284. Invincible

“I cannot die.”

The voice echoed in the throne room— a tinny voice, like it was said in a suit of armor. In truth, it was simply an artificial copy of the original words that was spoken through the screen. The fissure in space that showed what was happening in another realm.

The Devil leaned over the moving images, an amused smile spreading across his face.

“Interesting.”

He clapped his hands together and turned to the figure in the room with him.

“This is very interesting. You should watch it too!”

The figure didn’t turn. He wasn’t goaded by Sal. Instead, he preoccupied himself with other matters.

“Come on, Reggie boy!”

The Devil pouted, but Regnorex simply ignored him. Sighing, Sal turned back to the screen— the fissure in space— and watched as Salvos fought on.

“She attuned herself to the Breastplate of Alexander’s effects and built upon it with her own magic. Even after wearing it for as long as she did, I’m surprised. She can be a rival to even you.”

He chuckled, but Regnorex grunted.

“Hmph. It was thanks to you, she met the requirements for a Divine Essence. And through that, she gained this power of temporary nigh invulnerability.”

The Demon King’s voice was callous— cruel. He focused only on one thing: moving the pieces on the table. Surveying the map of the Mortal Realm. His eyes didn’t once turn to the screen, even as it shone with iridescent colors.

“It is only due to your intervention she has come this far.”

“Please. My intervention has made a minor impact at most. I simply expedited the process— it would’ve happened eventually, what, with her worldly affinity. A Demon who’s a friend of mortals and Spirits, who saves monsters and people.”

Sal waved a hand off.

“And two Grand Skills at once? May daughter… you’ve truly exceeded all of my expectations. Maybe she’ll even become a Lesser God by Level 150. Imagine that— weren’t you Level 200 when you ascended, Regnorex?”

His eyes glinted as he watched Salvos moved with speed unrivaled.

“Now, little flame. Show me what you have. Burn bright, scorch the world, and forever leave your mark.”

General Skills [Racial Skill: Partial Mortality] and [Racial Skill: Demonic Essence] consolidate into General Grand Skill [Racial Skill: Divine Essence of the Daeva Cambion]!

Grand Skill [My Flame Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends]!

Abundant experience is awarded for learning a Grand Skill!

Subspecies [Daeva Cambion] Level Up!

[Daeva Cambion – Lvl. 124] -> [Daeva Cambion – Lvl. 125]

Gained 5 Stat Points and 3 Skill Points!

Class [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus] Level Up!

[Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 85] -> [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 86]

Gained 2 Secondary Skill Points!

…

Class [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus] Level Up!

[Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 90] -> [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus - Lvl. 91]

Gained 2 Secondary Skill Points!

I survived. Somehow, I survived.

[Vindication of They] had nearly killed me. I pushed myself to my limits, and my body changed. My soul burned with power— a [Divine Essence] I had never met before. I no longer had either [Partial Mortality] or [Demonic Essence]. Instead, I stepped forward as myself. Just as I had as an [Imp], with nothing else on me. There were some changes, of course. My horns sat on my head like a crown, and my claws were longer— sharper.

Wings. That was right. My wings— these weren’t the [Wings of the Netherworld]. They didn’t have the same bone-like structure. They were proper wings. Like that of a bat. Its edges were lined with black marks. An onyx color, the same as my hands and legs. My horns, too.

Salvos (Liberator of the Plaguelands)

Species: [Archdemon of Pride]

Subspecies: [Daeva Cambion] - Lvl. 125

Class: [Grand Mystic of the Nexeus] - Lvl. 91

General Skills:

[Advanced Mana Manipulation] - Lvl. 8

[Identification] - Lvl. 6

[Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension] - Lvl. 2

[Rest] - Lvl. 5

[Lesser Enhanced Wisdom] - Lvl. 6

[Title Skill: General Curse Resistance] - Lvl. 4

[Title Skill: Recall Skill] - Lvl. 1

[Racial Skill: Divine Essence of the Daeva Cambion] - Lvl. 1 (Maxed)

Stats:

[Available Stat Points: 0]

[Vitality]: 145 (+25) (+100)

[Strength]: 135 (+25) (+100)

[Endurance]: 145 (+25) (+3) (+100)

[Wisdom]: 260 (+25) (+10) (++100)

[Agility]: 310 (+25) (+5) (+100)

Skills:

[Available Skill Points: 3]

[Barrage of Cinders] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Demon’s Mark] - Lvl. 10

