Chapter 208-3: Flowers That Bloom by Chance (3) |
In a blink, Ling Bone was upon him. His clenched right fist suddenly lashed out, crashing toward the Earthmind Evil Spirit like a meteor falling.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit bared a ferocious grin and likewise swung his right fist to meet Ling Bone’s punch.
Boom.
The two fists collided like two stars crashing, erupting with a deafening thunder as a ring-shaped shockwave spread outward from the point of impact.
The powerful gusts flipped the nearby black mist back upon itself, forming a pocket of energy vacuum within the Black Tide.
Both figures jolted at once. After steadying themselves, they struck again in unison.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit made the first move, his left fist trailing black streamers and smashing toward Ling Bone’s face like lightning.
Ling Bone tilted his head ever so slightly, narrowly avoiding the blow, and then countered in a flash. His left fist, like a cannon shell, slammed heavily into the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s chest.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit reacted with extreme speed. Before the punch landed he drew back his left arm to shield his chest.
Stepping on emptiness in midair, the black mist gathered at his feet, spreading in ripples and absorbing and transmitting the force.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit lifted his head. Ling Bone attacked again.
Their fists clashed once more. After a mountain-cracking roar, blood spattered from their arms, thin threads of crimson flinging through the air.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit’s body shuddered violently, yet he pressed in to close the distance. His right fist, bearing a black torrent, drove straight at Ling Bone’s throat.
Ling Bone did not retreat but advanced, his right fist like a collapsing mountain, meeting it with thousands of kilograms of force.
Their figures were shrouded by black mist as dull impacts and the rasp of colliding bones sounded again and again.
The Earthmind Evil Spirit’s combat skill visibly improved at a speed discernible to the naked eye in this process.
The Light Mirror on Ling Bone’s body could not analyze the Black Tide, but the Evil Eye beside the Earthmind Evil Spirit could easily parse Ling Bone’s combat habits and provide real-time data support.
Only the Earthmind Evil Spirit did not bother to comprehend that data.
He only wanted an unrestrained battle, to release his desire to fight like a beast.
In this process, the Earthmind Evil Spirit fought stronger and stronger. The depression and ferocity in his heart brought by the player race’s mysterious commander were released in the collisions.
With a howl to the sky, the Earthmind Evil Spirit sent Ling Bone flying with a punch.
This was the second battle he had personally fought since descending into Monster World.
The first had been a little fellow of the Anti-Tide Legion, whom he suppressed throughout. If not for the player race’s interference, he would already have killed him.
But the fellow before him clearly would not be so lucky.
“Earthmind, he carries a fragment of a pseudo-rule.”
“Incomplete rule fragment?”
“Not yet a rule, but a kind of power made manifest that is close to becoming a rule. Devouring it can be used to increase the Black Tide’s strength. Simply understood, it’s of some use, but not much. The gap between rule and non-rule is hard to cross.”
“Understood.” After a brief distraction, the Earthmind Evil Spirit threw himself back into the fight.
The fierce clash continued.
The difference was that in Ling Bone’s eyes this was a life-or-death battle wagered on his life and his race’s future.
But in the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s eyes, this was a game of venting emotion. From the beginning there had been no word ‘defeat’ in his mind.
With the Black Tide providing endless energy support, his projected body could heal instantly. He simply chose not to, wanting to fight to his heart’s content.
But his opponent Ling Bone gradually tired.
The power of his punches diminished in the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s eyes, gradually robbing him of pleasure.
“The game is over.”
The Earthmind Evil Spirit seized Ling Bone, blood-soaked yet with battle desire still burning in his eyes, and pressed him down toward the earth.
Boom.
At the instant of impact, the ground spread with cracking lines.
Ling Bone coughed blood with mouth agape. The Earthmind Evil Spirit let go and flipped back to land.
Looking at Ling Bone, who, swaying and about to fall yet struggling to stand, a touch of appreciation rose in his heart.
But it went no further than appreciation. There was not a trace of pity in his eyes.
Facing the fist smashing toward him, he suddenly struck out again and knocked Ling Bone down once more.
This time, no matter how he struggled, Ling Bone could hardly stand.
The golden light on his body dispersed and turned into a Light Mirror, which the Earthmind Evil Spirit drew into his hand.
Ling Bone raised his head. Battle intent wanted to flare again in his exhausted eyes, but his weakened body left him nearly fainting.
“I will not… lose.”
Hearing this, a ferocious smile tugged at the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s lips.
“This thing is very important to you?”
