The Night's Dominion

The Hell Knight's armor, harder than mithril, tore apart with a sickening crunch.

The blue flames flickering on its helm faded away.

The full-plate mail imbued with Niflheim's chill crumbled into dust and vanished. It had looked like a powerful magical artifact, but because it was treated as part of the Hell Knight, it was gone.

A shame.

Burp.

The essence had tasted good.

The group of Hell Knights that had been floundering in the swamp began to fall one by one as Jinho cut them down. A low, grinding sound echoed across the battlefield.

Niflheim's cold. Normally, the energy of death would have been at a disadvantage against Seon magic, but the chill-laced death force granted by the goddess Hel slowly encroached upon the swamp.

The cold seeping into the horses' hooves froze the mire, steadying their ruined formation.

『Living one, do not reject death.』

A deep-blue aura spun around the extended cavalry lance.

Though slowed by the effect of the Yellow Springs, the attack still carried a force that could not be ignored.

The Hell Knight formation froze the swamp with the cold of the underworld and charged once more.

“If you’re so eager to die, I’ll kill you twice.”

The moment he stomped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ground, Earth Dragon surged toward the lead Hell Knight.

The charge had lost some of its momentum, yet the Hell Knights still tore through the Earth Dragon enhanced by the power of the Yellow Springs.

Even with the essence of an ancient dragon race strengthening it, a head-on clash was out of the question.

It was similar to the sword formation used by the Guryong-bang Guild.

The Hell Knight formation charged forward, their blue flames burning fiercely.

Perfect.

So that’s how you want to play it?

A long tail extended behind him. Wings covered in membrane sprouted from his back.

『Even if you fly, you cannot escape!』

“Who said I was running?”

He drew in a deep breath. His lungs expanded several times over.

It was a sight straight out of a comic book. His ribcage swelled, his chest broadening dramatically, yet his body suffered no damage.

This was a partial recreation of the ancient dragon race’s form, optimized for using their secret technique—Breath. Though it looked grotesque, there was no pain.

His heart pounded like twin war drums, channeling all his mana into his lungs.

The moment he opened his mouth—

A violet beam erupted and engulfed the charging Hell Knight formation.

『Do not fear! Charge!』

『Forward!』

The deep-blue aura pierced through the violet light as the knights pressed on.

Chi-i-i-i-ik! The Breath split to both sides, carving long scars into the ground.

Energy fragments scattered in every direction. The epicenter of the collision froze and thawed repeatedly, thick steam rising instantly and painting the surroundings white.

Breath from the front. Twilight’s power binding the Hell Knight formation from below.

Their charge had slowed dramatically, yet they still pushed forward, breaking through the Breath.

『Kuh!』

『We must bring death to him……』

Some of the Hell Knights who took the Breath head-on vanished without leaving corpses.

Ten had already fallen in the earlier melee. Another forty had been reduced to dust by the Breath.

What a waste of their essences.

Just as he clicked his tongue, his sixth sense screamed a warning.

A deep-blue lance tip flew toward him, having broken through the Breath. The power gushing from their mouths had visibly diminished, yet the Hell Knights’ dark fighting spirit had only sharpened their edge.

『He has poured out all his mana. He cannot respond.』

『Submit to the fate you cannot escape.』

What nonsense.

Did they really think my power was limited to “mana” alone?

Right after unleashing the Breath, a slight lethargy pressed on his shoulders, but it did not hinder his movement.

Whipping his tired body forward, he manifested the Seon energy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠within the True Dragon Orb and activated Shrink once more.

Pa-pat!

The scenery changed in an instant.

『He disappeared even though he became the target of the charge?』

『Is it an artifact’s effect?』

『The charge’s effect is still active. He cannot have gone far!』

How convenient that they were explaining everything themselves. No need to figure out their strategy.

The Hell Knights were not wrong.

Jinho had used Shrink to move behind their formation.

The sensation was different from when he had converted all stats into magic power. Becoming one with Polar Night, he could feel every place the shadows touched.

It was the same feeling he had experienced when fusing the Blue Heart Stone and the Sun Stone.

Instead of indulging in that omnipotent sensation, he focused all his senses on controlling Polar Night.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The surging power of Polar Night, like a tidal wave, completely enveloped the rear of the Hell Knight formation.

『W-whoa.』

『Do not panic. It is a trap set by the living.』

『Using petty tricks means they cannot stop the charge head-on!』

『Turn the horses!』

The remaining Hell Knights calmly tried to wheel their charge around.

Formidable enemies. If he had not awakened the power of the ancient dragon race, he would have been sweating bullets.

