Chapter 455
Once he was done speaking, Zhao Yao stole a quick look at the mission panel . Out of the maximum of 1,000 experience points, he had only chalked up 200 so far .
He narrowed his eyebrows . "This Faceless guy is unexpectedly resilient . I shall have to wear him down bit by bit . "
An instant defeat would not enable him to milk this mission of all its worth . He theorized that the best way was to drive him deep into despair by repeatedly getting his hopes up, then das.h.i.+ng them every time .
In the meantime, the apostles in the hall were still trying to piece together what had happened . The Headless Horseman had taken them down so quickly that they were not too sure what he did . All they knew for sure was that he was incredibly powerful .
The greed and fervor in their eyes had transformed into fear and suspicion . No one dared to make a move even after all his trash talk . They were still recovering from the mysterious pain that jolted them awake .
Their hesitance was nerve-wracking for Faceless . These apostles were his last hope . Without them, nothing stood between the Headless Horseman and himself . He could not allow that to happen .
"Don"t panic," he said bracingly, "If he"s that good, he would"ve skipped the smack talk and jumped straight into the fighting . It"s obvious that he"s hiding a weakness . Perhaps his power depletes after a short time . "
His words were received with mixed responses . Some apostles seemed to buy it, some definitely did not . Others looked deep in thought . None of them moved or showed any signs of taking action first .
These apostles were not friends or allies after all . Why would anyone sacrifice themselves be on the frontlines?
Zhao Yao was starting to grow impatient .
"No one wants to go first?" he asked, "Fine, I"ll go first . Just so you know, none of you are getting out of here from this moment . "
With a flick of his finger, the golden force field that surrounded him morphed into a beam of light . It rocketed through the air and rammed right into a j.a.panese apostle, whom spat a mouthful of blood as he flew across the hall .
Zhao Yao then traced a horizontal line with his finger . This time, the beam of light transformed into giant waves of energy that swept past a group of other j.a.panese apostles, knocking them off their feet and onto their backs .
This was, of course, just a small fraction of his powers . He had to hold back so that his opponents would harbor the hope that they could beat him .
" Bakayaro ," Shuiichi Nanno cursed .
He was glaring at the Headless Horseman was burning rage . A sinister shadow had made its way around the katana that he was gripping, wrapping it in darkness .
He lunged for Zhao Yao .
While his mastery of the shadow powers was not yet on par with Is.h.i.+da"s, he was able to elegantly integrate them with swordplay . His katana was specially designed to accommodate that . Its unique protrusions ensured that shadows were always cast on the blade, offering an endless pool of power to draw from .
Shuiichi Nanno might not be able to become a shadow, but he can cause just as much damage as Is.h.i.+da .
The moment he stuck his katana towards Zhao Yao, hundreds of shadows emerged from, all heading straight for the target .
The shadows moved swiftly, coming nose to nose with Zhao Yao in an instant . They were about to pierce right through him when he vanished and reappeared three meters away .
Shuiichi narrowed his eyes, "He can teleport too? Darn it . "
In truth,
truth, Zhao Yao had simply moved the dimension doorway .
There was an impish grin on his face as he sent dozens of golden energy waves through the air, this time at five apostles from Singapore . The men let out a roar of anger in unison as they wielded their lightsabers . They swung the lightsabers around, effectively blocking the incoming onslaught . Only one of them was hurt . He took a few steps back as he hissed in pain .
Once again, Zhao Yao was holding back . He wanted them to think that they stood a chance against him . Also, he had no wish to lay all his cards on the table .
Secrecy can keep an apostle alive . A person who knows all your powers knows your weaknesses too . This was why Zhao Yao had never unleashed all of them in real life . The only chance he could do so was in the dream, where witnesses would not be able to discern which powers were real and which were fake .
To him, TimeFreeze and his ability to resurrect himself had to be kept secret . They were his trump cards .
While the five men backed off, Shuiichi Nanno had not stopped trying to get to Zhao Yao . He continued to release shadow figures even though they were easily crushed by his opponent .
He shouted at the Singaporeans, "What are you waiting for? He"s not going to let us off even if we surrender . "
"He"s right," one of the men said, "We"ve got to work together to take him down!"
This seemed to tickle Zhao Yao, who started laughing joyfully .
"You should listen to him," he advised the men, "Come on, attack at the same time . If not, you won"t even have a chance to escape . "
He then flicked his finger again, producing hundreds of the same golden waves . They shot upwards, then started raining on the crowd like shooting stars .
No one was safe .
The rest of the apostles had no choice but to use their powers to protect themselves however they could . Some were screaming in fear, others in rage, and they released all that tension by attacking Zhao Yao at last .
Faceless could not help the smile on his face .
"Yes! He"s not G.o.d . With so many apostles charging at him at once, he"s not going to survive!"
His heart was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with hope .
Zhao Yao dodged each and every attack that was sent his way .
Shuiichi Nanno"s voice could be heard despite the commotion, "He teleports! Aim for the areas where he could teleport to next! Listen to my command!"
