Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

According to the law of the Holy Towers, it was a serious crime to aid a wanted Black Sorcerer to escape arrest. The crime was enough to convict Grimm to a 500-year imprisonment.

500 years…

Even with his Rank 3 Honor Badge and Lefay’s situation as a victim, Grimm was still facing a 200-year to 300-year imprisonment.

Taking in a deep breath, Grimm slowly closed his eyes.

Then, his eyes were opened!

As a sharp ray of light glowed through his body, Grimm looked up and towards Hattori the Hidden and replied.

“Deal!”

What?!

Hattori, Kuryak, Roqhiroo, and Third Ghostpepper couldn’t believe what they’d heard as they glared at Grimm.

This man… was he out of his mind?!

By agreeing to Hattori’s condition, it was the same as declaring war upon every party in the scene—Third Ghostpepper, Kuryak, and Roqhiroo.

Not only that, it would also mean that this was going to be a battle to the death!

Kuryak and Roqhiroo were elites amongst the elites in the ranks of the Demon Hunters; on the other hand, Third Ghostpepper was an overwhelmingly powerful sorcerer.

It was all within reason for them to take Grimm’s life on the spot in the name of stopping him from aiding a Black Sorcerer escape.

From this moment onward, Grimm was nothing but a dead man in Roqhiroo’s eyes. There was no need to look at him anymore—the only thing he needed to worry about was to maximize the use of this dead man.

Thus, he turned and looked at his newlywed bride—Kuryak.

Kuryak, with her golden hair swaying behind her, stared at Grimm with utter disbelief. Other than that, there was a dowse of belittling glare in her eyes—belittling him for ignoring his logical thinking and giving in to his feelings.

Instinctively, Kuryak quickly stepped back after receiving her husband’s signal. They were not fighting with Third Ghostpepper anymore.

After all, despite how much history they had in the past, they share a bond after going through the Demon Hunting Expedition a long time ago. It was not something that could be easily erased.

Hattori the Hidden on the other hand, laughed out his lungs.

“Hahaha! Grimm, now perhaps you could show a thing or two for our dear seniors here. Let them see the miracles that occurred in the Holy Tower Qualification Battle. Let them see just how terrifying the Ashen Terror is!”

Struggling inside the energy webbing, Hattori tried to stir up a roar and had Grimm to fight them in his stead, buying him time to escape.

Grimm knew what kind of battle he’s getting into.

Locking his eyes on Third Ghostpepper, Grimm took in a deep breath—he seemed to have made up his mind.

Slashing his hand in the air, a dimensional crack quickly was slit open in the air before Grimm extended his hand into it.

It seemed that Grimm actually intended to fight with this powerful Dark Demon Hunter?!

“Shasha! Shashashasha… Oh puny sorcerer… perhaps it’s time for you to face true terror.”

Speaking out with a coarse laugh, Third Ghostpepper’s crimson eyes were like a pair of burning ghost fires as the wrinkles on his face started to calm down. He then pointed his staff at Grimm.

Sensing a moment of danger, almost like his soul was locked on by something, Grimm couldn’t help but pause a moment.

“Spirit Touch.”

The bubble on the tip of Third Ghostpepper’s staff suddenly burst open; a dark crimson skull emerged from the burst bubble and darted straight at Grimm.

This…

This feeling…

The world suddenly turned into a grayscale world in Grimm’s vision. Via the Mask of Truth, Third Ghostpepper looked like an ashen sun.

Everything in front of him was entirely enveloped by Third Ghostpepper’s white beam. Within the small carpet of shadow behind him, his soul fire was flickering uneasily.

“Is this a Spirit World’s attack?”

Grimm felt just how small and tiny he was when facing his foe in the Spirit World. The opponent was just so much stronger.

Perhaps, even if he was able to get Hattori to safety, he would still be gravely injured for a long long time…

As this thought hit him, Grimm bitterly uttered, “Level 1 Wild Instinct, activate.”

