Chapter 156: Resolution
Translator: Wuxia Dog Editor: Wuxia Dog
Han Jin roared and dashed forward. Neither Moxinke nor Cessacioun could leave Sunier at the moment while Reg also had no methods of breaking through the Protection of Wind and Snow to hurt Terrence. The young magicians were even more unreliable. Thus, all the burden instantly fell on Han Jin’s shoulders.
Terrence grinned and rushed forward. Although he was not as tough or fast as Han Jin, he could release magic at any time. The ring of ice reduced Han Jin’s speed and the ice piton was a highly lethal weapon. He also created a wall of ice and used the art of Ice Armor to protect himself. Plus, Terrence could even fight hand-to-hand against Han Jin if the situation forced him to. Under his feet was a layer of solid ice, which moved along with him at all times. As a professional who was rich in experience, Terrence would never allow Han Jin to release that strange magic twice.
Anyway, Terrence was now in an advantaged position.
Han Jin’s movement slowed down. Terrence took the chance and released three successive rings of ice, which nearly froze Han Jin into a popsicle. Then, a huge ice piton appeared in Terrence’s hand and shot towards Han Jin’s chest bringing along with it a sound of whistling.
Han Jin stepped back with his final effort before his figure shrunk into the ground. The next moment, he reappeared around dozens of meters away, dodging the Protection of Wind and Snow.
“Haha…” Terrence burst into wild laughter. “You’re giving up so easily? How disappointing!”
Just then, the young magicians burst out in an argument. One of them kicked Asa to the ground, grabbed a magic scroll and prepared to use it.
But with a flash of dark light, an arrow pierced the magic scroll, turning it into ashes. Then, the next arrow hit the young magician’s throat directly. He swung his arms and hit the ground with a thud.
The young magicians were all thrown into despair. They had been arguing about whether to return to Isolated Cliff City using the magic scroll. Asa had disapproved of this because he wasn’t a deserter. Even if he were to run away from this place, he would run together with his guiders. The a.s.sa.s.sinations were aimed at their headmaster while Han Jin and the others were still fighting to protect them. They should never run away alone so shamelessly.
However, at a crucial moment, all the prestige Asa had acc.u.mulated in the past turned feeble and futile. One of his companions, who was desperate to leave, grabbed the magic scroll by force. Unfortunately, they overlooked the cruelty and meticulousness of their enemies.
Han Jin was in no mood to care about what was happening behind him. He cast a glance at the arrogant Terrence, the cunning-looking archer and then the Hydra which might struggle out from the lightning net in one to ten minutes. Han Jin burst into laughter; an action that did not fit with the current situation.
He released a charm of Spirit Refreshment for himself and tidied his messy robe. To be frank, he was indeed very afraid of dying and therefore was selfish to a certain extent. He had refused to release the Art of Body Replacement for Moxinke no matter how piteously Moxinke had entreated. This was because Han Jin had to put his own life first. He wouldn’t have sneaked into Black Raven City alone and killed so many enemies single-handedly if it wasn’t for the Art of Faked Earth Corpse that he had to protect himself. Although he was admired as a hero by them after that, he considered their admirations the same as dirt! There was nothing more important than his life!
However, the affairs of the world were always inconstant or it can be said that G.o.d is sometimes ruthless. When there is fear, there comes danger. Han Jin could run far away with his Art of Earthmeld regardless of the safety of his friends just to keep himself safe, but how could he choose to do this?
Asa didn’t want to leave because he still had his conscience, as did Han Jin. He would never escape alone while leaving his true friends here in danger.
To be a deserter was not easy. One should not only cast away all the good memories but should also have the courage of being reviled and cursed to live a completely isolated life. A life which was even harder than death! To live alone without anyone’s care, to be under everyone’s scolding and disdain while even being excluded by the entirety of society was no better than living in h.e.l.l.
