A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

“Mr. Betley, from now on, you will die very easily.”

“Who knows?” Beatrix chuckled wickedly. Of course he knew the workings of the two rings, but he didn’t care.

"Would you like to experience firsthand what it's like to be the holder of both rings?" Betley withdrew his hands, raised his chin, and looked down at Marek.

One fraudster successfully deceived another fraudster.

"This is really exciting; there's a plot twist that's not in the script." Marek was more pleased than surprised to see Betty's momentum climbing higher.

It's quite an interesting development that he, as a con artist, was conned by another con artist.

“Ah, I want to see it!” Marek exclaimed.

"Just how powerful will we become after we have two rings?"

"Most importantly, I want to see how the one who holds the precepts, who deceives the gods, will deal with me, the one who deceives all living beings."

“A person who deceives the masses? You think too highly of yourself.” Betley stared at Marek’s pupils, which were swirling with purple lotuses.

"Sorry, I was a little arrogant."

“Well then, now it’s your turn to perform,” Marek said with a smile, as if inviting his partner to dance.

When Betley saw Marek's behavior, he simply responded with his most ferocious expression.

"The Claws of the Plague Source," "The Arms of the Evil Emperor Dragon"

The projections of the two golden-type arms were attached to Beatrix's arms.

One is the claw of a wild beast, brimming with deadly poison; the other is the claw of a true dragon god.

In the past, the effects of the two divine spells were already quite impressive.

However, it is still obvious at a glance that this is not the deity in its true form.

However, now, a certain aura is emanating from Betley, an aura that is faintly similar to the "greatness" of the gods.

“…” Bray subconsciously looked into the distance.

He frowned, and the hand that had been lowered from the scabbard rested on the sword again.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his companion's unease, the shy young man tentatively asked Bray.

"Didn't you feel it?" Bray asked softly.

That sudden aura was incredibly powerful.

Although not as terrifying as the original golden seed projection, this aura still sends chills down one's spine.

Even without consciously trying to sense it, Bray could clearly understand where that guy was.

"What do you feel?"

"Never mind, it's alright." Bray shook his head. Since the others couldn't sense it, there was no point in saying anything more.

So I guess I have to find an opportunity to go on my own... It's always me.

---

"Boom!!!" Betley arrived in front of Marek with explosive speed, then grabbed him and threw him heavily to the ground.

However, after the dust settled, Marek stood unharmed on the cracked ground.

This exaggerated scene caused passersby to stop and look in that direction.

Often, when faced with such situations, people's first choice is to stop and observe.

However, people soon realized how foolish it was to have chosen to stand by and watch.

Betley swooped down from the sky, grabbed Marek's head with his dragon claws, and slammed him to the ground.

In that instant, a massive impact spread outwards.

It was not an invisible impact, but a tangible ripple.

Dark red ripples, filled with an aura of destruction, spread out in all directions like ripples on the surface of water.

Buildings, unmanned vehicles, and debris were all blown away and tangled together in mid-air.

"Aa ...

"Run!"

"Help! Monster!!!"

The horrific scene before them made the passersby realize that if they continued to stand there, they would be torn to pieces just like those things.

People scrambled away from their spots, pushing and shoving each other, some even being trampled underfoot.

In a very short time, there was no one around Betley and Marek.

But strangely, despite the huge commotion, everyone died as a result.

“You are so kind, Mr. Beatrix.”

“He’s the kind of person who kills without batting an eye.” Marek said casually, his head still being grabbed.

"The battle should not affect ordinary people."

Is this the only remaining shred of tenderness amidst your tyranny?

“Your face is thicker than I imagined, and your head is harder than I imagined,” Beattie said.

"He talked more than I expected."

Then Betley suddenly used his strength, and the thing in his hand shattered.

But the broken thing wasn't Marek, it was a stone.

Marek dusted himself off and stood to the side.

"Is there still some poison?" Marek looked at the poison stains on his exposed skin.

In no time, Marek's entire body was infected by this "plague".

However, Marek's body did not show any signs of decay, nor did he die suddenly.

But Marek's forehead was indeed covered in cold sweat, and it seemed that he had barely escaped from the brink of death.

How he escaped the deadly poison of the "source of the plague" remains unclear.

“I don’t recall your other hand ever touching me,” Marek smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“This thing can’t be explained by common sense.” Betley moved his ferocious beast claws.

