Chapter 398: Beckoning of the extreme north
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Prince Stalo’s expression was presently grim. His hands folded across his chest as his white hair drifted through the wind. He realized he had totally overlooked on 3 aspects.
The first was the enormous impact of the defense contestant Reef. What caused him to be even more surprised was that Reef didn’t even activate any awakening strength, but was able to exhibit his traits flawlessly and in fine detail. Such a person could only be described as a brilliant talent. Once someone like that successfully awakens, he could very well advance from an ordinary defender to a first rate MT!!!!
Secondly was that secret chess piece by Zi, Lin Mushen. He was a person that seemed rather analogous to Aldaris, a mix warrior of both strength and intelligence; but as it turns out, he was actually a summoner. Zi’s trump was shockingly a dual summoner party! Summoners were undoubtedly individuals who could display their maximum potential once the battle prolongs long enough. It seemed like Zi had utmost confidence in Reef.
Thirdly, the opponent’s party seemed to have distinctive buff effects. Actually…..without exception, they all drank something called a ‘Uruk-hai gene blended-mix’, which raised two of their attributes by 4 points! This was almost equivalent to the 5 members possessing the attribute boost of Silver storyline grade equipments. When such a disgusting supporting concoction appeared in the battle, it was akin to adding a layer of weight to the weighing scales of victory.
“Indeed, every time we meet, Zi you never fail to surprise me.” Stalo murmured in his heart.
Of course, the terrifying might of Growth-hunters couldn’t be easily neglected. The defenders had 4 of their members crushed into near-death state. Only when Reef lasted to the end, did he manage to conclude the battle with a ‘Shattering Cardiac Roar’ that didn’t require MP.
Yet even more disastrously, the injury of his severed limbs had left him handicapped. Just like when Sheyan returned the day before, he had to take 3 hours to recover his severed arm. Hence, it was arduously difficult to recover it in such a short period. Any hopes of him continuing the battle was mere wishful thinking.
At present, everyone’s attention congregated onto Prince Stalo!
Right now, there were still 17 contestants left on the side of the defenders! In his position, would he become an overlord heroic Growth-Hunter the likes of Zhao Yun*, rushing in alone against all odds and valiantly defeating 17 others? Or would he be like sand trampled under a wheel?
(TN:*A valiant general under Liu Bei in Romance of the Three Kingdom.)
Prince Stalo stood up, with his body perfectly upright. Shutting his eyes, he extended out his left hand. Visibly noticeable within his left palm, an unfathomable blue inferno was banished out. The blue inferno seem to be emanating a combusting tranquility of ice and snow. He then composedly declared.
“You guys are left with 17? Then you can all come together. If everyone isn’t reduced to near-death state by then! Then it counts as my loss!”
Such unbridled arrogance, such a tyrannical rampant!
As Prince Stalo’s words descended, individuals with outstanding perceptive sense all felt a strange misconception. This male was obviously standing in front of them. Yet if one were to shut their eyes, it seemed like he had dissolved into the air, completely devoid of a presence. Only that regiment of blue inferno ushered a tangible sensation. Putting it straightforwardly, it was like Prince Stalo was just an illusory existence. The only authenticity, was that combusting inferno his in his palm!
Sheyan’s eyes flickered continuously, as he gazed on pensively.
Under such arrogant words from Stalo, naturally it garnered several unresigned contestants. A total of 7 temporary members instigated a challenge! Besides, challenging didn’t result in any deaths and even connected deeply to one’s contribution. Hence, nobody retreated, but in fact fought with the mentality of dragging time. Once someone could sustain in battle, then it would Stalo’s loss! This was what he had declared himself!
Instead, Sheyan sighed inwardly. Stalo’s words were naturally pushing himself to the brink of no return, where the winds and waves are the fiercest. It also shattered the remaining contestants combat willpower of doing battle gloriously.
The remaining contestants were merely probing out the current status. Hence, even if they could awaken, they wouldn’t want to waste it. After Stalo’s words of ‘if you aren’t kneeling by the end, it counts as my defeat’, at least half of them adopted a fluke victory mentality; abilities that required exorbitant consumption (Like Mogensha’s spear that requires potential points to activate), they were absolutely unwilling to use them!
Several contestants stood ahead of Prince Stalo, calling out for battle in the sake of their party’s name! The duelling countdown begun, 10…,9,8,7,6,.....at that moment, Stalo still maintained his posture without a single movement. Yet when the timer reached 5, his eyes popped opened!
Clarity ensued Stalo’s vision, like a dignified lethal weapon being unsheathed; displaying his might with a pressing threat. it was a suffocating sensation, resembling that of looking up an arduously steep mountain! When he opened his eyes, that hollowness feeling of nothingness immediately faded away. On the contrary, the regiment of blue icy inferno became devoid of presence. More horrifying, was in this instant…...
