Blood tax

Chapter 595 Your enemy is me, Krista Alicia!
"Ah, what a bloody battle!"

Griffith seemed to see a bloody and cruel scene in another world, where two armies fought with amazing courage and madness. This scene was as real as if it was happening right before his eyes.

Griffith suddenly woke up.

Where is this place?

The biting cold wind howled around the ruins and dead trees, the cold ground was covered with a thick carpet, not far away there were a few elegant tents built against the ancient city wall, and there were blazing braziers on the winding paths that wound around the mountain.

Ah, Nethergarde, the road to the main gate? I've backtracked again...

The last world was still Neopolis Island. Griffith couldn't kill the painter in front of him. After a few words with him, this "melancholy Salorian" suddenly went crazy. Later, just for a moment, he entered the reincarnation again.

I guess she was sniped by Salorian or Shadow. Well, Erza's Shadow is more likely. On July 1444, 7, Griffith took the initiative in the world, and then she was hit by the Tear of the Moon in Homerworth. Salorian was probably scared and started, well...

In the words of the Mysterious King, block the birth point!
"As a traveler who travels through time, space and dimensions, his mentality must be very interesting..."

Griffith said to himself as he arranged his equipment:

"Because they know the history of the past, when they look back, they will naturally want to make the most of it; this will give them an absolute advantage in calculation and planning, and the satisfaction they get from it is undoubtedly the same as that of a prophet.

“In the world of July 7, I was in this state:
"With a wealth of intelligence at my disposal and a full awareness of the consequences of my actions, I was able to take bold risks. Even the Builder of the World was nearly defeated.

"But the problem is that I relied too much on my own experience and forgot the truth that the world is universally connected. The intelligence advantage brought by time travel is not absolute. The actions of time travelers have changed history and even given us the illusion that we are omnipotent and can redeem all the regrets and tragedies of the past. Ultimately, these actions will trigger a chain reaction in reality. New and greater crises are created.

“Knowing the answer in advance, you get full marks on the test, but forget that you are not the one who actually solved the problem; your true colors are revealed when the next test paper is handed out.

"This is the opportunism of time travelers. Well, we need to criticize it."

Griffith muttered to himself. He could vaguely feel that his mental state had become unstable due to the continuous recollection and contact with the distorted will of the virtual world. He became excited and impulsive, but his thinking was also more active and sensitive.

At the same time, his status continued to decline, and he even regressed from a Lawbreaker to a Barrierbreaker!
"Hahahahaha! So that's it!" Unstable Griffith hugged a dead tree and banged his head against it. While banging, he was happy about his discovery:
“From this, it can be seen that the end of ‘Losers Eat Dust’ is already in sight. With one more rewind, Griffith will completely lose his extraordinary characteristics, and Salorian will win the final victory.”

There was a sudden movement around me...

Griffith turned around and subconsciously pulled out Conviction and pointed it in the direction of the movement. With just a slight movement of his index finger, he could use the loaded lead bullet... One shot, and Sonya would be killed...

The countess, in her woolen cloak, stood five steps away, looking at Griffith.

She had only come out for a walk to get some fresh air, and she had accidentally heard her knight mumbling to himself. When she got closer, she saw him banging his head against a tree like a woodpecker.

The cold winter night wind blew the dead leaves on the ground, making them curl around their feet. The Countess's cherry-red lips slightly parted, her thick hood slipped down, and her light golden hair fluttered in the snow.

She slowly raised her right hand, pointed her slender index finger between the tip of her eyebrow and the outer canthus of her eye, and then circled it twice about one finger's length back.

When people have a headache, they will press the acupuncture points there; or when they think someone has an intellectual problem, it probably stems from there.

"Sonia, that's enough. There's nothing wrong with my head!" Griffith shouted with a smile. "I was just talking to myself!"

"Really?" The Countess expressed her disbelief. "So~are you preparing a play for the Frost Festival? Oh! It's a stand-up comedy, right? Invented by Knight Roland!"

Griffith's mood improved after meeting Sonya.

"Don't disbelieve me, I'm Griffith from two years in the future. Salorian wants to destroy the world and turn everyone into tentacle monsters, and he's hunting me down!"

