Chapter 75: The Unexpected Savior

Celeste’s pupils contracted sharply.

Just like the Snake Eye organization she had encountered before, the elderly scholar-like Marcus’s body twisted, swelled, and deformed as he trembled.

Eventually, the robe he wore was torn apart, and he completely turned into a monster.

His mouth transformed into an insect-like proboscis, his eyes turned pure black without any whites.

Magic power far exceeding Silver Grade erupted from within him, forming a visible vortex of mana in the entire hall.

Celeste tightened her grip on her longsword, silently chanted a few magic incantations, and laid down several Trap Magic spells before asking with a hint of shock:

“Are you still part of Snake Eye?!”

The monster—or rather, the former Marcus—looked down at her.

In those pure black eyes, two clusters of scarlet flames seemed to flicker faintly.

“I’m merely making use of that organization’s research results.”

His voice had completely distorted—hoarse and low, like a broken bellows.

But in that tone, a trace of human arrogance still lingered.

He opened a hand that had already turned into a claw, staring at the hideous bone spurs and scales on his palm.

Within the two clusters of scarlet flames, a look of near-obsessive fascination emerged.

“You see, this is the path to the Deity.”

He raised his head to look at Celeste, his voice growing softer, yet eerily carrying a chilling warmth:

“This path is not yet perfect, but it doesn’t matter. Soon, you will become the most perfect stepping stone on my journey!”

The moment he finished speaking, the mana around him seemed to go wild with excitement.

Celeste stood still, gripping her longsword in silence.

Although her wounds had stopped bleeding, she was still injured, and her stamina was nearly exhausted.

Now, her opponent was a monster above Silver Grade.

She didn’t know exactly how strong this monster was, but she was sure it was the most powerful creature she had ever faced.

But at times like this, fear was useless.

If she wanted to survive, she had to fight back.

“A stepping stone? Then let’s see about that.”

The moment Celeste finished her sentence, Marcus lunged at her at incredible speed.

Having prepared for it, Celeste dodged awkwardly and slashed her sword across his body.

Clang!

Too hard.

Celeste’s tiger’s mouth went numb from the shock.

The blade only left a shallow white mark on the monster’s body.

The dark red scales covering it were as hard as cast iron.

Marcus looked down at the tiny figure still struggling in vain and sneered, “Bronze Rank. You can’t even damage my scales!”

He raised his claw and swung lightly.

Celeste raised her sword to block.

A tremendous force sent her flying backward like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the wall.

Debris flew everywhere.

She hit the ground, tasted blood in her throat, and coughed up a mouthful of crimson.

Two ribs were broken.

She used the longsword to support herself, struggling to stand, but her body refused to obey.

Both stamina and injuries had reached their limits.

Marcus walked toward her.

Each step made the ground tremble slightly.

“Your ability is indeed special. Those barriers—even a real Grand Witch couldn’t break them as easily as you did.”

He stopped in front of Celeste, looking down at her.

The greed in his eyes grew stronger, so intense that he bent down, his claw slowly reaching toward her head.

“Let me see what power flows inside you…”

Celeste gritted her teeth.

Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword.

Even if she was caught, she would leave a wound on him!

But just as Celeste was filled with despair, a silver light flew in from the side!

The light was as swift as lightning, so fast that the air was torn apart with a sharp screech!

Marcus reacted with astonishing speed. His massive body instantly retreated.

The light grazed his chest, leaving a deep wound on the dark red scales!

Dark red blood gushed out.

Marcus let out a sky-shaking roar.

At the same time, his scarlet gaze locked onto where the light had landed.

Celeste followed his gaze, and then her breath caught.

A slender figure was walking slowly from the other end of the hall.

She wore a white-gold long dress, spotless.

Her cold face was now covered in frost.

And in her hand was a longsword glowing with a chilling light under the flames.

The newcomer was Mephia.

“You…”

Her appearance filled Celeste with confusion.

She opened her mouth to ask something, but in the end, she said nothing.

Marcus stared at Mephia, as if recalling something.

Mephia swung her longsword.

From the moment she appeared, her gaze was locked firmly on Marcus.

Then, she parted her lips:

“Marcus, former scholar of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.

After being exposed for colluding with Snake Eye, you were expelled by the Academy.

Now it seems that was probably just a staged act by the Academy to research Witch Power.”