Han Jin looked back at Moxinke. His eyes were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with a radiating vigor and his smile was clear and bright. He no longer looked like a b.l.o.o.d.y fighter but a young man who was standing at the end of a road with a bunch of flowers in hand, waiting for his sweetheart.
Moxinke and Cessacioun were both stunned. They had known Han Jin for over a year but had never seen him smiling like this. Did he… figure out a way to defeat their enemy?
“No, Raphael! No…” Sunier suddenly cried. A woman’s intuition was always accurate and Sunier was the sharpest one. Plus, Sunier had devoted too much to Han Jin. She didn’t know why but she felt that the smile on Han Jin’s face and his warm eyes were like a farewell instead of something good.
“Still not reconciled to your defeat?” Terrence sneered.
Han Jin turned around, looked at Terrence and said in a low voice, “Go with me.”
“What?” Terrence was confused and asked back subconsciously.
“Haha…” Han Jin burst into laughter. He felt relieved now, like a desperate man standing on the edge of a cliff. The toughest moment was when deciding whether to take the last step forward when all kinds of feelings such as grief, reluctance, and hesitation would torture his willpower ruthlessly. But after deciding to finally jump down, all scruples no longer existed nor was there a need for them to exist!
Han Jin curled his fourth finger, its nail pressing against his thumb and then he let out a stuffy roar, “Go!”
The sword sheath at his waist started to quiver violently. Then, a puff of bright sword light suddenly exploded, disintegrating the sword sheath into pieces.
It previously looked like an ordinary sword but now it was glittering with unparalleled brilliance, like a dragon born in a desolate world. It was brisk but mighty. Every ten meters it flew, a fireworks-like flame made of pure light would explode from its trail. In the eyes of others, it was like an explosive element that was exposed to the air. However, Han Jin knew that every explosion that came from the flame’s trail meant the vanis.h.i.+ng of one magic charm.
Han Jin had poured in a lot of effort into this sword. He had not yet reached the state of exerting the technique of a flying sword; thus he would place magic charms on the sword whenever he was free during the past year. Even now, sometimes when he was busy, he would still remember to do so. So up till now, innumerable magic charms have been placed on the sword. Han Jin also knew that when all the magic charms vanished, his life would come to an end.
While they were still in the West City of Beitman, Han Jin had once attempted to kill Gerald with this flying sword. Fortunately, the unexpected arrival of the vampires did a great favor for him but now, there was no one for him to rely on other than himself.
The flying sword was thrust into the boundary of the Protection of Wind and Snow, leaving behind a trail of flame that was more than ten meters long. It had already consumed three magic charms. Those annoying snowflakes were not effective against the sword while the dazzling sword lights were fixed on Terrence.
Terrence’s face turned solemn. With a wave of his hand, a wall of ice was created. He didn’t use this wall to block the strange long sword that was heading in his direction, but just to detect the true magic power of his opponent.
Han Jin sneered. The flying sword soared up in a very flexible posture, pa.s.sed the ice wall and continued traveling towards Terrence.
With a slight stroke, the wall of ice exploded, causing ice flakes to spatter everywhere while a huge ball of flame flashed on the flying sword. Suddenly, the sword shot downward like lightning.
Terrence’s face changed color dramatically. When the sword was about to thrust into his chest, his figure suddenly disappeared and reappeared dozens of meters away.
Teleportation! A magic that was different in approach but had equally satisfactory results with the Art of Earthmeld Han Jin had. The only difference was that Han Jin could release the Art of Earthmeld without any limitations while this magic was limited by a time interval.
Terrence could only move his body and could not take the Protection of Wind and Snow with him. When he reappeared, all the wind and snow already flooded him.
Han Jin moved his finger. The flying sword flashed and pa.s.sed the dancing snowflakes, shooting directly at Terrence once again.
After another wave of his magic wand, a huge ball of ice occurred out of nowhere and gushed out against the ground.
However, the sword seemed to be alive. It sank down abruptly, dodged the ice ball and continued shooting forward while brus.h.i.+ng against the ground.
