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Chapter 248
Chapter 225: The Unaffected "Body Armament," Incoming
Boom!
Magma surged into the sky.
Tang Zheng burst out of the magma again, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and sucked in a cold breath. "So painful. That last hit must have had the critical hit bonus from the passive [Aura of Courage]."
Besides inheriting his base stats, the Heroic Spirit Warrior had clearly inherited his passive abilities as well.
Swoosh!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior had already charged over again, its hands a flurry of punches, bombarding Tang Zheng. Every punch that fell, striking the air with an explosive boom.
Meanwhile, Tang Zheng's figure continuously dodged while also throwing punches in return, the power of his attacks equally astonishing.
The two of them, one higher and one lower, were positioned within the magma, their four arms a blur of afterimages as they struck unceasingly.
However!
Despite such a fierce exchange, not a single one of their fists actually landed on the other.
[Evasion Intuition]!
[Evasion Intuition]!
Under the enhancement of the [Gunner] skill, Tang Zheng and the Heroic Spirit Warrior could accurately perceive each other's attack trajectory. Coupled with the fact that their basic stats were identical, this resulted in the current situation.
Despite the extremely fast and unrelenting offensive rhythm, neither side could manage to hit the other.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shadows of fists flew, and the explosive sounds were incessant.
Tang Zheng dodged while throwing punches, simultaneously narrowing his eyes to carefully observe the Heroic Spirit Warrior before him.
He had a sudden whim to summon the Heroic Spirit Warrior to fight against himself. First, he wanted to find an opponent of the same level against whom he wouldn't need to hold back. Second, he wanted to figure out the abilities possessed by the [Soul of Heroic Spirits].
Boom! Boom!
The roar of fists striking the air boomed continuously, and the magma where they fought surged and crashed against the surroundings.
The stalemate between them didn't last long.
As the effect of the [Evasion Intuition] skill faded, both sides simultaneously lost their perception of the other's attacks.
The next moment!
"[Mind's Eye]."
Tang Zheng shouted inwardly, activating [Mind's Eye] to seamlessly continue from where [Evasion Intuition] left off. He easily dodged the opponent's incoming fist and then struck the Heroic Spirit Warrior's shoulder.
Pow!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior was sent flying by the blow, smashing heavily into the distant magma sea. Soaring flames ignited the air, rising high.
The searing air currents exploded with a thunderous roar!
"What a pity. The Heroic Spirit Warrior can't use martial skills."
Tang Zheng waved his hand, swatting away a large glob of splashing magma. A trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes; he had already tested it just now.
The Heroic Spirit Warrior couldn't use job skills such as [Dark Wave], [Enlarge], [Shrink Spell], [Mana Slash], [Pure Throwing Spear], and so on.
As for magic-type skills like [Mad Meditation], that was even more out of the question.
Common skills, however, were unaffected, but the common skills Tang Zheng had mastered were mostly support-type, such as [Stealth], [Evasion Intuition], and so on.
These restrictions from YGGDRASIL made the Heroic Spirit Warrior a more pure combat clone.
This made Tang Zheng think of Zesshi Zetsumei.
She also possessed [Soul of Heroic Spirits]. In the light novel version, Zesshi Zetsumei's Heroic Spirit Warrior also showed no ability to use martial skills.
Thinking about it carefully, it was quite normal.
The execution of martial skills requires the consumption of concentration, and the Heroic Spirit Warrior clearly did not possess the "stamina" that only living organisms have.
Although he had already anticipated this result, Tang Zheng was still disappointed. If only the Heroic Spirit Warrior could use martial skills, its combat power would absolutely increase dramatically.
Bang!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior charged over again.
Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed as a surge of magic power welled up in his body. He chanted in a low voice, "Fourth Tier Magic: Charm Species."
A mental wave surged out, instantly landing on the Heroic Spirit Warrior.
However!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior was completely unaffected and charged right up to Tang Zheng.
"Huh?"
Tang Zheng was stunned for a moment. Caught off guard, his reaction was half a beat slow, and he was struck on the shoulder by a fist, knocking him back several meters.
"Again!"
A look of excitement appeared on Tang Zheng's face, and he charged forward again. Fist shadows instantly filled their vision as they engaged in pure physical combat without using skills.
He had almost forgotten. Although the Heroic Spirit Warrior looked human, in reality, that was just because its appearance was the same as the user's; it didn't have a race. If one had to describe it, it was an artificial organism similar to a golem, possessing the same resistances as a golem, such as: no need to eat or sleep, immunity to mental attacks, immunity to instant death attacks, immunity to critical hits, and it doesn't tire or age.
The surface of the magma sea trembled ceaselessly.
