Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 217 The Crest of the Wave, Treading Water and the Descent of the Eagle
Xia Nan remained highly vigilant throughout.

Especially the dark-skinned drow half-elf beside him.

Perhaps Veris did not perform particularly well when facing beast-like enemies in her previous adventures.

But he knew perfectly well that, in many cases, the profession of "Wanderer" had a specific target for medium-sized humanoid creatures.

Especially considering that the opponent is a drow elf from the Underdark, who is skilled in using various poisons.

During this time, even in the taverns of River Valley, as long as Veris was present, he would not eat any food if it left his sight for even a second.

Antidotes are always kept in my waist pouch, and I'm careful of any suspicious smells, lest I accidentally fall victim to a poison.

This state became even more pronounced after being left on the battlefield without warning by two other teammates during the battle with Owl Bear.

The shadow cast by the betrayal by a teammate at the very beginning of the journey caused unease and anxiety to grow like weeds deep within his heart.

The strange and stressful atmosphere of the team during the pursuit of the beastmen had raised his vigilance to the highest level.

Even after seeing the corpse of the beastman with his own eyes, his attention was not distracted in the slightest.

They remained constantly vigilant and on guard against the two people beside them, as well as the dark forest in other directions.

Therefore, almost as soon as Veris was about to raise her dagger, her body suddenly tensed up due to exertion, and the chilling and sharp killing intent she sensed alerted Xia Nan.

Almost instinctively, they followed the action sequence that they had rehearsed countless times in their minds.

Ignoring the attack launched against him, he held the decapitation sword diagonally upwards and swung it straight at the dark-skinned elf's vital neck.

Xia Nan knew that this wasn't a berserker's fighting style that involved trading injury for life.

He had previously analyzed the combat capabilities of his two teammates and knew that if he were to be betrayed, taking out the Drow hybrid rogue first would greatly increase his chances of winning.

The opportunity is now rare, and he is determined to seize it, even if it means giving up one of his trump cards.

On his right index finger, the [Death Line] ring, which he had never shown to the two of them before, shimmered with a faint silver light; the "Deflection Field" was already prepared to be activated.

But to her surprise, just as she raised the iron-gray longsword, a beam of dark purple light shot out from between Veris's fingers and struck her with terrifying speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

The similar experience of enduring the "petrifying gaze" was fleeting. Xia Nan only felt as if something invisible was trying to invade his mind by following his thoughts.

However, the perception attribute, which is as high as "10", takes effect instantly, building a thick wall from the mental power that has become increasingly solid due to the day and night training of [gravity control].

It blocks all negative forces from the outside world.

At the same time, a sudden thought struck him, and an inexplicable inspiration flashed through his mind.

Knowing that it came from a mysterious evil god, the feat [Looking into the Abyss] gained after gazing directly at that indescribable being has silently taken effect.

Before her, Veris's sharp eyes, which had been gleaming in the dim light, suddenly became dazed, and her face showed an expression of torment and pain.

The short dagger she was thrusting forward also froze in mid-air as her expression hardened.

Noticing the double image appearing on his body and the shadow power spreading beneath his feet, he knew that his "teammate" might have already given his all for this attack.

The dark purple beam of light was likely some kind of mind control ability, but it was resisted and countered by his own [Looking into the Abyss] specialty, putting the opponent into a state of "shock".

Xia Nan did not hesitate at all, nor did he intend to hold back.

There was no obvious emotional fluctuation in her heart, only a faint sense of relief that "I've been waiting for you for so long, and I can't hold back any longer."

The decapitation sword drew a crescent-gray arc through the air, the [Whirlwind Slash] that had slain countless lives, now, enhanced by the metal weapon, tore through the air as it had done countless times before.

With the help of inertia and skill, the sharp blade transforms into a blurry, gleaming phantom.

It flashed by.

"Shoot."

The tight leather jacket, stained with blood, revealed plump, slightly dark skin and delicate collarbones, while the long, slender neck, like a swan's, offered no defense whatsoever.

Faced with that fierce strike that could even cleave the hide and feathers of an owl, it didn't even encounter the slightest resistance; it was easily cut in half as if slicing tofu.

The head was propelled by the force on the surface of the sword, and the long, silky silver hair swirled and danced like a dandelion made of flesh and blood, spraying blood onto the surrounding meadow below.

