Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 456 - 429: Locked On

The Forbidden Magic, the Dragon Breath Skill, unleashed a terrifying firestorm that slammed into the walls of Moonlight City with lightning speed.

Had Ronin not drawn away the attention of Hornasan and the other Witch Soul Knights on the wall, they might have been able to use Combat Skills, Magic, or Magic Energy Cannons to weaken the power of the Dragon Breath Skill.

But alas, reality had no "what-ifs."

They had no time to react to Sophia’s sudden attack.

Built less than two decades ago, the tall, sturdy city wall became as fragile as paper before the flames of this spell.

RUMBLE...

Wherever the Dragon Breath Skill passed, stone shattered and the city wall crumbled. The very ground trembled!

The Witch Soul Soldiers defending the wall were scattered like dust in a hurricane, their screams and wails cut short as they were reduced to ash.

After receiving orders to reinforce Moonlight Valley, the old Knight Hornasan believed he could earn distinguished honors on the battlefield in his twilight years.

Even after Mephisto transformed him into a Witch Soul Knight and granted him greater Power, he felt that a new life, a new glory, was beckoning to him.

He never imagined that in this war, he would be incinerated by the furious flames without even getting to use a single Combat Skill.

After breaching the city wall, the Forbidden Magic swept onward with unstoppable force, tearing through the streets and buildings behind it. Its power only began to fade nearly a thousand meters in.

The prosperous eastern district of Moonlight City was reduced to ruins by a single spell!

’So this is the power of Forbidden Magic!’

Ronin, hovering in the air, was utterly stunned as he gazed down at the devastation.

He had expected the Dragon Breath Skill to tear through the wall and slaughter a thousand of the Witch Soul Race—which would have been impressive enough. He had never imagined a scene so spectacular, yet so terrifying.

This was the might of Extreme Elemental Power—a force beyond mere Elemental Power!

It wasn’t just Ronin. Lurans and the other Knights who had never witnessed the power of a Legendary-level warrior were also utterly astounded.

Even Ridder and Petro, men who had witnessed Legendary masters and even Sages, were awed by the strike.

But soon, Ridder raised his Longsword. "Everyone, charge!"

The others snapped out of it, the shock on their faces replaced by unbridled excitement.

Participating in a war of this magnitude was an honor in itself, and as far as they were concerned, the battle was already as good as won.

Ridder led the charge. With a mighty stride, Fighting Qi erupted beneath his feet, launching him onto the ruined wall. After a few more steps through the air, he landed in the heart of the battlefield.

He unleashed the full might of his Proud Sun Level Power, carving a path through the enemy ranks as if they weren’t even there.

The dazed Witch Soul Knights and soldiers barely had time to react before his Fighting Qi pierced their bodies, turning them to dust.

At the same time, Lurans, Petro, and the other Knights followed close behind. A harrowing battle erupted on the scorched earth, which reeked of fire and ash.

Sophia gasped for breath, the rapid drain on her Spirit and Magic Power leaving her utterly exhausted.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Anilu steadied her. As Sophia’s Personal Guard Officer, she hadn’t joined the charge to kill the enemy.

"Even with the help of the Extreme Treasure Pendant, I was only barely able to use the Dragon Breath Skill Magic Scroll. The backlash is just too severe."

She struggled to lift her head and look at the black dot in the distant sky. "Dealing with Mephisto is up to Ronin and the others now."

To Sophia, paying such a heavy price to create an opportunity to kill the Shadow Divine Envoy was well worth it.

...

Mephisto watched the scene unfold from a distant mountain peak, a chill running down his spine. ’Thank goodness I wasn’t on that wall,’ he thought. ’Even I couldn’t have withstood a Forbidden Technique!’

He had come so close to death.

’Letting a Magic Master use a Forbidden Spell Scroll without dying... this must be the work of that deathless old bastard, Ryan, from the City of Dawn!’

Mephisto was deeply wary of Sophia. He possessed no such treasures himself.

Beside him, Jesus was also scared half to death by the sight. He was equally glad he hadn’t been with Hornasan.

"Lord Divine Envoy, that attack was too powerful! It wiped out nearly half our forces, and most of them were elites! What’s left... they’re no match for the enemy."

Sieges are complex and costly endeavors.

Jesus and his men had a simple plan: defend the wall with their elite, heavy troops and make the enemy pay a steep price for every inch.

This resulted in their high-tier forces being nearly wiped out in a single blow.

Mephisto’s gaze, however, locked onto Ridder. "That man..."

"That’s one of Ronin’s followers, Ridder, the Commander of Wubei Territory. Garrett and I ran into him last time we were in Shore City. He’s a Silver Moon Knight, too."

Mephisto’s brow furrowed. ’Is he just a Silver Moon Knight?’

’Somehow, he doesn’t seem like it.’

Still, it was hard to be sure. The Witch Soul Knights Ridder was fighting were Golden Level at best—not a single Meteor Level among them. He had no reason to use his full power.

Just then, Lurans broke through a crowd of enemies and leaped onto the corner of a ruined high-rise. He took out the black Soul Horn and, channeling a special energy from his Sea of Qi, blew it.

A low-pitched sound spread across the battlefield. Just as it had during the battle with Ossen, every Witch Soul Knight and soldier who heard it froze, allowing their opponents to cut them down unopposed.

"Heh heh..."

Mephisto let out a cold, angry laugh. "I knew he’d use the Soul Horn. Too bad for him—it’s useless against my Witch Soul Pearl!"

He produced the Witch Soul Pearl from his Space Ring. With no discernible movement, a flash of dark light shot out. On the battlefield below, all the Witch Soul soldiers began to move again, their eyes glowing red as they entered a frenzied state.

’In that case,’ he thought, ’let the Gold and silver Level Witch Soul Knights on the battlefield devour more souls and ascend to the next tier!’

Mephisto knew in his heart that this war was likely lost.

But not being able to win didn’t mean he had lost.

As long as he dealt a heavy blow to Wushan Territory, his objective would be met.

As for the deaths of these men and the loss of the Moonlight Valley base, he couldn’t care less.

Just as Mephisto used the Witch Soul Pearl to control the Witch Soul Race, Ronin—now free from attack in the sky—took out a purple, pocket-watch-shaped device.

It was a special Extraordinary Tool Sophia had given him called the "Soul Power Sensor." Its function was to detect fluctuations from soul manipulation within a radius of several miles and pinpoint the source.

It was said that Ryan Sill, the leader of the City of Dawn, had specifically created these little gadgets to deal with the elusive Shadow Lords.

This time, the Sage had sent his distant descendant to Orland equipped with just such a device.

As Ronin poured his Magic Power into it, the Soul Power Sensor activated. A needle appeared on its face, spun for a moment, and then pointed toward the mountain peak where Mephisto was located.

Ronin turned, and just like a compass, he found the sensor’s needle remained fixed in the same direction.

’On the mountain?’

His Wind’s Wings beat the air as Ronin shot toward the mountaintop. The sensor in his palm grew hotter, indicating he was closing in on Mephisto.

His Wind of Inquiry swept over the peak, and Ronin quickly sensed two figures on the summit.

’Not good!’

Alarmed, Mephisto quickly stored the Witch Soul Pearl in his Space Ring and transformed into a black mist, preparing to flee.

"Where do you think you’re going!"

Ronin’s shout boomed, drawing nearer as he crashed down upon the mountain peak, wreathed in a storm of Fighting Qi.

The massive explosion generated a powerful shockwave that blasted both the unprepared Jesus and the black mist, sending them sprawling to the ground.

Ronin’s gaze locked onto the man in the black robe. "Mephisto," he said coldly, "there’s no escape for you!"