Chapter 721: ….Sin(n/k)er
‘Huh…I guess you guys weren’t joking about the range of this thing…or the fact that it could transform.’
=As we said, milord, your abilities are not real constructs and are more like…conceptual weapon? Was that the term?=
∆It was, and you’re a massive nerd.∆
=Screw off.=
All the way back at Blessed Willow Island, Zhen Liu had just finished blasting Nepherage into Zhen Li’s consciousness via a “slightly” modified Possesstol. “Slightly” in this case meant that Logos and Pathos had somehow transform the Possesstol into an incredibly high powered sniper rifle.
As to how Zhen Liu knew where to fire this thing, the explanation is quite simple.
Making use of his [Chaos] and his new [Hammer of the Dearly Departed], Zhen Liu managed to create a relatively simple tracking device that only he could detect via detecting [Chaos], and would only activate when the box was open.
The moment Zhen Li opened the box to see what was inside, Zhen Liu was ready to blast him with his promised power boost. Of course, Zhen Li had no idea about any of this until it finally happened.
[So…you guys think Nepherage and Zhen Li got this, or do you think they’re just gonna get smoked by that turncoat?]
[Two… against…one…]
[Nepherage is handicapped though. The body she’s possessing is a whole rank weaker than that traitor…]
[We can speculate and discuss this later. Ringmaster, shouldn’t we get back to the party now? We don’t want to let the others get suspicious on where we went.]
‘True…’
This was especially the case, when two of the major guests to this going away banquet, were the Imperial Prince and Princess.
‘I do hope Nepherage and Zhen Li are okay though…well, I hope they can last long enough for law enforcement to arrive.’
[You mean, last long until that Zhen Clan captain shows up?]
‘Same thing, really.’
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‘What on Valresta are you having me say?!,’ Zhen Li mentally cursed at the strangely familiar spirit in his head while staring Zhen Jun Yao straight in the face.
It was one thing to have someone feel like they could challenge someone they considered their superior, it was another thing altogether to actually being able to challenge them. While whatever the hell was going on made Zhen Li feel way more powerful than normal, he had no idea if the power pumping through his veins would be enough to take down someone like Zhen Jun Yao in a straight fight.
The spirit in his head though thought they could.
[It’ll be fine. With me empowering you like this, you’ll be to trounce this fool. Or at least last long enough for help to arrive.]
‘Wait a minute, help? What help?’
[Story about that later.Right now, Block.]
‘Huh?’
[Hull Breaking Finger!]
“Whoa!”
Not knowing how to why Zhen Li knew his secrets, Zhen Jun Yao took decisive action and tried to break Zhen Li’s head open with a finger based aether art. The brief shadow of death overwhelmed Zhen Li as he saw the encroaching finger, but his body managed to move before he did.
[Tsk! Like a deer in headlights, Magma Ram!]
As Zhen Jun Yao’s aether enhanced finger was about to pierce him right between the eyes, Zhen Li managed to summon forth a shield made of magma in the form of a ram’s head. Albeit, it was a bit different looking than what the usual user of this art was used to seeing.
[That’s… different…]
‘Different?! I never learned how to use an art like this! How are you doing this?!’
[Yeesh, and I thought my liege was panicky.]
Overall, the ram-shaped shield was still a heavy concentration of Terraqi and Ignati that was condensed into its current shape. However, in the center of this volcanic shield, there was a mass of Aquarii aether that seemed to be…boiling, for lack of a better word.
Evidently, this little difference would turn out to be a big one.
Zhen Jun Yao was undeterred by the sudden appearance of this defensive aether art. The wielder of this art was a mere Aether Master at best, there was no way for Zhen Li’s shield to be able to block one of his attacks.
‘Apologies, but die alongside my secrets!’
*Crunch…*
As expected, Zhen Li’s attack managed to break through the superheated stone that composed the ram-shaped shield. However, as Zhen Jun Yao’s attack proceeded to dig through, something weird occurred.
*Crack…PWOOOSH!*
“AH! HOT!”
