Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 373 One sword... just one sword

"Buzz...buzz...buzz..."

The pink energy, shimmering with an eerie glow, radiated outwards from the priest's body in wave-like shockwaves.

Familiar mechanical sounds kept ringing in Xia Nan's mind as the [Dream Corridor] rapidly charged at a rate of 0.0003% per second.

But he felt no joy; instead, he found it increasingly troublesome.

For him, who possesses the [Dream Corridor] terminal and can automatically absorb the energy of contact gems, these dissipated pink lights are precious energy sources.

However, for other adventurers who do not have similar equipment, this is a mental check that is continuously applied to their will with intervals of one second.

If you don't survive even one round, you'll fall into a state of enchantment.

The subsequent continuous energy waves will also destroy the will of those affected, dragging their spirits into the abyss of depravity.

Xia Nan didn't know what the other party's actions were intended to do, but reality was not a game, and he couldn't just stand there and watch the "cutscene" like an idiot.

No matter what Moen wants to do, he will not let the other party get their way so easily.

However, the elderly pastor clearly anticipated his current state.

Almost the instant he forced the gem into his chest, a translucent pink light shield reappeared around his body, protecting his shimmering, broken form.

Xia Nan, who intended to interrupt the process, was kept out.

"Crack..."

Accompanied by the sharp hum of high-frequency energy vibrations, a strange, crisp sound, like ice crystals condensing, suddenly rang out in the air.

Standing there in the light barrier, the pure white holy fire burning on Moen's body had been extinguished at some point.

Instead, crystalline particles spread rapidly outwards from the gem in the very center of his chest.

The old man remained silent throughout.

He simply stood there, staring at Xia Nan outside the protective barrier with his pink, light eyes, the outline of which was almost invisible.

Five seconds? Or ten seconds?
Under the influence of the pink energy waves surging like air currents within the church, the intense concentration made even the concept of time seem blurred and distorted at this moment.

Xia Nan's keen senses, along with his heightened hearing and vision that accompanied his physical abilities, allowed him to even detect the crisp sounds of crystals colliding and rubbing against each other deep within the sharp, high-frequency energy whistling in the air, as well as the clusters of pink crystalline particles that spread and covered Moen's skin like a colony of bacteria.

The degree of corruption was significantly deeper than that of the innkeeper, the blacksmith, and the believers he had just killed.

Silver-white hair fell out silently, and crystalline particles with exaggerated physical resistance spread all the way to the top of his head, completely enveloping Moen's entire body.

Even his left arm, which had been blown off, regrew from the condensation of crystalline particles, forming a limb entirely composed of crystals.

When the pink protective shield was reclaimed by the other party due to the large amount of energy consumed.

The figure standing there no longer resembles the kind pastor who once lived in the town.

Only one pink crystalline human, composed of countless gemstone particles, remained, enough to kill anyone with trypophobia on the spot.

"Adventurer... your strength is far greater than I imagined..."

The sound emanating from the throat was no longer hoarse and low; it sounded as if it were simulated by pure energy distortion, giving one goosebumps.

Do you also have a second stage?

Gazing at the ferocious figure enveloped in crystals ahead, Xia Nan raised an eyebrow, but was too lazy to waste words with it.

The phantom of the winter wolf materialized behind him, and he instantly charged forward.

The pace remains the same, but the necessary caution is always kept in mind.

The [Death Line] ring, the [Tears of Spring] necklace, and even the Serpent Scale Arm Shield on the left hand are all ready for use and defense.

Currently, Moen was severely injured after his spellcasting was interrupted by [Gravity Control], and he directly entered the "second stage" of crystallization.

Xia Nan was unsure whether the other party's current state had a time limit, nor had he yet figured out its specific abilities.

Based on previous combat experience against those crystalling beings, it can only be reasonably inferred that the opponent's physical attributes have been greatly enhanced, especially in terms of strength and explosive power. Moreover, the crystal particles covering his entire body make his skin surface look like it is covered with a layer of iron, giving him extremely strong physical defense.

However, to what extent the opponent's physical attributes have been enhanced, and whether their physical resistance and the crystallized human from before have changed, further testing is needed during the battle.

hold head high--

The high-pitched, long howl of wolves suddenly drew closer, and the twilight-like gray-black wolf fangs drew a perfect arc in the air.

