CHAPTER 150: ALTERNATIVE VERSION

"That apple was created from an enormous amount of suffering which you just ate, and very bad mana has thus penetrated your magic energy," said the second figure.

"Well then go bother every demon, since they will also have demonic magical energy and even stronger than mine because they are demons," Flain said.

"Demonic mana is different from demons. Demonic mana is born either from enormous suffering, hatred, or rage. Demons are a race like any other and usually have normal magical energy," said the first.

"Because a huge amount of demonic mana simultaneously penetrated your undead core, your aura has changed and now tolerates demonic mana. That is very bad, because it could lead you to seek more demonic mana for the promise of quick strengthening," said the third.

Flain smirked. "Thanks for the information — now I know there exists a way to strengthen." he said.

[You have chosen the hostility of the Three Judges.]

All three fixed their gaze on him. "We must stop that," they said in unison.

The trio did not move — they only tilted their hoods and silently examined him. The air thickened. Flain felt the pulse of new mana in his body; in every cut of his bones, power was awakening.

"We will destroy what threatens the order," said the first in a cold voice.

"We will level it to the ground," added the second.

"Your name will be written among the dead," concluded the third, and all three stepped forward at once.

Darkness gusted around. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

The three judges immediately launched their attack.

The first emitted a beam of light from his hands. The wave of light passed in front of Flain and turned the air into a searing barrier that struck him.

[-200 HP]

Flain appeared behind him and made two quick slashes into the first judge’s leg.

The first judge did not slow. His back opened and white flying blades emerged, spinning into a circle.

Flain crouched; one sword flashed, the other slid under the blades and cut one of them. A fragment lodged into his cloak, piercing part of the hood, but nothing more.

The second judge did not move — he held a piece of shadow in his hand, firing living chains from it that tried to bind Flain. The chains caught his thigh and pulled him to the ground.

"You will die in silence, traitor," he mumbled.

Flain smirked, snapped the chain with a tug, and in that tug his blade grazed the judge’s spine on contact. The judge’s throat fluttered.

Flain’s swords met the second judge’s hand.

"Swift Cascade," Flain murmured.

Flain’s swords spread and he began attacking the second judge with full aggression. The second judge could not react fast enough and was covered in wounds.

The third’s hands parted and dozens of dark spikes shot from their palms — needles that shifted in flight. Flain dodged them all in midair and leapt away from the second judge who was dying on the ground.

[You killed the second judge.]

Flain looked at the system message. It was nice that the system informed him about what he saw in front of him, but a few EXP for killing it would have been nice too.

The Judges synchronized their movements together — the first released an energy blast from his hands, and the third summoned shadow waves that tried to peel Flain off the ground.

Flain jumped into the air.

"Fire Lance"

"Fire Lance"

"Ice Spikes"

"Ice Spikes"

Fiery spears appeared in both of Flain’s hands, and icy spikes appeared in the air. Flain sent all of it at them at once.

Since the Judges were close together, most of the projectiles hit them. Their bodies were scorched and bore large marks from the icy spikes.

Flain did not hesitate and once again began attacking both of them at close range, aggressively as was his habit, with his new demonic power adding weight to his strikes. He activated Swift Cascade, slashing twenty times, thirty times.

The First Judge jumped back and surrounded Flain with more chains, this time faster ones. The chains tightened around Flain’s calf. They squeezed it so hard that a piece of bone cracked.

[-350 HP]

Flain grabbed the chains, tore them from his leg, and pulled the First Judge toward him. He grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground with full force.

The head of the First Judge shattered into dust.

[You have killed the First Judge.]

When the Third Judge saw this, he tore the cloak from his body. Underneath was a muscular, bald figure with two gray arms growing from his back. On his forehead was a completely red eye. In his four hands, he held large mechanical katanas.

Flain froze — it looked exactly like him in his home world, only with slight differences. His face was older, with wrinkles, and he wore a lieutenant colonel’s uniform — a rank Flain had never achieved.

[Kill your alternative version.]

Flain had heard the term "alternative version" before.

When Flain was 14 years old, the army ordered that their soldiers undergo a basic five-year education, in which Flain also had to participate. There, he learned a lot about mathematics, physics, and similar sciences.

In one lecture, they discussed the universe. The professor believed that the universe was not the only one and that there were infinite possible universes, calling this concept the multiverse.

Since there are infinite universes, there are also infinite versions of oneself. He called them alternative versions. Flain had thought about this for thousands of years while he was sealed away and came to the conclusion that, according to his own theories that he had devised and the professor’s theories, he believed in it as well.

The alternative version of Flain looked around in confusion and then fixed his gaze on Flain.

"Hey, who are you?" he asked.

Flain thought to himself, he could kill him quite easily. "You’re Flain, right?" he asked.

"How do you know my name?" the alternative version asked in surprise.

"Hmm, looks like you’re a lieutenant colonel. Still want to take revenge for Denji?" Flain asked.

The alternative version stood there, even more surprised. "Who the hell are you?!" he asked.