“Awoooo!!!”
A long, deep wolf howl suddenly erupted from the depths of the night.
The slender limbs of a black winter wolf with swaying mane landed lightly under the shroud of moonlight. The piercing astral wind enveloping its body was like countless sharp blades, whipping up bursts of shredded flesh and bloody rain among the crowd.
The Sahuagin were faring better; the dense scales covering their bodies provided a marginally hard layer of defense. However, for the thugs of the Ebb Tide Gang who hadn't even obtained a professional level, they couldn't withstand it for even a second.
Often, they didn't even have time to react. They would only hear a wolf howl brush past their ears, and a distorted black phantom would flash momentarily across their vision. Their once healthy bodies were riddled with holes by the astral wind, and they would faint in agony, screaming.
The scenery on both sides receded rapidly, yet his highly focused attention made the target in his sight seem to enter a state of slow motion, allowing him to clearly and keenly capture every minute movement of the opponent.
Xia Nan's target was, naturally, the Sahuagin priest holding the horn.
In a group battle, the core spellcasters of the enemy camp must be dealt with first; this had long since become a consensus among nearly all adventurers in this world.
He hadn't acted previously, choosing instead to hide his strength and observe in secret, simply because he was wary of "Carrion Vulture" Glee, who stood guard beside the Sahuagin like a sentinel. He feared that a rash attack would lead him into a trap where he would be forced to fight two opponents at once.
Now, Agu, the gnome rogue from the Iron Rock Shield squad, had used his own life as a price to lure the pirate leader away from the Sahuagin priest for Xia Nan. He naturally would not waste this opportunity.
A distance of dozens of meters vanished in an instant.
The instantaneous explosive speed granted by [Fang Hunt] did not slow down as professional levels increased or combat intensity strengthened; instead, it became more ferocious and sharp as Xia Nan's physical fitness improved.
Time seemed to freeze.
From Xia Nan's perspective, which was nearly at 0.5x speed, he could even see the viscous blood dripping from the edge of the scimitar in Glee's hand nearby, and the fluttering movement of the Sahuagin's fleshy gills.
He had no intention of holding back.
Given his personality and combat habits, since this was a decapitation strike, it was best to be lethal in one hit.
Regardless of what trump cards the opponent held or how rigorous their plan was, once the head was separated from the neck, everything would turn to void.
The grey-black straight sword [Cinderfall] reflected the moonlight, its surface condensing an ochre-red energy glow, and the surrounding air distorted slightly with the fluctuations of gravity.
[Fang Hunt] + [Whirlslash] + [Gravity Etching] + [Heavy Tide]!
Four combat skills merged, transforming into the strongest strike Xia Nan could deliver in his normal state.
Simultaneously, his mental focus was highly concentrated, with [Gravity Control] ready at any moment.
If this Sahuagin priest made the slightest attempt to cast a defensive spell, he would use gravity from a distance to interrupt it by any means possible.
It was clear that Xia Nan, acting on instinct under the influence of sensitive perception, had captured that fleeting opportunity in battle.
But regardless, standing on the other side of the field was a Sahuagin priest with a professional level as high as lv5, capable of using third-circle spells.
Its combat experience was beyond extensive.
Having led the Sahuagin to ravage the seas for so many years, it had dealt with decapitation tactics countless times, whether facing adventurers or other enemies.
Therefore, even though it smelled the unprecedentedly thick scent of death in the air, it did not appear panicked or lost.
The consecutive casting of "Foxfire" and "Human Hold"—two spells requiring concentration—was a reward from completing its sacrifice ritual, a special talent bestowed by its racial deity.
Although it had reduced the enemy's numbers in a short time, it had also pushed the priest's mental load to the limit, requiring a brief rest and adjustment before it could cast again.
But as one of the rare elite spellcasters among the Sahuagin race, how could it not have its own life-saving trump card?
*Hum...*
The magic particles around its body suddenly became chaotic, and a flash of bright yellow light erupted from its neck.
There, a necklace adorned with a small shell at the end was vibrating violently under the light.
Then, with a crisp sound like an egg cracking, it suddenly exploded!
The entire necklace, along with the shell pendant beneath it, shattered and fell.
The bright yellow light expanded rapidly outward from its neck.