In Moxinke’s eyes, this was just a new magic technique released by Han Jin. He couldn’t feel the despairing feeling that Terrence felt at all. But for Terrence, the erratic flying sword was like a heavy stone pressing against his heart.
He stamped his magic wand. A ring of ice spread around him but the flying sword raised its tip and thrust forward slightly. All the waves of mist-like ice that were released had failed to block it.
The next moment, the flying sword had appeared behind Terrence. It was so fast that not even his eyes could not follow it.
“Hoesersi, help me!” Terrence shouted and then released another magic technique. This time, it completely sealed his body in multiple layers of solid ice.
The magic of Ice Blockage, also called the Ice Coffin, was usually used to store the magic of rare treasures. The effects of Ice Blockage could last for a long time and its ice sh.e.l.l was extremely solid, which would not melt even after being exposed to suns.h.i.+ne for a long time. Even though this magic was not very useful in practical fights, Terrence was very clever to use it to protect himself. However, this also showed that he had no other options. None of the aggressive magic he possessed could hit the flying sword; not even the ice wall could protect him, not to mention the ice armor. The worst part about it was that the sword was so fast that he had no time to chant any incantations to release other magic. The most important thing for him right now was not to launch an attack but to save his own life. He should at least hold on until he has sufficient energy to release another Teleportation.
The archer named Hoesersi was stunned and didn’t come to herself until hearing Terrence’s shout for help. She pulled her longbow and aimed at Han Jin.
A wooden giant suddenly appeared in front of Han Jin, blocking Hoesersi’s sight while Moxinke pounced forward like a fierce tiger.
Hoesersi realized it immediately. She shot out an arrow in panic and retreated quickly but Reg already appeared beside her without a sound. A dagger glittering with cold light stabbed towards her. However, because Reg was already severely injured, the dagger missed its target.
The flying sword that was suspended in the air started retreating slowly. Terrence stared at it nervously. On the ice coffin, he left a gap for himself to inhale fresh air.
Hold on! Terrence roared in his heart. Hold on for a few more minutes then I can release Teleportation again!
Unfortunately, Han Jin was the last one who wanted to wait. He was like a burning candle, each movement of the flying sword burning away his life.
A ray of glaring light lit up on the flying sword. Then, a flowing light collided with the ice coffin at an overwhelming momentum. With a loud boom, the ice coffin cracked into countless glittering and translucent pieces that scattered all around. An area with a radius of dozens of meters was covered with sparkling ice flakes.
Terrence’s eyes darkened. A blood hole thicker than a bowl’s rim appeared on his chest. Then, his body wobbled and he started falling down gradually.
Han Jin relaxed his fingers and reached out his index and middle finger again. The flying sword, appearing as though it was a man, nodded lightly in the air and then pa.s.sed by Reg and Moxinke, targeting the archer.
Hoesersi had been scared witless. She screamed and ran into the woods. However, how could she beat the flying sword just by walking on her feet? No matter how fast she was, she could not make herself as fast as a ray of light!
With a shrill whistle came the flying sword thrusting towards the back of her head. Hoesersi leaped aside with all her effort. The flying sword struck nothing, but under Han Jin’s control, it targeted her neck again without a single pause, leaving an afterimage in the air.
Hoesersi ran against a tree out of fear, neither Reg nor Moxinke seeing her nervous eyeb.a.l.l.s from behind her.
She waited. When the flying sword was about to reach her, she leaned away to dodge the attack. The flying sword brushed past her neck and sunk into an ancient tree.
A complacent smile crept on her face but it froze a few seconds later. A ray of light came from the back of the tree. Even the ancient tree, which was thick enough to be encircled by several arms, could not stop the flying sword.
Hoesersi rushed forward after another scream and fell down, tumbling and crawling. However, Han Jin took no pity on her even though she was in a very poor state. The flying sword paused for a moment in the air and then shot at her back.
No one noticed that Han Jin’s face had turned from red to pale and then blue. Now his cheeks were as dark as a dead man’s and the flying sword slowed down.
