Chapter 46: A Major Worry
The battlefield had transformed into a frozen plain. The rainstorm's intensity gradually waned, the sky no longer pitch black, and through gaps in the dark clouds, golden rays of sunlight could be seen.
Su Xiao held his blade in one hand, facing off against the enemy before him. A wave of pressure washed over him—this was the aura of a top-tier Eighth Rank powerhouse.
Having the cursed people surround Gluttony was useless. If the enemy used that parrying ability to accumulate damage and then unleashed a shockwave, the cursed people would become liabilities.
The tip of Su Xiao's blade slanted toward the icy ground. The sound of rain pattered in his ears, droplets sliding off his chin. His breathing slowed, and the rain noise faded.
For some reason, Su Xiao felt that the enemy before him wasn't invincible. If it were any other top-tier Eighth Rank contractor, he wouldn't stand a chance. But this enemy was different—he didn't give off a fatal sense of threat.
Su Xiao stepped forward, moving at a moderate pace. After a few steps, he suddenly vanished into the raindrops, as if the rain itself had frozen for an instant.
'Damn it!'
Gluttony crouched low. His enemy was the type he hated most—a speed-type.
Clang.
A blade rang out sharply. A long sword slashed from behind Gluttony, aimed straight at his nape.
Sparks flew as the blade cut through the armor joint at Gluttony's nape, producing a grating screech.
Su Xiao struck once and tried to retreat, but numbness and stabbing pain shot through his right arm.
Dragon-Slaying Flash had breached the defense of Gluttony's armor, but only barely. This Immortal-grade armor was absurdly tough.
Dragon-Slaying Flash hadn't reached Immortal rank yet. It could only break through this crafted armor due to its extreme sharpness. However, it had to target the armor's joints—waist, armpits, wrists, neck, and so on.
Areas like the chest and back, covered by solid armor plates, were nearly impossible to penetrate.
Dragon-Slaying Flash left a trail of blood. A spike spear swept toward Su Xiao. He leaped backward, the spear tip grazing past his face as he narrowly dodged the horizontal swing.
Upon landing, Su Xiao tore up his right sleeve. Fine bloody cracks covered his arm, blood pooling and dripping down.
That single slash had inflicted significant damage on Su Xiao. He looked at his right arm, feeling the stinging pain. At most, six to eight more slashes, and his arm would shatter into a mess of flesh and bone fragments.
Su Xiao was in a bad state, but Gluttony, clutching his nape and leaping backward repeatedly, was worse off.
Gluttony stared at Su Xiao, his mind screaming curses. That slash had only cut less than a centimeter deep into his nape. If not for the armor joint, the enemy couldn't have broken his defense.
Even so, Gluttony was fuming. That slash had dealt 1374 true damage + 1406 soul damage. A surge of energy invaded his body, devouring his internal energy while damaging his insides, accompanied by excruciating pain.
Gluttony could endure the pain, but another sensation left him dizzy—soul damage. That slash brought not only physical agony but also a torment deep in his soul. Combined, it was 'indescribably wonderful.' If not for his strong mental fortitude and willpower, he might have lost consciousness for a moment.
"What kind of damn ability is this?"
Gluttony gritted his teeth so hard they creaked. He was ready to go all out.
A dozen meters away, Su Xiao stood on the ice. His right arm had recovered somewhat, but he pondered one issue: what was the principle behind the enemy's 'damage reflection' ability? It was highly effective against him.
First, hitting the armor joints wasn't easy. He'd only managed it with a speed ambush. Now that the enemy was on guard, approaching would trigger wide sweeps.
He could gamble at most five slashes. Any more, and his right arm's injuries would worsen, reducing his swing speed and power.
With that in mind, Su Xiao broke through the raindrops and appeared before Gluttony.
A gust of wind pressure hit him. Su Xiao's perception was fully open—every falling raindrop and every puddle on the ice was crystal clear to him.
Gluttony's speed suddenly surged. He took half a step back, then thrust his spike spear forward. The spear tip spun like a drill, capable of tearing through any defense.
Su Xiao realized it wasn't that the enemy had sped up—he had slowed down. His first judgment was that the surrounding domain not only sealed active abilities but also reduced physical speed and perception speed. This was similar to 'Blade Path Sword: Time' and wouldn't last long.
Su Xiao held his blade horizontally before him, his left hand, clad in a metal bracer, bracing the blade.
The spike spear struck Dragon-Slaying Flash's blade. At the point of impact, unimaginable kinetic energy and shockwave erupted.
Boom!!
A large section of ice shattered. Su Xiao turned into a blur, flying backward. Before he went far, his back hit the ice, and he skidded rapidly.
Su Xiao clawed his left hand into the ice, plowing up fragments and sending ice chips flying.
He barely steadied himself when a whoosh sounded above—Gluttony, gripping his spike spear with both hands, plummeted down in a thrust. If it hit, Su Xiao would at least be severely injured.
Su Xiao slapped the ice beneath him, sliding sideways while lying down. The spike spear stabbed down beside him, embedding into the solid ice.