Under his leaders.h.i.+p, the mad scramble gradually transformed into a systematic attack . In no time, the apostles began to close in on Zhao Yao, reducing the amount of s.p.a.ce he could jump to avoid them .
The Singaporeans did not take part in the action . They scattered to five different spots in the hall . They were still holding onto their lightsabers, which were vibrating very violently . It was as if a tremendous amount of energy had been condensed in them and it was dying to be unleashed .
They watched as the Headless Horseman was eventually forced into the center of the hall in a bid to dodge the string of attacks .
It was time .
Diran, one of the Singaporeans, struck as quickly and suddenly as a viper that had been lying in wait . The lightsaber in his hand flew straight up towards the ceiling, then barreled down at Zhao Yao .
All along, he had been waiting patiently for the Headless Horseman to be close enough to attack .
A flash of joy shone in Diran"s eyes as the lightsaber was about to make contact with the top of Zhao Yao"s head .
"My undulating lightsaber can slice through army tanks like a knife through fruit! Once he"s. .h.i.t, he"s a dead man!"
His happiness was short-lived . Zhao Yao lifted a finger cloaked in gold above his head, effectively blocking the lightsaber from touching him . Army tanks might be powerless in the face of the undulating lightsaber, but it was no match against the deflective field .
"What?" Diran gaped in disbelief .
He was still processing what he was seeing when he felt an intense pain radiating from his chest . In the next moment, he was thrown off his feet and sent flying across the hall . He knocked through two walls before landing in a heap of cement and rubble, unconscious .
Diran - Out .
His failure reverberated through the hall like a warning . The golden waves that fanned around the Headless Horseman suddenly seemed a lot more lethal than before .
Shuiichi Nanno released a dozen more shadows . Together, they only managed to take down one ripple of Zhao Yao"s energy waves .
"This is not good!" he yelled, worry spelled out clearly on his face, "He"s been hiding the true depth of his powers . "
Garawa, another Singaporean apostle, was not going to let Diran"s sacrifice be made in vain . He let out an angry huff before stepping forward to catapult his own lightsaber at Zhao Yao .
Once again, Zhao Yao"s hand shot up to his face to stop the lightsaber from reaching him .
Garawa could only gawk as the Headless Horseman zoomed towards him at lightning speed, one hand crus.h.i.+ng the lightsaber . When he appeared right before Garawa, the cylindrical weapon had been squashed into a ball of light .
Wordlessly, Zhao Yao pressed the ball against Garawa"s chest, flinging him across the hall .
Once he was done speaking, Zhao Yao stole a quick look at the mission panel . Out of the maximum of 1,000 experience points, he had only chalked up 200 so far . He narrowed his eyebrows . This Faceless guy is unexpectedly resilient . I shall have to wear him down bit by bit . An instant defeat would not enable him to milk this mission of all its worth . He theorized that the best way was to drive him deep into despair by repeatedly getting his hopes up, then das.h.i.+ng them every time . In the meantime, the apostles in the hall were still trying to piece together what had happened . The Headless Horseman had taken them down so quickly that they were not too sure what he did . All they knew for sure was that he was incredibly powerful . The greed and fervor in their eyes had transformed into fear and suspicion . No one dared to make a move even after all his trash talk . They were still recovering from the mysterious pain that jolted them awake . Their hesitance was nerve wracking for Faceless . These apostles were his last hope . Without them, nothing stood between the Headless Horseman and himself . He could not allow that to happen . Don 39 t panic, he said bracingly, If he 39 s that good, he would 39 ve skipped the smack talk and jumped straight into the fighting . It 39 s obvious that he 39 s hiding a weakness . Perhaps his power depletes after a short time . His words were received with mixed responses . Some apostles seemed to buy it, some definitely did not . Others looked deep in thought . None of them moved or showed any signs of taking action first . These apostles were not friends or allies after all . Why would anyone sacrifice themselves be on the frontlines Zhao Yao was starting to grow impatient . No one wants to go first he asked, Fine, I 39 ll go first . Just so you know, none of you are getting out of here from this moment . With a flick of his finger, the golden force field that surrounded him morphed into a beam of light . It rocketed through the air and rammed right into a j.a.panese apostle, whom spat a mouthful of blood as he flew across the hall . Zhao Yao then traced a horizontal line with his finger . This time, the beam of light transformed into giant waves of energy that swept past a group of other j.a.panese apostles, knocking them off their feet and onto their backs . This was, of course, just a small fraction of his powers . He had to hold back so that his opponents would harbor the hope that they could beat him . Bakayaro , Shuiichi Nanno cursed . He was glaring at the Headless Horseman was burning rage . A sinister shadow had made its way around the katana that he was gripping, wrapping it in darkness . He lunged for Zhao Yao . While his mastery of the shadow powers was not yet on par with Is.h.i.+da 39 s, he was able to elegantly integrate them with swordplay . His katana was specially designed to accommodate that . Its unique protrusions ensured that shadows were always cast on the blade, offering an endless pool of power to draw from . Shuiichi Nanno might not be able to become a shadow, but he can cause just as much damage as Is.h.i.