Chapter 147: Seventh-Rank Great Soul Master (Part Two)

The scorching flames gradually dissipated, revealing the charming young woman within. Looking closely, one could see her hair was as long as clouds, her delicate face like the moon, her eyebrows curved like willows, and her eyes as clear as water. A brief yet extremely form-fitting suit of leather armor accentuated her curvaceous figure to the utmost. Her snow-white teeth gently bit her lower lip, making her look exceptionally gentle, yet no matter how Vyl looked at it, she still appeared stubbornly unyielding.

At this moment, that charming figure naturally caught sight of Vyl and immediately walked toward him. Vyl rubbed his slightly aching temples and groaned almost powerlessly, "Tell me, Eldest Miss, why on earth did you come back?"

"Didn't you stay behind as well?"

The person answered with righteous confidence. She glared fiercely at Vyl, then ground her teeth, forcing the words out from between them as she coldly stated, "Hmph, don't think I didn't see anything. You did this on purpose, didn't you? Hmph, letting Barick see that you can use healing magic, and then intentionally staging some sort of death game to ensure you and Barick were the only ones left behind, while making us escape first? Oh, really? You stayed here to buy time and play the reckless, fearless hero? Keep dreaming! Vyl, let me tell you, we people of the Slaughtering Moon are never afraid to die, and neither am I, Pepero! Hmph, Vyl, your strength is even lower than mine! What of Barick? Since you, a mere mage, can face him alone, why can't I, Pepero?!"

The young woman widened her eyes, placed her hand defiantly on her waist, and turned back to glare fiercely at Barick as if provoking him. Judging by her stance, she genuinely seemed to want to pick a fight with Barick. Even when facing the leader of the Rotten Wolf Mercenary Corps—whose strength far exceeded her own—Pepero would never allow herself to fall behind in terms of imposing aura. Seeing Pepero's formidable demeanor, whether out of genuine admiration or mischievous intent, Vyl secretly gave her a thumbs-up—truly worthy of being Eldest Miss Pepero!

However, if this young woman really started a fight with that terrifying monster Barick, he would have no choice but to step in and lend a hand. The problem was that even if he and Pepero combined their strengths, they still couldn't defeat Barick alone; there was simply no chance of winning. And now, even the prospect of escaping had become a major headache. At this thought, a throbbing pain flared up in Vyl's head.

Completely ignoring Vyl's headache-inducing antics, Pepero had already assumed a combat stance and shouted at him, "Why aren't you making a move yet?"

"I..."

Vyl was rendered speechless. He opened his mouth, his tongue turning over and over inside, before finally uttering with extreme helplessness, "Fine..."

Escape? That was clearly out of the question now. Given Vyl's personality, he wasn't going to just sit around and wait for death, coupled with Pepero's provocative gaze... Damn it! Could he, the dignified Vyl, actually be afraid of a young woman like Pepero?!

At this thought, Vyl hardened his heart and waved the divine staff in his hand. The emerald-green crescent blade swept through the air, leaving behind an extremely beautiful emerald-green radiance. Simultaneously, embedded within that crescent blade, one of the pitch-black, top-grade magic crystals suddenly began to flash with bizarre black light. A faint layer of pitch-black mist continuously emanated from the divine staff, and a similar layer of pitch-black mist began to shroud Vyl's body.

Pepero was standing closest to Vyl and was naturally the first to feel this pitch-black mist radiating from him. This mist was not aqueous vapor, yet it felt as bone-chillingly cold as water mist, carrying a somewhat eerie, frigid sensation. This mist, filled with a bizarre aura, made Pepero feel extremely uncomfortable; the hairs on her skin involuntarily stood on end, and a numbing chill crept all the way from her lower back to the back of her head, causing her to shudder violently.