[Fang Hunt] + [Whirlwind Slash]!
As expected, the priest under the sword showed no sign of dodging and directly raised his right arm to meet the sword light.

"Ding!"

The ear-piercing sound of hard objects colliding bursts forth in a fleeting burst of pink sparks in the air.

He stomped backward, leaving cracks in the church floor.

The exaggerated speed at which Xia Nana could only be seen as a blur in his field of vision, along with the powerful impact he generated, caused the priest to unconsciously retreat to dissipate the force.

But at the same time, his right arm, which caught the blade head-on, was completely unharmed.

The attack, enhanced by the combination of two "proficiency" level combat skills, was actually completely intercepted, leaving only a not-too-deep sword wound on his arm.

The shockwave from the impact of the hard object caused Xia Nan's hands, which were gripping the sword hilt, to tremble slightly. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance, so the blade did not slip from his hands.

Even so, when he actually witnessed his full-force attack being forcefully blocked by the opponent, his eyes still couldn't help but pause for a moment.

Xia Nan's purpose in unleashing this sword strike was... ideally, to end the battle directly, but more importantly, to test the strength of Moen's crystallized body.

Even those crystallized believers he had just encountered couldn't be dealt with in one strike, so he certainly didn't think that the defensive capabilities of the Moen before him would be any weaker than the former.

What he hoped to see was that his sword blade could, to some extent, penetrate the crystalline defense on the surface of the opponent's skin.

A single sword strike, even if it doesn't directly break through the defense, would be perfectly acceptable if it could slice off a third or even a quarter of the crystal.

In this way, by striking the same spot three or four more times, the opponent's defenses will be completely breached, exposing the fragile flesh protected by the crystal to the blade.

Judging from the damage he had just inflicted with his sword, in order to find a breakthrough, he would probably have to strike the priest's body a dozen or so times in the same spot.

And the opponent, of course, cannot simply stand still like a sandbag and let him attack.

In such an intense battle, would Xia Nan really have that many opportunities to attack?

He wasn't sure.

Clearly, the hastily drafted battle plan needs significant revision.

hold head high--

The wolf's howl had just fallen when it suddenly rose again.

With [Fang Hunt] as its core, Xia Nan had already developed a fighting style that emphasized speed and mobility, and had no intention of engaging in a prolonged, stationary fight with his opponent.

The instant the sword fell, he pushed off the ground with his right leg and transformed into a black wolf phantom, retreating rapidly backward.

At that very moment, the crystal-like figure that had forcibly withstood Xia Nan's sword strike suddenly moved.

boom--

The stone bricks beneath his feet shattered completely, and the pastel gem in the center of his chest pulsated and shimmered like a heart, surging with energy. A deafening explosion resounded within the church.

Enveloped in pink light, Moen instantly transformed into a pink phantom, charging towards Xia Nan who was rapidly retreating.

His powerful physical defense capabilities mean he doesn't need to worry about the inertia caused by excessive force, just like a cannonball being fired.

Since learning the [Fang Hunt] technique, this was the first time Xia Nan had encountered an enemy who could react in time and even match his burst speed.

Perhaps he was surprised, but his fighting instincts, enhanced by both his body and soul, made him act faster than he thought.

He slammed on the ground with both feet as if braking, his thick leather boots screeching violently against the ground, leaving two scorch-like scratches on the stone bricks.

At the same time, the left arm thrusts forward, and the dark shield of [Netherscale Guard] directly meets the attack from the front.

"boom!"

The two figures collided violently!

Most of the damage was blocked by this blue-quality equipment, and Xia Nan did not feel much pain.

But the heavy body encased in the crystal made him feel like a high-speed train.

Xia Nan, who hadn't even had time to come to a complete stop before being sent flying high into the air again by [Fang Hunt].

Thoughts flashed through my mind.

This time, he did not immediately use [Tidal Shaping] to weaken the pushing effect on his body.

Instead, it allowed its body to spin and tumble in mid-air until it was a certain distance away from Moen, before finally landing like a feather.

Good news: He achieved his goal perfectly this time. After one round of fighting, Xia Nan had a certain estimate of Moen's physical defense, strength, and explosive power in his current state.

The bad news: the enemy's physical strength was far greater than he had anticipated.