[Haste] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Intimidation] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Faux Limbs] - Lvl. 8

[Nebular Construct] - Lvl. 6

[Radiant Slash] - Lvl. 15 (Maxed)

[Salvo of Vanity] - Lvl. 14

[The Primordial Spark] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Wings of the Netherworld] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Passive - A Hunter’s Sense] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Passive - Blue Flames] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Passive - Weapon Mastery] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[My Flame Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] - Lvl. 1 (Maxed)

Secondary Skills:

[Available Secondary Skill Points: 14]

[Dimensional Pocket] - Lvl 5

[Mass Particulate Modification] - Lvl 10 (Maxed)

[Mystical Projection] - Lvl 15 (Maxed)

[Long Range Teleportation] - Lvl 20 (Maxed)

[Planar Navigation] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Scattering Displacement] - Lvl. 20 (Maxed)

[Warped Time] - Lvl 10

This temporary newfound strength was thanks to [Divine Essence of the Daeva Cambion]. I had another Grand Skill, though. It was what saved me from the [Vindication of They]. While [Divine Essence of the Daeva Cambion] made me stronger, it wouldn’t have saved me from the blast that the [Ancient Centinel] apparition would engulf me with.

No— something else saved me. An aura of flame wrapped around my body. Specks of cinder wisped off me, incinerating anything that came close to touching my skin. They came in all the colors of the rainbow and more. Black, white, silver, gray, brass, violet, cyan— it was truly a sight to behold. More magnificent than the Breastplate of Alexander’s iridescent aura, and Willy’s rainbow-colored flame.

I stared down at the Sage Centinel as he lay crumpled at my feet. He didn’t know what just happened. He was utterly bewildered. I smiled.

“[My Flame Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends]. I cannot die.”

Or at least, I was pretty sure I couldn’t die. Not right now. Silver flames wisped off my claws as I raised it, looming of the Sage Centinel. Centina and the others stared, baffled at how quickly I had immobilized him.

“Y-you—”

He started, but I didn’t let him finish. I interrupted the click of his mandibles and struck him in the stomach once more. Again, his carapace shattered. Again, I tore through his body. He flopped back, clutching at his wounds as they slowly regenerated.

“I will not—”

I went for his neck, next. His eyes grew round as the attack came swiftly, aiming to sever his head. But before it could connect, the ground beneath me burst open.

I narrowed my eyes, glancing down at the Horror Centinel as it clung to my feet. The Sage Centinel stumbled away as Willy called out.

“Salvos!”

I met the gaze of the Horror Centinel as it clung on with tendril-like limbs. A small smile crept across my face, and I tilted my head.

“I wonder… how long can you hold on?”

The Horror Centinel snapped its jaws, gnawing at my leg as my flames protected me from any harm. Its carapace burned just from being close to me— it wriggled in pain, but still it tried to keep me down. I realized why soon after.

The two watching Titan Centinels and the second Horror Centinel closed in on me from all sides. My eyes flickered, watching their sluggish movements with pinpoint precision. I flapped my wings once and ascended even as the first Horror Centinel tried to drag me down.

It clung onto my legs with its tendril-like arms and— its arms snapped. The fire ate through its carapace and melted its flesh. It let out a terrible screech as I soared above the oncoming attacks.

The three Centinels crashed into each other as the last one lay squirming on the ground. I conjured a ball of golden flames, grinning.

“Catch.”

All but the injured Horror Centinel leapt out of the way. It looked up as it was abandoned by its companions, eyes glinting from the quickly approaching yellow glow. The blast engulfed its body, incinerating it entirely.

A pillar of smoke erupted into the air as the earth shook. The first Titan Centinel landed right at the edge of the pit to the haven, glancing around in search of me. I wasn’t flying above it anymore. In fact, I was right behind it.

“Hey.”

I tapped a finger on its shoulder. It reacted instantly, spinning around and slashing a bulky claw-like arm for my head. I raised an arm and caught it with ease. The Titan Centinel tried to back up, but I didn’t let go.

“What’s wrong? Can’t escape?”

It swung for me with its other claw-like arm. I caught that too, twisting my hands and folding it over my chest. With that swift move, I ripped off the first Titan Centinel’s arms as it stumbled back.

“You forgot this.”

I tossed the broken limbs at it as it fell to the ground in pain. I glanced up at the other two remaining [Evolved Centinels].

“Are you guys going to help your companion?”

I cocked my heat at them, and they exchanged uneasy glances. Then, after a moment of deliberation, they ran. I rolled my eyes.

