Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill - Chapter 336:The Oriole Behind Mantis
Chapter 336:The Oriole Behind Mantis
Before the voice could say another word, Ethan was already moving.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
His greatsword slammed down with brutal force, carving a deep crater into the ground. Stone shattered, dust exploded outward, and the venom-like substance scattered.
But when the dust settled…
Calvin was gone.
“Are you looking for me?”
Ethan spun around.
The slime was now forming over King Mark’s corpse, crawling across the remains like a living thing. Calvin’s twisted laughter echoed again, cruel and mocking.
“Sorry. It’s over.”
“Stop with this bullshit!” Ethan roared and charged forward.
But before he could reach him, Calvin snapped his fingers and shouted,”Hail The Great One.”
The air twisted and the ground started to rumble.
Strange symbols appeared for a brief instant, forming a pattern similar to a sealing art. In the next moment, Ethan’s entire body froze in place.
So did Rathlos.
“RUNNNNNNN!” Rathlos roared with all his strength.
Ethan did not hesitate.
The moment the seal loosened even slightly, he turned and jumped. His instincts screamed danger louder than his thoughts, and he obeyed them without question.
Both of their figures blurred as they fled.
Ethan activated the token in his hand and sent an urgent signal.
“Wyvern Riders, do your jobs!”
Swoosh!
The knights on Wyvern were already in the process of evacuating.They had already sent half of the people of the capital outside.
Claira, Phillips rode on Wyvern and flew away meanwhile Ethan and Rathlos made a run.
Behind them—
A terrifying wave of darkness erupted.
Behind them—
A terrifying wave of darkness erupted.
A massive beam shot straight into the sky, black and violet energy twisting together. The ground shook violently as the beam expanded, devouring everything it touched.
“Fuckkkk!” Ethan cursed.
“That son of a bitch sacrificed everyone there!”
The realization hit him like a hammer. All the remaining life, all the lingering souls, had been fed into that attack.
“Leave that aside,” Ethan growled. “How the hell am I supposed to kill him?”
His last attack replayed in his mind. He had tried to mix light with Chaos Sword Art, and it had failed.
Ethan leapt onto Rathlos’s shoulder and shouted, “Fly!”
“You!” Rathlos glared at him.
“Stop glaring and fly!”
Rathlos snarled but obeyed. His wings erupted from his back as he shot into the sky.
Behind them, darkness exploded outward.
A vast sea of black miasma spread across the ruins, swallowing buildings, streets, and bodies. Screams echoed faintly from within the fog before being crushed into silence. The pillar of darkness pierced the sky, spreading like a cancerous wound.
From behind Rathlos, Ethan stood firm.
His eyes hardened.
He raised his sword and channeled a different power.
Sacred light surged.
“Sacred Luminous Sword Art!”
A brilliant arc of golden-white light slashed forward. It cut cleanly through the dark miasma, burning it away as if it were mist under the sun.
“It’s working…”Ethan muttered and swung again.
Another luminous arc followed.
Then another.
Each strike carved open a path through the darkness. Wherever the light touched, the miasma screamed and recoiled, breaking apart into nothingness.
“It worked…” Ethan muttered, his eyes widening slightly.
Then confusion followed.
Why hadn’t it worked before?
His mind raced.
“Wait…”
Realization struck.
“Maybe… the chaos energy dismantled the power of light.”
Ethan clenched his jaw.
“Fuckkk you,” he cursed himself under his breath. “Why did you have to experiment at such a crucial point and try to mix two sword arts?”
If he had not done that, maybe this entire situation would not have happened.
But regret was useless now.
“And even if I killed him,” Ethan continued grimly, “there might have been another trigger anyway.”
Calvin was not the type to rely on a single plan.
Ethan’s eyes sharpened.
He raised his sword once more, light gathering along the blade.
“Let’s finish this.”
With that, he launched himself straight toward the heart of the dark mist, ready to carve his way through whatever nightmare awaited inside.
