### Chapter 388
Encounters with World Erosion Beasts and World Erosions
As Icarus faced off against these two forces, they maintained their formation and charged ahead.
“Left incoming!”
“Cast defensive magic, mages!”
“Squad 4, take down the tree golems first!”
The remnants of Ixion were clearly pouring every last bit of their strength into this desperate assault.
Yet they were up against Icarus, the legendary warriors who had overcome countless adversaries in the Magic Kingdom.
Despite Ixion’s fierce attack, Icarus rallied their spirits and fought back valiantly.
Meanwhile, Kraush quietly assessed the members of Ixion.
“Where’s that monkey? I don’t see him.”
Crimson Garden, standing next to him, commented, “As you say, the Beast King Veldo, the core of Ixion, is nowhere to be found.”
If Veldo were present, the situation would have changed dramatically.
He was a beast of immense power, comparable to the Sanctuary of Stars. Just his presence alone could significantly bolster Ixion’s combat power.
Kraush’s thoughts were filled with suspicions.
“Does he have some scheme up his sleeve?”
At that moment, Kraush felt a chill run down his spine.
And just as he turned his head, he encountered a glowing white specter behind him.
A body bound in bandages, with jagged teeth glistening in the light, radiating a thick aura of coldness.
As the specter approached, nobody sensed its presence.
It was unsurprising, given that the specter was visible only to Kraush.
Kraush recognized exactly what this specter was.
One of the Armed Princess’s mystical attacks:
Soul Severing (靈魂殺擊).
It was an ultimate technique that left irreversible wounds on the foe’s soul instead of destroying the weapon.
Soul Severing was unavoidable.
Moreover, it was an entirely different force from a curse.
A separate power that had existed since ancient times was now closing in on Kraush.
In the moment that followed, something surged from the shadow of the forest nearby.
It was none other than the Armed Princess, Shua Delphia, unleashing her Hell Flower attack.
With her scarlet eyes glinting fiercely, she extended her claws toward Kraush.
“Dieeeee!”
She had waited for this moment, wanting nothing more than revenge.
Just as she intended to deal the finishing blow to Kraush, who had been hit by the Soul Severing.
Clang!
Her claws were stopped just in front of Kraush’s face.
The Armed Princess’s eyes widened in shock.
Because the force blocking her claws was none other than Kraush’s Rain Thunder Prime!
Despite being hit by Soul Severing, rendering him vulnerable, Kraush looked at the Armed Princess with sheer pity.
“Hey butterfly, are you still not aware of your surroundings?”
Under normal circumstances, Kraush wouldn’t have brushed off the Soul Severing’s lethal impact so easily.
However, not long ago, he had gained immortality from Crimson Garden.
Immortality prevents the soul from being tarnished, rendering the Soul Severing ineffective against him.
In other words, the Armed Princess’s ultimate technique was meaningless to Kraush.
“Seems like I must have really irked you.”
The Armed Princess prized her weapon more than anything in the world.
The fact that she used a technique that would destroy her weapon meant she had a profound grudge against Kraush.
“Ugh, ughhh!”
Just as the Armed Princess was about to scream in fury for having her ultimate technique thwarted.
Whack!
She was sent flying, the shock tossing her far away.
“Why is this cat making such a noisy racket?”
It was Crimson Garden who had sent her flying with an uninterested wave of her hand while conjuring a magic circle.
“I’m searching for the monkey, so just hold on a second.”
They needed to find Veldo, the core of Ixion. His absence implied he was up to something.
As Kraush prepared to wait for Crimson Garden, a loud rumble shook the ground.
Kuuuuung!
As soon as Kraush turned his head, a massive tremor resonated through the earth.
It was such a powerful impact that even seasoned knights were knocked off their feet.
Suddenly, silence enveloped the area.
Everyone sensed that this tremor was anything but ordinary.
Kuuuuung!
The tremor reverberated again.
And now they all understood what was causing it.
“It’s a giant.”
The Empress, Glycis Laktea, stated calmly, gazing silently beyond the woods.
The master of the Giant’s Forest was coming their way.
It wasn’t that the giant was responding to the chaos—it was intentional.
“Monkey bastard.”
Crimson Garden narrowed her eyes slowly.
The one controlling the giant was none other than the Beast King, Veldo.
“This wretched thing.”
Thinking of Veldo, who was determined to bring everyone to ruin, Crimson Garden turned her body.
“Kraush, I’ll handle the Beast King…”
“Sorry, but I need to wrap this up first.”
Crimson Garden fell silent.
It was Kraush revealing the toy sword he held.
It was a gray, toy-like sword.
However, considering its original purpose, it was anything but a mere toy.
The sword was called Exchange (환출).
It possessed a unique ability to swap the wielder’s weapon with that of the opponent.
Kraush had been switched with the Armed Princess’s Rain Thunder Prime.
