Life Number 0-Chapter 38: Element Halt

d his brows and asked, ’What does this fool think he is? A cow like him?’ "Fish. fish! His guts were torn apart between shit-fish fangs, despite all that everyone believed about him." Morgan was no fool; he knew what Howard was trying to convey. How to close a Chapter in WebNovelclose a Chapter in WebNovel, he said: "So, did you come here to talk to me about death? Or something else, Howard?" Howard roared, then continued: "I came to see if you’rs ready... to bear the consequences of kings." Morgan stepped forward, one step at a time, his voice steady: "I didn’t expect this, Howard. I thought you’d disappeared with those whose time has passed. Some still consider you nothing but a destructive entity." Howard smiled—or so it seemed behind his thick black fur. He lifted his axe slightly, testing its weight, then said: "You’ve grown, Golden Boy. You didn’t come alone, either." He raised his axe high, hurling it into the sky. His second eye glowed like embers, and from that gaze alone, they understood the battle had already begun. Morgan charged first, his body leaning forward, his steps swift, his fist glowing gold as he struck toward Howard, who twisted around it. His axe—that axe—fell from the sky like a predator under his command. But the younger man had already moved, leaping, spinning mid-air, and lunging with a kick straight at Howard’s neck. A cracking sound! But Howard smiled. His palm tried to catch the kick, but Morgan was faster, landing on the ground and delivering a punch from his glowing state... The impact struck Howard’s fist, the ground shattered beneath them, the earth splitting as light erupted. Morgan’s aura began to invade Howard’s outstretched hand. The axe was there, returning to carve its path toward Morgan, who noticed it and smoothly disengaged to evade it... That was exactly what Howard needed. He pursued him in that instant, his grasping palm extending toward Howard’s neck. But Morgan preempted him with an ascending vertical kick, striking him like a solar explosion. Howard was lifted violently, golden blows raining upon him, one after another... Then Morgan spun to finish the strikes with a side kick that embedded itself in Howard’s waist, hurling him away. He landed steadily, delivering his prepared words: "We are more than that, Howard."

Morgan was in constant vigilance. The punches pierced through the monstrous defenses with ease—flexible, penetrating, golden radiant.A strike to the chest squeezed the breath out of Howard, followed by a devastating fist aimed at his mouth. But before the impact, Morgan’s eyes widened—his punch was engulfed in the bull’s maw. Pressure. Pressure. Pressure.He smirked coldly."How grotesque."His fist glowed. A radiance as if the sun had formed beneath his skin. Explosion. Blood splattered. Teeth scattered. The nose shattered. The face deformed into a grotesque, mangled mess.He withdrew his fist only to drive it forward again, this time into the abdomen, tearing through flesh and bone, launching Howard like a meteor. He crashed, smoke billowing upon impact. But he wasn’t alone—an onslaught of aerial punches followed, Morgan’s aura manifesting in thousands of blows, raining down like celestial artillery on the point of impact.Morgan halted. Regained his breath. Focused. This required everything.As for the three sons, they stood, the silence between them heavier than any blow."Damn... Is this beast truly this strong?""We see him being restrained before our father.""I question people’s sanity these days.""But then, a voice pierced the silence... "You’ve become a hero now." Egologia stopped walking, then slowly turned his gaze toward the figure leaning against the nearby wall. It was Claude, standing there, motionless but weary, his face covered in scars. Yet, he did not seem fragile. The passing days had mended his bones, but his skin retained the marks of battle as a permanent reminder—at least of Valeras. Egologia raised an eyebrow with a faint smile. "Oh, Sir... You’re alive, then."He moved closer, his tone calm, almost devoid of genuine interest. "You’ve uncovered a hero now. Well done, egologia. That giant amulet... You never cease to amaze me."Egologia did not respond immediately, taking another step forward. "Oh, of course... And I’ll amaze you again now." Claude’s gray eyes flickered with a fleeting question. "?" Egologia slowly raised his hand... and placed it on Claude’s face. At that moment, the aura erupted—a dark crimson flow, surging between egologia’s fingers as if alive. The aura crackled through the air like bloody threads dancing across Claude’s wounds. It coiled around the scars, weaving into them with delicate strands like spider silk, touching every scratch, every wound, every bruise—and began reshaping them. This was not mere healing. Not just the mending of torn flesh or restoring tissue to its original state. No, this was something else... as if the flesh itself was reforming, something beyond mere healing Maga. Claude watched in awe and anticipation. The sensation wasn’t pain—it was strange, like a cold current flowing beneath his skin... Trying to comprehend what was happening, egologia then removed his hand. A moment passed... as if the air itself was struggling to grasp what had occurred. The deep scars from mere seconds ago... had vanished completely. "What... What was that?"!

