Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight

"Chase? Or not chase?"

Two choices flashed through Alaric's mind.

Given Maggie's current speed, using Thunder Flash would allow Alaric to destroy the Chimera's corpse before Maggie Friedman could absorb it—or even capture her. Alternatively, he could let Maggie absorb the Chimera, completely consuming Alaika's body, and engage in a battle with an already certain outcome. Simply put, to save or not to save?

Alaric spoke quickly, "Miss Nitocris, do you think Alaika can still be saved?"

Alaika's body had been taken over by Maggie Friedman, who was recklessly using magic to enhance her strength, draining Alaika's life force. Alaika barely maintained a human form, but Alaric had no idea of her internal condition. However, Nitocris, being a fellow magus, could certainly assess it more accurately.

Nitocris had been observing while Alaric and Maggie fought. When Alaric posed the question, she immediately responded, "No hope. That fool has already exhausted all of her magical energy. Even her internal organs have been destroyed beyond repair. She can't survive."

"What about turning her into an undead? As long as her magic circuits and basic cognitive functions are intact, it doesn't matter if she's not alive."

As their conversation ended, Maggie Friedman lunged into the Chimera's corpse.

In an instant, blood gushed forth, and rapidly growing flesh enveloped Maggie. Most striking of all was the sudden surge in magical energy—it had already equaled Alaric's, perhaps even surpassed it.

"My magical power is at B-level. The power Maggie is drawing from fusing with the Chimera corpse, by burning her life force, has reached that level too."

After hearing Nitocris's verdict, Alaric decisively gave up on saving Alaika and focused on understanding Maggie Friedman's objective.

There was no reason for Maggie to confront them while occupying Alaika's body; she could have remained hidden, waiting for the right moment. So why make such a reckless choice? Alaric couldn't understand.

"What is she hiding?"

The only possibility Alaric could think of was that Maggie was personally involved to prevent Alaika from revealing any critical information.

"Interesting—"

With this thought, Alaric casually glanced into the distance. Crimson fluid, like amniotic water, gushed across the yellow sands as the newborn monstrosity stretched its body.

There were no significant changes in appearance, apart from Alaika's clothing dissolving completely, leaving her small frame bathed in crimson liquid and exposed in the sandstorm. What truly caught Alaric's attention was the magical energy surging from the creature, equal to his own, and the bizarre aura surrounding it.

In the next moment, flames ignited.

It was a flame Alaric knew all too well, etched into his memory from a massacre. The fire spread from Maggie Friedman as if to claim the entire desert! The curse that filled the air almost took on physical form.

Thus, a demon was born.

Maggie Friedman's transformation of Alaika's body was now complete, and after absorbing the Chimera, her body had been greatly enhanced. Even the injuries inflicted by Alaric had fully healed!

As Alaric stared at Maggie, he slowly lowered his stance.

There was no need for Nitocris to intervene. He alone could end this farce.

Thunder Flash!

Red lightning shot forth like a dragon, instantly closing the distance to Maggie.

"Shi—"

Maggie had no time to react; it was as if she'd been hit head-on by a speeding train. The sheer force left her powerless to resist!

Boom!

The terrifying power crushing down on her was completely different from their earlier exchange!

Splat—

The moment Alaric made contact, he felt an unexpected softness, as if he'd struck a pile of rotten flesh, piercing through without any resistance, causing him to overshoot and pass right by Maggie!

The force of her evasion sent Maggie flying several meters away!

"Has she specially modified her body?"

Alaric stopped and carefully recalled the sensation. If he hadn't been moving so fast, he might have been engulfed by that mass of flesh. What would have happened then? Digestion? Assimilation?

Alaric slightly turned his head, glancing sideways at the rapidly approaching Maggie.

"Barely dodging my attack, yet you're still charging at me? Do you have a death wish?"

Bang!

The purest collision of flesh and blood reverberated like thunder.

Alaric now realized the terrifying power Maggie had gained by recklessly burning her life force—fleeting brilliance ignited by extreme sacrifice!

Not only that, but the flames Maggie wielded seemed capable of burning even the soul. Alaric could feel a faint, maddening curse trying to twist his mind as if aiming to transform him into a Crusader.

But these curses did not affect Alaric.

With his magic resistance traits, Alaric had an extremely high resistance to such curses.

After a few more exchanges, despite her enhancements, Maggie was no match for Alaric. She was sent flying with a single punch!

"Is that all you've got?"

"With this, you can't even kill Alaika. And even if you do, you won't get what you want!"

Maggie, barely holding on, cackled. She had given up on reasoning with Alaric, now only wanting to taunt him before Alaika died completely.

Faced with Maggie's mockery, Alaric expressionlessly activated his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

The world revealed itself to Alaric, with death within reach.

At the center of his vision, within the creature that was Maggie Friedman—beyond Alaika's lines of death—there floated a faint, tiny point of light.

A death point, entirely distinct from the lines of death.

Without a doubt, this was Maggie Friedman's true death.

This time, Alaric could see beyond the death of mere flesh and blood—he could see the death of the soul itself.

Zing—

Drawing his sword, Alaric pointed it at Maggie and spoke slowly, "I will kill you—"

Before the words were fully spoken, Alaric's figure vanished.

Seeing his sudden charge, Maggie fought back with everything she had. But at this point, all resistance was futile against Alaric.

In a blink, an arm flew off, and the blood that sprayed into the air ignited into roaring flames.

A glint of cold steel cut through the sandstorm, reflecting Maggie's shocked expression.

Splat!

The sword pierced her body, landing squarely on the death point.

All magical energy fluctuations disappeared in an instant as if they had never existed.

"This is—what?"

Maggie's laughter ceased abruptly.

Alaric's sinister whisper echoed in her ear, "I'm curious—will your true form survive?"

There was no response. The moment the sword pierced her body, Maggie Friedman had already died.

Now, only a corpse remained.