Chapter 270: Chapter270:Defeat Lovins Shadow
"It is truly a pity. We are about to witness the fall of a genius."
"Nonetheless, one must admit the lad possesses some talent, managing to endure this long. Yet, how foolish he is to defy the lord!"
"…"
Those hidden in the shadows engaged in fervent discussion, all convinced that Enzo stood no chance of survival against Lovins.
After all, deities were immeasurably powerful.
Beneath a deity, all others were mere insignificant ants.
This truth was universally acknowledged even by the ordinary folk of the Fierce Beast world, for throughout its extensive history spanning millions of years, no one had ever dared to challenge it.
However, when Lovins struck once more—
They beheld a miracle!
A brilliant radiance, as dazzling as the stars, momentarily blinded all who beheld it. The energy sphere conjured by Lovins expanded in an instant, emanating an overwhelming aura that enveloped Enzo, consuming everything in its vicinity.
Enzo felt his very flesh tearing apart.
Although he had previously endured the agony of such physical disintegration, he still let out a furious roar. "You cannot kill me!"
The growl was deep, yet resonated clearly in every ear.
Ah! Ah!
Enzo roared again.
He summoned every ounce of his strength, coalescing it into the mightiest punch, which he then launched at Lovins with unrelenting force and astonishing speed.
Lovins had not anticipated this, nor could he evade it.
Boom!
Enzo\'s punch collided directly with Lovins.
Crack! Crack! Crack!—
The sound of shattering glass echoed incessantly as fissures appeared on Lovins\' form, spreading rapidly until they enveloped his entire being.
Lovins was taken aback.
He gazed at Enzo, fear flickering in his eyes, but even more prominently, a surge of murderous intent.
This body was although not his true form.
It was an avatar forged at great expense, a fragment of his very soul. It possessed about sixty to seventy percent of his true strength, and now Enzo had shattered his manifestation. If Enzo were even slightly stronger, could he not obliterate the true Lovins?
A sense of dread welled within Lovins.
At that moment, Enzo had become the harbinger of his doom.
This man must perish!
Thus, before his body could be shattered, Lovins issued a decree to all of Ambera City: "Attention everyone, at any cost, eliminate this wretch! A reward of thirty thousand Purple Crystal Coins shall be granted to anyone who inflicts harm upon him!"
At the utterance of this command, the city erupted in uproar.
Thirty thousand Purple Crystal Coins represented an astronomical fortune—wealth that many commoners could scarcely hope to amass even across a hundred lifetimes.
And now, all that was required was to injure Enzo.
Particularly for those of greater strength, who had been observing the battle between Enzo and Lovins from a distance, it was evident that Enzo was now at his last gasp, utterly bereft of the will to resist.
With this thought, their hearts ignited with fervor.
This was a fortune within easy reach!
In an instant, the air crackled with the sound of hundreds of rushing figures, as Level 8 and Level 9 powerhouses from Ambera City manifested, charging toward Enzo the moment Lovins\' specter shattered.
In this critical moment, Enzo did not evade.
As anticipated, his elemental forces had been entirely depleted, leaving him incapable of retreat. Yet, his gaze remained serene as he softly murmured, "Lovins, I shall return."
In the next heartbeat, a flash of resplendent colors enveloped him, and Enzo vanished.
Upon witnessing his disappearance, the onlookers were left utterly bewildered, their expressions darkening.
"He\'s gone?"
"Impossible! This space has been sealed. He cannot escape through spatial magic!"
"Could he possess some treasure?"
"Cursed creature! Truly a cunning little bug!"
"…"
The crowd seethed with indignation, hurling curses, yet their fury could not alter the unsettling truth of Enzo\'s inexplicable disappearance. Nevertheless, a faction remained steadfast in their belief that Enzo was merely in temporary concealment, lingering nearby and yet to depart.
Thus, they set about establishing corresponding rituals.
Before long, the battleground where Enzo and Lovins had clashed was adorned with numerous magical arrays and barriers, ready to spring into action at the slightest sign of Enzo\'s return.
However, three long months elapsed without any sign of him, a duration so protracted that many lost patience and chose to depart, leaving only a handful to continue their vigil.
After all, the rewards promised by Lovins were far too enticing to ignore.
As six months passed and Enzo remained absent, even the few stalwarts holding out succumbed to the passage of time and eventually left.
Gradually, the incident faded into obscurity.
No one knew the fate of Enzo.
Unbeknownst to them, Enzo was grappling with a life-and-death crisis.
In a diminutive world, Carol wore a visage of deep concern.