"How should we handle this?"

Currently, it is known that the combo of [Fang Hunt] + [Spinning Slash] requires hitting the same spot multiple times to break the opponent's guard. Considering Moen's exaggerated performance just now, this is not an operation that can be easily completed.

"Perhaps we could try [Gravity Etching]?"

Since it's force field damage, it might be more useful than pure physical attacks.

Although it seemed like a slight setback, Xia Nan remained very calm and composed.

He still has some cards to play.

Leaving aside the [Coin of Destiny] which only has one more chance to be used, the cooldown of [Echoes of the Ashes] has long been ready. As long as the user's health is below 33.3%, it can be activated at any time to achieve a qualitative change in combat power.

Just as Xia Nan steadied himself and began to ponder, the pink light in the air suddenly began to fluctuate unnaturally.

A dazzling pink light condensed on Moen's chest in front of him.

I sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from in front of me.

Xia Nan didn't even have time to use the [Fang Hunt] movement skill. With a burst of power from his legs, he lunged to the side.

The next second, a blinding pink beam of light burst forth from the gem on Moen's chest, sweeping past his original spot.

"Buzz!"

The blazing beam of light narrowly passed over Margaret and Salding, who were still unconscious. The half-open church door behind them offered no protection whatsoever; it was forced open, leaving behind a trail of rising, scorching smoke and a circular, charred hole.

"No, you also have ranged attacks?"

Xia Nan, who barely dodged the beam of light, looked somewhat disheveled. Using the momentum of his sideways lunge, he rolled on the ground and stood up. His black hair and body were covered with dust and wood chips.

Fortunately, such a powerful move must have taken a toll on Moen's health as well.

It can be clearly seen that after the beam of light was emitted, the gem on its chest emitted a much dimmer light, and as it flickered, it absorbed the pink energy from the surrounding air.

They certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

As the wolf howls echoed, Xia Nan charged forward once again.

His combat talent was revealed silently.

Unlike his previous straight-line assault, he learned from his experience and, while closing the distance to the enemy, slightly circled around, shifting his direction to the side.

Moen's explosive power was strong, but it was purely a matter of brute force, charging around recklessly without any sophisticated techniques.

But Xia Nan is different.

The "Mastery" level of [Fang Hunt] makes him appear like a winter wolf roaming the snowy plains when he uses it, possessing a certain degree of agility.

As the wolf's claws touched the ground, its figure became elusive, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact route.

The priest's body, covered in pink crystals, froze in place, his head swaying as the figure rapidly approached, unable to seize the opportunity to launch an attack.

The sword fell once more.

Just like before, Moen raised his right arm to block.

However, unlike the previous full-force strike that left a sword mark on its crystalline skin, this strike was significantly less powerful.

Although he was puzzled, the priest didn't think too much about it in his haste. With a burst of power from his left arm, he took advantage of Xia Nan's momentary pause in his attack and threw a punch powerful enough to pierce through metal and stone.

He swung the ball and missed without any suspense.

Beneath the fist, there was only compressed, howling air and the fading silhouette of the black wolf swaying its mane.

Xia Nan himself, having used the momentum from swinging his sword, slid to Moen's side and behind him in a flash.

hum-

An extremely condensed ochre-red light gathered on the surface of the sword. The [Spinning Slash] was launched again, and the force field energy of [Gravity Etching] exploded like fireworks. The blade that cut through the air seemed to be accompanied by a half-circle of sword light.

It landed directly on Moen's neck.

The pink crystal, which possessed extremely strong physical defense capabilities, shattered instantly under the pressure of the force field energy, which ignored physical defense and was like a "real injury".

The crystalline skin, which required more than a dozen strikes to barely break through, instantly cracked open, revealing the pinkish flesh and skin underneath.

Fresh blood seeped from the wound.

After swinging his sword, Xia Nan showed no hesitation and suddenly retreated, causing his opponent to turn around and punch only to hit air again.

"it works!"

A sharp howl filled with pain and anger reached his ears. Xia Nan, who had retreated to a safe distance and was panting heavily, looked at the bleeding wound on Moen's neck and thought to himself.

[Gravity Etching] has one last chance to be used.

One sword... just give him one more chance to strike.

He slashed the other person's neck.

He would then be able to end this battle.

(End of this chapter)