Second World

"Damn it!" Jack cursed. "Is there no other way? No way he is willing to follow us out!"

Duke Alfredo came to Jack's side. He was firing standard ranged attacks from his magic gloves to help Arlcard. "How about we told him about the recording stone?" He whispered to Jack. "Maybe he will chase after us out of this castle."

When Duke Alfredo visited Jack in his cell early this morning. He had let Jack out of the cell for a while so Jack could access his inventory. Jack took the recording stone out of his inventory and gave it to the duke.

Duke Alfredo had started recording using the stone ever since Jack entered this hall and talked with Mason and Sindral. He had continued recording even after Sindral's death and when Themos revealed himself and admitted his deeds. This would be the proof that Jack was innocent.

"Good thinking!" Jack praised. "Give me the stone."

Duke Alfredo handed the stone to him.

Jack then showed the stone and then yelled, "Themos! See this recording stone? This contains everything you have said since you entered this hall."

"What?!" Themos' brows furrowed. This was the first time he didn't display a mocking expression.

Jack stored the stone in his inventory. It was the safest inside there. Themos would have to kill him if he wanted to get rid of the evidence.

"Come and catch us!" Jack said and transformed into his dragon form. Although this place was extremely high from the ground, he would have no problem flying away with the form. The duke also has a flying spell.

"No one leaves…!" Themos shouted.

As he did, the door to the balcony closed by itself just as Jack and Alfredo were about to rush out. The rune diagrams on the walls flared. An energy barrier encapsulated the entire hall. The barrier prevented anyone from escaping.

"Bloody hell…! How many defensive mechanisms are there?!" Jack complained.

"This is the palace of a main country. Of course, it will have many defenses!" Peniel shot back.

"I've been bored for quite some time. You people will entertain me!" Themos exclaimed as he swung his large sword in a circular motion.

The swing conjured another flaming wind, but this one formed turbulence around the king. Arlcard's movement was fast, but the flaming wind hit everything in Themos' vicinity. Arlcard was struck by the violent wind, receiving both fire and wind damage. He was forcefully flung to the side. He hit the wall hard, but since the wall was protected by the barrier, it wasn't damaged.

Arlcard wasn't discouraged. Under the effect of the Ancient Blood Awakening Potion, he was as if on steroids. He felt this power welling inside him, demanding to be let out. Even when he was the one suffering damage, he felt like he was winning.

Arlcard dashed forward again, casting a spell and thrusting his sword at the same time.

"Peniel, any way to disable Themos' healing ability?" Jack asked.

"You can try using Dispel on the rune diagrams on the wall, but I doubt it will succeed," Peniel answered. "You will most likely need Greater Dispel."

Jack tried it anyway. As expected, the spell failed to affect the rune diagrams.

"Do you have Greater Dispel, duke?" Jack asked Alfredo, to which the duke shook his head.

"Damn it! Does this mean we won't be able to defeat Themos?" Jack said dejectedly.

"Unless you can kill him with one hit, or send attacks that deal damage to him at a faster rate than the diagrams are healing him. Otherwise, he will be undefeated," Peniel said. "Or you can continue hitting the barrier and damaging him until the diagrams run out of energy. Its power came from the power crystal at the heart of this palace, but I suspect the palace's power crystal had enough energy to continuously sustain the activations of these diagrams for days, or even months."

"Kill with one hit…?" Jack muttered.

"You thought of something?" Peniel asked when he sensed a hopeful feeling rose in Jack's heart.

"Duke! I will need an opening to land a clean hit on the king," Jack said to Duke Alfredo.

"What's your plan?" Alfredo asked.

"Try to constrain him! I will take my chance when I see it!" Jack said. His copies were still around, he sent them to approach Themos. He also cast Myriad Venomous Vipers.

Fifteen Large green snakes burst out from the floor under Themos. But before they could entangle Themos' body, the king used Whirlwind Slash. All fifteen snakes were sliced apart and they vanished.