“When did this happen, cat?”
Crimson Garden frowned.
She had underestimated the Armed Princess’s obsession with her weapon.
Crack!
“It’s fine.”
Kraush crushed the temporarily activated Exchange sword.
Then he began to smile ominously.
“I just need to catch the butterfly myself and reclaim it. Shouldn’t take long.”
It appeared that Veldo intended to pull Icarus away, but had made a poor choice.
Boom!
A deafening blast rang out from afar.
The source of the explosion was none other than the Heavenly King, Dalfiron.
As soon as he heard the vibrations, he charged forward to clash with the giant.
He understood well the consequences if the giant advanced towards Icarus.
Thus, he took off toward the giant at once.
“Our combat strength isn’t lacking either.”
The giant was the strongest being they had encountered in the world of Erosion so far.
But they had two Heavenly Sword users on their side.
Moreover, reinforcements from Mu Huang were currently on the way to assist.
Soon enough, three Heavenly Sword users would gather here.
And half of the Ten Great Lords were currently fighting Ixion alongside Icarus.
Now they were also embarking into the skies alongside the Sky Generation.
Don’t underestimate the strongest combat forces in the world.
At this point, they wouldn’t be held back by Kraush’s temporary absence.
“Take the crow with you. Just in case. I need to go meet that monkey.”
With that, Crimson Garden pulled back her robe and retrieved a crow before handing it to Kraush.
Kraush nodded, watching the crow take flight.
“I’ll be back soon.”
With that, Kraush vanished.
As Crimson Garden observed his sudden departure, she fluffed the robes around her.
“It’s been a while since I’ve fought.”
Time to let loose all the magic she had been accumulating.
—
The Armed Princess, Shua Delphia.
She was currently charging madly ahead with Rain Thunder Prime clutched in her arms.
“Hahaha! Serves you right!”
She knew her place.
No matter how strong Kraush had become, he was still just a human.
There was no way she could defeat him with all her skills.
Thus, she switched tactics.
While other World Erosion agents ridiculously sought to defend the Giant’s Forest, she focused solely on one goal:
To snatch away Kraush’s precious weapon.
If she succeeded, Kraush’s fighting power would dwindle significantly, and she’d feel a thrill from reclaiming Rain Thunder Prime.
As she barreled through just as Crimson Garden’s spell was about to hit her, she used Exchange to seize Rain Thunder Prime for herself.
Now holding the weapon, the Armed Princess had no hesitation.
Her only task was to dash out of the Giant’s Forest and vanish.
There was no way Kraush would pursue her while handling the others.
“Hehehe! You fool! I’ve won!”
It was during that triumphant moment when the Armed Princess was basking in her victory that—
Swoosh—
A peculiar, ominous wind rustled through the leaves and branches of the trees in the Giant’s Forest.
Sensing this strange wind, the Armed Princess narrowed her eyes.
For some reason, a wave of unease flooded through her.
‘What is it?’
A sense of dread churned within her.
Just then—
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of thunderous footsteps echoed in her sharp ears.
The armed princess panicked at the sound of heavy footsteps approaching her.
And her pace quickened significantly.
Because she had a sinking feeling about who—or what—was coming.
‘No way, no way, no way.’
Is this lunatic leaving Icarus behind to come after her?
As the Armed Princess fell deeper into fear, her hair bristled, and she found herself crawling on all fours.
But the distance between her and the source of those footsteps closed rapidly until it was right in front of her.
Thud!
With a thundering crash, a dark-haired figure with an uncanny presence loomed over her.
In that instant, the Armed Princess’s eyes widened.
Kraush’s foot was already inches away from her abdomen.
Creeeeak!
“Gah!?”
The blow sent the Armed Princess soaring into the air, her ribs cracking under the force.
As she tried to draw her sword from her grasp, ready to strike,—
Crack!
A sharp pain jolted through her wrist as Kraush’s fist connected, effortlessly breaking her grip.
Her sword fell to the ground with a clatter.
Kraush wrapped his hand around the Armed Princess’s tail and swung her around.
In mid-air, she spun before crashing to the ground.
“Gyaaaaa!”
With the massive crash, the Armed Princess tumbled, her limbs flying up before falling weakly to the ground.
Kraush decided to give her another little gift.
No need to use fists this time.
With his palm, Kraush dealt a heavy blow to the ground beneath her.
Boom!
The impact rocked the Armed Princess’s brains.
The overwhelming shock rendered her unconscious.
“Ugh, eeek.”
With her brain rattled, the Armed Princess trembled as crimson liquid seeped from her legs.
Kraush, indifferent to her plight, rummaged through her belongings, snatching away Rain Thunder Prime.
“Hey butterfly, don’t go taking others’ things too casually.”
It was truly an anticlimactic result.
Only the soft murmurs of crows echoed in sorrow above the stricken Armed Princess.