In the face of the question, Ling Bone did not speak, a low growl rumbling in his throat.
“But in my eyes, this thing is worthless.” With that, the Earthmind Evil Spirit threw the Light Mirror into the black mist.
Before Ling Bone’s disbelieving gaze, the Light Mirror rapidly disintegrated within the black mist, its surging energy gushing and merging into the Black Tide.
“Light Mirror!” Ling Bone let out a hysterical roar.
After disintegrating the Light Mirror, the Evil Eye extracted a vast amount of information from the recorded power and shared it with the Earthmind Evil Spirit.
Receiving the disassembly information, the Earthmind Evil Spirit fell briefly silent. Looking at the weakened Ling Bone, he shook his head.
“The miracle in your eyes that turns the heavens around is nothing but kindling of limited worth in mine. Your dream is too big, so big your power cannot bear it. It is vain.”
The life-force within Ling Bone was swiftly ebbing away. Despite his constant struggle, he could never stand again.
The anger in his eyes seemed ready to melt the Earthmind Evil Spirit.
Even if he hated to admit it, he knew he had been defeated.
The journey toward his dream, in the end, was about to end.
In his homeworld, he had been the protagonist.
But in this world, he was at the very bottom, struggling to survive. Everything seemed to have returned to the starting point in the Furnace World.
What was different was that this time there was no similar path of rise.
Ling Bone’s fingertips dug deep into the soil, blood seeping between his fingers, yet the persistence in his heart loosened with it.
His life-force ebbed faster now. At last, he died with eyes open.
The Black Tide gathered and shrouded Ling Bone’s body, and the Earthmind Evil Spirit’s projected body merged back into the Black Tide with it.
—
On the high tower platform, the Evil Eye blinked and looked at the Earthmind Evil Spirit.
“How do you feel after venting your emotions?”
“Not bad. It’s just a bit of a pity. This fellow’s battle will burned to the end, but he was too weak.”
Hearing this, the Evil Eye seemed thoughtful and then nodded.
“A flower that blossomed only by chance will ultimately lose to a mature cultivation system. In his eyes, he might once have been the protagonist of the world, unique. But in this world, those like him are as numerous as the stars. The brilliance he strove to display is merely commonplace here. Perhaps only his small homeworld could embrace his somewhat childish ideals. Here, only the weight of the result is acknowledged.”
“Races able to come to Monster World must have undergone a glorious rise. Their past struggles, efforts, and even their former prosperity are irrelevant to us. In our eyes there is only the nourishment they can provide when they wither.”
The Earthmind Evil Spirit said coldly.
“Too many who believe themselves to be protagonists step onto the stage of Monster World, dreaming of continuing to sing triumphantly and forging the brilliance their small worlds once had. But those who truly become protagonists are ultimately very few. Even I am but an insignificant corner of this vast world. If he cannot even beat me, how can he speak of standing at the world’s summit to set a new order.”
The Evil Eye nodded in deep agreement.
“His rise came from the Light Mirror. An external object raised his ceiling of growth. But the Light Mirror was essentially a tool fragment left in the lower world by some other race for some reason. The Light Mirror gave him his accomplishments, but it was also the ceiling he could hardly break.”
“In fact, in small worlds there are many poets who hold high the torch of changing the world. In their eyes they are the strong, but the true strong are not those who change the world. They are the makers of rules. Like the Lord, or Emperor’s Sign. Those who reach that height are the truly strong. As for other races, they are merely passive conformers to the rules.”
Hearing this, the Earthmind Evil Spirit suddenly asked with curiosity.
“Evil Eye, do you think I can grow to such a height?”
“Do you want the truth or a lie?”
“Nonsense, of course the truth.”
“You cannot even cross the player race, yet you dream of ascending to become a powerhouse who sets the order of rules. What are you thinking, eating farts.”
Earthmind: …
“Stupid Evil Eye.”
“Mm.”
“I called you stupid.”
“Mm.”
“Damn it.”
Facing the unassailable Evil Eye, the Earthmind Evil Spirit suddenly deflated.
In his eyes the Evil Eye had no weak point. No matter what harsh words he spoke, they were ineffective against the Evil Eye.
Feeling anger with nowhere to vent, the Earthmind Evil Spirit gnashed his teeth.
“Evil Eye, tell me the truth. Is there any flaw that can hurt you?”
“Yes.”
Hearing this, the Earthmind Evil Spirit perked up.
“Let’s hear it.”
“My flaw is you.”
Earthmind: …
“Disgusting!”