She turned to the Bookstaver, hovering in mid-air, and implored, "Enzo has been in a coma for so long. I can sense his life force waning, and this small world is on the brink of collapse. Is there truly nothing you can do?"
The Bookstaver fell silent.
Deities exist on a plane distinct from ordinary supernatural beings. Although Lovins had employed unconventional means to attain his divine status and was weaker than other deities of his rank, he nonetheless remained a deity at his core.
The notion that Enzo could shatter Lovins\' avatar was a tale too incredible for most to believe.
Even if it bore the weight of truth.
However, the cost of defeating Lovins was exceedingly steep. Enzo\'s body was pervaded by a peculiar force—the residual divine power of Lovins—which incessantly eroded both his corporeal form and soul, plunging his consciousness into despair.
Yet, under the influence of Life Water and the elemental thunder, the pace of this corrosion had been significantly mitigated.
Alas, within this diminutive realm, the pools of Life Water and the thunderous reservoirs were on the brink of desiccation, signifying that Lovins\' lingering divine essence would be able to permeate Enzo unimpeded.
At that juncture, Enzo will met his ultimate demise.
It was precisely for this reason that Carol is engulfed in anxiety, a sentiment echoed by Bookstaver.
Eventually, Bookstaver let out a heavy sigh.
Turning to Carol, it declared, "At this moment, there exists but one method to salvage Enzo. However, I cannot ascertain what repercussions this may have on him. For the awakened Enzo is highly likely to transform into a fallen version of himself."
Carol grasped the gravity of the situation.
Having spent the majority of her time in this small world since emerging from the supernatural trial space, she had acquired considerable knowledge about Enzo\'s circumstances. Consequently, she swiftly conjectured Bookstaver\'s intention, inquiring, "You wish for Enzo to absorb those Elder Deity crystals?"
Bookstaver bobbed up and down in the air.
"This is presently the sole recourse. Only a deity can confront the powers of another deity." it responded.
Given the circumstances, there is no other alternative.
The crystals they previously possessed had already been infused with the blood of Fierce Beasts, sealed within metal containers. Understanding their location, Carol retrieved them directly, subsequently instructing Blackflame to unleash flames, harnessing the searing heat to melt the metal.
As the metal liquefied, it unveiled the peculiar crystals within.
These crystals maintained a disquieting vitality, exuding an aura of malevolence.
Subsequently, at Bookstaver\'s behest, Carol placed the crystals upon Enzo\'s form.
In the next moment, the crystals sprang to life.
The crystals melting into liquid and eagerly infiltrating Enzo\'s body. As the crystals were absorbed, his breaths grew stronger.
Yet, within the depths of Enzo\'s consciousness, a horrific scene unfolded.
Countless grotesque creatures emerged, adorned with a myriad of writhing tentacles and possessing repulsive maws. They encircled Enzo, gaping wide as if to devour him whole.
A flash of silvery light sparkled in Enzo\'s eyes, and with it, bolts of lightning rained down from above, annihilating the monstrous forms.
However, this was not the end.
As the creatures fell, a new vision emerged.
This time, it was not monsters that surrounded him, but throngs of people, kneeling before Enzo with unwavering devotion, their words chilling to the bone.
"Please, grant us a piece of your flesh!"
"Let me have but a taste! Just a taste!"
"Only by consuming you can we be liberated, rescued from our torment!"
"…"
An incessant cacophony of voices flooded Enzo\'s ears, impossible to drown out, each sound more disquieting than the last.
Enzo\'s sole recourse was clear—murder!
He transformed into a Fierce Beast, vanquishing the spectral figures that plagued his mind, yet they seemed endless. For every batch he dispatched, new ones arose in their stead.
He lost track of time.
He was consumed by an overwhelming numbness, embodying a mindless savage driven solely by the urge to kill, until finally, the phantoms dissipated.
"At last, tranquility has descended!"
Enzo lay wearily upon the chaotic expanse, his heart enveloped in an unparalleled serenity.
In that instant, a delicate fragrance wafted through the air.
Turning his gaze, Enzo was struck by a transformation of the scene before him. No longer was he surrounded by a throng of faceless masses, but rather by familiar figures—Amy, Tia, Clara, Freya, Eve, Daphne... Each of them sat by the bedside, their expressions imbued with gentle warmth.
Yet, Enzo was acutely aware that these apparitions were mere illusions.
It was an instinct he could not ignore.
However, a sense of disquiet crept over him. Something felt amiss. He looked again, scrutinizing the details more closely.
At that moment, Daphne turned her gaze toward him.
She wore the very attire from the night they first met, a flowing red gown that accentuated her figure exquisitely. Yet one detail struck him as significant—Daphne\'s abdomen was noticeably rounded.