Chapter 453
Chapter 453
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 453
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Hwoooo…
Hwooooo…
The flames burned hotter than before.
Even considering this was the heart of the crater, it was scorching enough to make clothing impossible to wear.
“Changed… no, it’s an illusion.”
Crack-!
The sword split clean in half.
Bisin struck Karen’s arm aside and reached for her throat.
Flinch-!
Lüjie’s body hadn’t noticed, but Bisin’s senses caught it. Reaching out meant danger.
Whoosh-!
Bisin leaped back.
“…What is this?”
Bisin had possessed Lüjie’s body, absorbing his physical abilities and mana in full. Bisin’s own power of decay meshed perfectly with Lüjie’s nature.
Hwoooo…
Hwooooo…
Karen exhaled ragged breaths, flames flickering within each one.
Bisin stared at the stationary Karen, thinking.
With her sword gone, victory was assured. Even if she had it, she was beneath him—now without it, all the more so.
Yet for some reason, he couldn’t approach her recklessly. A premonition that everything would flip the instant he did.
“…This is why I hated possessing vermin.”
If Lüjie had been stronger, it would’ve been a clear advantage, but the blind spots in sensation became a weakness.
Karen grinned.
“Come on, let’s get serious.”
“…Bluffing. Your sword’s broken. You have any strength left?”
The Discipline Karen had just activated held power comparable to a Phantom Ultimate Technique.
More than that, it was the force that let her shatter the Supreme Wall she’d lingered at before, perfectly.
[Shedding (脫卻)! You escape the limits of shadow.]
[You can now define your own substance.]
[The Fighting Fire Karen is born!]
[The Fighting Fire Karen reaches the perfect Supreme Realm!]
[The Fighting Fire Karen did not choose the Grand General’s path.]
[A new path opens.]
[You can invent a Phantom Ultimate Technique.]
[Phantom Ultimate Techniques cannot be passed down.]
[Phantom Ultimate Techniques surpass existing Ultimate Techniques in effect.]
[Subjugated ones cannot use Phantom Ultimate Techniques.]
[Unable to invent Phantom Ultimate Techniques, the scope of armor creatable with fire expands.]
[Unable to invent Phantom Ultimate Techniques, the intensity and range of abilities manifestable with fire expand.]
[Unable to invent Phantom Ultimate Techniques, limits on stat increases vanish.]
[Unable to invent Phantom Ultimate Techniques, fulfilling specific conditions grants Discipline (規律) effects comparable to them.]
[Kalpa Fire (劫火) can now be applied to general abilities.]
[Abilities with low usage and harsh conditions vanish, greatly boosting Kalpa Fire’s firepower.]
[Kalpa Fire bolsters allies’ morale. Parties with Fighting Fire Karen see critical hit chance greatly rise, as does critical hit damage multiplier.]
[Kalpa Fire empowers offense and defense alike. Defense rises by the amount attack power increases from Kalpa Fire.]
[Your body is tempered to endure Kalpa Fire.]
[Health and stamina recovery overwhelmingly increases.]
[Fighting Fire Karen’s every ability relates to combat. All stats rise 20%.]
[You can wield all weapons to a certain proficiency. Non-weapons become weapons in Karen’s hands, gaining armament bonuses.]
[All resistances rise 20%.]
[The Knight possesses a sturdy body.]
[Physical resistance rises 30%.]
[Max health rises 20%.]
[Immune to heat.]
[Perfect control of Kalpa Fire. Unintended flames feel no heat.]
[Great resistance to stun during combat.]
[Karen begins burning once battle starts. She grows stronger continuously from the moment she enters the fray.]
[Teachings of the one who went ahead exist.]
[Enlightenment! Discipline (規律): Igniting Hot Encouragement.]
……
She too had shed her old skin, becoming a new existence unlike before.
Clang-!
Claaang-!
The parts of Karen’s armor that had rotted from contact with Bisin were now covered in new armor.
“Unsightly. Pathetic.”
It looked like bulky musclebound armor a brutish man might wear. Bisin sneered at that.
“Kahahat! A bit, yeah? But that’s what makes it good. This look.”