In the meantime, a violet key beamed out rays of cold, mysterious glow as it was raised in the air by Grimm’s scaly hand.

Third Ghostpepper’s eyes locked deadly on Grimm’s Marked Friendship Key.

On the other hand, a cyan Marked Friendship Key was rapidly spinning in Kuryak’s palm.

Pondering a short moment, Kuryak quickly clenched her fist and put away her Marked Friendship Key. She was unwilling to utilize the key—it had only a one-time use after all.

“How curious. This boy owns a high-level Marked Friendship Key. No wonder…”

Roqhiroo was surprised as he saw Grimm’s violet Marked Friendship Key.

However, as he raised his key in the air, Grimm let out an agonizing groan.

“Argh…”

The burning pain on his soul was not something one could evade.

Third Ghostpepper’s Spirit Touch, to Grimm’s horror, was aimed straight at his Soul Fire.

The Soul Fire was the spring of life to a sorcerer’s soul. If it were harmed and wounded, the consequence would be dire.

Through Grimm’s soul connection, the Spirit Touch had also affected Myna who was dozing off as he was guarding Lefay’s Crystal Seal.

“Caw! What…who? Who is it? Who’s tickling me?! Curses, show yourself!”

However, only Myna’s voice echoed in the lobby—there was no one else around.

For a long while, Myna vigilantly scouted his surroundings and still found nothing. He couldn’t help but groan. “What the hell? Oh man, I need to ask Krakatoa to treat me more food. This is so spooky.”

Back at the Jewel Sea.

Grimm thought his Soul Fire was already gravely wounded. Yet, in the next second, all of the agonizing pain had all vanished.

“Hmm? What’s going on?”

Grimm shot a look at Third Ghostpepper. He couldn’t believe that his opponent would halt his attack in the last moment.

Third Ghostpepper, on the other hand, was surprised as he stared at Grimm.

Just now, when Third Ghostpepper was clawing at Grimm’s Soul Fire and vanquished his soul… all of his Spirit attacks were not able to leave any significant damage on it…

His soul… just what kind of monstrosity was guarding his soul?

Crack!

It was then, a several dozen meters long black fissure cracked open in the sky as countless scarlet small eyes locked their gazes upon the Sorcerer World.

Everyone couldn’t help but raise their heads and look above them.

Grimm felt an unbearable anxiety ripple in his mind.

After that giant bird was devoured by Black Isotta, just what else did this thing want to send his way?

If it’s just a Level 1 creature, Grimm could still flee away.

However, no matter how much Grimm extended his senses, he could feel that this monster here was almost the same as that gigantic bird… no… perhaps this one was even stronger.

Although the anxiety was still tremoring in his mind, Grimm was able to calm down as his Marked Friendship Key was activated.

Hmm?

Sensing something else, Grimm quickly noticed that there were six rows of gray Spirit Flames darting towards him at high speed.

Grimm’s face immediately turned pale.

From earlier, he knew just how strong these Soul Slaves were. With the Spirit Flames buffing these monsters, each of these Soul Slaves was like Level 1 creatures.

Not only that, they could also perform perfectly collaborated attacks.

When facing off them alone, Grimm could only handle two of these monsters.

Screeeeeech….

Suddenly, a four-winged bird-like Soul Slave let out a long screech as it was sucked into the gigantic black fissure, accompanying several hurricanes.

Kacha!

From within the fissure, a ten-meter long gigantic pincer reached out and… snap! The four-winged bird was instantly cut into two. Feathers and blood rained down from the sky as the bird’s corpse fell to the ground.

A clean cut! A bloody cruelty!

What a pincer from hell!

As the other five Soul Slaves were shocked by this sudden change of tide in battle, Grimm felt a rush of joy as a dimensional distortion rippled below the massive black fissure; countless scarlet red eyes then locked onto everyone that was floating above the Jewel Sea.