https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-417-The-Two-Stages-of-Substitute/13452950/
Chapter 418: It's Not Just Your Familiar
Chapter 418: It's Not Just Your Familiar
On the field.
“Burp~”
Treasure Seeker checked his internal condition.
Hmm... No signs of Evolution yet. Looks like I need to keep pushing...
“Seeker...”
Treasure Seeker looked at his opponent with a serious expression.
Snow Owl Fox, an Ice-Type Intermediate Beast from the Ancient Fog Region. It's especially resilient at night, often performing better than in the morning... As Qiao Sang looked at the all-white familiar with black rings around its eyes, information about it flashed through his mind.
In the Contestant Area, the crowd couldn't help but comment on Treasure Hunter Demon, who hadn't left the field yet.
“Why is Qiao Sang still using Treasure Hunter Demon?”
“Treasure Hunter Demon isn’t built for long battles. He probably wants to end this quickly, thinking the energy spent in the first match isn’t a big deal.”
“Why not just send out Blazing Star Hound or Icechill? He’s always looking for some excitement.”
“Geniuses’ minds just work differently from ours.”
“...”
Everyone who made it to the Regional Tournament is a prodigy in their own region, but compared to Qiao Sang, they all seemed rather ordinary.
For a moment, those words felt like knives stabbing into their hearts.
It hurt, a lot!
The most painful part was that no one immediately spoke up to contradict the statement.
This showed that, subconsciously, no one found anything wrong with it.
...
At the start of the match, Treasure Seeker instinctively tried to hide his form.
But thinking about his hiccups, he held back.
“Seeker... burp~”
Treasure Seeker sighed with a maturity beyond his years.
Hiccups are so annoying...
“Snow Owl!”
Treasure Seeker paused due to his hiccups, but Snow Owl Fox didn't. It immediately opened its mouth and spewed a white fog.
The fog swirled, carrying a chill, visibly enveloping most of the arena.
Chen Ye silently exhaled, striving to adjust his emotions to their best state.
Right now, he had no other thoughts. He just wanted to defeat Treasure Hunter Demon and make Qiao Sang summon Icechill for the next match.
Even if Icechill took out Snow Owl Fox in one hit, he would accept it!
The white, cold fog obscured Snow Owl Fox's form.
Ice Fog, a Mid-Rank Ice-Type Skill. The main difference from Water Mist is the lower temperature. As proficiency increases, the fog will contain supercooled water and ice crystals... Qiao Sang said:
“Invisibility.”
Although Treasure Seeker was hiccuping, being invisible in the Ice Fog was better than being visible and constantly on edge, worried about where the attack might come from.
At least hiccups aren’t continuous; there are quiet moments in between, and the opponent would need time to pinpoint Treasure Seeker’s location.
“Burp~”
Treasure Seeker obediently vanished.
The moment he became invisible, a white ice line shot out, striking the spot where Treasure Seeker had been just before he vanished.
Missed... Chen Ye’s heart sank, but he quickly reassured himself:
No problem, just a miss. If it misses once, it can always try again. With Treasure Hunter Demon hiccuping, it’s like a timed exposure of his position. As long as it hits during the next hiccup, it’ll be fine.
“Burp~”
Suddenly, the hiccuping sound echoed through the white Ice Fog.
“Frost Beam!” Chen Ye’s face lit up as he shouted.
Snow Owl Fox immediately shot a Frost Beam at the source of the sound.
The white ice line pierced through the Ice Fog but didn’t hit anything.
How could this be... Chen Ye's heart sank.
Could the Treasure Hunter Demon actually see through the Ice Fog?
Or does it teleport every time it belches?
It was no secret that Qiao Sang's Treasure Hunter Demon had Psychic abilities. Chen Ye had faced Psychic-type familiars before and won.
While having a Psychic-type familiar was challenging, it usually only took one hit to slow down their teleportation speed.
This kind of familiar was heavily dependent on energy, even for movement.
In battle, once it took some damage or its energy was depleted halfway through, a sustained attack or a sudden rush would be enough to finish it off.
With the Ice Fog obscuring the view, the battle could be dragged out, but attacking also revealed one's position, so staying in one place for too long wasn't an option... Chen Ye thought this and immediately said:
"Move..."
"Burp~"
But just as he spoke one word, another belch sounded.
The Snow Owl Fox instantly sprayed a Frost Beam toward the source of the sound.
The white ice beam predictably missed again.
"Burp~"
Just as Chen Ye was about to call out for the Snow Owl Fox to move again, another belch echoed through the Ice Fog.
"Burp~"
A second belch followed closely.
Chen Ye froze, a realization dawning on him.
The belches were too irregular!
Not only did the frequency suddenly increase, but the locations were all over the place!
One seemed to be about ten meters away, while another was right in front of him!
"Burp~"
As if to confirm Chen Ye's suspicion, another belch sounded, this time from ten meters away.
"Move quickly!" Chen Ye's face changed, and he shouted.
He couldn't lose! Where else would he find another chance to battle Icechill? Chen Ye roared inwardly.
But it was already too late. The Snow Owl Fox sprayed a Frost Beam toward the source of the sound but didn't notice the black shadows approaching from its left.
"Xue Ao!"
The Snow Owl Fox struggled and saw a pair of purple eyes.
The Ice Fog then dissipated, revealing two Treasure Hunter Demons and a Snow Owl Fox that had fallen unconscious.
The next moment, one of the Treasure Hunter Demons, which was farther away from the Snow Owl Fox, suddenly disappeared.
"Chirp!"
The mechanical familiar wearing the Referee Badge floated over, inspected the scene, and blew the whistle signaling the end of the match.
Qiao Sang looked at the stunned Chen Ye and smiled. "Not only your familiar can use Substitute."
While it might be impossible for the Treasure Seeker to use other skills and Substitute simultaneously, it could still belch to mislead the opponent.
"Seek~"
The Treasure Seeker nodded, looking proud.
I just wanted to battle Icechill, why is it so hard... Chen Ye's eyes welled up with tears at Qiao Sang's words.
Why are you crying all of a sudden... Qiao Sang was bewildered.
She had never encountered an opponent who cried after losing a match before...
As Chen Ye teared up, the audience in the stands began to discuss.
"What the heck, it's over already? I didn't see anything!"
"I hate fog and smoke; I have no idea what's happening inside."
"When the Ice Fog cleared, I saw two Ghost-type familiars, but I have no idea what they did."
"It was Substitute. The Treasure Hunter Demon used Substitute to belch and mislead the opponent, while the original found and attacked the opponent."
Among the audience were some high-level Beastmasters whose senses and experience allowed them to easily understand the situation on the battlefield.
Amidst the audience's chatter, Qiao Sang left the arena.
(End of Chapter)
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