When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 390: Chapter 298 Penalty Demon and Dawnfire Chapter 390: Chapter 298 Penalty Demon and Dawnfire “`

“Kazim, master!

Don’t do this!”

The demon residing within the giant’s body sensed Kazim’s determination and immediately panicked, “If you take that step, there’s no turning back—”

“Nonsense.”

Kazim glared with blood-red eyes, reached into his own chest, and pulled out the slender demon, wreathed in smoke and burning with flames.

——That was a Smoke Demon, a demon that controlled concepts such as fire.

It was not an Upper-Level Demon but a lower demon that had contracted with Kazim when he had just become a Demon Scholar.

Kazim himself was not blessed with innate talent, but had acquired the power of the Path through an extremity of will.

He had long been dissatisfied with his patron demon…

but there was nothing he could do.

Once he became a Demon Incarnation, leaving his physical body behind to become a demon, he could never change back.

And the more this was the case, the more resentful he became towards the Smoke Demon.

——If you were a Shadow Demon, a Flame Demon, an Incubus, one of those Upper-Level Demons, then you wouldn’t be holding me back.

“Isn’t it because you’re too weak that I must take this step?”

Kazim’s eyes were blood-red and tinged with purple, and the pale, nearly transparent flames made his eyes appear strangely enchanting.

After stepping into the fourth energy level, he could summon even more powerful demons, even Upper-Level Demons.

Because the final step of hatching a Demon Incarnation from its shell allowed one to sever all contracts signed in former days.

No matter how exacting the contract, simply by not fulfilling it, it amounted to getting a free ride.

He could abandon the contract at any time now, the Smoke Demon leaving him…@@novelbin@@

but he also had another option.

——The giant grabbed the Smoke Demon, put it into his mouth and chewed vigorously.

Thick smoke accompanied by bursts of flame leaked from his mouth, and his entire body gradually ignited with a layer of flame shell.

This allowed him to slightly weaken the attacks of the unnamed phantom demon, making it easier to complete the transformation ritual.

Dark clouds gathered at fast forward, and the storm descended suddenly without warning.

The savage wind swept across the land, and in a matter of seconds, the rain went from nonexistence to a downpour, eventually, the torrential rain washed down—

This level of downpour would have been enough to extinguish forest fires.

However, it had almost no effect on the Defiant Flame Butterfly.

She still proudly flew in the air, spreading her wings wide.

She knew what the giant had done, but she had no intention of attacking him.

Like a demon god bringing about the apocalypse—under Aiwass’s orders, she didn’t care about the severe depletion of her mana, using her strongest abilities as soon as she entered the battle, lavishly squandering her mana.

Those thin and scorching laser beams, like the judgment of gods, traced one mark after another on the ground, sweeping the formations of the demon scholars into disarray.

Burning corpses, shattered flesh, bodies scorch-marked and severed in two…

along with the gradually dissipating demons.

They had virtually no power to fight back, could only escape in a most disgraceful manner, and once they fled, their formation immediately became a mess.

The downpour further narrowed visibility, and some even collided with one another due to the poor sight, only to be cut into four pieces by the intersecting lasers.

Those spells could only slightly suppress the Defiant Flame Butterfly, making her maneuver to reduce the frequency of attacks.

But she was far too agile, and several replicated Law Magics used in the ritual were ineffective against her, completely resisted.

Feeding on Shepherd’s Nurturing to level 38 by Aiwass, the Defiant Flame Butterfly was already close to the pinnacle of the fourth energy level.

Though there was still no leap in energy levels, under the enhancement of her position as a Superior Phantom, at least that giant couldn’t impose energy level suppression on her if he didn’t reveal his true demon form, and lower-level spells were already difficult to affect her.

“`

And as the Demon Incarnation sought to complete the final step of hatching, though quick… it was not an instant.

During the gap when he detached from battle, Aiwass could manipulate the Defiant Flame Butterflies to first eliminate those minor demons.

Fighting a boss with or without its minions is a challenge of a completely different level.

Especially since these Demon Scholars were adept with rituals and curses, given enough time, they could easily cause substantial trouble.

Aiwass paid them significant attention— even more so than the giant who was about to transform into an Upper-Level Demon.

Thus, the attacks of the Defiant Flame Butterflies were hardly ever directed at the giant; instead, they continuously strafed the vulnerable Demon Scholars.

And wasn’t that giant using these Demon Scholars to buy time for itself to complete its transformation?

It was then that a thunderbolt suddenly struck!

Lightning hit Kazim’s body, and amidst the flashes of electricity, his body suddenly cracked open!

What was born amidst the raging thunder was a newly-minted Upper-Level Demon—

A face as fierce as a demon, yet as ferocious as a lion, covered in pitch-black matte scales, a strong body over two meters tall slightly hunched, with a pair of bat-like black wings behind.

Its legs were robust, resembling that of a crocodile or a turtle.

In its right hand, it clutched a long glaive that shone with lightning, while in its left, it carried a silver, sharply barbed metal chain.

—This was a Penalty Demon!

Aiwass immediately recognized its identity.

Just as the Flame Demons wielded the strength of the Path of Devotion, and the Shadow Demons were connected to the realm of shadows from the Path of Love… the Penalty Demon was an Upper-Level Demon who wielded the Authority Force and bore the Mark of Sin, “greed.”

They were the direct subordinates of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, wielding the powers of sin and punishment, striking down sinners with bolts of lightning.

The heavier the sins one bore, the more damage their lightning strikes caused.

Thus, they held a strong suppressive force over other demons.

Those who perished under the clear sky struck by lightning were the ones targeted by the Penalty Demon.

But it was not an agent of justice; rather, it sought out sinners to extort—demanding their obedience and the offering of their souls and flesh.