With Stalo’s feet as its nucleus, an incomparably thick hoar frost astoundingly emerged; rapidly unfurling into the distance, encompassing a controlling field of nearly 5-6 thousand square metres (Nearly the size of a soccer field)! In a flash, the surrounding vegetation of planet Pandora metamorphosed into an elaborate field of ravishing silver element bindings!! Not only those 7 duelling contestants were affected, but even Sheyan and the rest received notification from their nightmare imprints.
[ You are affected by first halo: ‘Beckoning of the Extreme North’ ! ]
[ Your movement speed reduced by 25% / attack speed reduced by 15%. ]
[ Frostbite effects may occur during movement. The cold air would condense onto your feet, causing a 1-5 seconds of immobility state. (Effect duration is determined by strength value. The higher one’s strength, the faster the speed of breaking free from the ice. ]
Yet strangely, though everyone was affected by Stalo’s halo, there was no notifications of being attacked. Sheyan glanced towards the few Growth-hunters, and realized that their feet were similarly condensed with ice. Naturally, this was the reason why Stalo wasn’t suited in a party battle. With this halo of his, it stunningly affected everyone within its field; differentiating neither friend nor foe.
Sheyan then noticed Zi’s gaze. Although this woman appeared rather calm, Sheyan could tell it was infused with a complicated mix of disbelief and unwillingness. Moreover, she couldn’t resist the urge to murmur vaguely to herself.
At this moment, the duel officially begun! Amongst the 7 contestants, 4 of them hastily dashed away to leave the scope of the icy halo. Only 3 long range combatants immediately unloaded assaults against Stalo. Da Da Da! Clear crisp sounds echoed through the air, a fireball blazed within the palm of a mage contestant. Stalo’s white hair fluttered in the air, as he raised his palm up with ease, lifting up a thick and transparent ice wall before him. The bullets and fireball struck cracks along the ice wall, but ultimately could not penetrate it.
At present, amidst the 4 contestants fleeing in all directions, two of them were trapped rooted by a frostbite state; presently trying their utmost to struggle free, attempting to chisel at the ice chunks gripping their feet.
At this moment, Stalo pointed two fingers towards them. Clearly seen, the blue icy inferno at his fingertips fizzled out, before transforming into a celeste colored glow; streaking through the atmosphere like a blade, momentarily tearing against the two contestant’s bodies.
Ice lance!
The frost covering their feet swiftly broke; yet at the instance the lance struck them, an ice layer once again solidified. The frost even spreaded up to their calves. Naturally, the ‘Ice Lance’ ability would not only deal damage to enemies, it even solidified thee frost over their feet; preventing them from escaping.
Following that, Stalo raised both arms abruptly. Shua! With him as the nucleus, shockingly 8 fortified sparkling ice walls erected from all four sides; forming into a crystal octagon with Stalo as its center. Even the roof was sheltered with ice. Stalo maintained his upright posture, his palms facing each other as a blue flickering flooded his entire body. He had entered the state of spell casting!
In the next second, around the feet of every contestant, blew a sudden melancholic spiralling gust of ice and snow storm!!!
Witnessing such a scene, Sheyan’s expression instantly changed.
“Is it…….”
The storm would gradually escalate. Hence, at its initial stages, most of the duelling contestants managed to successfully escape the hindrance of the escalating gust of ice and snow. However, the same could not be said for the two contestants with frostbites impeding their movement; when the gust of snow and ice raged around them, their frostbite layers then subsequently peeled off; yet, they had already lost their opportunity to escape!
Noteworthily, two ice-snow cyclones had also emerged 5-6 metres away from both sides of Stalo. Except, Stalo was protected within the safety of his ice crystal octagon. Hence, the frosty cyclones could only rage helplessly as it attempted to erode the encompassing ice, unable to implicate Stalo into his own deadly domain. Furthermore, though the 3 contestants repeatedly dished out frenzied assaults, breaking through Stalo’s ice walls remained a difficult task.
The spirraling gust of ice and snow didn’t remain stationary, but started pursuing any nearest contestant within the entire ice field halo. Gradually, its speed escalated!
Moreover when two spiralling gusts of ice and snow approached each other, they would combine into a comparatively larger gust of ice and snow…….undoubtedly, a larger ice-snow cyclone traversed at a higher velocity. its suction force was stronger and its might all the more frightening!
TN: although author doesn’t explicitly say Stalo is an official growth-hunter, his powers should indicate he is one. So we’ll see :)
TN: I will be using [ ] for nightmare realm notifications from now, as qidian doesn’t show bold or italics.