Reward?

Lorne couldn't help shaking his head wryly.

What reward could be more precious than my life?

But then again, it seems like this battle is inevitable.

Lorne has already simulated it in his mind several times, but he couldn't find a way for himself, Helena, and Aze to escape safely.

Whether it's power, speed, or combat skills, we are not in the same league as the Holy Knight on the opposite side. Plus, the Holy Knight has skills specifically targeting evil creatures...

There's simply no escape.

Direct confrontation is also not feasible, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg.

At this point, Lorne looked at Arianne, who was wrapped in chains. Hmm, if there was a way to release the restraints on Arianne, the situation could be turned around once again...

"It's a shame, Lorne. I don't think you can remove this thing," Arianne smirked, as if she had guessed Lorne's thoughts, "But I'm still happy that you care about your master."

Even though the current situation is quite dire, this guy doesn't seem to have any sense of urgency.

Lorne sighed helplessly.

Just then, Helena and Aze stood by his side.

"My Lord, we'll hold him off, you find a chance to escape!" Helena said seriously, preparing for battle. The so-called battle preparation was tightening the stitches on her right thigh and tying a knot to make the already broken leg more secure.

On the other side, the skeletal soldier Aze suppressed his fear and drew a rusty curved blade.

Lorne suddenly felt a touch of emotion.

These two guys are really foolish, willing to die for a useless Lord like me... They may not be human, but they are more innocent and sincere than humans.

If I don't protect them, I won't be able to forgive myself.

Lorne raised his hand, messed up Helena's white hair, and patted Aze's shoulder blade:

"Hold him off? How could you guys do that? Even if you go, it would be in vain. Don't worry, you will have a chance to show your skills later. The three of us will all survive... as long as we take down that Holy Knight on the other side."

Helena's eyes brightened:

"Do you have a way to win?"

"Well, if luck is on our side. We can only take a risk now," Lorne chuckled softly and whispered, "Anyway, just watch quietly, let me show off for a bit."

...

The Holy Knight Arnold was clearly getting impatient:

"Are you just babbling?... Hmph, let's not waste any more time, you will all reunite in hell soon."

As he spoke, he held his sword with both hands, lowered his body, and assumed a charging posture.

But Lorne suddenly revealed a cunning smile:

"It seems like you still don't understand your situation, Mr. Arnold... Well, since you're so eager to die, go ahead."

With that, he folded his hands behind his back and calmly approached.

As if taking a stroll in the park.

... As expected, the Holy Knight Arnold's movement came to a halt, with an evident hesitation on his face. Because he had already concluded that Lorne's true strength was not simple.

Indeed.

After all, even the Holy Lady herself paid so much attention to this high-level demon named Lorne, and he even opened the "Trial Path"... No matter how you think about it, he couldn't be a mere, F-level Dungeon Master.

Lorne was exactly leveraging this mindset.

In order to win this battle, he had to use every advantage.

"What trick do you want to play?" Arnold shouted as he watched Lorne approach step by step.

"Trick? Well, there's no need for tricks against a weakling like you," Lorne took advantage of the situation and continued bluffing, "As you know, I have opened the 'Trial Path'..."

He smirked like a typical villain.

"The raging power surges endlessly within me! The world is already in the palm of my hand!"

... Who cares about the raging power.

In fact, the changes happening to Lorne were simply unlocking the System. But as long as he could temporarily intimidate the enemy, it would buy him time for his real purpose: the upcoming surprise move.Arnold across the way began to hesitate, even cautiously took on a defensive stance.

Taking this opportunity, Lorne silently opened the System interface.

He controlled the pointer in the interface with his mind and opened the inventory, which stored several items obtained from the "Beginner's Gift Pack": "Lucky Ring" x1, "Mystical Orb" x1, "Pure Soul" x5.

He selected the "Lucky Ring" and took it out.

A pure gold ring appeared in Lorne's hand behind his back. He quietly slipped it onto his finger, without attracting anyone's attention.

【Lucky Ring: Disposable item that greatly increases your luck, effective for 5 minutes. Takes effect upon wearing.】

Hmm, first step completed.

...

Lorne sat down on the ground, looking relaxed and at ease.

At the same time, he couldn't stop talking:

"By the way, have you not recovered from the previous battle? That's unfair for you. How about this...I'll give you some time to recover. Whether it's healing magic or taking drugs, it's up to you."

Hmm, take it slow.

I'd prefer more time.

"Unbelievable. How can a demon like you be so kind-hearted?" Arnold looked skeptical.

"You are also a respected knight. I want to have a fair duel with you," Lorne smiled, "And besides, this way, I can better test the power I just obtained. It would be too boring to simply kill you like this."

While speaking, he discreetly continued to manipulate the System and took out a "Pure Soul."

Since his hands were behind his back, Lorne couldn't see the specific appearance of this thing, but he felt a warm and gentle touch, like a warm marshmallow.

【Pure Soul: Randomly obtain 100-1000 Evil Points. How to use: squeeze to burst.】

Alright, I'll squeeze it!

When he burst this thing, Lorne felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and comfort, like popping bubble wrap. At the same time, a crisp and ethereal loli voice lingered in his ears:

"Big brother, do you know how babies are born? Hey, big brother, do you know?"

This "Pure Soul" is indeed well-named... By the way, the person who designed this thing must have had a wicked sense of humor. Seems like they're a hardcore otaku.

Lorne couldn't help but mock in his heart.

Immediately, a translucent System prompt appeared before his eyes:

"Evil Point+1000."

As expected, with the blessing of the "Lucky Ring," Lorne could maximize his utilization of the "Pure Soul" to obtain Evil Points. The three items in the beginner's gift pack must be used together to achieve the maximum effect.

Lorne had already realized this.

There were a total of five "Pure Souls," so he could obtain a total of 5000 Evil Points. Finally, by betting these Evil Points on the "Mystical Orb," he could turn defeat into victory!

This was Lorne's battle plan.

However, the effect of the "Lucky Ring" only lasted 5 minutes, so he had to make good use of time. With this in mind, Lorne quickly took out the second "Pure Soul" and burst it—

"The neighbor uncle really likes playing hide and seek. Yesterday, I found him hiding in my wardrobe!"

...

Just then, the holy knight Arnold suddenly let out a cold laugh:

"I still don't believe the nonsense you said earlier. 'Fair duel'? Don't make me laugh. As an evil demon, how could you have such a notion?

"Although I don't know what you're plotting, you're clearly just trying to buy time... I can't let you have your way."

As he spoke, he again assumed an attacking stance.

Holding his sword with both hands, his body slightly tilted.

... It seems the opponent is not foolish either.

Arnold's lips moved, silently reciting a few incantations. As a result, the flames enveloping his sword changed from pale to pitch black—

This was the "Soul Devouring Flame"!

Lorne had heard of this move. The black flames could directly damage the soul.Although Lorne, as a high-ranking demon, possesses the ability to regenerate, it is limited only to the physical body. Once the soul is destroyed, this regenerative power becomes ineffective.

In other words...

If this sword strikes, it will be game over for good!