Devil Slave (Satan system)

Chapter 582 The Trap 2

This had been a very terrible explosion.

The forest, once a lush tapestry of life, was now an apocalyptic tableau of ruin. The air hung heavy with the acrid scent of smoldering wood and the bitter tang of magical residue. Some of which still crackled in the air.

 An eerie quiet settled over the land, interrupted only by the distant creaking of gnarled branches and the haunting howls of mutated creatures that emerged from the shadows.

The explosion, a cataclysmic clash between Curtin and Victor, had left an indelible mark on the once-vibrant landscape. 

Trees that had once stood proud and tall were now gnarled skeletons, their charred remains reaching toward the leaden sky. The ground, once a soft carpet of moss and vibrant flowers, lay scorched and barren, a desolate proof of the violent forces that had torn through the heart of nature.

As the bright moon shone from a right angle in the sky, it cast long shadows over the scarred earth, and the remnants of the explosion became more apparent.

 Strange fissures crisscrossed the land, releasing faint, ghostly wisps of ethereal light. The very soil seemed to pulse with unnatural energy as if the earth itself mourned the devastation wrought upon it.

Mutated creatures, grotesque amalgamations of what had once been familiar fauna, emerged from the shadows. Some had wings that flapped awkwardly, casting grotesque shadows on the ground below. Others moved with a disjointed grace, their bodies twisted and contorted by the unnatural forces that had given them life. Their eyes gleamed with an otherworldly hunger as they prowled the desolation, seeking anything that still clung to life.

Victor's armor, a once-majestic guardian, now lay scattered in broken fragments across the ashen ground. 

The runes that had adorned it, each a conduit of potent magic, were shattered, their white flames extinguished. 

The very essence of these runes, now scattered like fallen stars, seemed to linger in the air, whispering tales of lost power and the cataclysmic trap.

Yes, this had been a trap. 

Lenny had a trick up his sleeves that allowed him to have the upper hand against his opponents and that was Appraiser. This particular skill from the Satan System allowed him to know the skills, abilities, and possible qualities that an enemy would have. 

All through the battles that Lenny had watched Curtin participate in, he had seen it clear as day. He knew that Curtin had Darkline magic sealed inside him in the form of a demon's seed. 

Lenny also knew that Victor fighting against Curtin was basically just a death sentence for the teenager. However, he could not face Curtin. After all, Riff was his opponent, and surely any move against Curtin would be prevented by Riff. 

Therefore, he sought to do something else. And that was making Victor the trap. 

This was the reason that he flung Victor into Imperilment. 

Lenny knew that Curtin would not be able to resist the urge to kill Victor by himself and would rush after him. 

However, Victor had become far stronger than he used to be. Lenny believed that Victor was strong enough to push Curtin to the point of unleashing the Darkline magic inside him. 

And this was going to be the turning point of the match. 

Lenny at the foundation of his heart was an assassin and still continued to think like one. 

Just before he left the Arena for this match, he had asked Victor to give him his armor. It was at this time that Lenny crafted runes on this armor not just to protect Victor but also to use him as a walking time bomb. 

Lenny had learned a lot from the use of runes while he was back training under Vandora. he had discovered that Runes were far more mystical than they were given credit for and if used appropriately, could bring very incredibly desired results. 

Coupled with his vast knowledge of physics and chemistry, Lenny weaved a plan like none before. 

Basically, he sealed his own white flames of the Deep Demon realm inside certain spatial runes that he had curved into the armor. 

These runes were timed with Living Runes in such a way that allowed for the armor to leave Victor's body when Drakline magic was sensed and enveloped the nearest living body to Victor's own before exploding in white flames. 

Yes, this was the way of an Assassin. Not all battles had to be the throw of fists. After all, at the end of the day, it was all about who won and nothing else.

Lenny was not a man who had pride in battle, only in the execution of a task. Even if this meant that he did it by underhanded means.

At the same time, this was the very first time that Lenny was trying out such a thing. He too was not sure if it would work. However it did perfectly, and that was why he got the alert from the system of his promotion.

The remnants of Curtin, the source of the explosion, lay strewn across the devastated landscape. Pieces of him, like macabre confetti, were scattered among the twisted roots and charred foliage. The armor that had once encased him, Victor's guardian, now lay shattered and devoid of its former brilliance.

The once-vibrant colors of the forest had given way to a monochromatic palette of grays and blacks. The shadows danced eerily across the scarred terrain, creating a haunting symphony of darkness that seemed to stretch into infinity. The occasional flicker of residual magical energy illuminated the devastation, casting an ethereal glow on the mutated creatures that roamed the desolation.

The forest, once a sanctuary of life, now stood as a haunting reflection of its former self. The silence that enveloped the land seemed to echo with the ghostly whispers of what had been lost. 

In the midst of this desolation, the broken pieces of Victor's armor still clung to the scorched earth, a solemn reminder of the clash that had torn the very fabric of the forest apart. The runes, now inert and lifeless, bore witness to the cost of wielding such formidable magic.

The aftermath of the explosion had transformed the once-idyllic forest into a haunting reflection of the capabilities of a well-planned attack.

The air, heavy with the scent of decay, hung like a shroud over the scarred earth. 

Victor who managed to hide behind a bigger more robust tree, looked out at the battlefield...