CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: PLAGUE GAZE

Huge tentacles collided with lightning.

The battle at the center was exceptionally fierce.

The dwarves on the outskirts, along with Kana, kept their swords ready, prepared to charge in at any moment.

Kana watched the battle, with voices arguing in his head.

Whether or not to steal the kill, for Kana, it all counted as experience.

Not to mention, Rita Enke was definitely a big target; taking him down might just provide the final experience needed for another level up.

Such an opportunity was rare, after all, not just any evil god could be called an "intruder."

Most troublemakers and evil gods hidden in the shadows were insiders of this world.

He had to consider that this might be his only source of experience for a while.

He looked at his experience bar.

[Experience: 735/1000]

Although the experience from these goblins had diminished, each one only gave him 10 points or so.

But there were so many goblins, and under Lurik’s massive lightning paralysis, slaughtering them was almost effortless.

The sheer volume of goblins pushed Kana’s experience close to 800.

In conversion, Kana must have killed at least 70 goblins.

No dwarf present dared claim they killed more goblins than Kana, not even half as many.

Their efficiency was no match for Kana’s.

Kana watched the battle in the field; even though Rita Enke had begun to accept the Rotting Monarch’s power,

it was clear he was still no match for Lurik in battle, a Sage of the Gray Mountain, a member of the Three-Man Council.

Lurik’s age was at least upwards of 300, without a doubt.

For dwarves, there’s no saying that age diminishes strength.

Especially for dwarves, reaching 300 is just transitioning from prime to twilight years.

This process takes another hundred years or so.

Dwarves have an average lifespan of 400 to 500 years.

Moreover, Kana recognized Lurik’s profession, using a warhammer, and every time he used lightning, runes would light up.

It’s basically confirmed as a hidden profession—Rune Blacksmith. Despite the blacksmith label, it’s a magic-system close combat profession.

Weapons typically include various hammers, with runic powers depending on the dwarf faction, possessing lightning, fire, or rock forces.

"Is this the power— you— have chosen?"

Lurik roared, slamming lightning-wrapped blows onto Rita Enke.

Two tentacles were completely scorched and useless, and blackened arcs ran across Rita Enke’s body.

"You don’t deserve that sword!" Lurik shouted, smashing down with a hammer, forcefully knocking the sword from Rita Enke’s hands.

Generally, most dwarves used hammers; few used swords, and Rita Enke was one of them.

The absolute violence of lightning and the warhammer made the surrounding dwarves excited, some even cheered uncontrollably.

Even Kana’s group couldn’t move their eyes from the scene.

After losing his weapon, Rita Enke nearly completely lost the ability to resist.

"You traitor, prepare for the Gray Mountain’s judgment."

Lurik’s voice cooled, his weapon wielding without lethal force.

Clearly, he intended to capture Rita Enke alive.

"Ha ha ha, judged by you cowards? Not a chance!"

Rita Enke shouted while the tentacles behind him flailed wildly, striking forward fiercely.

Lurik blocked several strikes, stepping back, eyes fixed on him.

"Alright, if that’s what you wish for!"

"Thunderstorm! Mountain Tremble!"

"Boom!"

With thunderous roars, ears rang, and thick lightning struck straight from the night sky.

Wrapped around the warhammer under Lurik’s swing, it slammed heavily into Rita Enke’s chest.

In an instant, his entire chest caved in, the raging lightning even burning his skin.

Several tentacles behind him turned black, and his figure slammed into the city wall.

The dwarves quickly made way for an opening.

All dwarves gazed at the wall’s indentation, where Rita Enke silently slid down.

With his death, Lurik placed his warhammer by his feet.

Looking at the charred corpse.

The surrounding dwarves didn’t know what to say, an unusual silence amidst where victory celebration should be.

"So, we won?" Alyris cautiously asked beside.

Kana was about to nod when he suddenly caught a scent.

A foul stench.

