Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 135: The Regent and the Five Souls
A last-minute breakthrough, a victory against all odds.

At the very top of Aincrad, Wu Chen smiled.

A warrior forged through countless trials is indeed far superior to someone like myself, who seems to have achieved a near-instantaneous breakthrough. Whether it's intuition or experience, there's still much I need to learn.

But it doesn't matter.

The recent battles have provided him with a considerable amount of resources for growth. Now, he is eager to set off again and join the next battlefield.

Ah... I really feel like a demon king.

The Demon Soul Pot activated once more, and another group of worthy targets appeared in his field of vision.

..............................

A new container, a new shell.

The target this time was a four-person team, a mercenary group that lived on the fringes of the human world, often fighting against wild beasts, demons, and demi-human races. There was something about them that Wu Chen found awkward.

It's somewhat incompatible with the art style of this world; perhaps it inherited some flavor of ancient Prea.

Wu Chen moved the container's palm.

This time, the container remains at level 35, with a single hero facing off against four well-coordinated, oddly decorated, and likely all-powerful high-tier steel warriors. The tactical setup this time is a longsword in one hand and a staff in the other.

The high-level class's equipment is that of a High Elementalist. This time, the strategy leans towards spellcasting. And as the buffs and wizard armor glowed on Wu Chen's body, he had already arrived at the Trial Hall.

The mercenary group 'Skull-Back Flying Tiles'. Their real names are all unknown, and their main members have various nicknames such as 'Finger-Rubbing Scythe', 'Cancel Sword', 'Left-Handed Bow', and 'Spinning Blade'. They are all covered in strange armor that has a slightly ancient style but is undoubtedly quite tough and sturdy. When they see the container of witch dust, they all simultaneously go on alert, with the individual appearing to be the leader shouting.

"Tactic Five!"

A cloud of dust exploded beneath the squad's feet. The thick fog possessed a power that obscured observation magic. Without hesitation, Wu Chen raised his staff, activating the most efficient tactical strategy.

Fireball.

Fireball spell repeated.

In the blink of an eye, three fireballs were launched at a speed almost equivalent to 'Triple Magic' towards the thick fog in front of them, and at the same time as they were launched, the most basic enhanced super magic was added to them!
‘Boom——’

'Boom—boom—'

Explosions, three in succession. Yet the dense fog, imbued with magical effects, continued to expand outwards. Undoubtedly, it was a special fog possessing a supernatural viscosity. In an instant, at the cost of slightly thinning, it covered most of the hall.

Visibility has decreased.

When the fireball explodes, the sensation of missing the target lingers on it.

A solution immediately came to mind during Wu Chen's calculations. It was a low-level spell he had learned in the Kalinsha Library.

A variant of the cleaning technique has risen to prominence.

Third-tier magic: Wind Creation.

An invisible wind then flowed at the tip of the staff. However, just before it was activated, Wu Chen sensed a subtle warning.

Like mosquitoes, like flying insects. To Wu Chen's main body, it was practically no warning sign. However, to the Hero-rank descending vessel at this moment, it was a deadly threat, threatening its very survival!

Spell transformation.

The magic that created wind suddenly switched to dimensional teleportation.

At the instant the body shifted, a powerful howl of wind erupted in Wu Chen's perception.

It was an arrow. A massive, sharp arrow, two fingers thick and two meters long. It must have been hidden in some kind of storage container and fired from the great bow carried by the 'Left-Handed Bow'. Carrying demon-slaying radiance and immense power, it tore through the air and struck the wall of the hall precisely where the container had been.

Cracks burst open like a spiderweb. Wu Chen noticed that the clearly supersonic arrow had only pierced a small hole, about the size of a cup, in the dense fog. There was no doubt that this prop fog was specially designed to withstand strong winds. This prompted him to immediately decide to cast another spell towards the ground.

Second-tier magic, Grease.

The viscous grease covered the entire floor of the hall in an instant.

However, Wu Chen's senses were very sharp, even regarding containers. The moment the grease spell was activated, he didn't sense anyone falling or tripping, and there wasn't a tremor he had expected that would travel through the hall's floor.

The tactics were anticipated.

Although all four were warriors, not one of them stood on the ground. Undoubtedly, they had all used 'flight' the moment the fog spread, or were carrying the corresponding items from the start. Without hesitation, Wu Chen unleashed the fourth fireball, slamming it into the ground.

'Boom—' The fourth fireball brought burning rather than an explosion. The floor of the hall was instantly ignited, but the spreading thick fog did not dissipate.

The dense fog is still spreading.

Thick fog clung to the top of the flames and flowed past the base of the container.

He performed a dimensional jump once again.

However, the range of movement becomes smaller and smaller.

He raised his hand, and a cloak of flames enveloped his body. In Wu Chen's mind, a plan was being formulated.

—I am certain you will cast Fire Elemental Protection.

The sword was already in his hand. This vessel lacked mastery of all martial arts and the ability to control the air with flowing water, but it could still cast appropriate magic.