"Even if it's a play, the professor's arrangement is wrong," Sonya criticized him hastily, "Change the character~"

Griffith waved his hand: "Future you, please let me tell you something -

"Every morning, I think of your coming, and every evening, I remember that you were here."

Sonya's face suddenly turned red.

She even staggered a bit, covered her mouth, took two steps back, and leaned against the stone wall behind her to avoid falling.

"My future self, can you say such shameful words?" Sonya looked at Griffith with wide eyes. "Then, then you, Griffith, will you return to your own world later?"

"Will do."

"Ah - fortunately, otherwise how can I live as a human being..." The countess's face was about to burst into heat. However, she suddenly felt very interesting after thinking about it.

"Tell me, my husband, haha, my knight, what do you need me to do for you?" Sonya held her head high, and all the smile and shyness on her face were gone.

Huh? Is this code so effective? Griffith was overjoyed: "First, let's go find Galadilla!"

……

During a winter camping trip in 1443, Griffith and his friends were attacked by goblins.

It now appears that goblins, like zombies, orcs, hybrid experiments, and the sea monster Shadow Devourer, are all part of Salorian's plan. With the goal of ascending to become the ultimate Shoggoth, he conducted a series of crazy alchemical research on life.

Tonight, a group of goblins, led by Brownie, will attack the students of Minerva. This is definitely not an accident. Winter camping is a regular activity. Goblins infiltrated the guards of Nethergarde but did not trigger the alarm. It is impossible that Homerworth lost control for a short time during the attack without the deliberate arrangement of the top leaders.

All signs indicate that the man behind the scenes is Salorian. He has the authority to facilitate the incident and is also the biggest beneficiary. Aaron, the son of prophecy, is Tyberion's favorite, and his status and value in the human magic world are equivalent to Galadilla in Canaan. He will take the opportunity to enter the ruins of the Whispering Forest. Whether this action is based on his own judgment or Salorian's guidance, Aaron will temporarily escape from Tyberion's management and slide one step towards darkness and loss of control.

This is the core logic of the Salorian Plan - the hidden dangers of magic were covered up by Bayerlan and Canaan, but they did not disappear; as long as the key figures in the magic world are induced and pushed out of control, the hidden dangers of magic will sooner or later be exposed and become the public enemy of the whole world!
This layout is an almost unstoppable conspiracy.

At the same time, Salorian is not only an active sponsor of the industrial innovation brought by Roland, but also a "hermit" behind the scenes of the Confederation Industrial Consortium. The war between Verona and Odessa will intensify the disputes and turmoil in the world and exhaust Bayerland's strength. The operations on the stage and behind the scenes are just waiting for the accumulation of crises. The clock of doomsday is approaching the final end. Under the inevitable tide of the times, the old rule is doomed to collapse, and the new civilization is not yet stable. When the old and the new alternate, it is the final ascension that Salorian dreams of.

But will it really make him happy?

Griffith heard the chaotic noise, and the moment he and Sonya returned to the lounge, the memory of the past came back to attack him.

A dozen Brownie elves wearing cloaks were pushing carts and turning the corner towards this side. They were wearing brown work clothes and pushing the carts with great effort.

Oh, so there is this detail... In order to avoid being exposed too early, Brownie and the goblins sneaked in from several different routes, and after joining together, they went around the outer wall of the castle to launch an attack. The sound of weapons can easily expose them, so the equipment was loaded into a cart and brought in through the main gate, and then distributed to the ambushing goblins.

"Sonia," Griffith stuffed the Conviction and ammunition into the Countess's hands, "This is a gunpowder-triggered weapon. Aim your aim, pull the trigger and fire. Point the muzzle at the enemy."

The girl was shocked when she heard this, and at the same time, she keenly sensed an indescribable ominous feeling.

"This is?"

The knight and the girl were facing a dozen skinny and hunchbacked creatures on a narrow mountain road in the wind and snow.

"Good evening, No. 2887," Griffith placed his left hand on the sword, raised his right hand, and tapped the helmet lightly, "Mr. Brownie Gozilla."

Sonya heard a suppressed sigh. Then, Brownie, the leader, shouted:

"Do it."

In a flash, the dozen or so Brownies pushing the cart tore off the cloaks covering their heads and faces, revealing their dark green wrinkled skin and black and yellow fangs. They pulled out sharp, shining knives from their arms and rushed forward with ferocious faces.

