CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER58-DARK ENERGY, GOLDEN HOLY LIGHT

Owen’s plan was simple: to grind down the dragonscale creature.

Bearing the Emerald Blessing, he was like a mobile "fountain" that could replenish his strength.

As long as he wasn’t critically hit by the giant, he could maintain a high level of combat effectiveness.

But the giant was different.

He had no "fountain," and every bit of energy he used was a complete expenditure, with no chance of replenishment from Owen.

So, Owen kept inflicting wounds on the giant.

Gradually, the giant’s strength waned. His attacks slowed, and Owen knew his opportunity had arrived.

Unfortunately...

The change still came.

Black luminescence began to emanate from the giant axe, resembling a layer of black mist.

The giant looked at his axe, a grin spreading across his face;

"Dragons are indeed formidable, no wonder they once commanded myriad races. But what a pity, you haven’t fully matured. How will you deal with my Dark Sacrifice?"

Owen’s eyelids twitched, his golden eyes filled with intense wariness.

The giant reached out his massive palm, gently touching the dark energy on the axe handle.

The dark energy, like being electrified, surged into the giant’s body instantly.

His body began to tremble, his skin turning pale and rigid.

The dark energy spread rapidly within him, penetrating every cell.

The giant’s eyes became sinister and ferocious, as if controlled by the dark energy.

"This is..." Owen’s eyes held confusion.

"...Dark Sacrifice. I thought he was just a mixed blood of dragonscale and giant lineage, but I didn’t expect him to wield dark energy," Diana covered her mouth, her expression filled with fear.

"What is Dark Sacrifice?" Finn’s heart tightened, moving slightly closer to Diana.

Diana stared intently at the giant, explaining:

"It means to surrender oneself to darkness, to become a servant of the dark, in exchange for immense power."

Her words turned prophetic.

As the dark energy continued to flood in, the giant’s body began to swell.

His muscles grew more robust, and his bones cracked audibly.

The dark energy bestowed unparalleled strength upon the giant and instantly healed all his wounds.

In just a few seconds, the giant... was reborn.

Raising his giant axe, he swung it in the air, tracing a black arc.

Each movement stirred waves of arcanergy, causing cracks on the temple walls from the arcanergy vibrations emitted by the giant axe.

The dark energy sharpened the axe, enhancing its destructive power, and granted the giant an unprecedented strength.

"How can we fight this?" Charlie’s legs trembled, his earlier excitement gone.

Hughes, with a grave expression, turned to Finn and said seriously, "Your Highness, we should leave. The situation is getting severe..."

"But... what about Mr. Owen?" Finn’s eyes widened, his voice rising hysterically.

Hughes was dumbfounded; wasn’t Finn the one wanting to flee before?

Why the sudden show of brotherly concern?

"Uh, Mr. Owen will be fine, he always has been lucky," he stammered.

Finn’s eyes reddened: "You want me to abandon Mr. Owen?"

"No, that’s not it," Hughes was also bewildered, unsure why Finn was acting this way.

Charlie, breaking free from his shock, raised his sword and roared, "Right, we fight alongside Mr. Owen to the end!"

Hughes glanced at Charlie and then at Finn. ’Damn it, am I the only sane one here?’

Seeing Hughes lost for words, Finn helplessly tried to convey several looks to Hughes.

Understanding the hint, Hughes solemnly handcuffed Finn: "Your Highness, forgive me, but I must ensure your safety."

Finn inwardly sighed in relief, grateful to have someone reliable by his side.

He had wanted to run but couldn’t lose face.

Now he could claim it wasn’t his choice but Hughes’s unilateral action.

A sword was suddenly pointed at Hughes’s neck.

Shocked, Hughes looked at Charlie: "You’re insane, how dare you treat me like this."

Charlie’s expression was twisted, his hair standing on end like a wrathful deity:

"Hughes, didn’t you hear what His Highness said? Are you trying to make him a spineless coward, devoid of honor and integrity?"

Hughes was utterly speechless.

Finn looked at Charlie, his face full of worry. ’Why are you so stubborn?’

He also somewhat hated himself for putting on airs earlier.

Why didn’t he just leave sooner?

If he tried to escape now, wouldn’t his character be completely ruined?

"Let me go," Finn said tiredly, "Let’s just wait here for Mr. Owen."