Pepero opened her mouth, intending to ask Vyl what exactly he was planning to do, but before she could, Vyl stepped forward, cutting off her words. "My strength is far too lacking. Even if I hit Barick, it won't cause him much damage. Therefore, all I can do is provide cover and distract Barick. The primary attack will still have to rely on you!"

"That goes without saying!"

Hearing this, Pepero felt a brief surge of quiet pride. Vyl didn't pay attention to it; after a moment of thought, he turned back to her and said, "Ideally, we should still look for a chance to escape!"

"Escape?"

Pepero abruptly turned her head to look at Vyl, then asked in a deadpan, serious tone, "Do you think we can escape?"

Vyl fell silent, as any further words would be utterly meaningless.

The only thing that puzzled Vyl was why Pepero had come back when she had clearly already left. Was it merely out of stubborn pride, anger, and an unwillingness to flee right in front of Barick? Didn't this young woman understand the vast difference in strength between herself and Barick? Since she did understand, why on earth had she rushed back?

What a headache...

Vyl sighed inwardly, gently shaking his head as he forced his state of mind to calm down.

"Alright then, let's begin!"

Vyl waved his divine staff, and a mass of pitch-black mist rapidly concentrated in an instant before bursting outward like an explosion. A vast expanse of mist floated across the ground, lingering below half a meter in height, covering an area of ten meters.

"Pepero, the opportunity lies within these ten meters—don't miss it!"

Vyl softly spoke to Pepero. Without waiting to see if she understood, he suddenly puffed out his chest, raised his voice, and shouted at Barick, "Azure Bear! Do you dare come over?!"

"Why wouldn't I?!"

Barick let out a cold snort, violently swinging the white blade in his hand. With what looked like an extremely simple motion, he whipped up a whirlwind that instantly scattered the lingering mist before him!

Although he had lost his left eye, Barick's right eye remained as sharp as a falcon's. His gaze locked fiercely onto Vyl, and with a heavy snort from his nose, he suddenly took a step forward.

This brief step covered a distance of barely half a meter, but the moment Barick simultaneously stepped out with his other foot, a distance originally forty or fifty meters away was instantly bridged. In the blink of an eye, Barick appeared a mere twenty meters or so away from Vyl. Such terrifying speed caused not only Vyl's heart to skip a beat, but Pepero's as well.

Facing such a formidable enemy, Pepero surprisingly did not act recklessly. Instead, she cautiously retreated half a step, keeping her focus locked on Barick while making sure not to lose sight of the ground covered in pitch-black mist.

He had said that the opportunity lay within this ten-meter zone shrouded in mist, but would an opportunity truly present itself?

There was no answer, nor did she need one. Such was Pepero's personality: since she had chosen to return, she had no use for trivial, complicated hesitation. Once she had made up her mind, she would never go back on it. That was who she was—Pepero Dan!

Taking a deep breath, Pepero fully unleashed the soul power within her body. Swirling masses of scorching flames rapidly enveloped her entire figure. Those two soft, fiery tails grew nearly three times larger than usual, reaching a height of a meter and a half and stretching over three meters long. The fiery tails formed a shield-like barrier of flame, perfectly protecting Pepero within their defense.

Barick was naturally well aware of Pepero's strength. Although the power of a Tier 2 Great Soul Master would indeed pose a certain threat to him, Barick paid it little mind because right now, he was far more interested in Vyl!

What kind of goods most mages of this era were was a consensus shared across the entire continent, but a mage like Vyl undoubtedly made Barick's eyes light up. The magic he displayed could be considered revolutionary for people of this era! Each spell was more miraculous than the last, especially that bizarre teleportation, which could only be described as shocking! Just think: how old was he now? What was his level of strength? If he were given a little more time, what astonishing heights could he reach?