Finally, around the priest's body, it formed a translucent shield composed of pure energy.
In the very next second after the shield formed, the grey-black straight sword condensing force-field energy fell amidst a wolf howl.
*Boom!!!*
The exaggerated strike, condensing four full combat skills, released a power in an instant that undoubtedly far exceeded the level Xia Nan's professional rank should possess.
The massive force granted by [Whirlslash] + [Fang Hunt] pushed the sharpness and toughness of the [Cinderfall] straight sword to the extreme;
Adding the force-field energy of [Gravity Etching] and the additional gravity damage of [Heavy Tide].
As the sword fell, the disposable yellow shield the Sahuagin used as a life-saving trump card didn't even last a second before it was completely shattered into countless shards of light.
Clearly not expecting Xia Nan's strike to possess such power, a visible expression of astonishment appeared on the Sahuagin priest's face, which was covered in fine scales.
Even so, the completely shattered translucent shield had ultimately bought it a very brief window of opportunity.
It allowed the Sahuagin to use its four arms to grip the horn tightly and lift it to its mouth.
Inhale, blow.
*Dreeee—*
A sharp, piercing horn blast suddenly erupted.
Invisible sound waves, carrying a powerful current of air, surged outward in all directions.
His eardrums throbbed with pain. Having leaped into the air to strike downward, shattering the light shield and continuing the slash with the remaining momentum, Xia Nan felt a gale like a sea storm rushing toward his face.
With both feet suspended in the air and no point of support to exert force, the powerful airflow sent Xia Nan flying backward.
Of course, it wasn't that the Sahuagin priest had used another defensive spell.
This current of air surging with the horn's sound was a special ability inherent to the horn itself.
By the time Xia Nan adjusted his center of gravity in mid-air and quickly dissipated the force under the effect of the [Tide Shaping] feat, landing gently like a feather...
The Sahuagin priest in front had already retreated rapidly.
And "Carrion Vulture" Glee, who had been lured away by the rogue Agu, had already charged forward.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew!
The fiercely hacking pirate scimitar collided violently with the cold, dark surface of the shield meeting it from below.
With strong physical attributes enhanced by multiple secret realms, he did not seem at a disadvantage even when facing a professional adventurer two levels higher than himself.
With just a slight exertion of his left arm, he pushed the scimitar straight back.
The ferocious figure used the momentum to retreat a few steps, blocking the path of the rapidly retreating Sahuagin priest.
With this, one round ended.
Xia Nan looked at "Carrion Vulture" Glee before him and the Sahuagin priest behind him.
His facial expression remained unchanged, but thoughts flashed through his mind.
Clearly, his decapitation tactic was only half successful.
He had used the instantaneous explosive ability of [Fang Hunt] to close in quickly, catching the opponent off guard, and used a combination of combat skills to slash away the Sahuagin priest's trump card. However, he ultimately failed to kill the Sahuagin on the spot, giving the opponent a chance to breathe and recover.
How should he handle this next?
Continue the decapitation plan targeting the spellcaster, or deal with the pirate leader in front of him first?
No!
The priority of a spellcaster should always be the highest; he must kill the Sahuagin priest first!
As Xia Nan rapidly calculated his next combat strategy in his mind, "Carrion Vulture" Glee, not far ahead, suddenly opened his mouth
" 'Sea Fang' Xia Nan?"
"I didn't expect to run into you here."
"You and our Ebb Tide Gang shouldn't have any conflicts, right? If it's because of that incident at the docks, I can compensate you. That little thug who provoked you can also be handed over for you to dispose of as you wish."
"Stop here. Continuing this will bring no benefit to me, nor to yourself."
"Or... we could talk and reach some kind of cooperation?"
"Gold coins, combat skills, enchanted equipment—everything is negotiable. How about it?"
The response he received was a sharp wolf howl filled with killing intent.
Xia Nan never wasted words on dead men.
"Tsk."
Knowing his plan to stall for time had failed, "Carrion Vulture" Glee gritted his teeth.
He flicked his right hand holding the scimitar, and a deep green luster emitting a lethally sweet scent appeared on the edge of the blade.
The profession he held was called [Corrosive Blade Plunderer], an uncommon variant of the [Warrior].
In terms of strength and speed, it was inferior to the main class, but it gained special abilities regarding corrosive toxins.