Ethan grabbed the hilt of his greatsword and slowly pointed it toward the heavens.
The dark miasma surged like a living tide, rushing forward to engulf him. It twisted and screamed, forming waves of black fog that swallowed light itself.
However—
A sacred, warm glow burst out from Ethan’s body.
A blinding flash erupted, sharp and overwhelming, as massive arcs of pure light shot outward in every direction. The air trembled, and the darkness hissed violently as it was forced back. Wherever the light touched, the miasma recoiled as if burned, tearing apart and retreating unwillingly.
“Rathlos, stop running and move ahead,” Ethan shouted, his voice steady and commanding.
“Did you think of me as your slave or what?” Rathlos roared in protest, his massive wings flapping furiously. The wind from his wings tore through the ruined streets below. Even as he complained, he followed Ethan’s words and circled above the city, moving in wide arcs as Ethan spread his guiding light across the darkness.
Ethan lifted his sword higher and slashed downward.
A colossal beam of energy tore through the sky.
The beam roared forward like a falling star, cutting through buildings, streets, and the thick wall of darkness in its path. Stone, metal, and corrupted air were split apart cleanly. The ground beneath the beam cracked open, and shockwaves rippled outward, shattering windows and collapsing weakened structures. The beam continued forward without slowing, carving a glowing path through the heart of the city.
The dark miasma was split cleanly into two massive halves.
For a brief moment, silence followed.
Ethan’s expression darkened.
It was not enough.
He could feel it. The darkness was retreating, but it was not gone. It was waiting, gathering itself again like a wounded beast.
“You want more, right?” Ethan muttered, his voice cold.
“Good.”
He pushed himself harder.
Mana erupted from his body in violent waves. The surrounding mana churned wildly, pulled toward him as if drawn by an invisible vortex. The air screamed under the pressure as Ethan guided everything into his greatsword. The blade began to glow brighter and brighter, layers of power stacking upon one another.
BOOOOOOOOM!
A violent surge exploded outward from Ethan’s body. The pressure slammed into Rathlos midair.
“Gyaaahhhhh! STOPPP!” Rathlos screamed in pain as his massive body shook violently. His wings faltered for a moment as the force rippled through him.
Ethan ignored it.
He needed a foothold. He needed to push himself beyond his limit.
There was no other choice.
He took one step forward.
It was a heavy step, carrying terrifying weight. The pressure alone made the air crack, and Rathlos let out another pained cry as the force crushed down.
Ethan raised his greatsword high, ready to bring it down with everything he had.
Then—
SWISHHHHHH!
The dark miasma suddenly churned violently.
It burned like black lightning, condensing in an instant before shooting forward. The darkness twisted into a massive hand, formed of pure corruption, and reached Ethan before he could react.
The hand closed around him.
“WHAT—!”
His words were cut off as silence swallowed him whole.
In a blink, Ethan was gone.
The darkness folded inward, dragging him into its core as if he had never existed.
“??????”
Rathlos hovered in the air, stunned.
His massive eyes widened as he stared at the empty space where Ethan had been only a moment ago.
“What… what the hell just happened?” he muttered, his voice shaking.
The darkness below continued to churn violently, spreading faster than before. The pillar of corruption pulsed, releasing waves of evil that crawled across the ruined city.
Rathlos clenched his claws.
He did not have the luxury to think.
If he stayed, he would die.
If he chased after Ethan, he might die anyway.
For a brief moment, his wings trembled.
Then he made his choice.
“Ahhhh!” Rathlos roared, his wings flaring wide.
“Run!”
He turned sharply, blasting forward with everything he had, tearing through the sky as fast as his wounded body allowed.
“I’m sorry, Ethan,” he growled, his voice heavy with guilt. “I swear I will take care of your family.”
Behind him, the darkness roared louder, swallowing the ruined palace whole as the city fell deeper into shadow.
