Silent Crown

Chapter 303 Before the End

Chapter 303 Before the End

"Charles…"

Charles seemed to hear a moan from hell. He turned around. Jerome’s withered face was in a puddle of blood with its mouth open. The man had withered and dried out under the erosion of the abyss’s breath. He looked like a weathered skeleton but the glow of his soul still remained in his body.

"Pick up…" He used the last of his strength to grasp Charles’s hand. Ghostly fire burned in his eyes. "Pick it up, Charles! Pick it up! Only you…"

Only you can stop him!

"Me?" Charles froze. He looked down blankly at the spear in the pool of blood. This was the replica of St. George’s spear, a powerful ancient artifact. "You w-want me to go?" he muttered.

Looking up at the incoming black shadow, he trembled. He wanted to say, Can you give me an easier job? I’m innocent. I’ve accomplished things for Anglo, I’ve bled for the Research Institute. I want to see Newton! Why should a researcher go onto the battlefield? I’m not even a f*cking musician! If you can do it then you go! I don’t have a girlfriend yet. I have old and young ones and a junior to take care of. I can’t go, no way. I haven’t showed off my good looks and amazing talent yet. I can’t just die here… But I’ll die if I go or don’t go. Can’t I choose a better death? But neither is a better death.

"So…I have to go?" he muttered to himself.

His body followed Jerome’s words. Perhaps it was because it was an order from a dying man, or perhaps his tone was filled with anticipation and power, or…deep down, he was attracted.

Power. Power was under his feet.

In the pool of blood, Jerome’s eyes were hopeful. Charles, do you want to be a failure for life and see people’s disappointed eyes or be a hero? Even if just for a moment…

And so Charles bent down and picked up ‘power.’ It was like holding a piece of burning iron. He yelled in pain and fell to his knees as he convulsed. Fire coursed through his body, trying to burn him to ashes. Immense power surged from the spear and engulfed his mind, shattering it.

Furious fire emerged from his broken mind, causing him to scream. Like a dying dragon, the tangible power of the dragon burst from his body. It lifted and tore apart every living thing. Jerome was swept in as well but he smiled in satisfaction.

Yes! Just like this! Charles, you can do it and you must! Jerome grinned before he disintegrated. His remaining strength converged in his blood and flowed into Charles’s cracked skin. A mortal who dared to enter the realm of a deity would be burned by the radiance. Even though this was a backup product, St. George’s spear still contained a large enough power that could scorch him.

He only needed one moment; one moment would suffice. If Charles could stop the Dark Lord, everything would be worth it, no matter how horrible the sacrifice!

Scalding blood burst from his body. Charles howled in pain. He was ruled by the power and searing light shot out from his eyes. It was as if the sun was blazing in his body. Power and the scepter, pain, and torture came together.

Roaring, Charles grasped the spear. Blurry music notes on the spear lit up with blinding light. The spear seemed to have lost its confusion and become a terrifying existence that had been suppressed forcefully. The dragon spirit sealed within roared wildly. The sky and earth shook.

Charles held the spear tightly amidst the light and pierced forward. All the aether before the spear burned away, creating a vacuum. Everything in this area was destined to die.

"Don’t you dare!" the Dark Lord bellowed from the wave of darkness.

He seemed to drag the entire abyss with him—he was unstoppable!

The power of the abyss and St. George’s spear clashed directly. Even Avalon’s enchantment could not detect the changes of aether. It was just a muddled mess.

In the turmoil, the abyss’s aura seethed, creating wild ripples. Charles stood within the burning light and screamed in pain.

"Charles?" In that moment, Ye Qingxuan was taken aback at the top of the Elizabeth Tower. There was no time to hesitate. Clenching his jaw, he pressed the crack on his chest. It resonated!

The bell rang instantly. With the sub-originator as a fulcrum, he levered Avalon’s enchantment. In the dark cellar, sixteen stone tablets began turning amidst rumbling. They changed their positions and angles, creating a new structure.

Under the great shaking, the moon in the sky turned. As if time had passed in an instant, the full moon waned and fell above Charles. Moonlight crashed down like a waterfall and encased Charles within the turbid mess.

"Please work, please work, please work…" Clenching his jaw, Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes and prayed. He used his will to guide the enchantment’s strength from the sky, transform into moonlight, and enter Charles’ body. Using his own experience of constructing the sub-originator inside him, he suppressed the wild aether within Charles. It felt like he was trying to block an erupting volcano.

