With a flick of his hand, Count Constantine made a hand sign.
A death knight was taken aback by what he saw.
"Stop him at all costs! Don't let him cast that spell!" yelled the death knight, urging his comrades to quicken their pace.
"Too late!" exclaimed Count Constantine.
"Inner World Manifestation: Ethereal Domain!"
As he uttered those words, a mystical realm materialized in the heart of the county, swallowing Count Constantine and his fearsome attackers into its ethereal depths.
What happened next was so astounding that the death knight's mouths hung agape, their jaws threatening to drop to the ground in disbelief.
"Why the hell have we slowed down so much?!" The Death Knights were crawling forward like snails, and frustration was evident in their voices.
"I swear to the gods, we're never going to reach him at this rate!" Hopelessness overtook their once fiery spirits, and the realization that they might fail sank in.
"Holy sh*t, his power level is going off the charts!" The Death Knights were in disbelief as they felt the mage's already impressive power continue to surge.
"What the hell, it's still increasing?!" The Death Knight gasped as the Count's strength showed no signs of stopping.
"This is my Ethereal Domain. Here, my magic is amplified, my enemies are slowed, and their defenses are weakened."
As Count Constantine spoke, his voice echoed across the realm, reaching every corner with a foreboding tone. Count Constantine was doing the explanation calmly, but the Death Knights knew they were in trouble.
The Death Knights listened with rapt attention as they raised their mighty scythes that were imbued with dark energy. The crackling sound of the ominous glow emanated from the scythes, and the Death Knights focused their power, drawing out the ancient magic infused with their bones.
All of a sudden, the ground beneath the Death Knights' feet shook violently, and the ethereal realm was torn apart by massive fissures that appeared out of nowhere.
"Initiate the Plan. Kill Count Constantine at all cost!"
With a sweeping motion of their scythes, the Death Knights unleashed a torrent of Death Force that erupted from the fissures in the Ethereal Domain and surged toward Count Constantine. This power was enough to reduce a Realm Lord to ashes!
However, Count Constantine was not an ordinary man.
With a swift and powerful movement, he slapped away the Death Force that came toward him, reducing it to nothing.
The Death Knights were left in shock and disbelief at the sheer power and strength of Count Constantine.
"Ha! That's the result of not heeding my warnings," Count Constantine reprimanded the Drath Knights, shaking his head in disappointment. "My ethereal domain, coupled with my magical prowess, can decrease the magical defenses and speed of my enemies while dampening any spells or abilities they use, rendering them weak and ineffective. Listen to your elders when they speak, young ones."
"Now I do know you want to pass this news on to Death." The Count paused, then continued, "But alas, you won't have the chance, for your fate was sealed the moment you were trapped in my ethereal domain."
With a wave of his staff, Count Constantine unleashed a powerful surge of magic energy, which crashed into the three Death Knights with an immense force that sent them tumbling to their knees.
The Death Knights struggled to stand against the overwhelming power of the Count. However, the Count's destructive power was relentless as he continued to assail the Death Knights with his ethereal domain, causing them to buckle and collapse under the onslaught.
The weight of an entire world was pressing on them. How could they still straighten their backs? It was simply impossible!
"Die!" he roared triumphantly, watching as the Death Knights crumbled apart under his power and fell into the fissures of his ethereal domain in a shower of dust and debris.
Three Death Knights was a significant loss. In the Army of the Dead, they were second only to the Four Undead Kings. And yet, here they were, defeated and destroyed by Count Constantine.
It was inconceivable!
"I have done the impossible," the count exclaimed shamelessly, relishing in his victory over the formidable foes. "Truly, my power knows no bounds."
Suddenly, a sharp pain gripped Count Constantine's chest, causing him to hunch over and clutch his heart. His back became drenched in sweat as he struggled to catch his breath.
He remembered the healer's words, warning him not to overextend himself or rely too heavily on the power of his inner world lest his condition worsen. He was born with a defect. His body was as weak as his mother, who had unfortunately passed away a few years after his birth. A weak body couldn't bear the burden of the inner world manifestation technique. But in this situation, he had no other choice. He couldn't afford to hold back. So he went ahead and did it, overusing his powers, and now he was paying the price of his actions.
Cough!
He coughed violently in a fit, his body wracked with pain. Blood sprayed from his lips, staining the ground beneath him with crimson. The Count's vision began to blur as his body grew weaker by the second. He knew that he was on the brink of collapse, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The realization that he had pushed himself too far sent a chill down his spine. Yet, despite the fear and uncertainty, he felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that he had given it his all.
As he coughed, spitting out mouthfuls of blood, his body convulsed violently with each hack. His nerves felt like they were on fire, and his temples throbbed relentlessly. With a heavy heart, he collapsed to the ground, his face splattering against his own blood, his ethereal domain crumbling apart. His body was paralyzed, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to move for some time.
"Damn," he thought to himself, gritting his teeth against the pain. "It kicked in at the worst time possible. H-hopefullyy, Arnard will be able to salvage this situation."
