Chapter 1255  Seeking Wisdom

"No one is yours," rebuked Arthur with disgust. His black lightning crackled as his wrath boiled. "I don"t care if you are Rain"s brother. In the next three seconds, you will die unless you dispel your hypnosis."

"Bold words," replied Deluge with surprise, glancing at Arthur. Then, his eyes narrowed. "Those two golden scars... black hair... and black lightning. I heard about you."

"Have you heard about my dagger too?" asked Arthur as he summoned Nightmare, unleashing a cry of wrath that seemed to peel the world"s color. "You two will get to know each other quite well."

Arthur stepped forward, his aura shaking the entire temple. His golden mana burst from his body as well, intermixing with the wrath. Although his eyes were sealed by the two scars, they looked like beast eyes glaring at the Sin.

"How scary," laughed Deluge as he strode forward as well. "It honors me that the great Arthur Netherborne came here just for me. Are you here to claim my head?"

"We are here looking for someone, but I don"t mind killing a disgusting calamity in the process," replied Arthur as he raised his dagger. "Your three seconds are over."

Arthur stomped on the ground, destroying the temple"s floor like a rising tide. He bolted forward like a flash of lightning, his dagger swinging toward Deluge.

The Sin of l.u.s.t tried to retreat in haste, but Arthur"s dagger pa.s.sed through his neck without resistance. The head was severed from the body as Arthur landed a distance away, his feet sliding on the temple"s ground.

As he turned around, Arthur examined his dagger with curiosity before turning toward the Sin. Deluge stood there with his head rolling away, but Arthur did not fall for it.

"This is not your real body," muttered Arthur with a frown, although he could not see the Sin. "But I can still feel your existence here."

"Busted!" laughed the flying head as it reattached to the body. "This is a fragment of myself that I incarnated into this place. I knew that Rain would run over here as soon as she heard about the city."

"This is all just to lure me?" muttered Rain with confusion. "You never wanted anything to do with me."

"But that changed, dear sister," said Deluge as he turned toward her with a grin. "I learned that we are incomplete without each other."

"You think that I cannot hurt you just because you are not here?" interrupted Arthur with rage as he raised his dagger again. "G.o.dslayer Art... Third Stance."

"Wait!" shouted Deluge as he raised a hand to stop him, but Arthur was already gathering his lightning to execute his strongest attack. "I have Valarie Storm!"

Arthur paused.

"What?" asked Rain with surprise. "How do you know about her?"

"Oh, dear sister, I know everything about you. I learned it ever since I learned that I cannot grow stronger with only half of me."

Deluge"s words hung in the air like a dark cloud. Arthur"s wrath flared, and he could feel his power surging, ready to be unleashed.

"Valarie is safe for now," Deluge continued, his eyes gleaming with malevolent delight. "But that can change in an instant. If you want her to live, Rain, you must become one with me. Together, we will become the true Sin of l.u.s.t."

Rain"s face twisted in disgust. "I"d rather die than become one with you," she spat.

Arthur"s rage boiled over. "You think you can manipulate us with your twisted games?" he growled. "You"re wrong, Deluge. I won"t let you harm Rain or Valarie."

Deluge"s laughter echoed through the chamber, chilling and ominous. "Bold words, Arthur. But can you back them up?"

Arthur didn"t waste another moment. He summoned his power, his golden mana intertwining with his black lightning. "G.o.dslayer Art, Third Stance: Shattered Divinity," he intoned, his voice filled with deadly calm.

The air crackled with energy as Arthur"s attack charged. Deluge"s eyes widened in realization and fear, but he stood his ground, knowing he had the upper hand. The temple seemed to hold its breath as Arthur unleashed his most powerful attack.

A bolt of black lightning, crackling with divine energy, shot from Arthur"s dagger, striking Deluge with a force that shook the entire structure. The Sin of l.u.s.t screamed in agony as the attack tore through him, shredding his ethereal form.

For a moment, Arthur thought he had succeeded. But then Deluge"s laughter echoed once more, weaker but defiant. "You can"t kill me that easily, Arthur. This is merely a fragment of my true self."

As the smoke cleared, Deluge"s form began to fade, his laughter echoing ominously. "Remember, Rain," he said, his voice growing fainter. "If you want Valarie Storm to live, you must sacrifice yourself. Only then can we become whole."

