Level Up Legacy

The words were weak, but they came from the presumably dead emperor. Lyle turned around slowly with his blood-covered face. His black eyes have turned green and unfocused, while miniature flames burned different parts of his body.

"How can he be alive?" muttered Lyle with confusion and bloodlust. He turned back, gripping his bloodied sword harder. "There is no lifeforce in this body."

The emperor was torn to pieces, mingled, and dismembered. However, his muscles twitched, and blood flowed from his wounds nonstop. As Lyle stared at the corpse's refusal to die, he started questioning whether this was the real emperor.

"I… will… not… fail…"

Again, the emperor's lips twitched to announce his determination and clinginess to life. However, Lyle could not understand what was happening. The emperor's heart was destroyed, and his vital organs were shredded with one of the sharpest swords in the world.

"Why do you refuse to die?" said Lyle through gritted teeth as he walked toward the emperor and pierced his neck, making sure to destroy the vocal cords. Blood overflowed from the emperor's mouth as his lifeless eyes twitched.

After a few seconds, the emperor died again, and Lyle huffed as he pulled the sword out. He stared at the corpse for a few seconds before walking away from him. Then, a hoarse sound leaked out from the shattered throat.

"…ugh…"

"How can this… be…" muttered Lyle as he slowly turned around, fear visible on his face. He killed the emperor repeatedly, but he refused to die. Even more, there was not a speck of lifeforce left in him.

Green flames exploded from his body as his rage flared, and he rushed to kill the emperor once and for all. However, before he could get there, a pillar of light exploded from the emperor that sent him flying.

Life energy overflowed throughout the plaza, but it was far from gentle. It raged and pushed the rebels back while raising the emperor in the air. The dismembered parts rose alongside the mangled torso, and it healed rapidly.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Rain as she pushed herself forward to stand alongside Lyle. "Where is this life force coming from?"

"I think I know," said Lyle with a frown as his flames retreated into his body, knowing that his efforts had been futile. "He is stealing the life force of the citizens. This is the fruit of his labor for the past ten years."

"Are you saying that… he is absorbing the lifeforce of the citizens here?" asked Rain with fear. She was not worried about the citizens but at the sheer magnitudes of life force at his disposal.

"He is using the lives of every citizen in Ilios," said Lyle with a frown as the life energy started vaporizing the pavement around it. However, it worked the opposite for the emperor, whose wounds healed until complete recovery.

The Light Emperor stood there without a scratch on his body, and his eyes fluttered open. He seemed confused for a second before a broad smile appeared.

"It worked at last…" said the Light Emperor, raising his hand to clench it. Power whirled around his fist, and his grin grew wider. "It seems the missing catalyst for my success was… death."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" exclaimed Rain with a fed-up face after hearing what Lyle said. The emperor turned toward them, and every rebel backed away three steps in fear. Finally, however, Lyle stepped forward before Rain pulled him back. "There is no way we can win against him!"

"If he can survive a million times, then I have to kill him a million times and one," said the Obsessed Knight through gritted teeth. "I will not wait a single day more."

"A million times?" said the emperor before bursting out with laughter. "You confuse what happened, human. I have not merely become immortal but also omnipotent! All of the mana left unharvested can now be used by me!"

An otherworldly aura exploded from the emperor, making the air buzz with electrifying power. It contained no element, only the existence of the emperor being amplified through the use of mana.

"It seems that we have given the lion his fangs," said Rain with a worried smile as she stared at her flute. "I might be useless here, leader. I will just find a good moment to slip away…."

"Rain," called Lyle with a stern look. "I know you have been storing away strength to give, but we don't have time for that. What can you give me?"

"…you are asking for too much, leader. I am still a maiden waiting for a proper husband…" said Rain with such innocence that one wouldn't think she bedded half of Ilios. Lyle glared at her, and she caved in with a laugh. "Haha, I can give you a temporary strength boost, but it has a great drawback."

"Do it."

"You should hear the drawback," sighed Rain, but Lyle simply offered her his hand. Thus, she sighed. "Well, it might be easier to do it without your knowledge. I doubt any man would trust me that much."

"Stop stalling and do it. We are about to die," said Lyle as he grabbed her hand to pull her over. The emperor frowned before dove toward the two, aiming his fist at them. Sonic booms echoed as his speed reached a shocking degree, but it couldn't outrun a kiss.

Rain pressed her lips against his before Lyle could realize what she was doing. It was the first time that such a thing happened between the two despite knowing each other for years. As soon as it did, violet strings spread from Rain to stab into Lyle.

"I am giving you some of the strength I gathered, and I will have this kiss in return," said Rain with a smile as her strength flowed into him. Lyle clenched his fist to feel the power within before nodding and turning toward the emperor.

Rain stepped back, and the two men collided. The emperor's fist struck Lyle with such strength that space started cracking, unable to bear the power of a single attack.

Blood vaporized from the Mantra Sword as it twisted and turned to slash at the emperor, aiming for his wrist. Using his swordsmanship, Lyle took the only route that would save their lives.

The blade struck the emperor's wrist to divert his punch upward, and the strength behind it exploded in a shockwave that tore whatever stood in its way. The lightning clouds from earlier were torn apart, leaving a giant hole above the plaza. Thus, sunlight came through, shining down on the knight facing the overpowered emperor.

"I would not have been satisfied if you died just like that," said Lyle with greenish-glowing irises. "I have never been happier, Dog Emperor because I get to kill you as much as I like."

"Let me see you try, puny human," said the emperor with a crazed smile before sending another punch that sent Lyle flying, but he turned into the green phoenix before diving right back.

The two resumed their battle, with each exchange shaking heaven and earth. Lyle was overpowered in every aspect, but he made up for it with his sword, style, and blessing. His body sustained fetal wounds, but just like the emperor, he regenerated using his blessing.

"How can you match my current strength?" asked the emperor with shock before glancing at Rain, who blew him a kiss. "You have grown stronger after that woman did something. However, how can she give this much strength?"

"This is only a fraction of what I stole from horny men," said Rain with a grin as she raised her flute. Then, she pressed it against her lips to play a different melody, which affected the rebels instead of the enemy. After it was done, she said with a smile, "this is a little trick I use to milk men dry, but it can work wonders during battle too!"

The rebels roared as they overcame their fears and attacked the enemy lines. However, not even the fear of nothingness could stop their march, which resulted from Rain's flute.

As for the emperor, he was starting to be pushed back as his wounds increased. Although he healed almost instantly, the attacks came faster from every side. The swordsmanship reached such a level that the emperor couldn't land a single strike.

"How can you be this powerful? How?!" roared the emperor with rage as he kept defending himself. "I have the strength of millions, so how can you…."

"You will lose," said Lyle as he stopped his attacks and took a stance. His green flames covered his sword. "You will lose because of a brat who couldn't keep his nose out of my business. Thanks to him, I have relived the last ten years over and over until I mastered my swordsmanship."

"You are lying! This is more than just swordsmanship!" said the emperor with rage as he tried to attack Lyle again, but the latter dissipated into green flames before reappearing behind him.

"Furthermore, my blessing has evolved to its final form. These are… the last flames of a dying star."