The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 61

Under the pitch-black night sky, massive, twisted flesh stretched out across the ground, rising and falling like a series of jagged mountains, severing everything in its path. Beyond the eerie green light at the horizon, there seemed to be no other source of illumination in the world. Yet, in this deeper silence, a new flame ignited from the abyss.

The flesh, as tough as clay, crackled as it burned, and soon a faint glow emerged from beneath its dark gray surface. In the next moment, a sharp nail sword pierced through it, and searing white flames began to rage along the fissure, eventually burning a hole large enough for a person to pass through.

Lloyd pushed aside the hardened flesh and crawled out, billowing white smoke trailing behind him. He breathed heavily and then bent over, retching. Dark red flesh came out of his mouth, and blood dripped from the corners of his lips. He seemed exhausted, and after emptying his stomach, he propped himself up with his sword and sat down.

After a moment of stillness, he burst into laughter. He had bet correctly. The way out of the nightmare was death; once he died, the dream would end. If Lloyd hadn't done that, he would have remained under the demons' corrosive influence, sinking deeper into darkness over time.

"It seems the other side really knew what they were doing," Lloyd said, his face somewhat pale.

Everything just now had been a nightmare forged by the demons. In the past, Lloyd might not have been able to find his guiding star and escape, but fortunately, the "Reverend Lawrence" had slipped up. Whether it was the nature of the dream or the ancient grudges, one thing was crucial for Lloyd: the name Lloyd Holmes was something he only acquired after arriving in Old Dunling.

Struggling to his feet, Lloyd reminisced briefly about the past, but now he had more pressing matters. It was clear that the pollution in Ender Town had spread, with the twisted flesh reaching here. If Lloyd guessed correctly, what he was encountering was a phenomenon known as a Nightmare Illusion, a large-scale illusion ritual sustained by a Dream Weaver demon. The Dream Weaver was expanding the range of the dream with the extending flesh.

This might explain why the purification unit was struggling despite fighting on home turf. Anyone stepping into this dream domain would be immediately attacked by the nightmare. Without a strong will or something like a guiding star as a psychological anchor, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to escape.

The extending flesh trapped the body, while the nightmare imprisoned the mind. Given enough time, those trapped would become part of the demons.

A green light rose at the edge of his vision. Ender Town was close, but now the Radiance had been forced to stop, and everyone on the train was undergoing the test of the dream. It seemed Lloyd had no other choice but to walk.

He had to be quick and kill the Dream Weaver before these unfortunate souls turned into demons. Thinking this, Lloyd started running towards the green light along the tracks, his awakened secret blood pumping faster with every step, making him move like a sprinting leopard.

But then, a thunderous sound erupted. In almost an instant, the flesh beside him was torn apart, and a sharp blade emerged, aiming straight at Lloyd with deadly intent.

Drawing his nail sword, the clash of metal rang out. The enemy was fast—so fast that Lloyd couldn't make out his form at first. Then, the sound of wind whistled behind him, and sharp sword light filled his vision.

Another clash, sparks flying from the blades' contact.

The force of the blows increased, and Lloyd successfully parried the attack from behind. Two shadows clashed briefly before retreating to a safe distance, eyeing each other warily.

"I've finally found you," a voice tinged with excitement said.

Hearing the slightly twisted voice, Lloyd looked up and saw a man holding a sharp sword on the other side.

Lloyd didn't respond, his gaze solemn.

Through centuries of accumulated experience from the Demon Hunters' Guild, Lloyd had honed his abilities to the peak of human capability. Yet, in that brief exchange, he had almost been hit by the blade.

A demon? Another self-aware demon.

Slowly raising his two nail swords, Lloyd crouched like a hunting tiger, eyes fixed on his enemy.

"How wonderful..." The man opened his arms as if to embrace the world, his eyes filled with unprecedented excitement. From the moment Lloyd saw him, he hadn't stopped being exhilarated. It was unclear whether it was joy or some other emotion, but it made Lloyd feel uneasy.

He had seen those driven by anger, hatred, and desire, but this kind of person who found joy in the kill was rare. In common parlance, such a person was a madman.

"I'm Ed. What's your name?" Ed said excitedly, his intentions clear as he swung his sword directly at Lloyd.

To be honest, Lloyd didn't want to engage with this madman.

Silently, he met the attack, sword light flashing back and forth, the ringing of metal like a symphony, sparks flying.

Despite being enemies and meeting for the first time, they developed an eerie synchronicity, retreating after several seconds of fighting only to clash again.

They were sizing each other up, the brief pauses giving their numbed hands a moment of rest.

"Why don't you speak?" Ed performed the role of a madman perfectly, his fighting style even more savage than Lloyd's, seemingly random and driven entirely by instinct.

Even so, Lloyd maintained the upper hand, gradually pushing Ed back. As long as he could force the madman into a corner or find a slight opening, Lloyd was confident he could deliver a fatal blow.

"Are you mute?" The mad ramblings echoed in his ears again. A fierce strike came down from Ed, his attacks wide and unreserved.

In Lloyd's eyes, an illusory scene played out. He was calculating his counterattack, envisioning various angles and methods to strike back. Some attacks failed, some were trades of injury for injury, and others were countered by Ed.

Only one attack was successful. Lloyd thrust his sword forward as Ed's blade descended, using one sword to block and the other to pierce his chest.

Without hesitation, Lloyd chose this approach. As the blocking sword dropped, the twin blades flashed fiercely, aiming for Ed's chest.

But in that decisive moment, Ed's eyes took on a beastly glint.

The falling blade accelerated, and at that speed, Lloyd would be hit before he could pierce Ed's chest.

In a split second, Lloyd's mind raced. This Ed was not just a madman; he was a rational madman. From the beginning, he had been probing Lloyd's moves, intentionally slowing his attacks to mislead Lloyd.

Thus, the duel ended abruptly, the cunningly swift swordplay bringing the clash to a halt.

Lloyd was struck by Ed's descending blade before his own could reach Ed. Although one nail sword blocked above, Lloyd's single-handed strength was insufficient against the onslaught.

A thunderous cracking sound, like steel tearing, rang out. The blocking nail sword was completely severed on contact, and the descending blade carved a deep gash into Lloyd's shoulder. Because of the premature hit, Lloyd's thrust missed, the blade only partially penetrating.

This bout ended with Lloyd heavily wounded, but true to his nature, he wouldn't give up easily. The Demon Hunter's extraordinary resilience shone through.

Releasing the embedded nail sword, Lloyd pivoted on his standing leg, kicking the sword hilt embedded in Ed. Like hammering a nail, the force drove it deeper. Using the momentum, Lloyd rolled away, clutching his wound and quickly getting up.

He didn't have time to check Ed's condition. Dropping the broken sword, he drew his Winchester, his blood fueling the weapon's enchantment. He pulled the trigger, and the searing white flame roared towards Ed.

Without any suspense, it hit Ed, setting him ablaze with burning white fire.