Protruding his scarlet tongue tip, Barick licked lips that still bore a trace of bloodstains. Although Barick had noted the threat Vyl posed, that threat wasn't particularly large to him—or perhaps it was better to say Barick simply wasn't worried about the threat Vyl presented at the moment. As for the future? Heh, Barick was no good guy; he was the leader of the Rotten Wolf Mercenary Corps, the infamous wolf pack chief! Since he knew this kid would become a stumbling block and a threat to him in the days to come, he had to eliminate him right now!

wisps of killing intent began to gathering around Barick. In an instant, that terrifying intent transformed into a dense, overwhelming murderous aura that erupted completely. Vyl's heart tightened, and he immediately expanded his perception to nearly twice its previous range. Yet even so, the moment Barick shifted his feet, Vyl watched in stunned disbelief as Barick vanished right before his eyes!

This was definitely not vanishing into thin air; rather, Barick's speed was simply too fast! According to his sensory detection, Barick was advancing toward him at a speed and trajectory completely unimaginable to ordinary people. In the span of a single breath, Barick's figure had already appeared right before Vyl's eyes!

"Damn it!"

Vyl cursed inwardly and immediately activated Spatial Transfer. The white blade in Barick's hand whipped up a bloody gale, accompanied by a harsh, piercing "swish" as bright red blood splattered wildly like raindrops. Meanwhile, Vyl teleported six or seven meters behind Barick. Looking at Vyl's chest, a bloody gash twenty centimeters long stretched from his shoulder down to his waist, blood gushing out like a fountain. But how could Vyl care about that now? Biting his lip to endure the agonizing pain, he immediately waved his divine staff. In an instant, blocks of four-to-five-meter black rocks emerged from the ground within the ten-meter zone covered by the black mist. Even more bizarrely, these pitch-black rocks were draped with bleached human skulls and skeletons!

"Undead soldiers, heed my command, rise!"

The moment Vyl finished speaking, the skeletons atop the pitch-black rocks actually began to rattle. Some complete skeletons quickly stood up, while others, shattered and broken, had to piece themselves together to barely form a complete frame. Although these skeletons looked tattered and unimpressive, there were between eighty and one hundred of them, making the space within the ten-meter zone appear somewhat crowded. However, these dense swarms of skeletons failed to draw Barick's attention. He let out a cold snort, turned around, and walked straight toward Vyl, completely ignoring the skeletons, which possessed all show and no real substance.

"Undead soldiers, heed my command, fight!"

At Vyl's command, the skeletons sprang into action, using their own bones as sharp weapons as they flew toward Barick. It had to be said that while these skeletons looked fragile, their movements were extremely agile. They leaped and wove through the rocks like nimble monkeys. Yet Barick still didn't deign to take them seriously. He merely glanced at Pepero, who was standing a dozen meters away and inexplicably motionless, then violently swept the white blade in his hand. Two pale beams of light flashed past, effortlessly shattering four or five skeletons into a pile of broken bones.

"Haha? Tell me, kid, is this all the trickery you can muster to fool me?"

Barick laughed loudly, sweeping his white blade once more. This time, the power was even fiercer than before; a dozen skeletons were easily crushed without a shred of resistance, collapsing into a heap of useless bone shards with a rattling clatter.

Without answering, Vyl directly waved his staff, and dozens of fire swallows immediately fluttered out, charging at Barick like a swarm of bees. In addition, Vyl unleashed all his other offensive magic one after another: earth spikes, ice spears, dark corrosion arrows, and a series of other spells. The most prominent characteristic of these spells was that while their individual power was mediocre, they were all large-area, crowd-control magic. Though these attacks wouldn't cause Barick any real injury, they created no small amount of trouble for him.

Just as Barick was beginning to genuinely flare up in anger, the skeletons he had previously smashed to pieces actually stood up again. One skeleton had its skull crushed and all other parts shattered, yet creepily, the skull rolled over to its scattered skeleton frame on its own, used its jaws to piece its scattered bones back together one by one, and then stood right back up to continue fighting.

"Could these skeletons... possibly be undying?!"

A spark of astonishment flashed through Barick's mind, but immediately afterward, another thought violently crossed his mind—this brat was trying to use a sea-of-bodies tactic to exhaust him to death!