After doing a somersault, Hoesersi leaped up into the air. The flying sword missed its target again, with half of the blade stuck into the ground.
Hoesersi raised her longbow all of a sudden and slashed the sword. Han Jin staggered in the distance. A line of blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth. Hoesersi continued. Crack! Her longbow broke into half. If she had slashed the flying sword with a sword that was as big as Moxinke’s, Han Jin would already be dead.
The flying sword started to tremble violently. Panic-stricken, Hoesersi raised her foot and stomped it.
Han Jin let out a low roar. After quickly changing the positions of his fingers, the flying sword was abruptly pulled out of the ground by an intangible force. Hoesersi missed her step and nearly fell down. Before she could react, a ray of sword light flashed. Then, she saw blood splas.h.i.+ng everywhere. The flying sword had pierced through her left leg.
“Ah…” she screamed and fell down.
Moxinke was already rus.h.i.+ng towards her while Reg still lagged behind due to his injury.
Without saying anything, Moxinke swung his giant sword down fiercely in a spout of rage. His target was the archer’s right leg
He did this to avenge Han Jin. The archer had said that she wanted to torture Han Jin, so she must pay the price for her own words!
Without her longbow and an injured leg, Hoesersi could not protect herself at all. She just looked at the falling sword in desperation.
Poof… Blood splashed everywhere again. The half shank of hers was cut down. She repeatedly let out heartrending screams due to pain!
Moxinke kicked her cheek and grinned. “You wanna torture us? Come on!”
Just then, a horrible growl came from the near distance. Moxinke’s face changed color dramatically while Hoesersi burst into weird laughter. “Haha… you will all die with me! Haha…”
Before her laughter died away, the edge of Moxinke’s giant sword swept across her neck. A b.l.o.o.d.y head soared up into the sky and then fell down. It rolled on the gra.s.s and the hideous smile she had shown before her death was frozen on her face.
Moxinke didn’t bother to spare a glance at the body. He picked up his giant sword and strode outside the woods.
Han Jin had almost run out of energy but he still could not relax. The lightning net which was constraining the Hydra was becoming fainter and fainter. Perhaps the Hydra would be able to struggle out right at this moment!
The flying sword flew back. Around it, the light was not as bright as before and its speed had also slowed down. However, it had a clear target. Each attack from the flying sword cost Han Jin dozens or even hundreds of magic charms. The attack which had broken the ice coffin had nearly cost him all of his energy. By now, Han Jin was driving the flying sword by instinct because he had gone far beyond his level of endurance!
The Hydra curled up in the lightning net. Its murderous eyes were staring at the flying sword. Instinctively, it sensed the terrible lethality of this tiny weapon.
Han Jin’s body was shaking but his fingers were stern. The flying sword paused. Then, it shot down and immediately flew into the deep wounds on the back of the Hydra which were left by the young dragon’s bite.
Han Jin let out a sigh of relief. Then, a thunderous howl resounded throughout the forest, “Break!”
With a loud sound, the flying sword exploded into countless debris. Every piece of it pierced through the Hydra’s guts and muscles like streams of energy which could even pierce through iron or stone. A fountain of blood started spraying out high into the sky. The original wound on the Hydra’s back turned into a large and deep wound which was at least several meters in width.
It roared painfully and struggled desperately. However, Han Jin could not see or hear this anymore. He felt his feet turn heavy. Then, he knelt down and his body softened.
“Raphael!” Moxinke shouted both worriedly and excitedly. When he held Han Jin and saw his ghastly face, his voice trembled like the crying of a wild animal, “Raphael…”
“The blood of a dragon!” An idea flashed across Sunier’s mind. She was the only one who knew Han Jin’s secret and also the only one who knew how to save him. She screamed, “Let him drink the Dragon’s blood! Quick!”
“What?” Cessacioun felt puzzled.
“Quick…” After another shout, Sunier’s head leaned down with her body following soon after.