Third tier, Advanced Mirror Image Technique.

Fourth tier, advanced attribute enhancement.

The bear's tenacity, the bull's strength, the eagle's majesty, the cat's elegance, the fox's cunning, and the owl's wisdom—a comprehensive boost to attributes, accompanied by four illusory, synchronized phantoms. And as they manifest, the longsword in each phantom's hand glows with the radiance of a high-level magical weapon.

The location has changed.

The actual container was no longer in the very center of the spell. The incantation was immediately performed, and in the next moment, a howling wind erupted once more from the thick fog.

Another arrow.

But that arrow was aimed at the wrong mirror image.

It was wrong, as it should be. Because the container wasn't flesh and blood; it had no breath or heartbeat. And at the very instant the mirror image was pierced, a scorching ray, amplified in power, burst forth from the tip of the container's staff!
Swift and precise.

The impact point immediately emitted the crackling sound of armor being breached and a muffled groan. The characteristics of a high-level elementalist meant that even with fire protection, the opponent was still injured. The next moment, the exposed container was met with a swift strike from the lurking attacker!

It is a small sickle.

Its surface was imbued with dark magical energy, and it slashed down at the container with unexpected speed—the container reacted, precisely raising its sword to parry. However, at the moment of impact, what happened was completely unexpected!
Good weight!

It was just a small scythe, about the length of a forearm. Yet, the impact upon contact was as immense as the strike of a battering ram. Although the weapon was swift and light when swung, the force applied was far greater than expected.

Martial Arts Skill: Making Light Things Feel Heavy

The martial arts technique that Wu Chen was unaware of allowed a light weapon to unleash tremendous power when swung. That strange sense of disorientation caused the container to use the wrong force when swinging its sword. And the next moment, another target appeared on the other side of the container.

The body is slightly out of balance.

The small scythe was barely blocked. However, the other attack was already in a blind spot. And that was undoubtedly a flaming, jet-black straight sword, which cleaved down on the container's head on the spot.

Cancel the sword.

Wu Chen guessed that even if he blocked this attack, the next sword would arrive sooner than expected. And regardless of whether it was true or not, his most suitable tactic at the moment was only one—

Instant reflection, accelerating the flow of water!
The warrior captain unleashed his combo attack at that moment. The disrupted stance was thus restored, and the enchanted longsword, swung, met the 'Cancel Sword' head-on to the utter astonishment of the attacker!
Clang! The blades clashed.

The canceled sword was violently knocked back, and his next strike failed to trigger in time. However, the vessel that had reverted to its original posture was already able to cast spells while wielding the staff.

Fourth tier, enhanced Fireball, one shot.

In an instant, a large burst of flames erupted on the 'Cancel Sword's' body. He was injured as a result, and fell down. What awaited him was a barrage of enhanced fireballs.

The fire exploded again.

The 'Finger-Wielding Scythe,' attempting to aid his comrades, was caught in the shockwave. The peculiar mist surrounding him could no longer serve as his disguise. This meant that the fifth-tier telekinesis was now effective.

It wasn't a mental manipulation, but a pure telekinetic grab of the giant hand. The Bigglesbane series has always been a mage's best melee weapon, but just as it was about to grasp the 'Finger Scythe,' the target's body suddenly shifted.

It's a slide step.

The viscous grease hadn't completely burned off, and the 'Finger-Wiping Scythe' could still walk on the ground while flying. Pressing the attack was initially an effective strategy, but a slight warning sign forced the container to abruptly retract its telekinetic hand!
The long sword slashed down.

The final 'spinning blade' finally revealed itself to Wu Chen.

A certain martial arts technique, perhaps best described as 'effortless mastery,' propelled him to wield the dozens of kilograms of cleaver with the lightness of a needle in the instant it was swung.

He shouldn't have attacked at this time.

His greatsword could unleash endless combos due to the drastic reduction in his stamina, making it ideal for disrupting the enemy's rhythm and stance at close range. However, now he was forced to join the battle when his comrades were attacked.

The greatsword slashed at the giant hand of psychic power. And immediately after, another slash followed. His attacks were relentless, while the 'finger-rubbing scythe,' which had been sliding away, was about to rejoin the battle.

They have already lost.

The reason they lost was because Wu Chen had figured out their situation.

They didn't carry any strange treasures, nor did they possess any Primordial Flame or Dark Ring flickering within them. Their existence was merely a coincidence, a combination of martial arts skills and fighting styles. They weren't individuals of the Dark Soul, but projections that had traversed to this realm.

and so……

The fire had already spread throughout the entire hall as the grease had seeped in. And Wu Chen's misleading use of fire magic was enough to prevent them from adjusting their overall resistance effects to target the flames.

So, elemental field interference.

In an instant, the flames covering the entire hall transformed into leaping lightning. And in the next instant, the four bodies clad in heavy metal armor collapsed violently.

The battle is over.

Tactics and combinations proved effective.

To the ears of the losers, they heard a sound.

"Unqualified," the Regent declared.

(End of this chapter)