Chapter 2: The Hand of the Demon

“It seems your heart is hard to purify of evil. As a noble of a kingdom and a local lord, I originally intended to show mercy beyond the law. If only you were willing to give up practicing those vicious and cruel dark magic spells, I would even introduce you to our Light Church to learn. I truly didn’t want to see such a talented individual like you perish like this. But it seems I was wrong—demonic fire has already filled your entire soul and body. To free you, it seems a harsh remedy is necessary.” Malon remained calm, but inwardly he had already begun reciting spells. He knew it would be impossible to achieve anything today without this battle. “Yet I still have one question: Since you have avoided me, why do you come to me now?”
“Hahahahaha! Well said. Perhaps both our minds and wills exceed those of ordinary people. As a magician, it’s worth it to find such a way to be freed. Then let me see if the light magic of Priest Malon can truly purify me, who am seen as an evil force in your Light Church. As for why I came to you, I’m sorry, but I must break my promise and cannot answer that question.” As soon as he spoke, Komer lost all courtesy. With murderous intent in his eyes, he channeled his magic—his wide sleeves instantly transformed into a massive wind column. A wildly spinning earth dragon column rose from the ground, emitting a shrill screech as it rushed through the overgrown muddy ground, lifting leaves and dirt into the air. In midair, it transformed into a huge dark earth wall shaped like a coiling dragon, roaring as it surged toward the priest in purple robes, less than ten meters away.
Although Malon knew that the opponent daring to challenge him alone must have some vicious killer waiting for him, he never expected the opponent to use earth element magic against him right from the start. This was completely beyond his expectations. The light magic he had prepared to counter dark magic would now be useless. The massive earth dragon shield, carrying immense force, rushed at him like an unstoppable force.

It was a rare duel between magicians. If ordinary people had witnessed it, they would never believe that one person could create such an astonishing spectacle. As the magician chanted his spells, various magical elements in the air began to fluctuate violently, and the surrounding space even started to distort slightly. The trees around trembled violently, as if stirred by an invisible hand. Faced with the onslaught of the Earth Dragon, Malon, who wasn’t prepared, had no choice but to dodge its attack. He effortlessly used a minor space transfer spell at will. Before Komer could even see the opponent’s movement clearly, the purple figure had already moved two zhang through the air. The Earth Dragon, charging with overwhelming force, flew past, filling the entire space with its strong earthy smell.

Komer pointed his finger, and the missed Earth Dragon contracted into a semi-circular ring of earth in midair, undergoing strange distortions. Its head suddenly enlarged, transforming into a giant spiral funnel, which then changed direction and launched another fierce attack. But by now, Malon was no longer retreating. Without moving an inch, the flame in his finger instantly turned into countless light swords that exploded upon encountering the charging Earth Dragon. Massive columns of soil burst into countless clumps and dust, while scattered grass leaves and twigs mixed with the soil, creating utter chaos.

Yet none of this distracted the two fighters in the center of the clearing. The sheer power displayed by each other made them realize how difficult this battle would be. The priest was shocked that the opponent not only possessed formidable dark magic but was also so skilled in elemental magic. This meant the man could easily use elemental magic to conceal his underlying dark nature. If he hadn’t happened to detect this without the opponent’s awareness, this cunning disguise might have deceived the world for a long time. Moreover, there seemed to be much hidden behind that man’s deep gaze, even hinting at a connection to his own Light Church—though he couldn’t figure it out in such a hurry.

Komer was equally intimidated by the opponent’s strength. He concealed his dark magic within earth-based spells, intending to use the earth magic to confuse the opponent and make them overlook the dark magic hidden among the soil. If even a little soil touched the opponent, he could deal a devastating blow. Yet the powerful light sword of the opponent turned all that dark magic into nothingness in an instant. Due to their natural opposition, Komer’s scattered dark magic vanished the moment it encountered the light magic. The formidable light magic of the priest in purple robes filled Komer with awe.

Two beams of light, like solid columns, locked onto each other. Komer suddenly smiled, revealing his white teeth. “Mr. Malon, it seems we need to exchange our insights. It’s hard to determine a winner with just one or two moves.”

“If Lord Baron is interested, Malon is more than willing to accompany him,” said the priest in purple robes, his face still bearing a warm smile that felt like a gentle breeze.

Without further words, amid Komer’s cold snort, countless giant, moving vines suddenly sprouted from the ground, instantly wrapping around the unprepared priest. Like numerous giant pythons, they encircled him layer after layer, growing denser and thicker. The thick stems strangled the priest so tightly that he seemed unable to breathe, on the verge of suffocation. But Komer knew this was unlikely. If the priests of the Light Church could be defeated so easily, he wouldn’t have had to flee in panic from their knights.

A dark red glow flashed across the priest’s face. His lips moved slightly, and his body, tightly wrapped in the dense green vines, trembled violently. A blinding burst of fire erupted from his mouth and quickly spread throughout his body, setting him ablaze. In an instant, he appeared to turn into a human torch. The holy white flames emitted a dazzling brilliance, accompanied by a hissing sound that filled the area. The giant vines instantly turned into fiery vines. A strong smell of burning mixed with foul stench, as blackish pus flowed from the burning vines and seeped into the ground, causing green smoke to rise—something truly nauseating.

With a slight movement, the priest’s body trembled violently again. The vines that had been tightly wrapped suddenly loosened, and his spiritual energy vanished instantly. They dropped to the ground and disappeared underground.

Komer gasped in shock. His uniquely created “Hand of the Demon” had required a great deal of effort to develop—he had even referenced some strange symbols on that parchment scroll. Although he couldn’t decipher the text on the scroll, certain common magical symbols and incantations had provided him with some insights. He had been quite confident in this unique move of his. The vines in question were nothing special—just a type of highly resilient climbing plant among wood-based creatures. Yet, by combining wood magic with powerful corrosive dark magic, he had expected it to be easily countered by his opponent. He had even tested those highly corrosive liquid monsters, which could penetrate even an inch-thick iron plate in an instant, and they still failed to penetrate the opponent’s protective magic. Was this guy really that strong? Komer grew uneasy, wondering if his actions this time had been too reckless.