Veris's face, a half-human, half-drow elf with exquisite features and an exotic beauty, still retained a dazed state of mental shock, and one could vaguely catch glimpses of her crystalline eyes contracting and expanding.

The next second, his head rolled onto the grass like a ball.

The longsword traced a full arc, both hands gripped tightly, muscles tense as he controlled and absorbed the sword's momentum.

The sword's momentum has reached its final point.

This moment is also the most dangerous critical juncture in the battle, a point where "old forces have been exhausted and new forces have not yet been generated."

Any adventurer who frequently engages in multiplayer battles would not miss this perfect opportunity to severely injure or even kill the enemy.

Xia Nan hadn't even had time to stop, and the tall, slender headless body in front of him was still swaying but hadn't fallen to the ground.

Behind them came an extremely dense whistling sound of sharp weapons piercing the air.

Without hesitation, the "Deflection Field" of the [Death Line] ring was activated in an instant.

The free energy in the air rapidly converged and, guided by some invisible force, condensed around Xia Nan in a unique pattern to form a semi-transparent, ochre-red protective shield.

hum-

Almost the instant the shield took shape, a torrential downpour of bluish-gray stone spears crashed down.

The surface of the light shield rippled with layers of fine light patterns. It seemed as if it would collapse at any moment, but it maintained its integrity under the impact, buying time for the caster to defend against enemy attacks.

"boom!"

Time was up, and the ochre-red protective shield shattered, turning into specks of light that scattered into the air.

Before it could completely dissolve, it was swept into the overflowing and swirling mist, clinging tightly to the iron-gray sword tip, and suddenly pierced out from within the shattered light shield.

The "deflection field" lasted only a short time, but it helped Xia Nan withstand the most important attack and even bought him time to sheathe his sword, turn around, and gather his strength.

His dark, calm eyes held only coldness and sharpness, and his black, tousled hair fluttered violently in the ochre-red rain.

Xia Nan stared at Kash, who was holding a stone spear in front of him, and aimed his longsword at the most vulnerable spot between the man's neck and sternum.

Approaching forty, with nearly twenty years of rich adventure experience and combat experience against countless monsters and adventurers, this middle-aged man felt the deadly aura emanating from the longsword the moment it was thrust out.

He clenched his teeth, and the veins on his neck bulged.

No longer concealing itself, the combat technique was quietly activated.

"Wow!"

Suddenly, his two calves swelled up a size, and although his feet were firmly planted on the ground, it was as if a powerful force was bursting out from under his feet, pushing him backward.

【Wave Crest Steps】, one of the essential combat skills for the profession 【Tide Hunter】, is a special combat skill that can enhance the body's explosive power for a short period of time.

On the sea, it can even achieve a special effect similar to "walking on water".

Even now, deep in the dense forest far from any water source, Cash still possesses a powerful burst of strength, helping him dodge attacks from the opposite side.

Ding--

Sparks are flying!

The sharp sword tip collided and rubbed against the hard scales, piercing a few iron scales and leaving a deep scratch on the armor surface, but it could not go any further.

Because the enemy's rapidly retreating body had already moved out of the sword's attack range.

With the [Fang Hunt] active, pointless escapes or hit-and-run tactics will only make it easier for Xia Nan to win.

With his eyes fixed on the retreating Cash, Xia Nan braced his legs, and amidst the swirling gray mist and grass clippings in the air, a blurry wolf head seemed to appear and disappear around his body. In an instant, [Fang Hunt] was about to be unleashed.

Cash was also aware that the black-haired youth before him possessed some kind of incredibly fast movement-type combat skill, and knew that he couldn't let the battle become a protracted war.

It must be resolved quickly!

A resolute glint flashed in his eyes, and as he retreated, he raised the stone spear high in his hand.

He roared and his muscular arms suddenly exerted force.

hum-

With a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, the bluish-gray stone spear was suddenly thrown.

However, perhaps due to limited accuracy during movement, the stone spear was aimed at slightly off-center.

Xia Nan simply turned slightly to the side, and as her hair swayed, the stone spear grazed past her and plunged straight into the mud behind her.

Suddenly, I realized something was wrong.

The experience of being teammates for a month and a half, countless battle scenes flashed through my mind.

Suddenly I realized something.

Xia Nan stared intently at Cash, who appeared to be retreating rapidly ahead. He vaguely sensed that Cash's speed was decreasing rapidly. He quietly gripped a short knife in his hand, and a strange suction force seemed to emerge from his chest, pulling Cash's body like a spring, gathering strength.

