[ Marble Courtyard - The Domain of Pressure ]
The entire courtyard of the Royal Palace was draped in a silence so profound it was unnerving.
There was no wind, no sound of insects, no sign of life. Just the blinding whiteness of the marble stretching out endlessly.
But within that silence existed an invisible, crushing weight.
"Killing Intent."
It was a suffocating pressure, heavy as lead, pressing down on every pore of skin. Murphy's companions had already succumbed to it, their unconscious bodies trembling on the floor as their primal instincts screamed of a god-like threat.
"Ugh... Just... a little more...!"
Murphy fought against the distorted gravity. His legs shook violently as he forced them to take one step after another.
Sweat poured down his face, dripping onto the pristine floor.
His eyes were locked on a single point: the Golden Sphere rotating slowly above the altar.
Whoosh!
Summoning the last dregs of his strength, he lunged forward, stretching his right arm out to its limit.
His fingertips were mere inches away from the smooth surface of the sphere...
But reality is often cruel.
Zip...
The figure of the Pale Boy in white robes manifested beside Murphy like a phantom.
There was no movement of air, no sound of footsteps. It was as if he had been standing there the entire time.
His golden eyes, calm and terrifyingly cold, glanced at Murphy with pity.
"Too slow."
The boy raised his right hand, bringing it up to his own ear.
In a split second... he "backhanded" outward.
It was a simple motion, like swatting away a fly, but the speed was so immense it tore through the sound barrier, creating a high-pitched shriek!
!
Murphy's raw instincts fired faster than his conscious thought.
He couldn't retract his outstretched right hand in time... but his left arm was free!
Murphy jerked his left forearm, encased in his armored gauntlet, up to his temple to block the impact!
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!
The moment that small, pale backhand connected with Murphy's left arm, the impact was catastrophic.
It felt like being hit head-on by a high-speed train.
The bone in his left forearm cracked loudly. Murphy's feet left the ground instantly, and his body was launched to the right like a human cannonball.
"Not... Not yet, damn it!"
Even while spinning through the air, Murphy's mind remained razor-sharp.
He knew that if he slammed into the palace wall fifty meters away at this velocity... he would be reduced to a splatter of gore.
Shing!
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Murphy reached across his body with his right hand and unsheathed 'Dark Fang' mid-flight.
He twisted his body in the air and drove the tip of the blade down into the marble floor below!
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
The sound of divine metal tearing through stone was deafening. Sparks flew in a long trail.
The blade pierced the hard marble, carving a deep trench as Murphy used the friction to frantically brake his momentum.
The muscles in his right arm bulged to the tearing point, fighting the immense kinetic force.
Thud!
Finally, Murphy's back slammed into the palace wall.
But thanks to the braking maneuver, the lethal force had been reduced by half.
He slid down the wall to a sitting position, gasping for air.
"Hah... Hah..."
Before him, a deep gouge in the marble floor stretched for nearly twenty meters—a testament to the force of the blow.
The Pale Boy slowly lowered his hand.
He looked at the scar on the pristine floor, then shifted his gaze to Murphy, who was slumped against the wall.
His expression shifted slightly.
"Hoh..." He tilted his head.
"Good reflexes... for a human."