“Whatever happened to your kinship? Or, perhaps, you have never cared about your own kind, have you? You simply want something to hate.”

I strolled up to the first Titan Centinel as it desperately tried to back up. Sighing, I brought an arm up.

“That’s no different from Humans.”

And my arm changed. It rippled, roiling like my skin was made of water. Then it took on a different shape. A silvery glint. One that looked like the metallic-like carapace of a Centinel, except with a different color.

My right arm became a scythe. With it, I sliced the first Titan Centinel in half. Centina stared in shock as my hand returned to normal a moment after. Her jaw dropped.

“T-that’s…”

How was she doing that?

Centina could only watch in utter disbelief as Salvos transformed one of her limbs into Centinel parts. No— it wasn’t even just a random Centinel’s arms. It was the scything arm of the Gracious Centinel she’d killed just earlier. And somehow, it morphed back to her claw-like hand without problem

She flexed it as Centina struggled to comprehend what she just saw.

“Feels a bit weird, but I’ll get used to it.”

Salvos spoke simply and glanced over at the two fleeing [Evolved Centinels]. Her lips twisted, and she launched forward, giving chase.

“I will not let you get away!”

She shot past overhead the floating monsters— past Centina who lay on the ground, trying to process this. The Demon zipped her way straight to the Horror Centinel first. It spun around, puffing out a plume of green gas. Some kind of poison. She didn’t bother diving into it. Instead, she extended her arm, shifting it into the tendril.

That’s the first Horror Centinel’s arm. Is she copying the abilities of those she killed? Or— no, that’s not right. In the first place, natural physical attributes weren’t something that could be copied. If Salvos was copying them, she’d have to copy their physique and body.

Centina knew that some Demons and Spirits were capable of this kind of shapeshifting. However, it always modified their entire appearance. Somehow, Salvos was only altering a single limb at the time for her own use.

She grabbed the remaining Horror Centinel with the tendril-like arm, even from afar. Her gaze snapped to the Titan Centinel, and she bared her teeth.

“[Demon’s Mark].”

A symbol burned itself on the Horror Centinel’s carapace as she tossed it straight at the Titan Centinel. The mark shone brighter and brighter until eventually it erupted into an iridescent inferno. One that twisted its way up in a multitude of colors. Centina’s bulbous eyes reflected the glitter of this rainbow explosion as it blew apart the crimson rain falling from above. She could only stare in awe and terror at how powerful Salvos had become.

“Amazing…”

Salvos was really keeping her promise. Centina hadn’t put much trust in her, but now she believed. The Demon casually walked away from the blas, her gaze focused only on one thing.

The last [Evolved Centinel]. The one who caused all of this.

The Sage Centinel.

And she was going to kill him. Centina knew Salvos was going to ruthlessly and mercilessly finish him off.

How?

How was he losing?

He couldn’t lose.

The Sage Centinel watched as his kin died one after the other. They didn’t even stand a chance against the Demon. His mandibles tightly scraped together as he raised a hand.

“No! No! No! No!”

He shouted, focusing his crimson rain at the Demon. She walked forward, uncaring of the curse, even as it was concentrated around her.

“Kill you.”

The Sage Centinel had grown strong. He had attained a Grand Skill. One that could make him even more powerful— that could weaken his enemies and boost his allies. Yet, in the face of the Demon, the Grand Skill did nothing.

Salvos approached him, taking step after step, the footfalls echoing in the unusually quiet Bloodied Gulf. So many Centinels had died today because of this. He had rallied a hundred thousand of his kin, and they were all gone. All because of the Demon.

He clapped his hands together, creating a giant ball of acid.

“I will kill you!”

He repeated himself as the orb grew, dwarfing him in size.

“Then I will destroy everything you cherish. All that you love. So that you will have nothing left— even after death!”

The Sage Centinel tossed the massive acid sphere, and Salvos frowned. She sidestepped it, closing the distance in an instant. She grabbed him by the throat as he backed up in surprise.

“You are mistaken.”

Her voice was low. She spoke with an apathy he’d never heard before.

“All that I love is myself. If you kill me, you’d already have taken everything away from me.”

The Demon tilted her head, curiously watching the Sage Centinel struggle. He wasn't going to die here. He was going to kill—

“But that is only if you kill me.”

She ripped his head off, tossing it aside.

“Unfortunately for you, you can’t kill me when you’re dead.”

Those words echoed in his flying head, and everything went dark.