Chapter 167. Ugo (1)

Caron's vision kept blurring. He wondered if it was because he had lost too much blood. Gasping for breath, he assessed his condition. His right shoulder had suffered a grievous wound, to the point where his bone was exposed. Though he had barely managed to stop the bleeding using Pluto's darkness, even holding his sword was agonizing.

Caron had fought for far too long.

From the very beginning, the disparity in strength had been overwhelming. Just staying on his feet had been a struggle. And yet, despite it all, Caron had continued to drive Guillotine into Ugo, devouring the dark mana that infested his body. The price for that was his battered, broken form.

"...Commander," Ugo said weakly.

Ugo, who had charged at Caron with murderous fury, now stood frozen in place like a statue. The darkness that had shrouded him seemed to have receded slightly.

"Commander, is that really you?" Ugo's cracked, aged voice echoed through the cavern.

Despite the strain, Caron forced a smile and gave a slight nod, replying, "Are you starting to come to your senses?"

There was so much he wanted to ask, but now wasn't the time. Though Ugo appeared to have regained some clarity, his condition remained precarious.

A faint, sinister ripple stirred around Ugo's body—a massive surge of dark mana writhing beneath the surface. Ugo's wrinkled lips twisted slightly, and Caron realized he was trying to smile.

"You... really came back," Ugo managed to say. His words were fragmented, each syllable a struggle. With every word he forced out, the dark mana within him surged outward, spreading in all directions.

This was not good.

Though Caron's absorption of some of the dark mana through Guillotine had temporarily cleared Ugo's mind, an endless stream of dark mana continued to seep into him from deep within the cavern.

Screeeeech!

A horrifying scream erupted from Ugo's body. Caron could almost see dozens of faces flickering across Ugo's back—restless spirits, unable to find peace, scrambling to be absorbed into him.

"Commander... I have... one favor to ask," Ugo struggled to say. With a grating sound, he slowly turned his head to look at Caron.

"Please... run... away," Ugo continued.

"No way. After all the hits I've taken, there's no way I'm leaving empty-handed. If you were me, could you just walk away like that?" Caron asked, then reached into his pouch of dimensional space and pulled out a small potion.

This was no ordinary potion. It was an elixir crafted with an Alchemist's Stone from the Magic Tower.

Gulp.

Caron downed the elixir in one swift motion. While it wasn't as potent as the Dew of the World Tree, elixirs boasted the highest healing capabilities among potions.

"Haa..." Caron breathed heavily. Thanks to the elixir, the pain subsided slightly.

However, his body was in such a wrecked state that even an elixir couldn't fully restore him, especially since his wounds had been inflicted by dark mana. That made recovery all the more difficult.

"Commander," Ugo said, trembling as he looked at Caron. "My body... It won't listen... to me."

"I know, I can tell. It looks exactly like that," Caron said.

"Y-You must... run," Ugo advised.

Before Caron could respond, Ugo's hand shot out, clutching the pommel of his bastard sword, which was still embedded in the ground. t was as if some irresistible force had taken control of him.

But Caron didn't retreat. Instead, he smiled even more broadly and said to Ugo, "Escaping alone once was enough for me."

"Please..." Ugo begged.

"I said I've got this!" Caron shouted, then quickly assessed the situation in detail.

He figured that he could hold out for about ten minutes, but that was it. A prolonged fight was impossible—his body was already falling apart in multiple places. The elixir had only been a temporary fix, so he had to make a decision within those ten minutes.

The only small comfort was that, thanks to Guillotine, his mana was overflowing.

The method remained the same. Caron needed to drive Guillotine into Ugo and extract all the dark mana that had taken control of him. It was the same technique he had used to awaken the Crown Prince. The only difference this time was that it could cost him his life.

Whoosh.

Caron unleashed his mana without reservation, letting it surge through him. Sea Fog, an ominous, dark blue mist, began to fill the cavern. The mist that was woven from fine sword energy coiled around Ugo, constricting him.

Caron had abandoned calculations of the chances of victory the moment he encountered Ugo here. There was only one thing he needed to do now.

He had to save Ugo.

Caron would ask later how Ugo had become a Death Knight while still alive, but to witness a subordinate he hadn't seen in over fifty years die such a miserable death—he couldn't accept that.

"Owner, cutting off the dark mana's supply comes first,"

Guillotine's voice echoed in his mind, outlining his priorities.

No matter how much dark mana Caron absorbed from Ugo, it would be pointless if it kept getting replenished.

But Caron just chuckled softly and replied, "I know. But that's not my job."

There was no need to think too hard. The dark mana tethered to Ugo was undoubtedly being supplied by the altar.

"Then we should deal with the altar—"

"You know it too, don't you?" Caron interrupted Guillotine.

At that moment...

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted in the distance, and moments later, an intense wave of heat surged into the cavern.

Ssshhh.

Caron reacted instantly, summoning darkness to form a barrier. The wall, conjured by Pluto's power, shielded him from the searing heat.

"That's the main force," Caron said.

Nadia's voice echoed from afar shortly after. "Caron Leston!"

A fierce presence swept through the cavern. Moments later, a female knight wreathed in crimson flames charged forward.

Screech.

Ugo raised his bastard sword, shifting into a defensive stance.

Then—

Boom!

The bastard sword clashed against a slender blade, unleashing another massive explosion. The impact was so powerful that even Ugo's sturdy frame was hurled backward.

Nadia, who had effortlessly driven Ugo back, landed gracefully beside Caron. In a blunt voice, she said, "You held on well, Caron Leston. I'll take it from here."

