CHAPTER 204: BEATING HARD

"You... You..." Mathias swallowed, his fingers trembling as he pointed at Nolan below.

He wanted to speak, but no words came out. Everything had happened too fast for him to react.

Just moments ago, he had been so confident in his monsters, certain Nolan would suffer a terrible death. But the reality was far from what he expected—Nolan was much stronger than he thought.

Not only had Nolan killed every monster he summoned, but he had even destroyed his dimension.

Such power was far beyond what an ordinary person should possess. There was only one possibility—Nolan was a Celestial-level mage, stronger than him.

Yet, he hadn’t sensed any trace of magic fluctuations from Nolan, and that left him doubtful.

Snapping out of his daze, he gritted his teeth and asked coldly, "Nolan Lorian, who are you really? Have you been hiding your powers from the world? What is your purpose?"

Nolan rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively.

"That’s none of your business," he replied lazily. "Now, just focus on how you’re going to survive. I’m not going to take pity on you, you know?"

Mathias fell silent as anger boiled inside him. Even so, he didn’t dare argue. This man was too powerful—and with that massive black dragon at his side, he was hopelessly outmatched.

If the two joined forces, he would surely meet a miserable end. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he slowly descended, stopping about two meters above the hall floor.

With both hands folded behind his back, he said, "Nolan Lorian, let’s end this hostility. I’ll withdraw my sea monster attack, and in return, you will not lay a hand on me. How about that deal?"

To be honest, he didn’t want to make such a proposal. What he truly wanted was to see the eastern region and the Great Velmora Empire reduced to dust.

But he hadn’t expected to face such a powerful enemy—let alone Nolan Lorian, the sixth prince of the Velmora Grand Empire.

He might be infamous for countless terrible nicknames, but in truth, this man was terrifyingly strong.

Mathias knew that if he fought him head-on, he would surely die. Right now, retreat was the only sensible option.

Nolan didn’t respond to his offer. Instead, he gave a cold smile and pointed at his temple.

"Do you even have a brain? You’ve caused massive damage to the eastern region and the Empire, and you also threw every monster you had at me. Yet now you want to negotiate, as if I’d just forget everything? Did you hit your head on a rock and lose your senses? Or did joining the Underworld Gate turn you into a complete idiot?" Nolan mocked openly.

He had once thought Zarak was the dumbest man alive, but it turned out Mathias was even worse.

At the very least, Zarak would never spout such pathetic words in front of him.

Mathias was left breathless by the mockery. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and the face hidden beneath his hood flushed red.

"Damn you, Nolan Lorian!" he roared. Slamming his palms together, he shouted, "If you won’t cooperate, then don’t blame me for going all out! No one’s leaving this place alive! It’s either you or me—let’s decide it now!"

The moment he finished, his eyes snapped shut, and twenty magic circles instantly formed in the air.

Each one was massive, spanning five to seven meters across.

They glowed in various colors—red, white, black, blue, and brown. Their sudden appearance tightened the atmosphere, making the very air feel heavy.

"Hahaha!" Mathias let out a crazed laugh, his expression twisting with frenzy. "Die, Nolan Lorian!"

Whoosh!

From every magic circle, fireballs, torrents of water, streaks of lightning, and countless other elements shot forth at once—all aimed at Nolan.

Arnold’s body shifted back to its original form. Leaping in front of Nolan, he said firmly, "My lord, please stand back. Allow me to handle these attacks!"

But Nolan only smiled faintly. Placing a hand on his right shoulder, he replied, "I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need. Leave this to me. You can stand down."

Upon hearing that, Arnold didn’t argue. He simply gave a small nod, and in the next instant, his figure dissolved into a swirl of black mist.

Nolan lifted his head and let out a cold chuckle. "Is this really all you’ve got to beat me? Pathetic..."

Snap!

With a flick of his finger, every incoming attack froze in midair. Moments later, they shattered into particles of light that scattered into the sky.

Mathias froze on the spot. His face drained of color, his mouth opening and closing as if words refused to come.

"H-How is this possible? You... who are you? Why are you—"

Before he could finish, Nolan suddenly appeared in front of him, his right hand clenched into a fist.

"You talk too much, asshole!" Nolan snarled, then smashed his fist into Mathias’s face.

Bang!

Mathias’s body was sent flying, slamming hard into the wall behind.

Boom!

The impact shook the hall, leaving a two-meter-deep hole in the wall.

"Pfft!" Blood sprayed from Mathias’s mouth as he clutched his face, throbbing with unbearable pain.

Several teeth fell loose, his jaw twisted to the side, and the agony made him groan helplessly.

Yet before he could even react, Nolan appeared before him again. Seizing him by the neck, he lifted him off the ground—then hurled him down with brutal force.

Boom!

The force of Nolan’s strike was so great that Mathias’s body once again smashed into the floor, shattering it beneath him. His back throbbed with unbearable pain.

Several ribs were dislocated, piercing into his internal organs.

"Argh..." he groaned weakly, writhing in agony.

But every movement only made the pain worse. Cold sweat streamed down his neck and back, soaking his robe.

Nolan stepped closer, stopping right beside him. He crouched down, his expression indifferent, his eyes cold.

"How does it feel?" he asked flatly. "It hurts, doesn’t it?"

Mathias couldn’t answer. His body was too battered—even moving his tongue made the pain intensify.

Nolan let out a quiet sigh. "Actually, I don’t entirely blame you. Humans have feelings—even you and the members of the Underworld Gate. You feel sadness, resentment, anger, and all the rest. That much is natural. However..."

His gaze sharpened, his voice cutting cold.

"You and the rest of the Netherworld Gate crossed the line. You turned ordinary people into fodder for black magic experiments. You tore families apart, leaving countless children and the elderly to suffer. That is why my father ordered your extermination in the past."

His tone grew even heavier. "So, if you want revenge, you must also be ready to face punishment for your own sins."

As soon as his words fell, Nolan activated his Eyes of Chaos. Mathias’s eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You... You... Singularity—" Before he could finish, Nolan’s hand clamped around his neck, forcing him to meet his gaze.

"Mind reading..." Nolan muttered coldly.