Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Self-Destruction!
Kuhaus Tam was petrified, unable to move but still conscious. As he watched Dean Bruce slowly approach, his mental fluctuations grew intense, struggling wildly.
Crack—
A crisp sound echoed as the stones on his body trembled, cracks appearing on their surface.
Seeing this, Dean Bruce didn't fully trust Cyb Louis's abilities. With a subtle thought, he immediately cast the Wailing Flame Graveyard spell, sending an overwhelming surge of magical energy rippling through the air.
Boom!
Flames surged upwards, quickly forming into a heavy coffin that enveloped Kuhaus Tam.
Bang!
In an instant, a violent explosion rang out as Kuhaus Tam broke free from his petrified state, charging straight into the flames with a blood-curdling scream.
The heavy coffin shook violently, causing Dean Bruce's gaze to sharpen.
Luckily, he had acted decisively, without hesitation, casting the spell. If he had given Kuhaus Tam even a moment's chance to escape, recapturing him would have been much more difficult.
As for asking Cyb Louis for help?
Dean Bruce had been watching the show, and Cyb Louis wasn't blind—both were crafty old foxes. There was no way they'd genuinely help each other out.
It was all about mutual manipulation.
Furthermore, Cyb Louis wasn't sure if Dean Bruce's words were true, so he kept his guard up.
With his mind focused, Dean Bruce silently channeled his magical energy, intensifying the flames on the coffin, which became more intense, causing the temperature in the entire hall to rise, catching Cyb Louis's attention.
"Ah! It's so hot!"
"I didn't know you could use this kind of magic!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
The enraged, hoarse shouts echoed through the flames and the coffin, followed by a powerful surge of energy, like an erupting volcano.
Dean Bruce frowned slightly, but without hesitation, raised his hand and cast The Compassion of Heaven and Earth, manipulating the walls and stones within the hall, turning them into endless earth that rushed toward the coffin, covering it in a double-layered prison.
Not only that, he infused the spell with more magical energy, increasing the heat and strength of the Wailing Flame Graveyard spell.
Boom!
As the earth surged, a deep explosion followed, and the coffin violently shattered, with chunks of earth flying everywhere.
The terrifying force swept out in all directions. Dean Bruce didn't try to resist head-on; instead, he quickly cast Thousand Mountains Fortress and Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain spells, strengthening his body as he swiftly retreated, distancing himself from the shockwave.
I have to admit, Kuhaus Tam's strength is still formidable, even after being controlled multiple times. Despite the repeated attempts to subdue him, he was able to resolve each crisis.
In fact, the shockwave from the explosion swept through the entire hall, shattering the bodies of many of those petrified. Even Cyb Louis couldn't help but furrow his brows at the sight.
However, Cyb Louis's goal was not to kill Kuhaus Tam. He didn't counterattack but instead waved his right hand. A purple glow materialized into a shield that enveloped the few surviving individuals, protecting them.
As the explosive shockwave gradually faded, loud, violent coughs filled the air.
Dean Bruce raised his eyes and was taken aback by the sight of Kuhaus Tam. His entire body was charred, his skin burned to the consistency of coal, and he was half-kneeling on the ground, looking haggard and exhausted.
His body trembled, as if it could collapse at any moment, and his internal energy was faint and unstable.
Clearly, forcing his way through three spells had taken a heavy toll on Kuhaus Tam.
Seeing this, Dean Bruce didn't cast any further spells. Instead, he stepped forward, gradually closing the distance between them. He spoke softly, "Tell me, why did you issue the order to assassinate me?"
The information Dean Bruce had received earlier had all come from Alita Miller. Just as Cyb Louis didn't trust him completely, Dean Bruce didn't fully trust Alita Miller either.
Now, faced with a high-ranking official from the Law Enforcement Department, he needed to find a way to extract more information from him.
Cough!
Kuhaus Tam shuddered, lifting his head to look at Dean Bruce. His lips twitched, and he murmured hoarsely, "You... you've been hiding your strength all along? Or... how could you have made such a dramatic improvement in just one month...?"
"It's impossible! The information I had clearly stated that you were just a novice mage. No matter what opportunities you had, there's no way you could have made such a leap in just a month!"
"Who... who exactly are you? Why are you hiding your true power?"
As he spoke, the fear in Kuhaus Tam's eyes became more evident.
He couldn't believe that someone could undergo such an earth-shattering transformation in such a short time.
