Chapter 18: Stalemate struggle
Translated by: Chua
Edited by: TN and Elkassar
Two punches and the ocean-freak went crashing against the nearby rock! Its head was pulverized by the jagged edges of the icy glacier! Repulsive brain mucus exploded out, it looked just like a person stomping over a rotting corpse. With such severe injuries, it surely wouldn’t live on. Concurrently, the two orcs behind him furiously assaulted Sheyan. His vision turned fuzzy as he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the white snow.
But at this moment, the snowflakes dispersed rapidly, even tiny ice fragments were blasted away. A formless wave of terror swept in, consuming the speed of the affected orcs! Indeed, it was Reef’s special ability ‘Shattering Cardiac Roar’! Borrowing the assistance, Sheyan hurriedly pulled open the gap between the orcs. The two orcs roared in violent rage as they pursued, yet their pathetic 60% reduction in speed got them nowhere.
Actually, several seconds after Sheyan acted, Reef similarly broke free! Although his strength wasn’t as high as Sheyan’s, he had a powerful weapon – that lightsaber from the future! Although this black lightsaber required it be charged, without being charged, it could still function as an ordinary sword. The contestant’s weapons were naturally disguised, while his lightsaber shaft had been stashed between the black vines that binded him. After activating his lightsaber, it was with ease that he slashed through the black vines.
Reef waited patiently, seizing the chance when Sheyan had attracted the attention of the multitude. Finally, he acted out a cleaved his lightsaber directly into the brains of an ocean-freak! This move was deadly and vicious, resulting in an explosive strike. The searing combustion of the lightsaber roasted through the ocean-freak’s brains, frying its innards as it became a barbeque delicacy!
Next, he immediately activated the sinister looking ‘Alien Skull’ shield ability. A terrifying hideous tongue shot out, drawing a load of brain mucus from the ocean-freak; sinking it into a stunned state. Reef continued the chop ferociously with his lightsaber. With his agile and speedy attack speed, he easily decapitated several twitching tentacles; as the ocean-freak curled up like a squid.
The ocean-freak was only supported with its tentacles; losing 1 or 2 was manageable, but it had lost 6 tentacles. Naturally, it crumbled into the icy snow. Reef then roared out with his ‘Shattering Cardiac Roar’, valiantly finishing off the ocean-freak while running off to aid Sheyan. The miserable ocean-freak sadly belonged to a species of high offense but low defence. If it had the protection of an orc, the might it could release would be shocking. Yet its threat in close combat was close to zero.
As Sheyan fled, he chose his direction wisely as he rolled against the floor, reaching in front of the elf maiden, Melody. Grabbing the black vines constricting her, he tore them. It was extremely easy this time as compared to previously when he was still bound. He was able to fully utilize his full strength to tear it. Although the sturdy and vicious rope didn’t rip completely, it was loosened greatly, allowing Melody to regain her freedom in her arms.
But when Sheyan once again attempted to rip apart the ropes, he groaned as he staggered back 2 steps. That stubby executioner orc was not to be overlooked, he was already pretty near the elf maiden and was similarly affected by the ‘Shattering Cardiac Roar’. Stumbling a step back, he forced himself forward with his flaying knife as he launched himself towards Sheyan!
The orc was naturally a knife expert. He grunted ferociously. A chilling flash flickered in his hands, 3 stabs punctured into Sheyan’s waist. Blood gushed out, as his life points plunged rapidly! Fortunately, ‘Ocean-freak Moria mix’ was still in effect. A rush of heat filled his internals towards the wounded region, swiftly suturing the wound preventing additional blood loss. Yet he no longer dared to turn his back against this vicious orc; turning around, he protected the elf maiden behind him.
Simultaneously, witnessing Sheyan getting injured, Melody’s eyes suddenly radiated a green glow. She puffed deeply, her hands moving in a blurry motion within the free space of the rope; forming several casting hand symbols. In a flash, a faint greenish flame coiled up like a serpent, incinerating through the black vines!
Although she had not been awakened for long, Melody still belonged to a race of formidable twilight elves! Her nature magic was extremely incredible! Melody’s face was shockingly pale as she regained her freedom, forcefully casting this elvish divine art took a toll on her, and drained some of her vitality. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t cast a divine art; yet faced with a crisis, Melody did not have a trace of hesitation. Pointing forward with her finger, a faint greenish flame slithered forward in astonishing speed!
In this desolate winter land, Melody’s divine art was incapable of absorbing the spirit energies from nature and flora, its might was lowered by a certain degree. However, her attacking target wasn’t someone with a powerful resistance, it was towards the orc that was challenging Sheyan.
That flaying expert, that stubby orc!
The trail of faint greenish flame serpent directly rushed into the stubby orc’s mouth! Yet concurrently, the last ocean-freak exhibited an incomparably deadly magic. 7-8 beams of lasers volleyed out feverishly from its eye, heading straight towards Sheyan, Reef and Melody!
Several beams blasted against the greenish flaming serpent, trying its best to rescue the orc from her divine art. Yet her flame serpent combusted with increased velocity as it travelled, pulling away from the beams of the ocean-freak. The beams grazed against the flames, landing against the nearby glaciers as it dissolved into 3 deep holes.
Currently, Melody understood the dire state they were in. The deadly flaming serpent she cast was actually her strongest divine art ‘living flames’ – using her own vitality to ignite flames. The only thing that could extinguish these flames, was the enemy’s vitality. Hence, this ‘Living flames’ would continue burning even inside water. After engulfing into the stubby orc’s mouth, it raged on furiously; licking down and igniting the orc’s entire digestive tract in mere seconds.
After slaying the stubby orc, she turned exhausted as the earth seemed to be spinning around her as she released a sigh. In her mind, everything that had happened so far was still immensely confusing, she could not understand the intentions of these orcs. But what she knew was that she definitely had to foil the dreams of her enemies!
Even though the stubby orc was unappealing, it definitely hosted a particular skill inside it. As mentioned before, to be able to flay the skin without any fatalities, required great concentration and skill; and a naturally apathetic heart. Hence for now, this bunch of orcs had lost its only representative now to engage in their activities.
Thus for the remaining captives and Melody, after slaying off this orc, the worst situation now was to die in battle. At least, they temporarily wouldn’t suffer the gruesome fate of having their skin carved out and thrown mercilessly from the ice peak.
An extreme exhaustion overwhelmed her after casting the ‘living flames’, she coughed and sat onto the ground. Suddenly, a mishap happened. The effects of the blue liquid she drank surfaced, refueling new energies into her body. But for some unknown reasons, the bone piercing exhaustion could not be dispersed from her body. It was as if something within her had been triggered after releasing the divine art, wildly consuming her spirit. Very quickly, Melody slumped to the ground in semi-consciousness, like a withering grass laying spiritlessly on the ground.
At present, their current situation was perilous. Their surroundings were the bottomless icy abyss, and ahead of them were furious orcs, and a dreadful ocean-freak! But at this moment, Sheyan howled loudly as he bent his back, charging straight towards the east. The peak of this mountain was a flatland, and only had that same spiraling mountain path they entered. Sheyan was currently dashing towards that exit.
It was the most ordinary of reactions – to attain freedom, one had to flee!
However, the last ocean-freak seemed to have anticipated his action, already commanding a vicious orc to obstruct the mountain path. Ripples of demonic aura started to condense inside the enormous devilish pupil of the ocean-freak. It was preparing to emanate out a paralytic ray! If Sheyan continued his attempt to escape, he would meet one outcome – Colliding against the orc, the paralytic ray penetrating him, before he collapsed to the ground.