"They're goblins!"

As soon as Sonya saw the enemy's appearance clearly, Griffith drew his sword and chopped down a group of them. The sharp blade was wrapped in lightning, crackling among the goblins that were rushing up.

In just one encounter, more than a dozen goblins were torn into pieces. The stunned Gosra had no time to escape before he was grabbed by the neck.

"Where is the person who brought you in?" Griffith asked, "What is hidden in the ruins of the Whispering Forest?"

Incredible surprise and fear flashed across the eyes of the short Brownie. All the plans and lives of him and his compatriots had been strangled by an invisible hand.

"To this..." Brownie foamed at the mouth and muttered something. In his hand, a bottle of thick black potion appeared.

Griffith twisted it hard and threw the dead Brownie out in a hurry.

Almost at the same time, densely packed goblins emerged from the ruins on both sides of the road. They were almost all unarmed and rushed towards the two people at the intersection.

The one running in the front looked like a goblin shaman. It picked up the medicine bottle in Gozra's hand, raised it above its head, roared, and was about to throw it at Griffith.

"Bah!"

Before Griffith could make a move, a gunshot rang out from behind him. Sonya, who was using a gun for the first time, actually shot a medicine bottle more than ten steps away.

Is this the best student in the class? I have been practicing for a long time but I still can't hit the target five steps away!

Sonya, who was hit in the first round, was also surprised. She stood by the wall, holding her pistol, jumping and shouting:

"Hey, Griffith, this thing is much better than a wand!"

The thick liquid splashed down, and the goblins that were contaminated by the potion mutated instantly. It was like a ball of burst dough, or a broken pool of water, splattering body fluids everywhere. The goblins that surged up were splashed all over, and they also exploded in the same reaction.

The sound of explosions continued along the trail.

In just a moment, before the students in the castle had time to leave the tent, most of the goblins on the path had dissolved into a mass of indescribable flesh. The other surviving monsters, yelling and attacking Griffith with bare hands, were killed in the blink of an eye.

The piece of meat was still alive, and gradually changed into an octopus-like shape and pounced forward.

"Sure enough," Griffith stretched out his arms, picked up the stunned Sonya and ran up the mountain, "Sure enough, there is a backup plan. If I act according to past experience, I will fall into the second and third layers of conspiracy.

“The memory of the past is only the reality I saw, not the whole truth. Those layouts that did not have the opportunity to be presented will not disappear just because I did not see them.”

This dark octopus monster crawled on the snow at an astonishing speed. It absorbed the flesh and blood of the goblin and turned into a monster the size of a wild bull in the blink of an eye.

The people in the castle were finally alarmed. The associate professor who led the team and the students who were taking a break came out of the tent and saw an indescribable monster running on the snow.

"Shadow Devourer!"

"The one on the Serenity Sea!"

Several first-year students shouted. Some of them had obviously received information from their families and were already prepared.

Griffith rushed into the familiar lounge and left the rampant monsters to the associate professor and classmates who had reacted. His first priority was to find Galadilla and seek support from the elf demigod through her!

Hey, where are the people?

The lounge was empty. Galadilla, Lana, and Fiona, who were supposed to be gathered here, were gone.

"Sonia, where are they?"

"Ah, I, I don't know. It was still there when I first came out."

Just a few minutes after Sonya left the lounge, there was a commotion in Nethergarde. At this time, Galadilla and Fiona were gone.

The reason for their disappearance?
Damn it! Griffith grabbed the pendant on his collar.

I should have contacted Galadilla earlier. Maybe it was the effect of the flashback, or maybe it was the trauma of my sanity that distracted me... The key to whether this flashback can be reversed lies in making arrangements before Salorian arrives. Specifically, it is to contact the Elf Archon and Ms. Avina to join forces to fight against Salorian!
However, Salorian must have been able to calculate this key layout. His real body might not have arrived at the beginning of the retrospection, but in the Watchtower, there are his servants and even clones!
Veronos is in Nethergarde!

"The eternal light that grants good will and protection,

"Guardian of nature and balance,
"The guide on the endless journey..."

Griffith prayed loudly with Galadilla's pendant. Even in this time and space, when the pendant had not yet been made, the Queen of Silver Moon and Starlight was still looking after Galadilla.