Ye Qingxuan paled and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was only shouldering part of the pressure but practically collapsed from it. Charles was not even an official musician but he could control that strength and keep his body intact. How talented was he actually?!

With the support of the tuning instrument, Ye Qingxuan transported all the pressure to the enchantment through the sub-originator without hesitation. He utilized all the strength he could and instantly fought into the chaos through resonation.

Moonlight wrapped around Charles’s limbs. It evaporated from the fire but reappeared as soon as it disappeared. Ye Qingxuan endured the intense pain that flared every moment and forcefully maintained the connection and resonance between the two.

"A mere replica…" Deep in the dark abyss, the Dark Lord ground his teeth. He changed his shape and the oddly-shaped skeletal shell opened its hands, gripping St. George’s spear, which was being stabbed at his chest.

His hands scraped against the light; sparks flew and different music theories constantly tangled, twisted, and destroyed, creating abnormal aftershocks. He angrily studied Charles and looked past him. He seemed to be able to see the youth’s mind in the moonlight. In the abyss, pure evil intent rushed into their minds along with the moonlight. "I didn’t expect…it’s you two…"

"This trick doesn’t work!" Ye Qingxuan shielded Charles. The formless river in his mind welcomed the various images from the abyss. It broke at the touch but a moon rose in the defeated river and withstood the momentary attack. Then he opened his mouth and used all his strength to yell, "Maxwell, what the f*ck are you still waiting for?!"

A blazing sun descended from the sky. Whistling, the Sword in the Stone pierced the darkness, destroying everything. Sixteen layers of feathers broke through the air. The Sword in the Stone had been filled to the brim and now it sliced down! It had been a millennium years since this was last seen!

The Chapter of Golden Victory burst forth. It created an immense vortex in the aether sea. All power that it could touch was swallowed and shot out from the sword blade, forming the ultimate formula of the School of Modifications—the Elemental Vacuum!

The sword descended from the sky and hacked off the abyss and head. It also pierced the incarnation’s core, cutting apart its brain. After a muffled boom, all was silent. The chaos dissipated; the abyss dissipated. St. George’s spear pierced the Dark Lord’s chest and destroyed his last attack with an explosion of power.

"So…it is…" The Dark Lord’s face had shattered as if weathered by wind. However, it was still vicious and furious. "Ye Lanzhou, so you already…" With his last strength, he reached out to strangle the youth in the moonlight. However, his trembling hand shattered and fell apart. His entire body was pulled at by the Sword in the Stone’s power. It caved in and distorted. Wailing, it was sucked into the blade. In the end, it became a wandering shadow in the clear blade.

After it was sealed, Genesis’ power scattered as well. Haydn resealed it into the codex. He sat tiredly onto his wheelchair; he had clearly aged. Everything returned to how it was.

The enchantment quickly weakened until it was close to nothing. The tuning instrument in the dark cellar broke apart. The reborn music score returned to silence. It came from death and returned to death.

Maxwell stood still as his wings of light faded and his halo crumbled. Half-kneeling on the ground, he vomited broken shards of light. However, he looked at the fading ancient sword with satisfaction. "A success. All those lives lost were not in vain."

No one replied because they were all dead. No one knew if happiness and satisfaction waited for them in the underworld.

Maxwell—no, the Shaman—closed his eyes and murmured, "I hope they found their value while they were alive..."

Crack. As St. George’s spear shattered, Charles stumbled back. His entire body was red with burns. Strands of blood seeped from his pores. He doubled over and spat out fresh blood.

Staring at the broken pieces of the spear, he reached out as if he had seen a nonexistent hallucination and dream.

"Don’t go…" he said. But the hallucination and dream dissipated. He closed his eyes and sank into darkness.

Maxwell reached out and caught him. He handed Charles over to a Round Table Knight. "Contact the Church’s Choir musicians for emergency treatment. After this case is reported to the Queen, seal it for eternity with the Sixth Seal."

"Yes." Lamorak nodded and carefully walked toward the exit with Charles.

In the silence, Maxwell gazed at the city that was cold and dark again. He sighed. "It’s finally over."

"No, not yet." The youth’s hoarse murmur traveled in the wind. Maxwell looked up in confusion but he saw no one atop the white tower.