Chapter 7: Tuka (Fourth Update, for Alliance Leader 'Ss Little Bean')
A slightly fishy gust of wind blew past, and a mutated rat scurried out from a hole in the ground. This mutated rat was at least the size of a domestic cat, with a mouth full of fangs, its fur completely shed, revealing gray-black skin.
Nuclear radiation caused various creatures to mutate, and the substances released by the Kalans when creating their special atmosphere made this situation even worse.
The beasts that survived the nuclear explosion were more or less mutated. Frogs the size of houses and rhinos several stories high were not uncommon.
These mutated creatures were exceptionally ferocious. Radiation contamination made their meat inedible, turning these mutated lifeforms into a disaster.
The two most precious things in the wasteland were fresh water and food.
Su Xiao rode Bubuteni forward, and soon a peculiar creature appeared in his sight.
This creature was about two meters tall, covered in silvery-white scales, with a lizard-like head, a gaping maw, and cold, deep yellow pupils. This was a Kalan, a special existence among the Kalans. Its Kalan language name was 'Tuka'.
99% of Kalans had black scales, but this silvery-white scaled Kalan, Tuka, was a high-ranking member of the Kalan race, similar to a human noble.
"Gu qi qi ba te ma... (Unknown language)."
The Kalan shouted something. Su Xiao didn't understand a single word. He asked the Reincarnation Paradise, but it didn't provide a translation function, which he found strange.
"So this is a Kalan."
The Kalan also couldn't understand Su Xiao's words. Tuka started gesturing.
Tuka pointed at himself, then at the sky, and finally at his own rear.
Su Xiao was stunned. What did that mean?
Communication failed, so he had to resort to Plan B: kill. Simple and crude.
Violence might not be the best solution, but it was the fastest.
Jumping down from Bubuteni's back, Su Xiao slowly walked toward the Kalan. The Kalan 'Tuka' became alert.
"Ta du du! Tuka!"
Tuka roared, and a tentacle as thick as a chopstick stood up from the back of his head, like an antenna. A wavelength spread outward.
Su Xiao stopped in his tracks. His temples throbbed.
[You are subjected to a Mental Shock. Intelligence Attribute check in progress. If the check fails, you will fall unconscious.]
[Check successful. You are immune to this Mental Control.]
Although he was immune to the mental control, Su Xiao still felt dizzy. He quickened his pace, drawing the Dragon-Slaying Flash from his waist as he ran. Arcs of electricity surged along the blade.
Seeing Su Xiao charging straight at him, Tuka bared his teeth, revealing a mouth full of sharp fangs. His large mouth could even open to a ninety-degree angle.
Su Xiao's pace grew faster. Seconds later, he was within three meters of the Kalan.
Strangely enough, the Kalan neither attacked nor assumed a defensive posture. He just stared wide-eyed, his dark yellow vertical pupils surrounded by bloodshot veins.
Tuka's eyes bulged to their limit, and a transparent shockwave radiated outward.
Boom!
It was as if Su Xiao had been hit in the face with a hammer. His forward momentum stopped, and blood gushed from his nose.
This was a mental shockwave. Su Xiao's health instantly dropped by more than half.
Tuka clearly didn't want Su Xiao to get close. The thick muscles of his two silver-scaled legs bulged as he performed a standing backflip.
Bang.
Two extremely deep footprints appeared on the scorched ground as Tuka leaped high into the air.
As Tuka jumped back, Su Xiao uncontrollably stumbled forward a few steps. He pulled his left arm back, and Tuka, still in mid-air, was yanked down like a kite. A dozen small wounds appeared on his body, and light green blood gushed out.
"Eee~!"
A piercing scream came. The Kalan's cry was very distinctive.
Su Xiao's nose blood dripped onto the ground. Enduring the physical discomfort, he coldly stared at the Kalan.
"Mental type, at least 30 points of Intelligence. No wonder he was sent out as an Arbiter."
Su Xiao clenched his left fist. The spool on the crimson armguard tightened, and he surged forward with the force.
Tuka crashed to the ground with a thud, his body dragged closer to Su Xiao. The distance shrank. The Realm Severing Thread sank deep into his flesh, leaving a trail of light green blood on the ground.
Su Xiao's method was extremely ruthless. The Realm Severing Thread was exceptionally tough, impossible to break free from. Now, it was a matter of kill or be killed.
Tuka howled in pain, struggling desperately to break free from the Realm Severing Thread's bindings. But the more he struggled, the deeper the thread cut. The pain of the thread slicing into his flesh made Tuka lose his combat awareness. He had never needed to get close to enemies in battle and had never suffered such severe injuries.