The guidance of the Goddess will deliver the call!

"boom--!"

Before Griffith could find Galadilla's spirit, the irresistible psychic impact shattered half of his body.

Griffith, who fell onto the Barrier Breaker, could not withstand the force and fell to the ground with serious injuries. The gravel flew everywhere, the curtains burned, and a twisted figure walked out of the fire.

Associate Professor Veronos appeared. A disgusting piece of flesh was attached to his body, which was constantly eroding and assimilating his body. The breath and power surging in the flesh were clearly Salorian.

He is coming, arriving with the bodies of his servants!
"It's over, bastard!" Salorian's voice resounded through the sky, as if it were as noble as a god. "Where do you want to escape to? Who do you want to ask for help? Can the same trick work a second time in front of me?
"Go back, in the final end, and use up all the 'chances'!"

The overwhelming distorted aura turned into a chaotic and ferocious roar. Griffith felt his body and will disintegrate. Without support, he could not defeat the dictator who possessed the triple power of magic, undead, and the Creator. The last replay of "The Loser Eats Dust" is about to begin. At the end of the finale, he will be deprived of all authority and existence!

"Galadia..."

It was about to end. Salorian stretched out his fingers and gathered the spiritual energy of destruction. Griffith called out for the last time, but there was no response from the elf lady.

The air seemed to be compressed, and the flow of time was slowed down. The sound and light disappeared, leaving only a simple outline, as if a black hole swallowed everything. Then, pure light touched Griffith's body.

On the eve of his last flashback, Griffith prayed to the spirit world, and the one who responded was the Queen of Silver Moon and Starlight!

"clang!"

Salorian's psychic impact hit the pale golden halo and bounced away. The blessing of the God of Contract lingering around Griffith was the contract between Griffith and Sonya, which should not exist in this time and space, but was truly concrete.

"God of contracts and notarization,

"Guardian of order,
"Witness of the Eternal Scale,
"I pray for your listening and response. Please bear witness to our vows!"

Sonya knelt down and prayed to the guardian god for protection. The god of contract heard her call.

"Ah, this..."

Salorian was stunned and for a moment he didn't know what was happening.

As the light of protection of the contract faded, Griffith sensed a breath from the distant beyond. On the other side of time and space, the followers of the God of Thunder and Storm shattered the ancient colossus, and the authority of another god was shared by the Hand of God.

There, a brave man who does not belong to this era is setting off a torrent of a new era, breaking free from the shackles with unstoppable force and shaking the mysterious confinement.

A voice from the dark told him that the prophecy of guarding the promise and the encounter had been revealed, and the sword light of counterattack was waiting for him at the promised place.

"Mr. Salorian, the great dictator, I salute you." Griffith pounded his chest with his only remaining right hand and saluted. "With the greatest respect, I issue you a final challenge!"

"..." Salorian had not yet grasped the situation in front of him. Some things seemed to be out of control.

Griffith motioned to Sonya, then said to the Dictator:

"The power of 'Loser Eats Dust' creates a one-on-one match in the created space and time, gradually isolating the outside forces and depriving me of my help. If you win in the end, you will become the god of the new world.

"But, Mr. Dictator, this match has already transcended the boundaries between you and me. The one standing before you, blocking you, and deciding the outcome is no longer Griffith.

"Whether it's one's personal destiny or the 'opportunity' that can be seized, it's nothing compared to the will here and now!
"These 'wills' really exist in the world. They really do exist. I call them -

""world"!"

Following Griffith's instructions, Sonya reloaded Conviction in front of the panicked and shocked Salorian and aimed her gun at Griffith's forehead.

"Bang——!"

……

"Ah, this, this is impossible..."

"Perhaps there was an error in the calculation, or perhaps it was some kind of hallucination... 'Loser Eats Dust' should have isolated the interference of the gods. They cannot enter reality and cannot interfere with the duel between Griffith and me.

"Then again, it is not known whether the concept of gods really exists or not. They are like floods, earthquakes, famines, riots, and ignorance. They are born out of nature and have no independent consciousness.

"The representatives of the gods cannot even make their masters materialize in this world, yet they want humans to submit. How foolish!"

Salorian rose from the gravel.