"Crap!" Jack cursed. The difference in power was too great that Themos' brute force easily canceled his spell.

Only Arlcard had the power to go toe to toe with the king. The two heatedly exchanged moves. While Arlcard fought like a crazed maniac on drugs, Themos fought while laughing. Arlcard won more blows despite being lower level due to Jack's Time Domain, but those blows were as if nothing since Themos' lost HP was rapidly healed again.

But due to this, Themos also fought without care of receiving damage. Jack thought he could make use of this. He only had one chance, though. He had to make sure that his attack landed successfully.

Jack's three copies danced around Themos. The king ignored those copies. His mana sense would let him know if Jack changed places to one that was near him.

Duke Alfredo started casting a spell. The spell formation was very large. A mega spell!

Alfredo planned to use his Prism Prison, the mega spell he had used on the Grim Sand Drake in the past. Although Themos could still move inside the prison, his movement would at least be limited.

Themos noticed the mega spell casting. Even though he didn't think the mega spell could endanger him, it was still wiser to not let any mega spell or rune technique be used on him. He slashed vertically. A large crescent black light shot out. The crescent energy left a trail of dark flame as it cut through the air.

Duke Alfredo had no choice but to cancel his casting and erected a magic shield for defense. The magic shield was shattered and he was slammed into the wall behind him.

"Hah! Let me make sure that recording stone is gone!" Themos uttered as his body shot forward, barging through Arlcard's slashes.

His movement was so abrupt and also very fast. Even when he was still being slowed by Jack's Time Domain, he appeared before Jack in an instant. Jack was sure that Themos' movement just now was using a skill.

Thanks to the Time Domain, Jack managed to see Themos slashing motion. It was still so fast that he was unable to dodge, but he could exchange place with one of his copies, escaping Themos' slash. After this, he could switch places three more times.

"Don't you run away from me!!" Arlcard yelled while casting his spell, Dark Lord's Sword.

A gigantic black sword materialized in the air and pierced Themos' body. The speed the dark sword was formed was very fast due to the time domain, hence Themos wasn't able to dodge it. Yet, Themos simply smiled even when he lost more than 300,000 damage from that single stab. The rune diagrams flared and healed him again.

"Hahaha! Do your worst!" Themos laughed.

Arlcard was not fazed, he rushed forward, throwing a few shadow bat darts while his swords slashed and created a net of criss-crosing black lights. The two mythical creatures soon traded blows again.

'I can't get near them,' Jack thought frustratingly. He could forcefully try to approach by using Peniel's invulnerability, but if he failed to land a hit, then it's all over.

As he was still lamenting about what to do. He heard a loud thump from above.

He looked up as another thump was heard, and then another. The ceiling cracked. Jack was stunned. The barrier that Themos had summoned was integrated into the ceiling, walls, and floor of this hall. To be able to crack the ceiling meant the one doing it had enough power to affect the barrier.

Another louder thump and the ceiling collapsed. The barrier now had a large hole on top.

From that hole, Jack saw a gargantuan creature. A dragon that was similar in size to Syndrillis!

It had yellow scales and its gigantic head was staring down through the hole. Its mouth opened, and a deep and powerful voice was heard, "Themos! I sensed that you are attacked!"

"It's this country's guardian!" Peniel exclaimed. "He comes either when the sovereign of this country summons him, or when he sensed that the sovereign is in danger."

Jack used his Inspect on this giant dragon.

*

Tiemezzys (Eternal Dragon, Draconic), level 90

HP: 5,000,000

*

With the ceiling and the barrier having a hole, in theory, Jack should be able to escape from that hole. However, He didn't dare to make any move with the gargantuan dragon standing on top of that hole.

"Haha, Tiemezzys. You have come needlessly. I'm just having fun," Themos laughed. "On second thought. Please kill that outworlder there. He has something that can trouble me."

Jack saw the yellow dragon's eyes turn to him.

"Shit!" Jack exclaimed.