"Trying this trick again?"

As his thoughts raced, he realized the other party's intentions.

However, he wanted to use his combat technique, which involved using a stone spear to locate a target that moved as quickly as a magnet, while simultaneously using the momentum of his body to launch a slash at himself.

With each step, they tried to avoid it.

Suddenly paused.

Xia Nan stood still, captivated by his innate fighting talent and a fleeting flash of inspiration.

A gray light quietly emerged from the depths of his dark eyes, and the world before him instantly turned into black and white.

The fine ripples, symbolizing gravitational waves, collide and intertwine, and countless streams of information are poured into the mind.

My mental energy was rapidly depleted, and my head began to spin.

However, everything around him became extremely clear and detailed under the effect of the [Mind-Guiding Vision].

"Boom!"

With a howling wind, Cash's wielding short blade was like a swooping eagle, hurtling towards Xia Nan with the stone spear behind him as its target.

His mental energy quietly spread out, and the special perspective of [Mind-Guiding Vision] allowed Xia Nan to lock onto the opponent's rapidly moving body that was approaching him in that brief fraction of a second.

[Gravity Control] Silent effect.

Instead of increasing the opponent's gravity to slow him down, Xia Nan was unusually "considerate," as if he wanted to help Cash, by significantly reducing the gravity on his body and adding a point of gravity in front of him at an unknown location to help him push forward.

This caused the opponent's body to accelerate dramatically through the air, making it like a sports car with its tachometer pushed to its limit, becoming uncontrollable.

At the same time, somewhere in that black and white world, composed of countless lines of gravity that would make an ordinary person dizzy just by looking at it, he controlled his mental power and gently pointed.

Even the slightest gravitational fluctuation caused a chain reaction, making Cash's body, which was originally facing Xia Nan, suddenly shift slightly to the side.

The distance was quite subtle.

It was beyond the attack range of the short blade, yet still within the reach of the long sword.

Those intricate manipulations of gravity, the microscopic world, and mental power are but a fleeting moment in the normal flow of time.

From an outsider's perspective.

Standing still, Xia Nan simply raised the decapitation sword in his hand, held it horizontally in front of him with the blade facing outwards, part of the sword protruding from his side.

Cash flew in from not far ahead, its speed reaching its limit, creating a terrifying howl that echoed through the forest, even blurring the air around its body.

He charged forward wildly, offering his neck to the blade.

"boom!!!"

Air currents swirled up grass clippings, dust, and fragments of branches and leaves, churning and surging through the forest.

Driven by immense inertia, the headless body transformed into a blurry, blood-spurting phantom as it hurtled into the depths of the dense forest.

The fragile body was almost instantly turned into a puddle of flesh upon colliding with the tree trunk, covered by scales twisted and deformed by the immense force, and lay slumped in a corner, barely recognizable as human.

Cash's head, after separating from his body, shot upwards.

Clad in blood, his round head nearly obscured the newly risen full moon.

It flew until it reached its highest point, then paused briefly before freefalling.

So far,

From the moment Veris made her move at the start of the battle to Cash's death, only six seconds had passed.

"call……"

Xia Nan gasped for breath; even though [Heart-Guiding Vision] was off, her mind was still reeling.

It even made him feel like gagging.

In a flash of inspiration, in a short operation lasting less than a second, he simultaneously combined combat skills, expertise, and all his understanding of "gravity" accumulated over his long period of advancement.

Fortunately, the gains made it all worthwhile.

Semi-transparent characters silently flashed past my eyes.

"Proficiency +2"

"【Gravity Control】lv1: (10/100)"

"..."

After the battle ended, it was time to clean up the battlefield.

I bent over, supported myself on my knees with my hands, and stood there for a while until the dizziness subsided.

Xia Nan then straightened up again.

He glanced at the headless corpse of Veris, whose neck was still gushing blood, at his feet, then looked at Cash's mangled head as it rolled to the side.

Ahead, the emerald light around the neck of the beastman's corpse grew increasingly dazzling.

He had no intention whatsoever of going forward to check.

He didn't sheathe his sword either.

He simply turned his body slightly, facing the direction of the anomaly he had sensed during the battle through the special vision of the [Mind-Guiding Vision].

Silent observation.

Then, the bushes rustled and swayed.

Stepping on fallen leaves, the soft sound of footsteps echoed in the depths of the shadows ahead.

(End of this chapter)