The yellow wind was mixed with the sickening smell of blood, and waves of chaotic screams were heard continuously. Strong winds blew from the direction of the mountains, carrying the screams, shouts and wails of ghosts that were broken and disappeared. The sky was dyed red with blood.

This is the finale of "The Losers Eat Dust", the last recap.

"Where's Griffith? Find him, kill him, and it's over!
"Every time and space of 'The Loser Eats Dust' will lock onto the nodes that connect him and me, which means that both of us must be nearby to execute. So, there must be another 'me' here, or my clone. In short, as long as we find Griffith, a reserve Beyonder who has fallen to Sequence 9 'Recruit' is not worth mentioning.

"Hehehe, absolutely, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Salorian concentrated his attention and searched in the vast wilderness. Finally, he found it -

This was a battlefield, located on the eastern border, with an ugly and rugged orc fortress on one side and the fortress of Bayerlan on the other. The two armies were already in a melee.

"right here!"

Salorian was pleasantly surprised.

"It is here. According to Iruvash's deduction, the threat of the war path was born here. This is the prelude before the intersection of Griffith and Galadilla, and the starting point of my layout.

"Underground here, I have deployed my masterpiece - the hybrid experiment! It is a disposable demigod-level weapon that is indestructible. The best part is, after using it once, it will consume its life force, leaving only the remains of humanity!"

"Sure enough, this is it."

A standing figure emerged from the wind and sand. He sheathed his sword, restrained his breath, and the bloody air that was surging with wind and clouds froze. It was as if the lance soaked in cold springs was ringing with amazing momentum, and the silver long sword at his waist was shining with pure light like lapis lazuli.

"I should have thought of it when I saw the Westilo soldiers in Verona. How could the giant beast that has retreated from the human world hide so easily underground on the battlefield?"

"It's too late now!" Salorian raised his hand and threw the scepter, and the power of the scepter came roaring.

However, this attack that killed Griffith multiple times was like throwing a stone into a river, without any ripples.

To Salorian's astonishment and shock, a military flag fluttered in the wind, as if on a cold winter night with wind and snow, spring suddenly bloomed and irises bloomed all over the ground.

"!?"

"Since you remember this place," Griffith took a half step back, "since you are so familiar with this place, you must remember the person who protected me at the beginning of this story!

"Salorian Plagueis, in the name of the 'world', I will punish you here!"

Griffith threw the silver sword in his hand into the air, and the humming sound of the blade stirred up ripples in the spirit world. Brilliant golden light bloomed on the gray-brown wilderness, and the breath of the spirit world and the figure of reality merged into one.

"Your enemy is me,
"Krista Alicia!"

Even though her body was destroyed in the Odessa fire, her soul still resided on Yitian. Krista's spirit used the holy sword as a medium to reach the original body.

A silver whirlwind broke through the air. Salorian's shield was struck by thunder. The blonde girl waved a silver chain, one end of which was tied with a thick prayer book and eight gleaming horns, sweeping towards him like a hurricane.

Salorian was knocked to his knees by the blow.

“What’s going on? Is this the psychic power of a Sequence 5? Christa in 1444, how is this possible? Why did she land here?”

"What? You can't understand? Isn't this exactly what you planned in the first place?" Griffith stood sideways, pointing his sword at Salorian. "'Loser Eats Dust' cannot maintain the simultaneous existence of individuals in different time and space. However, the spirit body of Christa in front of you that remained in the spirit world has found its real body.

"Salorian, at this moment, it is your 'Loser Eats Dust' that has created an opportunity for her spirituality and her true self to reunite!"

The spinning weapon chased after Salorian's figure, tearing half of his body apart.

Having also experienced several retracings and the impact of the end of reincarnation, Salorian could no longer maintain his demigod status in the "Loser Eats Dust". The consumption of his spirit and reason even caused destructive conflicts in the three Beyonder characteristics.

Even though his psychic power was still strong, he couldn't stop the Sequence 5 Saint from getting close to him.

The horns made a crackling and tearing sound in his flesh.

"Why? What's going on?" Salorian fought back hard, but with every confrontation, he felt that he was getting weakened.

