Translator: CinderTL
Tula's eyes were reflected on the cold blade of the sword.
Yet, they showed no surprise. Instead, they held a hint of regret, as if mourning the imminent destruction of a precious object.
Then—
Vroom!
A nearly instantaneous Force Wave erupted with Tula at its center. The violent, invisible thrust sought to send Roland and his sword flying.
Simultaneously, the once-solid ground beneath Roland's feet instantly transformed into a churning Grease Spell area. Several Magic Missiles had already locked onto his figure, trailing streaks of light as they shrieked toward him.
Roland's pupils constricted. His charging form abruptly halted, defying inertia. He stomped his feet, using the edge of the Force Wave's impact to propel himself into a backflip to the side and rear, narrowly avoiding the greasy patch beneath him.
The Radiant Moon in his hand traced several precise arcs, its tip shattering the incoming Magic Missiles into scattered sparks.
As he landed, the ground cracked inch by inch, revealing both the immense impact it had absorbed and the terrifying physical strength he possessed.
Seeing this, Tula elegantly floated backward, his fingers tapping rapidly.
Scorching Ray, Acid Arrow, Shatter...
A relentless barrage of low- and mid-tier spells poured forth, their multicolored radiance illuminating half the sky.
Burning trees, ground pitted by corrosion, rocks shattered by sonic waves—the battlefield was swiftly reduced to a scarred wasteland.
Roland's figure darted and flickered through the magical storm. At times, he dodged the main assaults in the blink of an eye; at others, he parried or deflected unavoidable spells with swordplay honed to a razor's edge.
His strength, agility, and reflexes, bolstered by the Source Core, had already surpassed the limits of any mortal. This allowed him to not only withstand the magical tempest but to continuously close the distance and launch counterattacks.
As the battle wore on, Tula's once-placid heart, still as an ancient well, began to ripple, eventually churning into a raging sea.
"How is this possible..."
After using another short-range Blink to evade Roland's relentless, clinging blade, a look of shock and fury finally broke the composure of his flawless face.
"A mere human... how can he possess such strength?"
In stark contrast to Tula's fury, Roland's eyes grew ever calmer.
With a single sword swing, Roland's Battle Qi erupted in a blazing surge, once again shattering the Wall of Ice Spell Tula had hastily conjured.
His heart, previously racing from the pressure of such a formidable foe, gradually steadied.
His strength is truly monstrous, Roland thought, his mind racing. The raw power of his spells, the speed at which he draws and channels mana... it all far exceeds the limits of any ordinary spellcaster. He's nearly a monster, but...
A sharp glint flashed in Roland's eyes as he slammed his feet down against the already ravaged ground.
Charge !
Boom!
With a muffled thud, his figure blurred into an afterimage that nearly vanished into the environment, closing the distance to Tula in an instant.
The Momentum Slash , a technique that had previously required his utmost concentration and the full exertion of his strength to execute perfectly, now came to him as naturally as breathing.
The Radiant Moon Longsword sliced through the air, generating a deafening wind pressure that threatened to tear his own eardrums. The sheer power imbued in the blade caused the space around it to warp minutely.
With the force to split mountains and sever rivers, the sword struck down at Tula with ferocious intent.
Seeing Tula's flustered scramble to construct a defense, a cold, mocking sneer curled Roland's lips.
"Pure strength," Roland thought.
"Like a child wielding a divine weapon, he has no idea how to use this power efficiently or effectively."
"His tactics are rigid, lacking in versatility. He relies too heavily on brute force. Hmph."
The moment the thought crossed his mind, the blade wreathed in blood-colored battle qi slammed into the multiple layers of Mage Armor and Force Barrier Tula had hastily erected.
BOOM!
The ear-piercing sound of shattering glass mingled with the roar of exploding energy.
The protective spells shattered instantly. The resulting shockwave blasted away the surrounding rubble and splintered wood.
Tula grunted, a look of disbelief crossing his face. He was thrown from the air as if struck by a catapult, slamming into the ground and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Seeing this, Roland naturally gave him no chance to recover.
Though he lacked extensive experience fighting spellcasters, he knew their core weakness. Once forced into close-quarters combat and their casting rhythm disrupted, their threat level plummeted.
Therefore, before Tula even hit the ground and while the dust had yet to settle, Roland had already taken his next step forward.
Activating Charge once more, Roland shot forward like an arrow from a bow, plunging without hesitation into the swirling dust.
His keen senses, acting like invisible radar, instantly pierced through the visual obstruction and locked onto Tula's slightly disheveled position. The Radiant Moon Longsword hummed as Battle Qi coalesced once again, a lethal strike poised to be unleashed.
At that critical moment, a frigid warning born of primal instinct shot up Roland's spine like a striking viper. Without a moment's hesitation, he forcibly twisted his forward momentum, his feet digging into the ground as he retreated sharply to the side and rear.