Su Xiao sneered coldly. The enemy's Intelligence attribute was indeed high, but his combat awareness was garbage.
Noticing this, Su Xiao charged forward without hesitation. Of course, before rushing at the enemy, he activated the shield from [Mikasa's Will] just in case.
In a few steps, he was in front of Tuka. Su Xiao reversed his grip on the blade and stabbed it toward Tuka.
At this point, Tuka was entangled in the Realm Severing Thread. Slashing would only cause trouble.
Pfft.
The blade pierced through Tuka's throat. Tuka's body instantly went rigid, as if a steel plate had been implanted inside him.
One stab through the throat. Su Xiao's movements didn't stop. Tuka struggled more and more violently, showing no signs of dying. It seemed his Stamina attribute was also high.
Pressing the Dragon-Slaying Flash downward, Su Xiao intended to cut open Tuka's throat.
Buzz~.
Su Xiao's vision suddenly blurred. He stepped back twice, hit by another mental shockwave. The newly acquired ability of the Dragon-Slaying Flash, 'Bloody Battle', was directly activated.
Supreme Blade Effect 2: Bloody Battle (Passive): When Health is below 50%, Stamina +4 (Reinforcement +6 adds 1 point). When Health is below 30%, Stamina +6 (Reinforcement +6 adds 1 point). When Health is below 20%, Stamina +12 (Reinforcement +6 adds 2 points). (Stamina bonus takes the highest value, cannot stack. Effect lasts 5 minutes.)
Su Xiao's Stamina attribute suddenly increased by 12 points. This meant his Health had just been below 20%.
The sudden boost of 12 Stamina points made Su Xiao feel a surge of vitality within him. His previously foggy mind cleared up, his breathing became stronger, and the ringing in his ears disappeared.
Stamina was a great attribute. He definitely needed to enhance it when he returned to the Reincarnation Paradise.
Taking advantage of Su Xiao's retreat, Tuka got up. His eyes bulged to their limit, as if they might pop out. He was about to hit Su Xiao with a powerful attack.
The pain from the Azure Steel Shadow energy made Tuka's body tremble uncontrollably. His silver scales stood on end.
Tuka was strong, very strong, on par with Su Xiao.
Just as Tuka was about to launch an attack, he suddenly noticed a pair of cold eyes staring at him.
Su Xiao had changed his demeanor. He stood firmly in place, his left hand tightening the Realm Severing Thread. The spool at his wrist screeched as it was pulled, even emitting green smoke.
The Realm Severing Thread tightened. The sudden pain interrupted Tuka's attack. A long blade slashed toward him.
Pfft.
The Dragon-Slaying Flash sank into Tuka's neck, cutting straight into his chest cavity. Blood sprayed from the wound.
It had to be said that the Kalan's physical toughness was high. The Dragon-Slaying Flash hadn't cut him in two with one blow.
Su Xiao tightly gripped the Realm Severing Thread in his hand. The fingers of his left hand were protected by the crimson armguard, so they wouldn't be hurt. He couldn't rely solely on the spool. This Kalan's Strength attribute was also high, and he might tear the spool apart.
The blade pressed down. Tuka's face was full of pain, but there was something else in his eyes.
Tangled in the Realm Severing Thread, with the enemy's weapon embedded in his chest cavity, Tuka knew he was done for.
"Strong... one, re... spect."
Tuka spoke human language. Those were the only four words he knew.
Su Xiao suddenly noticed something wrong with the Kalan's gaze. He had seen that look before. This guy was going to take him down with him.
Tuka's pupils began to dilate, until his entire eyes turned deep yellow.
An extremely dangerous feeling arose. But Su Xiao remained calm in the face of danger. He stood on one leg, lifted the other high, and stomped hard on the back of the Dragon-Slashing Flash's blade.
Pfft.
Light green blood splattered onto Su Xiao. He had cut the Kalan in two. The sense of threat receded.
Su Xiao had been fighting the enemy Arbiter for a while without any prompts. This meant the Reincarnation Paradise wouldn't stop the conflict between Arbiters. He just couldn't participate in the war. That didn't mean he couldn't kill. Killing an enemy Arbiter didn't count as participating in the war.
The silver-scaled Tuka died. A silver crystal dropped from Tuka's corpse.
Su Xiao picked up Tuka's crystal from the ground and learned it was an item similar to a treasure chest.
This Kalan's strength was not weak, and this peculiar treasure chest made Su Xiao curious.
[You have obtained 'Tuka's Collection'.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' activates. Permanently increases Mana by 15 points. Current Mana: 628 points.]
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