Claude rushed forward in a frenzy, his eyes fixed on his reflection in the ornately carved golden pillar as he touched his face, confirming the sensation... "Damn... My face is completely smooth."He quickly turned his head toward egologia, who stood as if the matter held no significance to him. "Your healing ability... How?"Egologia smiled, enjoying the reaction... "My pockets aren’t empty, dear sir. You see it, don’t you? I even erased your old scars. At the very least, you’ll look properly noble now. The noblewomen will love it." Claude narrowed his eyes... "This power... It could benefit the kingdom. It could revolutionize—" But egologia waved his hand dismissively. "Oh... Hold on, hold on!! Don’t go telling me—keep it a secret. Leave it to me. As you can see, I know when to reveal... and when to vanish."Then he crossed his arms and asked: "Well then, tell me... Are you from a noble lineage?" "Huh?! How could you not know that? Are you joking? Where do you live? How could you not—?"Egologia laughed lightly, cutting him off... "Nah, I mean... just processing. Sometimes, this is how a noble knight is... It’s just amusing." Claude raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?" Suddenly—something pierced the atmosphere. A swift wind rushed through the corridor, hurried, tense, as if heralding a storm. Claude and egologia turned sharply! "Damn... What was that?" [Claude]"What now?" [Egologia] "Who is it?" Egologia narrowed his eyes, but Claude recognized it instantly. "It’s Kaspar... I’ll catch up to him."’?’ At the hall’s entrance, nobles were filing out one by one, their steps measured—but the movement that cut through their ranks was anything but. Kaspar arrived in a flash, darting between them like a fleeting spark, landing firmly with a mix of urgency and fear in his gaze. The crowd stared at him in shock, but his voice shattered the silence. "Your Majesty!!" *??!"The destructive entity [Howard The Collapse]... He’s in the capital’s streets right now."Silence fell for a moment. Then—everything collapsed. Breaths hitched, eyes widened, and thoughts raced through their minds as if they had all plunged into an abyss at once. Then, the king blinked. "Howard... After all this time. So, he has come."It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even an exclamation. It was a simple truth, written since time immemorial. The politicians exchanged glances. One turned toward the windows, half-expecting to see the city’s lights shift. Morgan... "I’ll go." He said it calmly, but his voice was like a dagger in the void. "You won’t go alone." Morgan turned to him, something in his gaze resisting—but the king had already made his decision. "Take your three sons with you. Only you can drive him away... and make sure he doesn’t do anything reckless."Morgan didn’t argue. There, in the heart of a grand plaza, stood a massive figure—blackened muscles, taut flesh, his head slightly tilted as if listening to something no one else could hear. A towering body clad in thick black fur, one eye red and the other gray. Dark metal armor, weighted and strapped to his frame with leather bindings. At the center of his chest hung a circular medallion, etched with cryptic symbols, a testament to an oath none dared to break. His grip tightened around an axe that seemed an extension of himself, his other hand—never trembling. He wasn’t attacking. He wasn’t killing. He wasn’t destroying. But neither was he waiting. He was simply calling. Not just a roar—but a declaration, an open will, an explicit command: "Come to me... Or else, I will come to you." "Your kingdom trembles," his hollow voice echoed. "It can no longer stand. It can no longer rule without loss. So, I have come."* He had come to decide whether this kingdom deserved to endure... or if its time had ended. At the massive gate where they confronted him, Claude, having just arrived, watched as his father Morgan strode past. He walked as if the earth itself parted for him—then, without hesitation, shoved Claude aside with his shoulder, as if