Their appetite would grow ever larger, and if the sinners did not comply, they would be bound with the barbed chain and dragged until their flesh blurred.

Unlike Upper-Level Demons who acted alone, Penalty Demons typically shepherded a group of mortal servants.

They were required to fully obey the Penalty Demon in behavior, or else they would be punished with chains or electric shocks—however, if they genuinely devoted themselves with all their hearts to the Penalty Demon, it would be satisfied and devour their souls.

Consequently, those targeted by Penalty Demons had to constantly harbor rebellion and hatred.

—This was bad!

A deep sense of dread sank into Aiwass’s heart.

Penalty Demons were experts in infighting.

And since the Defiant Flame Butterfly, as a Great Sin Beast, bore the Mark of Sin… it was vulnerable to the Penalty Demon’s special attack…

The Penalty Demon launched its chain— which upon release vanished into the void, followed by several portals materializing next to the Defiant Flame Butterfly.

Chains emerged from these portals, instantly bounding the Butterflies that couldn’t evade in time!

Lightning formed a cocoon of sealing around it, encasing her directly in mid-air.

And then, with a furious roar, the Penalty Demon issued a command in an incomprehensible language.

The Demon Scholars, whether crippled or in pitiful disarray, suddenly each lit up with a crackling burst of electricity, crying out in misery under the torrential rain.

But their bodies moved on their own—

They uniformly targeted the civilian building where Aiwass was and performed the final ritual spell.

—Self-sacrifice.

Their livers, hearts, spines, and skins ignited with purple flames, as runes symbolizing sacrifice slowly branded themselves upon their bodies and their organs disappeared one after another, yet their bodies didn’t immediately die.

Under the control of the Penalty Demon, they forcibly sacrificed themselves, casting their lives into the grand spell of the Penalty Demon.

The Penalty Demon couldn’t control the Defiant Flame Butterfly for long… and it also didn’t know how many more tricks the Defiant Flame Butterfly had up its sleeve, so it chose to attack the summoner of the Defiant Flame Butterfly directly.

—That power must definitely be from the Book of Law!

The Shadow Demon, transformed into a hunting hound, stood solemnly in front of Aiwass—it also realized that this was an attack it was impossible to block.

“Take me there, Aiwass!”

The urgent voice of the Shadow Demon rang out in Aiwass’ mind: “We must attack the Penalty Demon directly!”

This was a true Upper-Level Demon, and the Shadow Demon has never been skilled at defense.

Not to mention Aiwass’ Shadow Affinity was not high enough; it couldn’t fully transfer its strength into Aiwass’ body.

If all the power were given to Lily, perhaps she could block this strike—but then she would be in danger herself.

So, the Shadow Demon decided to strike first.

Gather strength, save the enemy’s must-save—

—”No need.”

Aiwass said softly.

He watched the Penalty Demon intently, a spell card appeared between his fingers.

That was the spell card—Shadow Cloak.

[Spell: Shadow Cloak (Moon)]

[Necessity: Darkness 1]

[Instant, Non-contact, Immediate Effect]

[Effect: Repels all targets around, immediately lifting all states of binding, freezing, burning, immobilization, and petrification on you and entering a completely invisible state for one minute (+30%).

The invisibility granted by this effect, when broken, bestows a curse on all enemy targets that see you, the effect equivalent to the “Blinding Curse”]

It could also be attached to summoned creatures!

Aiwass raised his left hand, in which the red card of the Defiant Flame Butterfly emerged.

He overlapped the two cards, channeled mana into them, and activated them.

—”Shadow Cloak!”

The powerful Power of Shadows burst forth from the electrified orb in the sky.

Howling, a pitch-black storm surged out from the bound Defiant Flame Butterfly, appearing like a black sphere in the sky.

—”It disappeared?”

The Penalty Demon looked up in astonishment, only to find that the Defiant Flame Butterfly had vanished into thin air.

But it quickly realized something was amiss—

A gloriously golden-red halo of holy fire exploded from the sky, instantly evaporating the rain and illuminating the dusky sky as if there were an additional noonday sun, lighting up the ground as bright as day.

That was the Dawnfire!

[Reverse Summon · Defiant Flame Butterfly]

[Necessity: Fire 5]

[Maintenance: Fire 5* per day]

[Action, Summon, Chant]

[Effect: Summon the Beast of Sloth · Defiant Flame Butterfly to battle for you, it is considered a summon; In non-combat state, the Beast of Sloth · Defiant Flame Butterfly can transform into a Flame Butterfly and enter a follow state; only one Great Sin Beast can exist at the same time]

[Effect: Use again to command the Defiant Flame Butterfly to resurrect or self-destruct]

The Defiant Flame Butterfly can be summoned once each day and can be commanded to resurrect or self-destruct once.

If self-destruction is chosen, it cannot be resurrected for that day.

Essentially, until the sun rises the next day, the Defiant Flame Butterfly summon will enter an unsummonable grey state.

But it was already twilight—

Aiwass raised his head, squinted at the gathering dark clouds.

—That giant would never realize what his own summoned storm signified.

Now, Aiwass only needed to stall for a little while longer!

Just hang on a little longer, the Wild Hunt King is coming!

“Self-destruct, Defiant Flame Butterfly!”

Aiwass commanded.

The next moment, the Defiant Flame Butterfly, drained of mana because of using the Doomsday Ray and on the brink of death because of using the Dawnfire, transformed into a blazing meteor at her strongest form and plummeted towards the Penalty Demon, who was guiding an unknown spell.

Aiwass grabbed the Shadow Demon and pushed it back into his own shadow.

Then he turned away and lay down, using his body to leave a piece of shadow for Lily and the Shadow Demon.

After that, a bright and splendid glow burst forth from behind him—