"What happened to the altar?" Caron asked.

"Purification wasn't easy, so I blew it up entirely with the Saintess' help. Given the situation, the Sultan will understand," Nadia answered.

It was a brutish method, but undoubtedly effective.

Caron gave a slight nod and said to Nadia, "We need to subdue the Death Knight."

At the word "subdue," Nadia frowned deeply.

"Are you serious? Subduing is twice as hard as killing. Especially a monster like that—it's pure madness," she said as she smirked faintly. "But I do like madmen. Let's hear the plan."

"Just sever his limbs cleanly, please. That Death Knight is still alive, so we'll snap him out of it," Caron said.

"A living Death Knight... That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Just his limbs, you say?" Nadia confirmed.

"Yes, I'll handle the rest," Caron said.

After all, the Saintess could reattach the limbs later. For now, freeing Ugo from the dark mana took priority.

"Ugo Aegis... He was a very honorable knight," Nadia muttered quietly.

"...You knew him?" Caron asked.

"How could I not? If he weren't a familiar face, I wouldn't have agreed to your request. Yes... This is far too miserable an end for a knight who was once so honorable," Nadia answered.

Fwoosh.

Fierce flames erupted from Nadia as she said, "But you'd better help. Even for me, subduing someone of his caliber isn't easy."

"Can I even keep up with a battle between two 8-Star knights?" Caron asked.

"If my eyes don't deceive me," Nadia replied.

"I understood," Caron said.

He drew upon his mana once more, following Nadia's lead.

Hold on just a little longer, Ugo,

Caron thought.

He was going to save Ugo. No matter what.

With that vow etched in his heart, Caron charged toward Ugo alongside Nadia.

***

The battle between Caron, Nadia, and Ugo raged for thirty minutes. In the end, however, Ugo was defeated.

"Com... mander..." Ugo muttered, staring weakly at Caron, his limbs severed and blood pooling around him. A gleaming white chain spear, summoned by Saintess Seria, was embedded deep into his shoulder. Caron kneeled over Ugo's chest, pressing him down as he silently drove Guillotine through him.

"Is Dame Nadia alright?" Ugo asked quietly.

"She'll be fine. The Saintess is treating her. But thanks to you, Ugo, I owe a huge debt. So, you'd better vouch for me too," Caron replied.

Nadia had suffered a severe injury to her side, her organs pierced by Ugo's sword.

Ugo had charged in, intent on killing Caron and Nadia, while they had fought to subdue him. Given the nature of battles between formidable warriors, where lives were always at stake, it was unsurprising that those who tried to subdue the other side were often at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, their lives weren't in critical danger. Seria, who had joined them shortly after, immediately began healing them.

"It'll be over soon," Caron murmured.

Ugo managed a faint smile and said, "This brings back memories."

As if he had regained full control of himself, his voice no longer faltered. He continued, "The rebellion in the North... I collapsed just like this, gravely wounded. I still remember the expression on your face back then, Commander."

"What expression?" Caron asked softly.

"You always seemed indifferent to us, yet you panicked as if we'd die at any second. You even grabbed a passing priest by the collar, running toward us," Ugo explained.

"...When did I do such a thing?" Caron chuckled faintly, the memory surfacing, albeit hazy.

But the news from Guillotine was far from cheerful.

"Owner, this is too much. The core is completely tainted. It's nothing like the Crown Prince's case. And... This is infused with the mana of Sloth itself. It's on a different level from mana infused by a mere succubus. Purifying it won't be easy—"

"Forget purification. Just transfer the dark mana into me as is," Caron cut Guillotine off.

"Owner, think about your own condition!"

Guillotine protested.

The dark mana embedded in Ugo's body was beyond imagination—enough to turn an 8-Star knight into a Death Knight while still alive. It was incomparably stronger than the dark mana that had corrupted the Crown Prince.

"Commander," Ugo whispered faintly. "I know my body well. Still, I'm glad I could see you again. It seems this is the reward I've been waiting for all this time."

For Ugo, seeing his Commander was enough. Though his appearance had changed, the Commander was still the Commander.

"How's Kerra doing?" Ugo asked.

"He's taking care of a kid. She's my daughter," Caron answered.

"It seems you got married in this life. Congratulations," Ugo said.

"I'm still seventeen, alright? Plus, she's not my biological daughter," Caron added.

"Still, it's good. It seems you're surrounded by many people in this life. That's... enough for me," Ugo said.

The dark mana was too potent for Guillotine to handle alone. The more it absorbed, the more ferociously the mana rampaged within Ugo. Caron could barely keep it under control, even as the dark mana gnawed away at Ugo's flesh.

Clenching Guillotine's pommel tightly, Caron spoke with quiet determination. "I know you have a lot to say. So..."

He forced his emotions down, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. There were countless things he wanted to ask, but that wasn't important now.

"Just live. Survive, even if it's to resent me, to curse me—whatever it takes. Just live," Caron said.

That was all Caron wanted—for this stubborn man to survive. But as he struggled, absorbing the dark mana, the flicker of hope began to waver.

Then, in that fragile moment—

"Caron." Seria approached, having finished tending to Nadia. She kneeled quietly beside him and continued, "I'll lend you my strength. Perhaps... this is the very reason the Light sent me here. Caron, the Light undoubtedly loves you."

"What are you—" Caron was about to ask, but was cut off.

"This," Seria whispered, "is the proof."

Moments later—

A brilliant flash of light erupted before Caron's eyes, a miracle unfolding.