With a thunderous boom, Su Xiao used the shockwave to launch himself into the air. He adjusted midair, landing in a crouch, then slid over a dozen meters before stopping.
Inside a hundred-meter-wide ice crater, Gluttony pulled out his spike spear and rolled his neck.
"Give me three or four more worlds, and I wouldn't be your match. You're practically my natural enemy."
Gluttony stepped out of the crater. A blue-black blade slash flew toward him.
Azure Demon struck the spike spear, pushing Gluttony back a few meters. He spun the spear and held it horizontally behind him.
Clang!
Blade and spear clashed.
"I'm a technique-type too. My swordsmanship isn't as strong as yours, but don't underestimate me."
Gluttony stomped the ice, unleashing a ring-shaped shockwave that repelled Su Xiao.
He raised his spike spear, gripping it with one hand while clamping the shaft under his armpit, the tip pointing forward.
Gluttony charged with long strides. Every few steps, his spear seemed to pierce an invisible wall, producing a crack. Each crack boosted his speed significantly.
Su Xiao leaned back and slightly turned. The spear tip grazed past his cheek, leaving a bloody gash. Fine cracks spread around the wound. The accompanying shockwave made his head spin—this was the trouble with technique-types.
Ignoring the stinging pain on his face, Su Xiao's pupils contracted.
'Blade Path Sword: Time.'
Thump~
A shockwave spread. Gluttony's speed plummeted, and the raindrops around them seemed to freeze midair.
Su Xiao's left hand swept out, catching two raindrops. He infused them with Cyan Steel Shadow energy.
He flicked his hand, throwing the two energy-laced raindrops.
The raindrops shot forward like needles, passing through the vertical slits in Gluttony's visor and piercing his eyes.
Water needles struck his eyes. Gluttony grunted, his vision turning blue-white.
Seizing the moment, Su Xiao circled behind Gluttony and slashed at his nape.
Pfft.
Blood sprayed. Gluttony's nape had already been cut once; this second slash hit the same spot.
Vision blurry, Gluttony sensed the enemy's aura behind him. He spun and thrust his spear.
Pfft. Gluttony estimated he'd hit the enemy's chest, but something felt off—the thrust was too smooth, like piercing liquid.
Just as he prepared to sweep, a massive force struck his abdomen.
Boom!!
Su Xiao delivered a straight kick to Gluttony's abdomen. After the kick, he immediately leaped back. Beside him, a humanoid shape made of rainwater dispersed, tinged with blood energy. Su Xiao had forcibly condensed the water with his mental energy. With the enemy's vision impaired, this improvised tactic worked well.
After the kick, Gluttony dropped to one knee, instinctively raising his left arm to block. His entire body went numb.
All the boosts from Melee Grandmaster Lv.50 were concentrated in that kick. Countless bosses had fallen to this seemingly simple but devastatingly powerful straight kick.
After the kick, Su Xiao retreated instead of advancing. He was certain that continuing this fight would lead to his defeat. That damage-reflection ability was too problematic.
If he kept fighting, he'd have to face Gluttony's trump cards and emergency items. The enemy was also a technique-type; a head-on clash wouldn't end well.
But the battle was over.
Su Xiao raised his left arm. Curse energy spread along it, forming a black sphere in his hand. He crushed it.
A black vortex appeared dozens of meters above. Black curse crows surged out, so dense they formed a near-solid pillar.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
The pillar of black curse crows crashed down on Gluttony, who was still on one knee. Remember, under the War Lord's boost, each crow's attack also carried soul-burning power, dealing 120 true damage.
Whoosh~
Crows piled onto Gluttony. Due to damage reflection, the crows attacking him exploded, spreading curse energy. The worst part was this curse energy.
"Ah!"
Gluttony roared, standing despite the torrent of tens of thousands of crows. The pillar had grown nearly 20 meters wide.
He assumed the 'Spear Knight: Immovable' stance, but the terrifying true damage and curse damage shattered his stance instantly. He couldn't hold it. The crows were too numerous and fearless.
Gluttony swung his spike spear, only to find his body severely weakened by curse energy. Helpless, he charged out of the crow pillar. Worse, the surrounding space was sealed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Crow claws and beaks struck his armor. More crows tore each other apart, ripping their comrades' bodies. With tens of thousands dead, the curse energy density reached horrifying levels.
Gluttony forced a few steps forward, reaching one hand out of the crow pillar. His body and armor were heavily corroded by curse energy.
"This time... is it my turn to die?"
As he spoke, his body stiffened. His pupils turned deathly gray. His body crumbled into ash, seeping through the armor's gaps. The armor was swallowed by the crows. Gluttony had been completely eroded by curse energy, resulting in instant death.
Seeing this, Su Xiao exhaled. A major worry had been eliminated.
[Notification: You have killed Contractor 10**03.]
[You have obtained a Scarlet Chest (Rare Kill Reward).]
[You have obtained a Scroll Fragment (This item drops on death).]