[Huh… unexpected.]
‘When was I able to do that?!’
At some point, Zhen Li’s attack managed to dig all the way down to the weird Aquarii center of the shield and breach whatever protective bubble it was in. This caused the Aquarii aether inside to suddenly burst forth like a geyser and blast him in the face with a heavy jet of boiling hot water.
(Un)fortunately, Zhen Li managed to throw up a quick defense in order to protect his skin from being burned off by the boiling water. This defense, however, did not manage to mitigate the pure kinetic force behind the sudden geyser blast.
Zhen Jun Yao was knocked back several feet due to this sudden counter move, getting soaked in the process.
∆∆Tsk! Heavy!∆∆
The dark cloak he was wearing to try and maintain some form of disguise and subtlety was now a liability, so he quickly discarded it while in the process of regaining his bearings.
[He has an opening, now go!]
‘Huh? Oh! Right!’
Taking this moment as an opportunity to take the offensive, Zhen Li enhanced with his legs with aether before launching himself forward while infusing his palms with aether. He was so focused on this follow up attack, that he failed to notice how his legs were producing a bit more steam than they would usually do whenever he enhanced them.
Zhen Li was aiming to use the [River King’s Land Carving Palm] to try and land a heavy blow on Zhen Jun Yao. Normally, he would use significantly lighter aether arts to try and soften his opponents and then finish it with the palm, but his opponent right now was a man who could kick his ass quite easily under traditional circumstances, hell, even in untraditional circumstances.
Zhen Li’s hand briefly caught fire for some unknown reason before being completely engulfed in a blob of water that took the shape of a giant carp.
*BOOM!*
A concussive blast echoed throughout the area as Zhen Li’s attack made contact with Zhen Jun Yao’s chest. Unfortunately, his attack didn’t do shit.
Moments before his attack actually made contact, Zhen Jun Yao managed to summon his [Regalia] in time to block most of the damage. There were a few singed marks around the chest area where Zhen Li’s palm made contact, but most of the damage was mitigated by the [Regalia].
∆∆Alright, now I’m going to kill you properly.∆∆
∆∆Ah, shit.∆∆
[Fuck! I need to-]
Before Zhen Li, or the spirit in his head, could even properly format a defense, Zhen Jun Yao simply took one of his fists and punched Zhen Li squarely in the chest and sent the young man flying backwards and into of the closed stalls.
The stall was smashed into pieces, alongside one of Zhen Li’s ribs. It would’ve been all of his ribs had it not been for the spirit in his head strengthening his skeleton to the best of her abilities.
That being said, Zhen Li wasn’t exactly in the best of shapes to try and continue fighting.
‘Ow…that hit took a lot out of me…I’m not sure if I can get up.’
[Well, you don’t exactly have a choice since-]
*Boom!*
[-that guy is going to kill you, regardless.]
Looming over Zhen Li like an angel of death, Zhen Jun Yao gaze was obscured by his [Regalia] but the former could feel the condescending glare being pointed at him.
A glare that he would always notice in the back of his mind.
∆∆I am…truly sorry, about all of this. But I have come too far at this point. And I can’t have someone, anyone, alive to tell the Zhen Clan the truth about me.∆∆
Zhen Jun Yao grabbed a broken piece of wood from the destroyed stall beneath him and began to infuse it with his aether, causing it take on a much darker hue and develop a much sharper point.
∆∆You know…its funny. I made a promise that I would never kill anyone in this clan myself, only use the existing conflicts to my own gain. But don’t worry, I’ll try to make it as quick and painless as possible.∆∆
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[Dammit! Looks like I am going to have to reveal myself and take this bastard out myself. Hopefully I can do it fast enough that…hold on…]
‘…’
[What’s this?]
‘…’
[Oh…well then…if you’re so confident that you can turn it around, be my guest. I am only here to help you out after all…so how about I lend you a little… preview?]
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
Mizako
For the sake of making this work on mobile, <> will be replaced with ∆∆…for the time being.
I don’t get it either.
