Chapter 43: Harvest
Chapter 43: Harvest
A roaring flame burst forth with astonishing speed, its intense heat causing hair to curl and moisture to evaporate rapidly.
None of the Knight Attendants dared to directly confront the offensive Spell Seal.
At least...
Karl had never encountered such a situation before.
"Hmm!"
Across the way, Iron Fist Abe grunted, leaping nearly three meters into the air to dodge the approaching flames.
A second wave of fire awaited him.
Flame Seal!
"Ah!"
Iron Fist Abe roared, clenching his fists, and charged straight into the oncoming flames.
"Boom!"
The fire dispersed, leaving behind a scorched smell.
"Iron Fist?"
Karl's gaze paused on the opponent's fist before he gently pushed his left arm again, activating the Flame Seal.
With his current strength, Karl could activate six Flame Seals in succession.
The opponent's fists were strangely powerful, capable of shattering flames, but his arms lacked protection, making it difficult to withstand the attack.
"Swish!"
The figure in front suddenly accelerated, dodging the flames and rushing forward.
Combat Technique - Roar! A unique combat skill.
Roaring like a beast, he motivated himself, causing his vital energy to surge and temporarily enhancing his speed and attack power.
A sudden change occurred, causing Karl's eyes to narrow. Simultaneously, he snapped his fingers with his raised left hand.
"Clap!"
A flash of light suddenly appeared.
Light Spell! At the same time...
An invisible force field enveloped the surroundings.
Zero-Circle Spell - Lesser Force Field!
"Pff!"
Iron Fist Abe's fist pierced the force field, causing the air to ripple like the surface of water. The slight obstruction made Karl's heart sink.
What happened?
Why had the suppression of the force field weakened so much?
The power of the spell was closely related to the strength of the Psychic Energy. With Karl's current Psychic Energy, nearing that of an Intermediate Mage Apprentice, the Lesser Force Field should have suppressed the Knight Attendant's strength by three to four-tenths.
In other words, it should have made the Knight Attendant slightly stronger than an ordinary person.
But now...
Iron Fist Abe's speed and strength were affected to some extent, but not nearly as much.
However,
He was still influenced.
"Clang!"
A broadsword blocked his path.
The fist and the sword collided, causing both of them to stagger backward.
The ground beneath Karl's feet exploded, and he charged forward with the momentum, his broadsword instantly creating four afterimages.
Combat Technique - Gale Slash!
Seizing the moment before the opponent's vision recovered, he attacked with full force.
"Ding..."
"Clang, clang, clang..."
The clashing of blades was like a sudden downpour. Iron Fist Abe, unable to see, roared and attacked with his fists, but he couldn't stop his retreat.
"Pff!"
A sword shadow slashed past his leg, and he cried out, falling to one knee.
"Die!"
Karl's eyes narrowed, and he swung his sword down with force.
Furious Strike!
"Clang!"
A fist blocked the path of the blade, and the impact sent Karl staggering backward.
What immense strength!
This guy's sudden burst of power had a value that likely exceeded one. Without the force field's suppression, Karl knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
Moreover, Iron Fist Abe's boxing skills were exceptional. Even without sight, he could withstand the broadsword's slashes and combat techniques with his solid boxing and martial arts skills.
"Swish!"
Just then, a figure flashed by, brandishing a dagger and stabbing Iron Fist Abe from behind.
It was Aya.
Her dagger was incredibly sharp, capable of easily slicing through iron armor, let alone flesh and blood.
"Ah!"
Xiaonan also roared as he charged forward, holding a heavy wooden shield and trying to accelerate while hiding behind it.
"Huff..."
Karl took a deep breath, steadying the restless energy within him, and swung his broadsword to join the fray.
"Pff!"
The dagger sliced through Iron Fist Abe's flesh.
"Boom!"
The immense force shattered the wooden shield in Xiaonan's hands, and he was knocked back.
Karl's figure collided with Iron Fist Abe in midair, and sparks flew as the sword and fist clashed.
The three of them joined forces, but for a moment, they still couldn't gain the upper hand.
However, the battle in other areas was nearing its end, and more and more people joined the siege.
"Aya!"
"Boss!"
"..."
"Attack!"
After a while...
With a swing of Karl's broadsword, Iron Fist Abe, covered in blood, staggered and eventually collapsed.
His heavy body stirred up a cloud of dust.
"Huff..."
Karl exhaled heavily and urged, "Gather your things, let's go!"
They were not far from Rakka Market, and there was a risk of alerting the City Guard. If they heard any noise and came over, it would be troublesome.
"Yes."
Aya, injured on her shoulder, nodded with a grimace and signaled for everyone to clean up the battlefield before leaving quickly.
No one noticed that in the corner of the manor, several rats scurried over the bodies and disappeared into the caves.
"Uncle."
Aya rushed over, her face full of excitement, but upon seeing Karl's expression, she was taken aback and asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Karl shook his head. "I just didn't expect Iron Fist Abe to be so strong. I guess I've been a bit narrow-minded."
He had thought that with his mastery of spells, spell seals, and breath techniques, he would rarely encounter opponents at the Knight Attendant stage.
But he never imagined that a small boss in Black City would almost render him helpless, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Narrow-minded?"
Aya blinked, having never heard those words before, but she understood their meaning and smiled, saying:
"Iron Fist Abe is a master among Knight Attendants; otherwise, he wouldn't have been recruited by them. And it's only because he can unleash his potential with combat techniques that he could briefly match you."
"You're still stronger, Uncle."
Karl shook his head lightly.
He had only gained the upper hand due to his diverse skills.
Iron Fist Abe's martial arts were extremely refined. His moves were not complicated, but he executed them with great proficiency.
His combat techniques were also highly refined.
This was the result of the harsh environment of Black City, which had made every fighter there so formidable.
Iron Fist Abe might be a master among Knight Attendants in Black City, but he was definitely not the strongest. There were many stronger than him.
Karl took a moment to gather himself and smiled again.
He realized he had been a bit too sensitive. Feeling dejected after a minor setback, it was better to recognize his limitations early on. That way, he wouldn't be blindly overconfident and would be prepared if he ever encountered a true master.
Moreover...
Iron Fist Abe had been a master for many years but remained a Knight Attendant, indicating that he had reached his limit. Karl, on the other hand, still had much potential.
"Oh, right."
Remembering something, Karl asked, "Did Iron Fist Abe also have a spell seal?"
"Yes." Aya nodded. "It's called 'Steel Body,' which increases the body's defense. But it was destroyed when he died."
Karl understood.
If a person was severely injured or the flesh where the spell seal was located decayed, it could damage the seal. There were even secret techniques to directly destroy one's own spell seal to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
Steel Body?
The spell field had little effect on Iron Fist Abe, most likely due to the spell seal.
Spell seals can resist spells!
"Oh, right."
Aya remembered something important and clapped her hands, saying:
"We found a box in Iron Fist Abe's residence containing eighteen portions of beast meat."
"And hundreds of black stones, some collections..."
Karl's attention was now fully focused on those eighteen portions of beast meat.
"Really?"
"Yes, it's true."
Aya nodded.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