"A rather cunning brat, actually thinking up a trick like this..."

A sharp glint flashed in Barick's eyes as he gritted his teeth and snarled, "However, if you think you can kill me with this, you are severely underestimating me, Barick!"

In an instant, Barick's movements turned several times fiercer and faster than before. The magical bombardment and the swarm of skeletons could barely hold him back any longer. Seeing this, Vyl immediately shouted to Pepero, "Pepero, strike together!"

"Got it!"

Pepero let out a low cry, flashed forward, and immediately charged at Barick. At this point, Barick's movements had already been partially restrained by Vyl, and Pepero's sudden, fierce assault caught him somewhat off guard.

It had to be known that Pepero's strength had already reached the level of a Tier 2 Great Soul Master. Although her power fell short of Barick's, she was still capable of injuring him.

"Bang!"

Her crimson battle-qi claws collided with Barick's white blade, producing a crisp, muffled explosion. Pepero was clearly outmatched in raw strength and was sent flying backward by Barick's strike. Just as her feet were about to touch the pitch-black mist on the ground, a skeleton suddenly leaped out from somewhere and caught her, allowing her to step right on its head.

"Snap!"

With a teleport, Vyl materialized, gripping his divine staff as he joined the assault. The result, naturally, was being beaten back by Barick. Vyl's physical strength was even inferior to Pepero's; his entire body was knocked away like a cannonball, and it took the coordinated effort of three or four skeletons to barely catch him.

Continuous light magic healing finally restored some function to his shattered arm. Enduring the pain, Vyl shouted to Pepero, "Do not touch the black mist on the ground! Twenty seconds from now, you will definitely see that final opportunity!"

Although she didn't understand what Vyl meant by this "final opportunity," now was clearly not the time to ask for details. Pepero merely glanced at the bloody wounds covering Vyl's body and furrowed her brow.

The subsequent battle devolved entirely into a grueling stalemate. It had to be said that this young woman Pepero possessed genuine talent in combat; she fully leveraged her speed advantage, launching the most ferocious assaults against Barick. Whatever she lacked in certain aspects was easily made up for by using those skeletons as scapegoats. Vyl also played a significant role, utilizing the element of surprise from his spatial teleports combined with intensive area-effect magic bombardments to keep Barick constantly off-balance. By this point, Barick probably hadn't even realized that his movements were imperceptibly slowing down and growing sluggish.

Eighteen!

Nineteen!

Twenty!

Just as Pepero finished counting the final digit, the expression of the hitherto unyielding Barick suddenly shifted. An indescribable, excruciating pain, akin to his heart being drilled into, coursed through every nerve in his body. He hurriedly looked down, only to find that his legs had grown swollen and heavy, the flesh and skin already more than half-corroded. The corrosive pitch-black mist was continually eating away at his legs, penetrating his body and spreading inexorably toward other parts.

"I've fallen into a trap?!"

The thought flashed violently through Barick's mind. By now, his body had already begun to go numb, the paralysis spreading upward from his legs to his joints, arms, fingers, and even his brain and heart!

"Damn it! A trap, I—fucking hell—I actually fell for a trap?! I, Barick, the Azure Bear, was actually toyed with by two ant-like creatures?! Damn it, damn it all!"

Barick roared in furious rage. At that moment, Pepero seized the opportunity, transforming her entire body into a crimson blade as she flew toward Barick, aiming straight for his vital spots. Who would have expected that at this very instant, Barick would suddenly roar like a madman? For the first time in front of Vyl and Pepero, he fully unleashed the soul power within his body. An ash-gray radiance instantly completely enveloped him; the white blade, which had been barely half an inch wide, instantly transformed into a massive blade over half a meter wide and two meters long. With a savage, beast-like roar, he swung it fiercely, hacking out a terrifying beam of light over ten meters wide!