Chapter 391: The Fury of the Midnight King

The hall was almost completely dark, lit only by the unstable reflections of the crystals. But Luke saw everything, not with his eyes, but with his demon perception, sharpened in the absence of light. The darkness gave him an edge.

[You received the Light Body buff!]

**Your body becomes lighter, retaining its original strength.**

For a brief moment, Luke’s body glowed, then the energy dissipated like smoke. In the distance, Jack and Anne emerged from the shadows, silently conjuring magical circles.

[You received the Warrior’s Protective Aura buff!]
**Your attacks now have a 10% efficiency boost.**
**Your body has become more resistant.**

More light flooded the space, spells forming, the air vibrating with accumulated power.

[You received the Lumberjack’s Talent buff!]
**Your blades are sharper.**
**Your cuts are faster.**
**Your endurance has increased.**

[You received the Maid’s Love buff!]
**Your agility has increased.**
**Your stamina consumes less energy.**
**Your body regenerates slowly.**
**Your mind has become sharper.**
**20% of the damage you take will be transferred to the maid.**

Luke took a deep breath. His body felt weightless, yet full of strength. His muscles responded with perfect precision, and even the sound of the weapons felt different, clearer, sharper. The kukri and dagger felt like nothing in his hands; a flick of his wrist was enough to make them sing through the air. It was like an endless flow of energy, as if he had drunk from the very fire itself. His body pulsed in harmony with each heartbeat.

He jumped. The archangel charged forward in the same split second, the spear flying straight toward him. Luke stepped onto the threads woven by Erza’s magic and unleashed the Demonic Blade Dance. A shadow mirrored his movement behind him, the living reflection of his fury. The archangel threw a spear, then another, and another. They floated around like stone serpents before speeding toward him. Luke ran over the threads, dodging and destroying each one. The sound of the impacts echoed like contained thunder.

One kukri was launched, a silver arc cutting through the air. The blade aimed for the archangel’s face, which closed his four wings like a shield. But when they opened, Luke was already there, dancing through the air, the blades slashing at the creature’s body.

The Midnight King roared. Black threads appeared around him, trying to bind him, but he tore through them with his wings and advanced. Luke was yanked by new threads, swiftly pulled back. In his hand, the bow formed in a flash. He drew mana into each arrow until the energy began to collapse, then released them one after another as unstable arrows of power tore through the air and exploded against the enemy.

“STAY STILL!”

The shout echoed as Luke vanished in a leap, dodging through a thread of time. The archangel collided with a pillar, shattering it in two. Luke landed on top of him, striking one of the wings. The impact sent the monster crashing to the ground. Luke reinforced his body with stamina and dove back into the dance, the two blades moving as extensions of his own nerves. The archangel’s spear tried to reach him, but Luke was no longer a fixed target, just a streak of motion.

Additional spears appeared above them, falling in a steady stream, hitting the ground and cracking the floor, but Luke dodged them all. The sound of their cuts was constant, rhythmic, almost musical. The creature, cornered, folded in on itself, forming four wings, its body pulsing with light. Luke continued to attack in circles, spinning. Each strike sent vibrations through the air.

When the archangel tried to take flight, Luke leapt and grabbed its leg. A flash of blue streaked across the ceiling as Allison’s ice projectiles struck the creature, followed by a dark cloud of shadows conjured by Evangeline that engulfed the area. The archangel crashed violently to the ground, creating a crater. Its body, covered in wounds, still smoldered. It stood up and then teleported away in an instant.

Luke spun, searching. A blow came from behind. The impact hurled him forward, his feet sliding across the floor. Pain shot up his spine. The archangel’s wings unfurled. From them, black, razor-sharp feathers launched out. They flew with inhuman force, striking Luke like a gale-force wind. Each one felt like a spear. He was thrown back, his body covered in cuts.

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“Come, come kill me, bastard! Come!”

“You think I didn’t notice?” The archangel’s voice trembled with fury. “You’re trying to push me away! You want my future host to escape this world!”

In that moment, Luke sprinted straight ahead, his body surging with stamina and mana. Each step left a flash in the air. He used Dark Dash without pause, disappearing and reappearing with every movement. The knives in his hands turned into streaks of light cutting through the darkness.