Chapter 629: Guardian Pasch

Chapter 629: Guardian Pasch

Thick, oily black smoke hissed from numerous parts of its body, the red glow in its lines dimmed, and cracks had begun forming across its arms and chest.

Max narrowed his eyes.

It wasn’t over yet—but this was the first time the creature looked wounded.

Just as the demonic being lingered midair, dazed and staggering from the explosive force of the black flaming sphere, Max’s figure appeared before it like a flash of judgment itself.

The being didn’t even have time to react—its crimson eyes still flickering weakly—when Max flicked his index finger forward. That single finger, charged with the condensed fury of Violet Lightning, touched the center of the demon’s forehead.

Bang!

An eruption. Blinding. Violent. The sound echoed across the sky like thunder announcing divine punishment. In that instant, the demonic being’s entire head was obliterated, vaporized by the raw power of Violet Lightning.

No resistance. No scream. Nothing remained above the neck. And without its head, the being’s body hovered lifeless for a heartbeat… then began to fall.

‘Finally, it’s gone.’ Max exhaled in quiet relief, his body relaxing for the first time since the fight began. He deactivated all his forms—the Dragon Scales Transformation, the Lightning Manifestation Armor, the residual burning aura of his Emperor’s Domain—and slowly drifted down toward the ocean, his energy finally settling.

That’s when he noticed it. A searing pain. He glanced at his right hand and frowned.

“My hand still got damaged.”

Even with 600 Dragon Scales boosting his resilience, his hand had turned pitch black, the skin charred like meat roasted over divine fire. The Violet Lightning—wild and unforgiving—had left its mark.

Still, regeneration had already begun. The golden glow of his scales surged faintly beneath the burnt layers, healing tissue at an astonishing pace. He estimated that in about an hour, the damage would be gone completely.

Landing softly on the ocean’s surface, Max extended his left hand and pulled the demon’s body out from the water. It was heavy and lifeless now, a ruined husk of charred black flesh with red lines fading rapidly like the last traces of an extinguished curse.

He looked at it for a moment in silence.

Then, without hesitation, Max summoned his black flames and engulfed the corpse entirely. It hissed and crackled under the flames, thrashing faintly as if something still lived inside. But Max didn’t flinch. He held it steady, burning it until there was nothing left but ash.

He didn’t dare devour it. Not even a single speck.

Even when it stood merely in front of him during the battle, Max could feel his Infernal Demon Transformation nearly activating on its own. The temptation, the pull—it had been too close. He could only imagine what would happen if he absorbed the creature’s essence. Perhaps… he wouldn’t remain Max anymore.

So he burned it all—every last trace.

Ash scattered over the ocean’s surface as the sky slowly calmed. The battle was over.

At this moment, Max truly understood the limits—and possibilities—of his current battle strength. That fight had pushed him to his absolute edge. He had used everything: his Dragon Scales Transformation, all 600 Draconic Essences, his Lightning Manifestation Armor, his Three Dimensional Body, Concept of Severing Sword, even the forbidden power of Violet Lightning.

If he poured in that much effort, then yes—he could defeat peak Master Rank experts. But even then, it would be extremely difficult to face a true Champion Rank opponent. Especially one above level one.

The demonic being’s raw strength and defense alone had clearly crossed into the realm of Champion Rank—it was only its lack of battle awareness, its absence of strategy or sentient intelligence, that gave Max a chance. Had it fought like a human—with reason, with cunning—Max doubted he could have survived for long.

Suddenly—

Clap. Clap.

A slow, almost casual applause echoed in the air, clear and composed.

Max’s body stiffened. His head turned sharply in the direction of the sound, and there he saw him—a man standing midair, dressed in refined robes that shimmered faintly in the light, his dark hair tied back, every strand in perfect order.

He carried no weapons, no aura of aggression, and yet… his mere presence warped the air around him subtly, like space itself was adjusting to his being.

“What an impressive display of strength.” the man said with genuine admiration in his voice, a calm smile on his lips.

Max’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the man. He couldn’t sense anything—no energy fluctuations, no pressure, not even a heartbeat. It was like the man was standing in the fabric of the world rather than on it. That could only mean one thing.

‘I can’t see through his strength at all,’ Max thought grimly. ‘That means he’s at least Champion Rank. And I didn’t even sense when he arrived…’ He realized, belatedly, that his entire focus had been locked onto the demonic being—that narrow attention had cost him awareness of this man’s approach. Which was dangerous.

“It’s nice to see such geniuses rising in the Lower Domain,” the man continued, his tone polite but measured. “I am Pasch, one of the guardians on duty here.”

A guardian.

Max’s gaze sharpened. He had completely forgotten about them. They should arrive in the Lower Domain for matter like that. The so-called Rulers of the Lower Domain, tasked with maintaining balance, rarely interfering unless something truly threatening arose. And now one stood before him.

Max nodded slowly, his voice calm but edged with underlying meaning. “I see. So even if I hadn’t killed that creature… you would have.”

Pasch smiled lightly, but didn’t confirm or deny.

Max didn’t need an answer. The guardian’s presence meant this wasn’t just a random fight gone out of control.

But he felt no regret for taking matters into his own hands. If he had waited—if he had done nothing and simply hoped help would come—the demonic being could have killed dozens before anyone acted.

Just then, a ripple of movement broke the tension in the air as Elias and Aria arrived beside Max, their figures floating steadily above the ruined battlefield.

The aura of battle still lingered around Max, the charred remnants of his right hand and faint trails of black smoke clinging to the fading flames in the sky.

Elias’s expression immediately lit up upon seeing the refined man across from them.

“Cousin Pasch, you came!” Elias said, relief and familiarity warming his tone.

Pasch smiled gently, his arms still folded behind his back as he regarded them all. “How could I not come when a being as strong as a Champion Rank suddenly awakened in the Lower Domain?” His gaze swept from Elias to Aria, and then finally settled back on Max. “So, what was that creature?”

Elias and Aria exchanged uncertain glances. Their brows furrowed in confusion, but both of them gave the same subtle shrug. They had no clue what the demonic being truly was—its origin, its nature, or what kind of force could give rise to such a monstrosity. They had only witnessed its strength, not its history.

Max, on the other hand, remained silent for a beat. Then, without a word, he reached into his dimensional storage and retrieved a worn, leather-bound diary. Its pages were darkened with age, yet it carried a faint aura of something deeply sinister. He looked Pasch in the eyes as he casually tossed it over.

“This diary belonged to Divine King Atherion,” Max said simply, his voice steady. “I found it in the final stage of the citadel. Everything about that thing… is in there.”

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!