with his left hand outstretched.
Lucifer, who had attacked him, was nowhere to be seen.
Only a pile of ash remained where he had stood.
"Nolan" stood still for a few seconds before turning his gaze toward Malverna behind him.
Seeing the woman who had always been so arrogant now reduced to a soulless body, a hint of sadness flashed across "Nolan’s" eyes.
"Her soul has been shattered. Fortunately, it wasn’t completely destroyed. There’s still a chance to repair it. If only the main body were here, he could surely save her."
"Nolan" shook his head before placing a hand on Malverna’s forehead.
Buzz!
A faint white light emanated from his body.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake violently as a massive root burst from the earth, followed by a tree that stood seven meters tall.
Malverna’s body was slowly lifted by the roots before being wrapped tightly like a mummy and suspended from one of the branches.
"Nolan" formed a mysterious hand seal.
In an instant, the giant tree vanished from sight as if it had never existed.
"Until my main body returns, she’ll be fine. Her recovery might be a little slow, but it’s better than nothing."
After saying that, his body turned into smoke and slowly disappeared from view.
...
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
Hiding behind the table, Novaria covered her mouth as she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes never left the door in front of her.
"That monster... It won’t come here, will it?" she muttered, her voice trembling with fear.
Fifteen minutes ago, when the servants had already gone to the bunker, Novaria hadn’t had time to join them.
It wasn’t because she was arrogant or careless. She had been fast asleep and hadn’t woken up in time. It was a bad habit of hers that was difficult to break.
And just as she was about to head to the bunker, she saw a mysterious man leap onto the mansion’s roof.
Afraid of being discovered, she had no choice but to hide behind the dining table.
Novaria’s heart pounded in her chest as cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Second after second passed, but the strange man was nowhere to be seen.
"Could I be overthinking this? Maybe that man isn’t after me after all."
As the thought crossed her mind, her tense body slowly relaxed. But she still couldn’t shake the possibility that the man was wandering somewhere inside the mansion.
"I have to take the risk!" she muttered, gritting her teeth.
Just as she was about to step out, an upside-down head suddenly appeared right in front of her.
Its face was twisted into a terrifying grin.
"Hello, young lady. Need some help?"