His race had changed from Dragonkin to Ancient Dragonkin, causing all his stats to skyrocket. Thanks to that, Demonic Power, which concentrated all stats into one, had its effect maximized.

“I may not match the Goddess’s skill, but this much I can do.”

Polar Night, dyeing a radius of several hundred meters in darkness, clung to the Hell Knights.

At the same time—

Crack! The power of Polar Night crushed them.

『Ugh, I cannot move.』

『The swamp and now this unknown power……!』

『Shake off this darkness!』

It will not go as you wish.

Since he had converted even his internal energy into Polar Night, he could not use Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword.

But it was fine.

This was more than enough.

The Polar Night enhanced by Demonic Power crushed the Hell Knights one by one.

When the duration ended, only about forty Hell Knights remained standing on the ground.

The Hell Knight formation was in tatters. Their trump-card charge had long since lost its momentum.

When he closed in using the Light Body Technique, the Hell Knights wildly thrust their lances.

Deep-blue dark fighting spirit rushed in from all sides.

There was no longer any reason to deflect or dodge.

He activated both Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword and Response Dragon Emperor Fist at once.

The blade infused with internal energy sliced through the cold without hesitation, while the fist carrying the dragon’s might crushed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠corrupted energy.

『Living one, just who are you……』

“Why? Did you think you would win if it came to close combat?”

『To think we would suffer such a miserable defeat even after receiving power granted by the Great One!』

He felled the last remaining Hell Knight and devoured its essence as well.

Demonic Explosion. It was a power on a higher level than dark fighting spirit. In martial arts terms, if sword aura corresponded to dark fighting spirit, then Demonic Explosion was at the level of sword ki.

The power was not exactly 100% identical. When the same amount of force was applied, sword ki would overpower Demonic Explosion. Still, it was a superior version of the ability extracted from the Death Knight’s essence.

“This should be useful.”

Before regression, he had also used aura and aura blades obtained through devouring essences. Their power had been one step below the techniques he created with internal energy, so he had only used them when his internal energy was low.

Things were different now.

Due to the aftereffects of regression, he possessed the True Dragon Orb that could convert mana and internal energy. He had also steadily accumulated magic power stats through the Dragon Fang Soldier’s essence. He would never lack either.

Wait a moment.

What would happen if he fused Demonic Explosion, aura blade, and sword ki together using Fusion Qigong?

He could not learn aura blade right now, so it was meaningless for the moment. Still, it was worth experimenting with later.

He glanced across the battlefield.

Nyx had stepped forward to draw the Archlich Lord’s attention. Because the Hell Knight formation’s charging power was so tremendous, he had not been able to pay attention to the main battlefield.

But now—

“Whoa.”

A short exclamation escaped his lips.

* * *

When Jinho had bound the Hell Knight formation’s legs with the Yellow Springs—

“Lexy, let us advance.”

“Kaooo!”

Nyx lightly stroked Lexy’s nape.

The Archlich Lord’s eyes—or rather, its blue flames—locked onto Nyx’s movements.

『Foolish one, you dare show such arrogance!』

Dark mana rearranged itself in the air.

A series of powerful spells comparable to Solar Explosion, which Jinho often used, were fired in succession.

“Hoh, you are not as strong as my contractor, but you are quite formidable.”

Following Nyx’s gesture, a wide curtain of Polar Night spread out.

『I sense no mana from that darkness. A mere illusion cannot possibly……』

The Archlich Lord’s words died in its throat.

Neither the pitch-black lightning nor the dark-red flames woven from dark mana, nor even the cold manifesting Niflheim’s chill, could be felt within the power of Polar Night.

『What have you done?!』

“Why are you so surprised?”

『I am asking why my magic is being dismantled!』

“My essence is night. It stands above all other darkness. Any power that defies the natural order can simply be returned to its original state.”

It was a dispel close to perfection when it came to dark magic and curses—possible only because Nyx was the Goddess of Night.

Unless the power was infused with the user’s strong will, like dark fighting spirit or Demonic Explosion, any ability that went through a rearrangement process like magic could be interfered with and nullified by Polar Night.

“It was thanks to that sapling of Typhon that I learned this.”

Nyx covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.

To the Archlich Lord, she was the ultimate hard counter!

『My army, go and make that insolent wretch kneel!』

As the undead army advanced, Lexy stomped the ground hard.

Kwaang! The undead were flung in all directions from the impact. Their numbers were so great that it barely made a dent.

‘I shall wait until my contractor returns.’

‘If the Hell Knights come back, victory is mine.’

Nyx and the Archlich Lord reached similar conclusions.

In the end, it was Nyx who smiled.