A buzzing sound filled his ears.

"What smell? What sound?" Getai shouted loudly.

Apparently, Kana wasn’t the only one who smelled and heard it; every Dwarf present felt it.

"Be careful!" Kana suddenly remembered something and shouted loudly.

Lurik abruptly raised his hammer, turning to look at Rita Enke’s corpse.

At some point, the charred corpse had been covered by a swarm of white worms, seemingly devouring it.

Then, that swarm of worms solidified, as if transforming into Rita Enke’s corpse.

The previously almost lifeless Rita Enke stood up again.

This time, he had entirely lost the semblance of a normal life form.

He now resembled a standing monster; his lower body began swelling and deforming, lacking legs, replaced by a worm body bristling with fine stitches.

Tentacles protruded from his back, and insect-like limbs grew from his waist.

Aside from some lingering aura in his broken and ragged head, there was no trace of his former self in his body.

"Gray Mountain!"

Many Dwarves couldn’t help but exclaim, such an evil and blasphemous posture.

"Listen, it’s the voice of my lord!"

"Attack!" This time, Lurik didn’t hesitate and directly issued the command.

After speaking, he took the lead, wielding his warhammer and charging forward.

The others followed closely behind.

"My lord’s gaze is upon us, why not kneel down and embrace this new life?"

Facing the imminent encirclement, Rita Enke suddenly pressed down.

In an instant.

All the Dwarves let out a certain wail, collapsing limply to the ground.

Even Lurik seemed to be under enormous pressure, half-kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with his warhammer.

Kana turned around to look.

Alyris was already half-kneeling on the ground, desperately holding onto his hand, trembling as she said, "Your Highness, flee!"

She felt an overwhelming terror.

George and Bobo had lost the strength to speak, limply collapsed on the ground, only able to utter faint sounds, struggling to keep their eyes open to see the situation before them.

"You, human, why are you still standing?"

Rita Enke’s voice no longer sounded like it was from a Dwarf, filled with an air of fanaticism.

Everyone softening to the ground looked at Kana.

Including Lurik, who was struggling to stay half-kneeling, and Alyris, who wanted Kana to escape.

Kana couldn’t believe it; he never imagined that he would end up here while simply trying to help the Dwarves with the Goblins and resolve a plague curse.

Now the master’s gaze was directly upon him.

He glanced at his status screen.

[Status: Plague Gaze]

[Plague Gaze: You have been perceived by an external evil god known as the "Rotting Monarch".

Every 30 seconds a soul check occurs, failure results in the status "Weakness".

Every 30 seconds a constitution check occurs, failure results in the status "Plague".]

Everyone present had evidently failed the soul check, resulting in weakness for all.

Lurik and Alyris clearly had souls stronger than average, still barely holding on, not completely collapsed.

Several Dwarves managed to pass the constitution check, but only a portion showed symptoms of the plague.

This included Bobo and George, on whom the symptom "Pustule" had already appeared.

"My lord is favoring you, embrace the new life with gratitude, human."

Facing the only one standing, Kana, Rita Enke spoke.

Yet Kana paid him no heed.

Instead, he turned, holding Alyris’s hand, placing it back on her leg, further deploying the spherical puppet to hover before her: "Rest well, refrain from speaking."

After speaking, he stood up.

Gripped the sword, and slashed his hand.

The wound, the blood.

He steadily walked towards Rita Enke.

Attracting nearly everyone’s attention with every step forward.

Came to Lurik’s side.

"You... don’t have to... do this, hurry, leave."

"I can still... hold them off for a while."

Lurik spoke with difficulty, clearly in a very bad state.

As the strongest present, he had been specifically targeted.

Kana did not speak; he simply smiled.

He shifted the Prince’s Sword held in his right hand to his left, gripping the sword disarmed from Rita Enke’s hand in his right.

Smiling, he said: "You don’t mind if I use this to deal with its owner, right?"