Marcus’s body stiffened slightly.

“How do you know? Could it be that you also worked at the Imperial Academy of Sciences?”

Mephia did not answer.

She glanced at Celeste, then continued walking forward.

At the same time, the longsword in her hand let out a sharp ring.

A fierce sword aura tore apart the nearby mana vortex.

“No matter what plans or conspiracies the Academy has, today, you will die.”

“Interesting.”

Marcus sneered in response.

He clenched his fists, and then his body began to swell again.

The muscles under his scales writhed crazily.

Bone spurs thrust out from his spine one by one.

His entire body grew another size larger.

His aura surged once more.

The terrifying mana pressed down on Celeste beside him, nearly forcing her to the ground.

She even suspected he had reached the peak of Gold Rank.

Beyond that was the legendary realm.

After swelling again, Marcus’s voice became even deeper and hoarser.

At the same time, his sanity seemed to be tainted, growing chaotic.

“Just an… Inquisitor… and you dare say that to me! Then… let me see… what you have to kill me with!”

Struggling to spit out a human sentence, Marcus opened his fang-filled maw and lunged at Mephia.

At that moment, Mephia moved.

The sword light cut through the darkness like a meteor.

The battle that followed was so fast it was dazzling.

Mephia’s swordsmanship was extraordinary.

Every strike accurately pierced the monster’s vital points.

Under her blade, Marcus’s scales were no longer indestructible.

One wound after another opened on his body, dark red blood splattering the ground.

But Marcus’s regeneration was too strong.

The wounds healed at a visible rate.

New scales pushed out from under the skin.

He completely abandoned defense, launching a relentless assault.

Each swing of his claw carried earth-shattering force.

For a moment, the battle fell into a stalemate.

But Celeste could see that Mephia was being suppressed.

Her attacks and magic could indeed wound Marcus, but they barely left lasting damage.

Marcus, on the other hand, though his moves were slow, carried overwhelming power.

If Mephia were hit even once, she would likely lose most of her combat ability.

Moreover, Celeste could sense that Marcus was not using his full strength.

As a monster, his attacks couldn’t be limited to fists and feet.

And indeed, just as Mephia retreated, a red tentacle suddenly burst from the ground, striking at her back!

“Watch out!”

In haste, Mephia could only twist and raise her sword to block.

But Marcus seized the opportunity to appear behind her.

With a mad laugh, he swung his claw down!

A magical barrier appeared on Mephia’s back, blocking Marcus’s attack.

However, the force still sent her flying backward, flipping in midair.

When she landed, she knelt on one knee, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

This was the first time Celeste had seen Mephia injured.

Her heart tightened.

“Mephia!”

Mephia did not turn around.

She slowly stood up, staring at the monster advancing step by step.

Then, she put away her longsword.

“Master?!”

A sharp voice came from her shoulder.

The familiar Elsa revealed herself.

Her eyes were filled with barely concealed fear and worry.

“You…”

Mephia didn’t look at her. She quietly chanted a single incantation.

Then, as if a seal had been broken, a strong current of air began to swirl around her.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve used my full strength.”

Elsa anxiously said, “Master, no! Your body…”

“Enough.”

Mephia cut her off.

She lowered her head, glanced at the bloodstained figure not far away, then fixed her gaze on the advancing monster, Marcus.

Soon, a slight smile curled at the corners of her lips.

“Unseal,” she said softly.

With a whoosh, a seal shattered like fragments.

At the same time, a blinding light, as if capable of burning everything, exploded from within her.

The light was so intense that even the monster instinctively stepped back, raising a claw to shield itself.

But Celeste didn’t close her eyes.

She saw it.

She saw something behind Mephia tearing through the white-gold dress, unfolding, growing…

A pair of wings.

A pair of enormous, pure white wings, but one of them was missing.

The left wing was complete and holy.

Each feather glowed, as if forged from moonlight.

The right wing had only the base left, with jagged remnants of feathers.

In addition, mana automatically materialized white-gold ribbons wrapping around her, making her dress even more sacred and radiant.

The weapon in her hand also transformed into a golden Holy Lance.

A one-winged angel?

Those four words echoed in Celeste’s mind.

Mephia slowly raised her head. Her golden eyes seemed to emit a divine radiance.

She simply looked at the monster, and Marcus’s body began to tremble uncontrollably.