+da . The moment he stuck his katana towards Zhao Yao, hundreds of shadows emerged from, all heading straight for the target . The shadows moved swiftly, coming nose to nose with Zhao Yao in an instant . They were about to pierce right through him when he vanished and reappeared three meters away . Shuiichi narrowed his eyes, He can teleport too Darn it . In truth, Zhao Yao had simply moved the dimension doorway . There was an impish grin on his face as he sent dozens of golden energy waves through the air, this time at five apostles from Singapore . The men let out a roar of anger in unison as they wielded their lightsabers . They swung the lightsabers around, effectively blocking the incoming onslaught . Only one of them was hurt . He took a few steps back as he hissed in pain . Once again, Zhao Yao was holding back . He wanted them to think that they stood a chance against him . Also, he had no wish to lay all his cards on the table . Secrecy can keep an apostle alive . A person who knows all your powers knows your weaknesses too . This was why Zhao Yao had never unleashed all of them in real life . The only chance he could do so was in the dream, where witnesses would not be able to discern which powers were real and which were fake . To him, TimeFreeze and his ability to resurrect himself had to be kept secret . They were his trump cards . While the five men backed off, Shuiichi Nanno had not stopped trying to get to Zhao Yao . He continued to release shadow figures even though they were easily crushed by his opponent . He shouted at the Singaporeans, What are you waiting for He 39 s not going to let us off even if we surrender . He 39 s right, one of the men said, We 39 ve got to work together to take him down This seemed to tickle Zhao Yao, who started laughing joyfully . You should listen to him, he advised the men, Come on, attack at the same time . If not, you won 39 t even have a chance to escape . He then flicked his finger again, producing hundreds of the same golden waves . They shot upwards, then started raining on the crowd like shooting stars . No one was safe . The rest of the apostles had no choice but to use their powers to protect themselves however they could . Some were screaming in fear, others in rage, and they released all that tension by attacking Zhao Yao at last . Faceless could not help the smile on his face . Yes He 39 s not G.o.d . With so many apostles charging at him at once, he 39 s not going to survive His heart was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with hope . Zhao Yao dodged each and every attack that was sent his way . Shuiichi Nanno 39 s voice could be heard despite the commotion, He teleports Aim for the areas where he could teleport to next Listen to my command Under his leaders.h.i.+p, the mad scramble gradually transformed into a systematic attack . In no time, the apostles began to close in on Zhao Yao, reducing the amount of s.p.a.ce he could jump to avoid them . The Singaporeans did not take part in the action . They scattered to five different spots in the hall . They were still holding onto their lightsabers, which were vibrating very violently . It was as if a tremendous amount of energy had been condensed in them and it was dying to be unleashed . They watched as the Headless Horseman was eventually forced into the center of the hall in a bid to dodge the string of attacks . It was time . Diran, one of the Singaporeans, struck as quickly and suddenly as a viper that had been lying in wait . The lightsaber in his hand flew straight up towards the ceiling, then barreled down at Zhao Yao . All along, he had been waiting patiently for the Headless Horseman to be close enough to attack . A flash of joy shone in Diran 39 s eyes as the lightsaber was about to make contact with the top of Zhao Yao 39 s head . My undulating lightsaber can slice through army tanks like a knife through fruit Once he 39 s. .h.i.t, he 39 s a dead man His happiness was short lived . Zhao Yao lifted a finger cloaked in gold above his head, effectively blocking the lightsaber from touching him . Army tanks might be powerless in the face of the undulating lightsaber, but it was no match against the deflective field . What Diran gaped in disbelief . He was still processing what he was seeing when he felt an intense pain radiating from his chest . In the next moment, he was thrown off his feet and sent flying across the hall . He knocked through two walls before landing in a heap of cement and rubble, unconscious . Diran Out . His failure reverberated through the hall like a warning . The golden waves that fanned around the Headless Horseman suddenly seemed a lot more lethal than before . Shuiichi Nanno released a dozen more shadows . Together, they only managed to take down one ripple of Zhao Yao 39 s energy waves . This is not good he yelled, worry spelled out clearly on his face, He 39 s been hiding the true depth of his powers . Garawa, another Singaporean apostle, was not going to let Diran 39 s sacrifice be made in vain . He let out an angry huff before stepping forward to catapult his own lightsaber at Zhao Yao . Once again, Zhao Yao 39 s hand shot up to his face to stop the lightsaber from reaching him . Garawa could only gawk as the Headless Horseman zoomed towards him at lightning speed, one hand crus.h.i.+ng the lightsaber . When he appeared right before Garawa, the cylindrical weapon had been squashed into a ball of light . Wordlessly, Zhao Yao pressed the ball against Garawa 39 s chest, flinging him across the hall .