With those final words, Deluge vanished, leaving Arthur, Rain, and Diana alone in the temple. The silence that followed was deafening, the weight of Deluge"s threat hanging heavily in the air.

Rain sank to her knees, her face pale and her eyes wide with shock. "Valarie," she whispered, her voice breaking. "He"s taken her."

Arthur knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We"ll get her back, Rain. I promise. We won"t let Deluge win."

Diana stepped forward, her eyes filled with concern. "Rain, we"ll do whatever it takes to rescue Valarie. You"re not alone in this."

Rain looked up at them, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. "But how? He wants me to become one with him. I can"t... I won"t..."

Arthur"s grip tightened on her shoulder, his eyes burning with resolve. "We"ll find another way. We always do."

Diana nodded. "We"ve faced worse and come out stronger. We"ll find Valarie and stop Deluge."

Arthur"s mind raced, trying to formulate a plan. Deluge was powerful, but he was not invincible. They needed to find his true body and rescue Valarie before it was too late.

The temple stood eerily quiet, the echoes of Deluge"s laughter still lingering in the air. Rain slowly stood up, her legs shaky but her resolve hardening. Arthur and Diana exchanged a determined look; they had to act fast.

"We need to save the people of Port Marlin first," Arthur said, his voice steady. "Breaking the hypnosis and destroying that altar should weaken Deluge"s influence."

Rain nodded, wiping away the tears that had started to form. "Let"s do it."

Arthur led the way out of the temple, his senses sharp and his resolve unwavering. Diana and Rain followed closely, their faces set with determination. They navigated through the maze-like ruins, guided by the dark energy emanating from the cursed altar that held the town under Deluge"s spell.

The altar was located in the heart of the ruins, surrounded by a ring of hypnotized citizens who chanted in unison, their eyes glazed over. The sight of the townspeople, caught in a grotesque trance, filled Arthur with renewed anger.

"We need to break their connection to the altar," Arthur instructed. "Diana, can you handle the altar while Rain and I deal with the people?"

Diana nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. She moved towards the altar, her hands already glowing with a mix of fire and ice. Arthur and Rain stepped forward, ready to confront the hypnotized citizens.

"Rain, use your power to calm them," Arthur suggested. "I"ll protect you."

Rain nodded, summoning her own energy. As she focused, a gentle, soothing wave of her power spread out, enveloping the citizens. Their chanting faltered, and confusion began to replace the empty stares in their eyes.

Arthur, his black lightning crackling around him, stood guard, ready to strike if any of the citizens became violent. But Rain"s power worked quickly. The citizens, now free from the hypnosis, collapsed to the ground, their eyes clearing.

Meanwhile, Diana reached the altar, her hands glowing brighter as she unleashed her power. She summoned a torrent of fire and ice, the contrasting elements intertwining as they struck the cursed structure. The altar cracked and hissed under the a.s.sault, its dark energy dissipating into the air.

With one final burst of power, the altar shattered into pieces, a wave of light washing over the area as the dark magic was dispelled. The remaining citizens fell to their knees, free from Deluge"s grasp.

"It"s done," Diana said, turning back to Arthur and Rain. "The altar is destroyed."

Arthur nodded, his eyes scanning the now-conscious citizens. "Let"s get them back to the ship. They need rest and care."

The trio helped the townspeople to their feet, guiding them back through the ruins and towards Rain"s ship. The pirates aboard, seeing the state of the citizens, immediately set to work providing food and water, their initial wariness replaced by a sense of purpose.

As the ship set sail, Arthur, Rain, and Diana gathered in the captain"s quarters to formulate their next plan. The room was dimly lit, the sound of the waves a constant backdrop as they discussed their options.

"We need to find Deluge"s true body," Arthur said, his voice firm. "The fragment we faced was powerful, but it"s not the source of his strength."

Rain nodded, her expression thoughtful. "But where do we even start looking? He could be anywhere."

One of the pirates, a seasoned sailor with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward. "If it"s knowledge you seek, you should go to Sourna, the land of Wisdom. They have records and scrolls dating back centuries. If anyone knows about Deluge"s whereabouts, it would be the scholars there."

Arthur considered this, nodding slowly. "Sourna, huh? The ruler of Sourna won"t turn us away. He knows what I"m capable of."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to threaten him, Arthur?"

Arthur"s lips curled into a slight smile. "I"m just stating a fact. If they refuse to help, they"ll regret it. But hopefully, it won"t come to that."