Holy Light, was I tricked by the Holy Light? He knew about the Eternal Order's action to resurrect the Saint, but he did not stop it... I thought I had a tacit understanding with the Holy Light Church, and that disasters and tragedies could increase the Holy Light's faith as a price for his neutrality... It turns out that the Holy Light has other foreshadowings! ... The unexpected changes made Salorian extremely uneasy. However, at this moment, he could only mobilize his spiritual energy and fight the nun with his status and immortal body.

What else did Holy Light have in store? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

"I am saving humanity. I am your savior! Humans, only by accepting my ascension can you escape the cycle of tragedy! I, the tyrant of time and space, have already seen your end. Everything is a necessary price!"

Touch, just one touch, and I can copy Christa's shadow! It doesn't matter how the girl in front of me carries the saint's spiritual power. As long as I make her mine, the holy light can't even show the world, so I'll regret it...

"Bah!"

Krista dodged the attack with a deft step, blocked the demigod's straight punch, and punched him hard on the left cheek. The wind from the punch was accompanied by a thrilling muffled sound, which frightened the noisy battlefield into silence for a second.

Salorian's exquisite headband and necklace flew out with several teeth stuck in them. Half of his beautiful face was distorted, and blood flowed from the corners of his eyes and mouth.

"You are a rude and ignorant country girl!" Salorian, who was almost torn apart by the punch, cursed with blood in his eyes.

He had just shouted a few words when Christa grabbed his flying long hair, pulled it back, and punched him in the face again.

This was the impact of the Tears of the Moon Goddess. The meteorite from the sky broke through the atmosphere and clouds and smashed down. Salorian's nose bridge, the corners of his eyes, and his back teeth were shattered into pieces, with a crackling sound. His perfect body that had returned to youth fell to the ground with a bang, and saliva and blood foam sprayed all over the ground.

"Wait, wait a minute..." Salorian's faith was shattered after being beaten, and he couldn't understand why he was in such a miserable state.

Krista kicked him over, sat on him, and beat him with both fists.

"This is the restraint of the Holy Light on the undead!" Griffith watched as the powerful demigod was beaten to a pulp. "To be promoted to a Shoggoth, you must eventually abandon human flesh and blood. No matter how many times you experiment and upgrade, you will be transformed with a human body, and you must be compatible with the power of three paths.

"When your spirituality can still be maintained, you can still rely on the power of the life thread of the virtual world to repair and regenerate. However, the path of the undead is destined to be restrained by the holy light. The mutually exclusive characteristics will tear your roots apart, and the battle will accelerate your loss. Salorian Plagueis, your strength is the way to your defeat!"

"Don't touch me!" Salorian activated the power of time travel and teleported from under Krista's fist. However, he didn't run far before he hit an illusory wall of fog!

This is the end of "Losers Eat Dust", the final confrontation will take place here!

"I'm ready, Guffy!"

Christa's azure eyes focused on the fleeing enemy. She raised her silver sword high in the smoke, blood, and flames, facing the seemingly indestructible monster.

The outcome depends on this. The power of the Holy Light will destroy the undead's self-healing, and the immortal protection will become endless torture!

Griffith responded with action. "The Loser Eats Dust" did suppress his status, but the outcome was already determined in the previous flashback.

He has put together the last piece of the wishing device, and at the moment when Tarkin was defeated, he has picked up the key to victory. The power of demigods is indeed strong, but with the power of Nara, Commodus, Tarkin, Aaron, Domon Serpent, Erza and Griffith, the mysterious power of destruction is back in control.

This strike will destroy all the benefits such as shields, blessings, magic enhancements, healing spells, and even the gifts of the gods. The end of "loser eats dust" is here!
"To the promised land! (Arco-iris)!"

"Morituri te salutant (those who die pay tribute to the dead)!"

The invisible pressure restrained Salorian, and he was like a criminal awaiting judgment, unable to resist.

The silver and blue swords are like the supreme judge, staring at the sinner at his feet, making him repent of all his sins and corruption in endless trials, and then giving him the final punishment in desperate terror!

"No!

"Don't let this sword get close to me!"

Salorian screamed. The power of the Undead Path constantly repairing and reviving was hanging on his life, just like a person holding his breath in the water. The longer he persisted on the eve of destruction, the closer his spirit would be to collapse. In the end, he began to pray that the final moment would come soon and end it all quickly.

Hanguang and Yitian heard her pleas and expressed satisfaction with his fear and desperation.

Lightning, flames and loud noises followed.