[Vol. 8] Chapter 208: The Endgame
At first, the only reason Violet sent her divine sense into Rowan’s body was because she sensed a strange power inside him. That energy seemed to be secretly connected to the rampaging [Magic-Devouring Flying Serpent] outside, and every time that rocky giant serpent was hurt and began to heal, the link would clearly grow stronger.
Obviously, there was definitely some kind of connection between the two.
Now it made sense—after Ashnard’s soul was fully used up and faded away, the control and suppression he had maintained over Tartanos began to weaken. Rowan, the new host, hadn’t yet learned to control the Serpent’s Heart, and might not even know it was inside him. As a result, the heart’s power kept flowing out and feeding the [Magic-Devouring Flying Serpent] in the outside world, becoming its endless source of strength.
If the Serpent’s Heart couldn’t be stabilized, then defeating Tartanos by brute force would probably be just as hard as taking down a god without their divine realm.
That’s how powerful the Serpent really was.
Even if Xiao Guang had the strength to pull it off, with the Sword Saint helping on the side, it would still be a long and difficult fight. And if the Austre Empire’s Intelligence Bureau interfered from outside, things would only become more unpredictable.
Violet wasn’t exactly sure what the Austere Empire’s people were planning or how they intended to deal with the powerful Tartanos. But clearly, their strategy likely didn’t care about things like civilian casualties.
In fact, the Holy Empire and the Austre Empire were at war, and the Theo Province, behind enemy lines and not far from the front, was now facing a massive disaster. That alone could throw the Holy Empire’s army into chaos. Transporting supplies, tending to the wounded, dealing with panicked civilians. These heavy tasks would pile up quickly on the frontline and maybe even shake morale, potentially turning the tide of battle.
That’s probably why the Austre Empire’s Emperor played one of his trump cards here, in such a strange location. It looked random, but it was likely a brilliant multi-purpose move.
Just as ruthless as always… but once again, it would fail. That guy sure had terrible luck.
Honestly, most of the time Violet hadn’t even meant to interfere. But ever since she came back from the Ancient Spirit Realm, she had unknowingly ruined that Emperor’s plans more than a few times. Without her interference, the entire world might look very different by now.
Was it all just a coincidence?
Maybe before meeting Carinvega, Violet would’ve thought so. But after witnessing the power of Fate herself, and seeing the millennium-spanning cause-and-effect tied to someone like Timos Young, she no longer believed in "coincidences."
Maybe, like Menna before her, fate couldn’t act on Violet directly because of her unique status. But it could still reach her by shaping the destinies of people around her, and cause those threads to collide, creating similar results.
The Frederick family, as heirs to the [Emperor Lion Beast] bloodline, already possessed some influence over fate. Normally, that Emperor’s plans should’ve gone very smoothly. Things shouldn’t be this hard for him.
So, the one secretly interfering must have authority over fate that’s even stronger.
As for who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, Violet didn’t know, and didn’t care. It could be Carinvega’s subconscious desire for peace, or maybe something else Violet hadn’t encountered yet. But it was obvious, this force didn’t want the Austre Empire to achieve its ambitions at the cost of innocent lives.
Heh… Fate, huh.
Violet slowly withdrew her finger from the Serpent’s Heart. That strange feeling of resonance also faded away. All those thoughts and guesses drifted from her mind, and when she opened her eyes again. Her view had returned to the real world, inside the chaotic Chaos Magic Valley.
Tartanos was still fighting the two powerhouses, and the sky-shaking crashes were loud enough to rip apart the entire mountain range. But Violet wasn’t focused on the battlefield. She only glanced at Rowan, who was still unconscious, then turned her head, sensing something.
“Oh? Looks like those guys are really committed to their mission~ Or maybe their Emperor gave them a do-or-die order?”
Of course, she was talking about the Austere Empire’s Intelligence Bureau, who were outside the valley trying to interfere. But Violet had already sent the Hero Party ahead to block them.
Although Elunie and her team varied in strength and hadn’t fully learned to work together yet, making them unqualified to fight a monster like Tartanos, they had no problem holding off a few [Graeme] soldiers. Those enemy troops clearly brought weapons designed specifically to counter serpent-related powers, but those tools were pointless against heroes who had no connection to the Serpent.
In the end, it was just a small infiltration team that had snuck in.
But what surprised Violet was that the enemy was willing to go so far. They even used self-destructing [Graemes] to try and tie down Elunie’s group at any cost. The rest of their mobile unit was now rushing toward this location. Violet’s clone, watching from afar, saw everything clearly. At this pace, those troops would arrive in less than ten minutes.
It was time to end this battle.
“Mia, Selna, stay with Eudora and make sure this guy’s safe too.”
“Yes, Lady Violet.”
After leaving those instructions, Violet turned and rose into the sky. Her white wings spread wide as she gently flew upward. At that moment, the two people already fighting in the sky seemed to sense her presence. They stopped mid-action and turned their heads.
The Sword Saint, Bevis, was in full battle mode, surrounded by intense sword energy. His eyes were sharp and focused, almost like blades themselves. Just from his aura, Violet could instantly tell his power level.
He had reached the pseudo god stage, and was already very close to the highest limit under the rules of this world. If she had to guess, he was about level 75. That was a level normal humans could never reach on their own. Clearly, the power of serpent blood was terrifying.
But as a Sword Saint, it wasn’t physical power that mattered most, sword intent was his true strength. And that wasn’t something you could measure with simple numbers.
Interesting~ I wonder who's stronger, him or Minchen?
Seeing that Violet was not an enemy, Bevis didn’t take a hostile stance. Instead, he politely folded his hands and nodded slightly, speaking in a straightforward tone.
“Thanks for the help, Miss. May I know your name?”
“Violet. I’m a priest.”
Knowing this wasn’t the time to chat, Violet also kept it simple. She raised her hand and summoned the [Eternal Scepter of the World's Heart], then nodded to the waiting dragon god in the distance.
“It’s done over there. I’ll set up the field. You finish it in one strike.”
“Okay!”
With that brief exchange, Violet looked directly at the massive rock serpent towering in the sky and let out a breath.
This was Tartanos, a runaway product of berserk serpent blood, and practically unkillable. Its true body wasn’t the rock form everyone could see, but rather the Serpent’s Heart hidden inside Rowan. This giant rocky body, which burst up from the earth, was just a form created when serpent blood soaked into the land.
Before disappearing, Ashnard had split Tartanos’ core consciousness into two parts. The one inside Rowan had just been completely crushed by Violet, no longer a threat. Now, they only needed to destroy the part still residing in the serpent’s physical form, and everything would be over.
Of course, that wouldn’t be easy.
Even without its core, wiping out such a massive being was still incredibly difficult, especially since parts of it were protected by the earth itself. Xiao Guang would have to give it everything she had to end it in one blow. And the aftershock of such an attack could easily flatten the entire Chaos Magic Valley, or worse.
Thankfully, if there’s one thing Violet excels at, it was a protection.
“Divine Melody, First Movement: Radiant Hymn.”
Holy music filled the air. Pure light shimmered around Violet as golden notes formed and gently floated outward with the rhythm of her staff. The light surged instantly, entering the bodies of both the Sword Saint and the dragon girl nearby.
The latter was already used to her master’s support spells, so she showed no reaction. But Bevis Bernard clearly froze for a moment. His normally calm, youthful-looking face now filled with obvious shock.