“…What?”
“It looks sturdy, just seeing it.”
Booooom-!
Karen activated Goblin Step and charged at Bisin.
What attack would a swordless woman unleash? Bisin tensed briefly, then deflated seeing her swing a straight punch.
“Merely that….”
[Bisin uses Rotten Thicket.]
[Rotten Branches form along the path. Treated as traps, stacking twice the normal decay.]
[High stun resistance.]
Rustle-!
Vines extended out.
The dark obstacles ballooned in volume instantly.
Bisin planned to prepare his next attack while Karen hesitated at them.
Crunch-!
“…Huh?”
Smaaash-!
Until her fist smashed into his face.
Bisin shook his head, jaw rattled from the punch.
“What….”
“Ptooey….”
Karen spat blood.
Decay stacks had surged, hitting a critical threshold.
Thus, when decay stacks peaked, it shocked the body. Slowly wearing down foes was Bisin’s art of battle.
Normally, Bisin struck fatally when an opponent’s stacks burst.
During stack reactions, the body grew honest above all. Weaknesses laid bare, naturally.
Yet he’d just missed the peak.
“…Are you insane?”
The Rotten Thicket was merely a trap, nothing more. Bypass wisely instead of brute force, and it could be nullified harmlessly. Bisin would’ve adjusted accordingly.
But smashing through to land a hit? The self-damage was far greater.
“Huff… huff….”
“You won’t last.”
“Hehehe… You can’t rot me. Not when I’m burning like this.”
Roar-!
The flames grew.
Clank-!
Claaang-!
Armor piled on too.
Bisin realized her regeneration exceeded the norm.
- You’re doing great! Karen!
[Hot Encouragement activates!]
[You’re doing great, Karen! activates.]
[Health recovery rises proportional to lost health.]
Whoooosh…
Heat enveloped the armor.
- You’re doing great, Karen!
Rain’s voice reached Karen alone.
“Hehe… I know.”
“…Madwoman.”
Karen’s state was so off even Bisin shook his head.
From the start, this Discipline’s form stemmed from her incurable whimsy.
A simple desire for praise lingered in her heart. Aspiring to be like Rain added weight to her heavy armor.
Yes.
She sought to surpass realms, reaching the value called Rain.
The perfect sun.
Hwoooo…
Hwooooo…
Seeing her, Bisin changed his mind.
“Decided. I’ll use this body thoroughly until it’s worn to nothing.”
He’d avoided clashes, but with her reckless style, no choice.
Bisin opted for fisticuffs too.
Booooom-!
Boooooom-!
Both closed in simultaneously.
Whamwhamwham-!
Exchanges flew in an instant.
Hwoooong-!
Karen’s elbow grazed Bisin’s cheekbone.
Spurt-!
Smaaash-!
“Urk….”
Bisin’s knee struck Karen’s solar plexus.
Decay stacks spiked palpably.
Crack-!
Karen kicked Bisin’s lower body with leg-breaking force.
“Krack-!”
“Got you!”
“Where!”
Fwoosh-!
Bisin’s palm hit Karen’s armor, exploding plates.
Crackcrackcrack-!
She’d retreat to regroup them.
‘No, this woman will charge right through!’
Sensing danger, Bisin pulled back swiftly.
Booooom-!
Karen lunged late at his former spot.
“Close. Could’ve ended it.”
“…….”
If Bisin had entered that embrace, he’d be pulped like meat.
Black spots danced on Karen’s face in her cracked helm.
Still suffering from Bisin’s power.
Battle evenly matched.
- Too slow! You idiot!
[Hot Encouragement activates!]
[Too slow, Karen! activates.]
[Agility rises 80.]
[Movement speed increases.]
“…Vermin.”
Booooom-!
Bisin charged Karen.
Body already discarded.
Smack-!
Whamwhamwhamwham-!
Smaaaash-!
“Cough….”
Karen staggered, failing to control decay; Bisin’s kick sent her helm flying.
“Gah….”
“Die! Rot away!”
Battle swung to Bisin’s favor.
Thud-!
Thumpthump…
Karen, taking successive hits, refocused to regain the flow.