The green luster on the scimitar's surface, while possessing lethal toxins, also carried a strong corrosive effect capable of eroding the defensive equipment it attacked.
Based on his past combat experience, in most cases, enemies were often caught off guard by the poison blade due to a lack of information; not only was their equipment corroded, but their bodies were also gradually weakened by the toxins.
Of course, because corroded equipment didn't fetch a good price, Glee didn't often use this combat skill unless he encountered an exceptionally troublesome enemy.
Now, facing "Sea Fang" Xia Nan, who was already famous in Barracuda Bay—even setting aside the terrifying record of having wiped out the upper echelons of the Hammerhead Gang—the sheer explosive power he had displayed in those few seconds was enough to make Glee fight with everything he had.
Facing the charging black wolf, a flash of ferocity crossed Glee's triangular eyes, and he hacked down with the deep green scimitar.
*Clang!*
A crisp sound erupted.
The pirate scimitar collided with the black arm-shield once again.
"It worked!"
Glee rejoiced inwardly.
A collision of this magnitude was enough for the corrosive poison on the blade's surface to erode and soften this oddly shaped arm-shield.
With just two more hits, three at most, he could completely rot the only piece of armor the opponent wore.
At that point, this "Sea Fang" Xia Nan would likely be forced to use the longsword in his hand to block, creating a chain reaction.
After a few rounds, once the opponent's arm-shield, longsword, and even armor were completely corroded by the poison, no matter how strong his innate power was, he would inevitably fall into a disadvantage against Glee, who still held intact weapons and equipment, and would gradually lose control of his body under the erosion of the toxins.
The thought flashed through his mind.
But in the next second, the expression on Glee's face suddenly froze.
The scimitar had indeed struck the arm-shield solidly, and the deep green poison on the blade's edge had splashed onto the shield's surface upon impact.
But to his disbelief, these corrosive toxins, which had always been effective, seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the black arm-shield reflecting a cold luster.
Like rainwater sliding off a glass surface, let alone eroding or rotting it, they couldn't even leave the faintest white mark.
"Why!?"
Glee wondered in shock.
To this, Xia Nan naturally wouldn't tell him that his [Ghost-Scale Disk Guard], crafted primarily from the scales of a secret realm giant serpent, had one of its effects as "Immunity to Corrosive/Acid Damage (non-legendary source)."
In fact, he hadn't even noticed, or simply didn't care about, the little scheme in the opponent's head.
Because his true goal was not "Carrion Vulture" Glee.
*Clang-Bang!!!*
Unlike the previous forced defense, this time the serpent-scale arm-shield was actively thrust forward by Xia Nan to meet the scimitar; to some extent, it was an "attack."
This also allowed him to attach [Heavy Tide] to it.
Compared to the vivid ochre-red force-field energy of [Gravity Etching], gravity fluctuations could only be seen as slightly distorted space on a visual level.
Without sufficient observation ability, it was extremely difficult to detect.
"Carrion Vulture" Glee likewise failed to notice it.
Or rather, even if he had noticed the abnormality in the air around the arm-shield, without knowing the specific details of Xia Nan's combat skills, he had no way of judging the cause of the change.
Therefore, when the agility check for the imbalance effect of [Heavy Tide] landed, he was completely unprepared.
He only felt an indescribable, strange force transmit from his right hand gripping the scimitar, traveling upward in a spiral, spreading through his entire arm and even his whole body.
His previously stable center of gravity suddenly collapsed, as if the ground beneath his feet was no longer solid earth, but undulating waves.
Then, pushed forward by Xia Nan's arm-shield, he was sent flying backward.
"I'm finished!"
Glee immediately sensed something was wrong. He held the scimitar across his chest, legs flailing in an attempt to regain his balance in mid-air.
But strangely, the grey-black straight sword he imagined would slash down again did not appear before his eyes.
Instead, a high-pitched wolf howl sounded in his ear, and a piercing gale swept past him.
As if realizing something.
Glee's pupils contracted, and he instinctively turned his head to look behind and to the side.
He saw that the black winter wolf with the swaying mane had already used this opportunity to leap over him.
And the target... was the Sahuagin priest, who was currently retreating rapidly under the cover of several elite guards!
"Damn it!!!"
(End of Chapter)