Upon hearing this, Dean Bruce's expression turned cold. With a step forward, he channeled his magic into a bolt of lightning, which descended from the sky and struck Kuhaus Tam with a deafening crash.
Boom!
The explosion sounded as Kuhaus Tam was sent crashing to the ground, his body convulsing.
Dean Bruce said indifferently, "I'm the one asking the questions now. Answer me, or I'll make you experience what true despair feels like."
Kuhaus Tam struggled to rise, the scent of something burning coming from his body. Dean Bruce's brow furrowed, and he paused in his steps.
Of course, it wasn't just the smell that made him pause—it was the caution that arose in his mind.
After all, Kuhaus Tam was an archmage-level powerhouse. No one knew if he had any life-saving tricks up his sleeve. Even though he seemed to be at a disadvantage now, Dean Bruce couldn't get too close.
What if he was ambushed and found himself in a worse position?
He still needed to recruit Cyb Louis to his cause, so he had to demonstrate his own strength.
If he couldn't even handle a single Kuhaus Tam, how could he expect Cyb Louis to trust him?
After all, they were going to be targeting the Minister of the Law Enforcement Department!
When the Minister was out in the field, he would likely have many strong individuals around him, so Dean Bruce had to be extra cautious.
"You... come a little closer!" Kuhaus Tam feigned weakness and said, "Come over here, and I'll tell you the reason!"
Crackle!
Almost immediately after he spoke, Dean Bruce cast the Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain spell once more. Thunder rained down from the sky like a giant hammer, striking Kuhaus Tam squarely in the chest.
Boom!
The immense force exploded outward, sending Kuhaus Tam flying, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
Dean Bruce spoke indifferently, "Such petty tricks. How many times have I seen them? As soon as I get close, you'll immediately retaliate, won't you?"
Upon hearing these words, the corners of Kuhaus Tam's mouth twitched violently.
Sensing Kuhaus Tam's astonishment, Dean Bruce couldn't help but mentally scoff.
This trick? He had seen it countless times in novels and movies from his previous life. How could he possibly fall for it?
Dean Bruce's expression remained calm as he continued, "I'll give you one last chance. If you try anything funny again, you'll be seeking your own death."
As his words fell, the magical energy within Dean Bruce's body began to surge.
Feeling the intense magical fluctuations and sensing the disdain in Dean Bruce's voice, Kuhaus Tam suddenly leaped to his feet, gritting his teeth. "Damn you! Even if I die, I'll never betray the Minister!"
"Since you want to kill me, then today, I'll take you down with me! Soul self-detonation!"
Boom!
In an instant, terrifying magical energy and soul power erupted violently.
Kuhaus Tam's entire body began to swell up, as if it were a balloon filled with hot air.
Feeling the growing intensity and violence of the energy emanating from Kuhaus Tam, Dean Bruce frowned and instinctively took several steps back, putting more distance between them.
A self-detonation of both the soul and the body—this was one of the most destructive techniques in any fantasy or magical world!
What puzzled Dean Bruce, however, was that Kuhaus Tam wasn't one of the elders brought by Elvis Donimo. Why was he so loyal?
Willing to die rather than betray Elvis Donimo?
As his mind raced, Dean Bruce didn't approach Kuhaus Tam. He wasn't foolish; even as doubts filled his thoughts, his soul remained tightly focused on Kuhaus Tam.
Buzz—
Soon, Dean Bruce's lips curled into a smile.
Just as he had suspected, Kuhaus Tam wasn't an old friend of Elvis Donimo, so how could he possibly be willing to self-destruct for him?
Although his entire body appeared to be swelling up and his soul seemed to be burning, he was secretly splitting his soul into two halves.
One half of his soul was controlling the explosion of his body, while the other half was hiding its presence and fleeing toward a corner, trying to escape.
Upon noticing this, Dean Bruce couldn't help but smirk. A subtle thought crossed his mind, and he immediately summoned the Lord of the Golden Sand.
There was no other choice. Even if only half of Kuhaus Tam's soul was self-destructing, the power of that explosion would still be immense. Despite knowing a variety of high-level and ultra-high-level defensive spells, Dean Bruce wasn't sure if he could withstand the full force.
In this situation, only the Lord of the Golden Sand could reliably block Kuhaus Tam's self-detonation and trap the other half of his soul.
Buzz—
With the infusion of magical power, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the area, and brown sand appeared out of thin air, surging toward Kuhaus Tam's body, which was on the verge of self-detonating!