"I understand, after all, it's a part of the Golden Seed. Even if it's a projection, it's not an ordinary thing."

"To be honest, your ring isn't as powerful as I imagined."

“After all, it’s a fake, and the only thing it targets is ‘fate’,” Marek said regretfully.

"If I could make an exact replica of the ring, then I'd be a master craftsman, wouldn't I?"

"So please understand that the quality is slightly inferior."

"Well, it's not as strong as I expected, but at least the effect is not bad."

After finishing his sentence, Beattie flashed to the person he had been chatting with just a few seconds ago and delivered an uppercut to him.

"BOOM!!!!" A dark red shockwave shot out from below, like a violent tornado, and in the center of the tornado was Marek, who had completely absorbed it.

"The Rising Dragon Fist tasted good, didn't it?" Betley asked Marek, who was lying on the ground.

Marek's clothes were tattered, and his pupils, gazing at the sky, were gradually losing focus.

That blow shattered Marek's will to live.

There was no bloody scene; the fact that the bones were broken was already a good result.

Even so, Marek was so weak and feeble that he seemed to be close to death.

About a minute later, Marek, who was standing in front of Betley, died completely.

Yes—completely stopped breathing.

But Betley ignored him completely, stepped over Marek's body, and walked forward.

After walking a few steps, he saw another Marek, dressed in good clothes and smiling.

“That’s disgusting,” Beatrix said coldly.

Marek, who was being trampled on by Betley, quietly turned into smoke and disappeared from the spot.

"Using a fake to replace yourself? You're very cautious."

“No, that’s not fake,” Marek shrugged and explained.

However, he did not intend to give Beatley a more detailed explanation.

“Let me put it this way, Mr. Betley.” Marek stroked his chin, standing calmly in front of Betley.

One side is utterly lacking in presence, while the other side exudes an aura of devastation—a stark contrast.

But Marek didn't care.

"Just like you, I possess the same ability as acrobats."

"So, no matter what abilities we both use, it shouldn't surprise the other side, right?"

Just as Betley was able to impersonate Marek so well that Marek couldn't tell the difference, what's wrong with a new version of himself appearing after Marek's death?

No problem, absolutely no problem.

“Mr. Betley, you’re in such a state that calling you invincible wouldn’t be an exaggeration,” Marek said with admiration.

There's no exaggeration here; the Marek that Beatrix killed earlier wasn't some inferior version of Marek.

In every respect, he is just like himself, so it wouldn't be entirely wrong to say that it was him.

However, Marek was easily killed.

The overwhelming power completely extinguishes any desire to resist.

Not to mention Betley, who has only used two divine spells from the beginning until now.

What you should know is that Betley's true strength lies in his countless divine spells.

"Although I don't want to hear your flattery, hearing it from the enemy makes me feel quite good." Betley grinned menacingly, his expression as ferocious as a wild beast, as monstrous as a dragon. The terrifying yet brief battle hadn't driven everyone away.

There is at least one thief still near this battlefield.

Goodeid witnessed the entire process of Beatrix abusing Marek.

He tore at the loose hair in his hand with displeasure, like an eagle tearing apart its prey.

Those sharp eyes were fixed on Betley.

He sat in a far-off, relatively safe spot.

Unlike Bray, who is "nearsighted," he can still see things clearly even from a great distance.

As a thief or anti-mage, this basic level of eyesight is essential.

After seeing the power that Betley displayed, Goodreed did not feel envious of the power that Betley had now gained.

He just didn't expect that the one who would finally break the curse would be Betley.

He had stopped Bray earlier, also because of the ring.

Unfortunately, the "outsider" who corresponded to the black ring was killed by that Aragami.

In other words, Gurid has no way to erase the curse through the balance of the ring.

Yes, what the world's will may be a blessing to others.

But for Gurid, it was not a blessing, but a curse.

"Kill that idiot Marek now." Gurid was quite dissatisfied with Marek, who had used him but hadn't even given him any benefits.

"Greed, why are you watching here?" Laurentina asked cautiously, hiding behind a lamppost that had been twisted into a knot.

"Just want to see who dies," Goodreed replied casually.

“And you idiot, standing here will get you caught in the crossfire.” He glanced at Laurentina, who was wearing an ill-fitting military uniform and a large hat.

Tristy stood beside Laurentina, seemingly protecting the girl.

Of course, what Goode really wanted to tell Tristia was that Laurentina wasn't someone she needed to protect.