Charlie immediately stood beside Finn, his sword raised: "Don’t worry, Your Highness, I will protect you."

Finn’s face was expressionless, his heart heavy with despair.

...

Surrendering to darkness brought extremely severe consequences.

The giant’s thoughts became chaotic and twisted, consumed by endless anger and the desire for slaughter.

The giant was completely devoured by the dark energy.

He became an empty shell, leaving behind a monster controlled by dark energy.

His eyes lost their light, becoming hollow and terrifying.

His body emitted a dark aura, chilling to the bone.

Seeing this, Diana shouted,

"Owen, run. He’s now several times stronger than before, with terrifying destructive power... Continuing this fight, you stand no chance of winning."

At this, Finn’s eyes lit up.

If Owen ran, they could also slip away.

"Mr. Owen, there’s no need to fight to the death with this monster. This is beyond our capabilities," he said.

Charlie, straining his voice, yelled, "Mr. Owen, I believe in you. You can definitely beat him."

Finn looked at Charlie blankly, smiling radiantly, "Your Highness, I shall surely die before you."

Finn’s lips trembled. ’You’re seriously insane.’

Seeing Finn so moved, Charlie’s eyes also reddened: "Your Highness, this is my duty."

Owen looked intently at the giant, his eyes blazing with golden light.

’Dark energy, I am the nemesis of dark energy.’

Instead of retreating, he charged aggressively towards the giant.

Owen quickly soared into the sky, his dragon wings flapping fiercely, stirring up a storm.

Storm Dragon arcana·Furious Storm.

He opened his massive dragon maw and spewed intense flames, engulfing the dark giant’s body in an instant.

Red Dragon arcana·Dragonfire Breath.

The dark giant, however, was unafraid.

A black shield appeared around his body, blocking all the flames.

"These tricks are useless against me," the giant laughed, his axe, trailing a shadow, striking towards Owen.

Owen dodged swiftly, but the axe, charged with dark energy, appeared right in front of him despite being tens of meters away just a second earlier.

"Puff--"

A gush of golden blood spewed from Owen’s maw.

A massive wound stretched from his chest to his abdomen, constantly bleeding, while green flecks of light tirelessly worked to mend the injury.

The wound’s surface was laced with a sinister black arcanergy, impeding the Emerald Blessing’s healing process.

Alarmed, Owen no longer held back.

His body radiated a blinding golden light, as a divine energy burst forth from within, forming a colossal beam that shot directly towards the dark giant.

Gold Divine Dragon arcana·Golden Sacred Dragon Blaze unleashed a beam of holy light, highly effective against darkness and sinister forces.

This arcana, one of the Gold Divine Dragon’s arsenals, nearly depleted all of Owen’s arcanergy, but the effect was impressive.

The dark giant, struck by the beam, let out a wail: "Ah! It hurts, how can it be, how can it be gold..."

His body began to dissipate gradually.

Owen landed on the ground, reverting to his human form.

Everyone rushed towards him.

Owen looked terribly wounded, with numerous injuries, the most lethal being the gash from his chest to his waist.

The huge wound, like a great chasm, oozed with golden blood.

Pale and panting heavily, Owen said, "I need to rest a bit."

Diana took out a bottle of green potion from her space ring: "This is a life potion concocted by a lv6 herbalist, drink it quickly."

Finn stood by, his eyes wide in shock.

A level six life potion just given away like that?

Owen didn’t try to act tough, gratefully taking the potion: "Thanks."

Gulp, gulp, gulp – he tilted his head back and drank it down.

The life potion crafted by a lv6 herbalist was indeed potent.

His wounds instantly healed, and a surge of powerful energy flowed through his body.

Owen abruptly stood up, his face alight with joy: "This life potion is incredibly strong. I feel my strength has been fully restored."

Finn commented with a hint of envy,

"There’s only one lv6 herbalist in the entire human kingdom. How could a potion made by them not be powerful? Just one bottle can extend someone’s life by three years."

Only then did Owen realize the true value of the potion. "Diana, I’m deeply grateful."

Diana waved her hand dismissively, unconcerned, "I’ll just get another bottle from her next time."

Finn’s mouth twitched. ’You’re a saint, so you’re awesome.’

While Owen was reveling in the changes in his body, smiling broadly, the wound on his stomach suddenly split open again, and blood gushed out anew.

The dark energy on the wound, like maggots to the bone, showed no signs of dissipating.