Chapter 52: New Character Setting—[Celestial Maiden]! Who Are You Calling a Scrub!? |
Chapter 52: New Character Setting—[Celestial Maiden]! Who Are You Calling a Scrub!?
Bai Xuan held Li Hongyou close as they plunged from the third floor, landing safely on the grass below.
With his fully enhanced Attributes, a fall from that height no longer posed any threat to him.
But just because they’d dodged the initial danger didn’t mean the flying debris was finished with them.
Above, the man in jet-black armor raised his hand. Instantly, countless shards of stone twisted in midair, then cascaded down upon Bai Xuan and Li Hongyou like a deadly hailstorm.
In that split second, Bai Xuan summoned the Gale Shield he’d just forged through the Book of Worlds.
A massive emerald shield materialized before them, its surface shimmering as it effortlessly absorbed the oncoming barrage.
“That guy’s using telekinesis too?” Bai Xuan called to Li Hongyou.
“No, he’s not a telekinetic,” Li Hongyou replied, shaking her head. “It just looks similar. His Ability works differently.”
“Are you kidding?” Li Hongyou shot him a glare. “After fighting Four of Spades, I’m nearly spent. Besides, this guy’s Status is way higher. My telekinesis barely even tickles him.”
“Hah—so you’re just a useless little scrub, then.” Bai Xuan sighed in mock disappointment.
Li Hongyou’s face flushed bright red. “Who the hell are you calling a scrub!?”
Ignoring her outburst, Bai Xuan turned to Serene and Mare Alera. “Stay sharp. He’s dangerous.”
“Understood.” Serene nodded, drawing the Sword of No Light from her waist.
“Finally, my turn!” Mare Alera’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up at the armored man hovering in midair.
With a beat of her ruby-dragon wings, she shot upward—a streak of scarlet hurtling straight toward Plum Blossom Five.
“Catch this!” In a blink, Mare Alera’s right hand transformed—crimson dragon scales gleaming as her fingers morphed into razor-sharp claws. She swiped at Plum Blossom Five.
But before she could make contact, an invisible force slammed into her chestplate, sending her careening backward dozens of meters before she managed to steady herself.
“What the hell was that? Magic?” Mare Alera frowned, eyeing Plum Blossom Five warily.
Watching the exchange, Bai Xuan quickly formed a hypothesis—the man’s Ability had to be some form of air manipulation, able to redirect currents or conjure barriers from thin air.
He relayed his thought to Serene via the Legendary Perspective: “Serene, I think his Ability is like wind magic, but I can’t sense any Mana.”
“Wind magic, hm?” Serene lowered her gaze, thoughtful. “It does feel like that. I can sense the rhythm of the wind.”
“Just focus on attacking. I’ll support you,” Bai Xuan said.
“Alright.” Serene nodded, then leapt gracefully, soaring dozens of meters into the air.
Plum Blossom Five’s eyes narrowed in confusion.
How is this Lady Knight walking on air?
Is it some Anomalous Ability? Magic? Or—
Wait, what’s that?
He caught sight of a pair of wings unfurling behind Serene—golden wings?
Angel’s wings?
No, not quite.
They looked more like a demon’s wings, but they gleamed with platinum light.
Before Plum Blossom Five could ponder further, Serene was upon him, sword flashing.
Golden sword-light rippled outward in fierce waves, each strike swift and unrelenting.
Yet just as the blade was about to land, it veered aside at the last instant, repelled by an invisible wall.
Down below, the crowd erupted in disbelief.
“That enemy’s insane!”
“How is this possible? Even Li Hongyou and the Lady Knight can’t touch him?”
“It’s not over yet—don’t panic!”
“But they can’t even lay a finger on him!”
“What kind of Ability is that? That’s way too overpowered!”
“Are they going to lose…?”
“Come on, you can do it!”
...
All around, anxious faces watched, sweat beading on foreheads as everyone held their breath for Serene and the others.
“Master.”
After several failed attacks, Serene called down to Bai Xuan, “Should I keep pressing the assault?”
“Yeah,” Bai Xuan nodded. “Keep going.”
He was nearly certain now—Plum Blossom Five’s Ability was all about controlling airflow.
And if that was the case…
Bai Xuan glanced at the Gale Shield in his hands—he just happened to have a way to disrupt that!
“Understood.”
Without hesitation, Serene launched herself at Plum Blossom Five again, sword blazing.
Meanwhile, Mare Alera had regained her composure and was about to rejoin the fray—only to find herself trapped inside a transparent barrier.
No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
“Damn it!”
Rage burned in her eyes. “When I get out, I’ll tear you to shreds!”
Plum Blossom Five watched Mare Alera thrash inside the barrier and Serene charge once more. His voice rang out, cold and mocking:
“Did you really think you could break my Veil of Futility? Keep dreaming!”
“You took down a few ants, and now you fancy yourselves heroes?”
“Pathetic!”
“You’re no different from those Investigation Bureau fools!”
“In a world this chaotic, you still cling to the delusion of order?”
“How utterly naïve!”
“Power—only power rules all!”
“The weak exist only to be trampled by the strong!”
“And you…” Plum Blossom Five sneered, “you’re nothing but ants—meaningless in the world’s correction process!”
But before he could finish, Serene descended upon him, the Sword of No Light wreathed in Fire of Justice, raised high and slashing down—
“Radiant—Cleave!”
A golden arc of light split the night.
This time, the blade didn’t veer aside. It struck true, biting deep into Plum Blossom Five’s black armor and leaving a blazing golden scar.
“Wh-what…?”
Plum Blossom Five froze, stunned. His Veil of Futility hadn’t stopped the blow.
Why—!?
Suddenly, he noticed Bai Xuan below.
The emerald shield in Bai Xuan’s hand was radiating powerful currents, disrupting his Veil of Futility!
Even the smallest interference had created a fatal opening!
Gale Shield—Whisper of the Wind!
“You!”
Fury twisted Plum Blossom Five’s features, but he knew—now that his Veil was breached, he had to flee immediately!
“You haven’t seen the last of me!”
With a cold snort, he turned to escape.
With his speed, no one here could catch him—as long as he focused solely on fleeing, not even Bai Xuan could—
Squelch!
He hadn’t even made it out of the clearing before a crimson dragon’s claw shot out, piercing his armor and driving straight through his chest.
“What—!?”
Plum Blossom Five’s eyes widened in terror as Mare Alera’s voice, taut with fury, echoed in his ears:
“I told you—I’d tear you to pieces!”
With a savage yank, she ripped him apart. Armor shattered and tumbled to the ground like shards of glass.
Yet strangely, there was no blood or flesh inside—only emptiness.
“Huh? His real body wasn’t here?”
Mare Alera blinked, then stomped her foot in frustration. “Damn it! He got away!”
“He didn’t escape.”
Bai Xuan’s voice called up from below.
“But I only shredded his armor!” Mare Alera hurried over to Bai Xuan, her tone instantly turning docile. “But his real body—he’s gone!”
“He’s still here. It’s just…”
Bai Xuan knelt and picked up a snow-white pearl from the pile of shattered armor.
He sensed immediately—this was the Puppet’s true core.
Yet something was different. The pearl released wisps of white vapor, almost like…celestial energy.
[Celestial Pearl (?): Can be offered to the Book of Worlds to redeem a Character Setting.]
“Hm?”
A Status Prompt appeared before his eyes. Bai Xuan’s gaze brightened as he tossed the pearl into the Book of Worlds.
[Please select one of the following three Character Settings:]
[Celestial Crane] [Cultivator] [Celestial Maiden]