- I’m watching, Karen! Move!
[Hot Encouragement activates!]
[I’m watching, Karen! activates.]
[Pain subsides.]
[Maintain calm mind.]
Once more, Encouragement fired; Bisin’s moves became visible.
Simultaneously, her eyes sharpened. Hot Encouragement persisting made Rain’s memories vivid.
‘Ah… right.’
After things with Rain, the dreams she had began warping.
Dreams of herself as an ideal knight in ornate armor wielding jeweled swords faded completely.
Replaced by dreams of charging frontline, curled protectively in sturdy armor through mud.
Yes, just like Rain.
Her current armor and abilities born of admiration meant exactly that.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Karen roared, finding Bisin’s opening.
Smaaaash-!
She grabbed one leg, slamming him to the ground.
Kaaaaboom-!
“Guh….”
Boom-!
Kaaaaboom-!
Three slams in succession tore Bisin’s ankle; he flew far off.
Suddenly Karen dominant.
- That’s it! Karen!
[Hot Encouragement activates!]
[That’s it, Karen! activates.]
[Recover health equal to last attack’s damage.]
Hwoooong-!
Karen shot upward like a bullet.
“Huh-!”
Kaaaaaaaaboom-!
Bisin retreated swiftly.
Rumble…
A massive crater formed where he’d stood, shaking the entire crater.
- Karen, abandon reliance on the sword. Unnecessary habit.
Words Rain once said.
- What? What’s that mean?
- Wielding the world’s strongest swordsmanship won’t make you like me.
- Boasting?
- No, cold fact. The one wielding the world’s strongest swordsmanship is the world’s strongest swordsman.
Rain detailed every trial and error he’d endured. So she wouldn’t wander. So she’d never lose in any crisis.
- We’re not swordsmen, we’re knights. Lances charging battlefields on horseback.
- …….
- Existence itself a weapon. No need to depend on held arms. Warp your perception entirely.
Rain had flipped his palm then, showing the back of his hand.
- Hammer your convictions, values into your body, project them. The training you endure now will enable it.
“Ukahahahaha!”
Karen laughed madly.
Engraved memories hurt as is.
Stinging on rainy days, ingrained habits aching worse than scars.
Thus she could recall.
Thus she wouldn’t forget.
Kaaaaaaaaboom-!
Bisin’s body began tearing from Karen’s strikes.
An arm flopped far away.
Karen dominant.
“Noooooooom!”
Splaaaat-!
This time spilling entrails.
Karen dominant.
Bisin tore free of Lüjie’s body, revealing his true form.
[Raid battle with Fallen Ember Bisin continues.]
[Adventure allowing acquisition of set Era Force.]
[Adventure result records in history.]
[Adventure result impacts Pandea.]
[Extremely dangerous battle.]
[No current raid members.]
[Colored Shadow exists in battlefield.]
[Current raid members: 1.]
[Tremendous reward boost on subjugation success.]
[Difficulty approaches Impossible.]
……
Bisin appeared as a muscular soul-shape with a black serpent head dangling, slamming his palm down on Karen.
Kaaaaaaaaboom-!
[Fallen Ember Bisin uses Authority: Rotting Life.]
[All battlefield lifeforms now gain decay stacks at double rate.]
[Decay stacks accumulate without touching Bisin.]
[After decay stacks peak, subsequent stacks accelerate.]
[Cannot block via cast interruption.]
[Rotting Life persists until Bisin falls.]
Creak…
Creeeak…
Bisin muttered.
“…Why.”
He couldn’t comprehend.
- Not enough yet, Karen.
[Hot Encouragement activates!]
[Don’t fall, Karen! activates.]
[Max health temporarily rises 30%.]
[Temporary strength rise 150.]
Bisin’s body floated up.
“Why are you this strong?”
Couldn’t even withdraw his hand.
Karen had yanked his body airborne in one go.
Like a demigod from myth facing a primordial beast.
“Why don’t you rot! What… are you….”
“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”
Bisin’s body slammed upside-down into the ground.
Bisin unleashed his true power.
Vast body, rotting all life.
However…
Yes.
Karen’s absolute dominance.