The next instant, the situation took a sudden turn!
"In the name of Lady Lolth's Gloom, Bind!"
Tula's cold voice echoed from within the dust. It wasn't a traditional incantation, but more of a proclamation.
In a flash, countless strands of viscous, pitch-black Shadow Spider Silk materialized from thin air, not only where Roland had been standing but also along the path of his retreat. They were not solid, yet they carried a blood-freezing chill and a powerful binding force, coiling around him as if they were alive, their speed far surpassing any spell he had encountered before.
Though Roland had dodged in time, a few strands of spider silk still grazed his left leg. Instantly, a bone-chilling cold and a sense of sluggishness spread from his leg, causing his movements to lag by a fraction of a second.
But this was only the beginning.
"Lebeiras Innori, manifest Your hunting authority!"
As the words echoed, the air around Tula sharpened. Countless emerald-green energy arrows materialized from thin air.
They didn't fly in straight lines. Instead, guided by the skill of the finest hunters, they traced treacherous arcs through the sky, converging on Roland from all directions and sealing off every possible escape route.
Each arrow pulsed with a natural power capable of piercing metal and stone.
Roland's pupils constricted. His Radiant Moon Longsword spun in a blur of light, his A Knight Never Dies Empty-Handed skill pushed to its absolute limit. A continuous clang-clang-clang filled the air as he barely managed to deflect and shatter most of the energy arrows.
Yet, a few still slipped through, grazing his body and leaving behind stinging pain and shallow cuts.
"Next..."
Seeing Roland's disheveled state, a flicker of pleasure crossed Tula's eyes.
"...is Lady Shuni's 'Blazing Concern'."
The next moment, a leaping, ever-shifting flame erupted from Tula's palm. This fire wasn't merely scorching; it carried a strange power that tugged at the heartstrings and disrupted the will.
Like desire made manifest, it surged toward Roland in a wave of fire.
Roland raised his sword to block. His blood-colored Battle Qi clashed with the eerie flames, producing a series of hissing sounds.
The fire didn't immediately break through his Battle Qi defense, but the strange energy within it sent Roland's mind reeling.
This was no mere mental assault, but a strange energy that stirred the seven emotions and six desires of mortals.
It instantly neutralized his Steel Will , throwing the flow of strength within Roland's body into chaos.
As Roland struggled to fend off the relentless onslaught, Tula slowly ascended from the swirling dust.
His form was wreathed in a chaotic and overwhelming aura of multiple, distinct energies, each a different color and nature.
These were the stolen, fragmented authorities of various deities.
Though he could not perfectly master any single divine favor power—his control was crude and lacked precision—their very essence was of a supreme level. The alternating and even mingling of these diverse powers created a suffocating pressure.
The exquisite swordsmanship and transcendent physical prowess Roland relied on to hold his own began to falter and fail against these rule-defying forces.
The tide of battle turned in an instant.
Watching Roland struggle to evade the chaotic and violent divine onslaught, his body accumulating new wounds with every passing moment, Tula hovered in the air. The turbulent radiance surrounding him subsided slightly.
That same compassionate and gentle smile returned to his perfect face.
"I must admit, human."
Tula's voice pierced clearly through the aftershocks of the spells and the shrieks of energy, reaching Roland's ears.
"Your tenacity and skill have truly exceeded my expectations."
"In this age of waning mana and feeble souls, to have tempered your mortal body to such a state—even forcing me to resort to this... 'Gifted' power—is a feat worthy of pride."
He raised his hand slightly, temporarily halting his relentless assault. Yet the perilous Shadow Spider Silk, emerald arrows, and eerie flames continued to swirl around him, like tamed hounds ever ready to spring forth.
"However, you must know better than anyone that the strength of a mortal has its limits."
"What you seek is nothing more than greater power, a vaster horizon, and perhaps... the ability to protect the things you cherish."
Tula's gaze seemed to pierce through his very soul, his voice dripping with seduction.
"Look at this world! The elves are decaying, humanity is consumed by infighting, the gods have hidden themselves... This is a wasteland that needs to be reshaped! And I shall wield the authority to reshape it."
His voice grew more fervent, infused with an unquestionable confidence.
"Submit to me, human. Offer up the favor the gods have bestowed upon you. This is not a loss, but an opportunity to merge with a greater existence. I will lead you beyond the shackles of mortality, to witness and participate in the forging of a new order."
"Your strength and will deserve a higher starting point, rather than burning in vain here, only to eventually fade into obscurity."
"How about it?"
Tula tilted her head slightly, awaiting Roland's response.
"Will you choose to embrace the destined future and share in my glory? Or will you stubbornly board this sinking old ship, and perish into oblivion with it?"
(End of the Chapter)
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