Waves of magma crashed down from time to time, submerging the figures of Tang Zheng and the Heroic Spirit Warrior, but they would quickly reappear.
The intense physical brawl lasted for a full several hours!
A hint of fatigue had appeared on Tang Zheng's brow, and the movements of his hands had slowed somewhat, yet the Heroic Spirit Warrior's assault hadn't diminished in the slightest from beginning to end.
"It doesn't get tired? How terrifying."
Tang Zheng had now gradually shifted to the defensive, his eyelids twitching as he thought to himself.
"The basic experiments are now complete. The next step is—"
A thought stirred in Tang Zheng's mind. He quickly retreated to put distance between himself and the Heroic Spirit Warrior and issued a command: "Activate your skill!"
Bang!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior's movements paused. Then, a red mist erupted from its entire body. In the blink of an eye, a crimson full body armor enveloped the Heroic Spirit Warrior.
Seeing that crimson figure, Tang Zheng's eyes lit up slightly, and he said in pleasant surprise, "That skill is actually unaffected!"
The Heroic Spirit Warrior summoned by activating [Soul of Heroic Spirits] is entirely white, and even its clothing is the same. One glance is enough to know that the Heroic Spirit Warrior is not a real person. On this point, even the one Shalltear summons while wearing equipment is still a Heroic Spirit Warrior with white equipment.
And now! This [Body Armament], which had mutated under the influence of the Otherworld and was then modified with Rune technology, was actually unaffected.
The crimson armor enveloped the Heroic Spirit Warrior, allowing it to act as a completely independent individual!
[Shadow Assault]!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior instantly blended into its own shadow, transforming into a flowing shadow, and rapidly rushed in front of Tang Zheng.
Immediately after!
A fiery red sonic attack erupted with a boom.
[Blazing Sound Wave]!
Boom!
Tang Zheng was sent flying, crashing into the distant mountain wall. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but a brilliant smile spread across his face:
"As expected, the abilities on the [Body Armament] can be used!"
…………
Carne Village.
Early morning.
Tang Zheng's group boarded the carriage pulled by the ghoul dogs and headed out of the village. Compared to when they had just arrived in the village yesterday and were not particularly welcome, now, the village chief had gathered a group of villagers to see Tang Zheng and the others off.
The low-grade [Regeneration Potion] had treated all the villagers. A price of five copper coins could hardly be called expensive compared to buying herbs for treatment.
When Tang Zheng had initially set the price for the diluted [Regeneration Potion], it was specifically for selling to ordinary people.
The healing effect of the low-grade [Regeneration Potion] was very average, but that was only in the eyes of powerful adventurers. The average person was only Level one; having 10 HP was already good. A single bottle of low-grade [Regeneration Potion] was more than enough to easily heal their injuries.
Thump—thump—
The wheels rumbled over the uneven road, jolting up and down.
Enri stood on the carriage with a happy expression, one hand holding onto the carriage, the other waving nonstop to the villagers of Carne Village.
"In one night, you seem to have gotten on good terms with the people of that village." Tang Zheng leaned against the carriage frame, took a swig of water from his water pouch, and said with a light chuckle.
Enri turned around nimbly, her light brown pupils shining with adoration as she looked at Tang Zheng:
"Lord Captain, you're amazing! Those alchemy potions easily healed the injured people in the village."
"They all admire you so much,"
"Admire me? Forget it. I charged them, after all." Tang Zheng shrugged.
"I think you genuinely wanted to help them, Lord Captain!"
Hearing Tang Zheng's words, a serious expression appeared on Enri's fair and lively face, and she shook her head firmly.
She remembered that the Lord Captain's potions were divided into two types.
One was the regeneration potion that sold for five copper coins, and the other was the regeneration potion that sold for ten gold coins.
The five-copper-coin regeneration potion was clearly meant for ordinary people who had no money. During this time, she could sense that the Lord Captain didn't actually care much about money.
"Someone's coming!"
Just then, the Green Leaf Witch's steady voice rang out.
At almost the same moment.
Several figures rushed out from both sides of the road. A quick glance revealed more than a dozen people.
Enri's face paled, but she didn't show the same fearful expression as last time. Instead, she pulled a short sword from her clothing and gripped it.
It was a weapon she had bought in Carne Village with the money she had earned.
"In just one night, quite a few people have caught up to us." Tang Zheng said, sounding a bit bored. He raised his hand and waved it slightly:
"Take care of them."
"Yes!" The Green Leaf Witch responded respectfully and stood up from the carriage.
Magic rained down.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
"...!"
Screams instantly rang out. The Twin Witches' power was at a level between Level 23 and Level 25, which would place them as "Adamantite-Rank" adventurers.
These ordinary mercenaries or adventurers were no match for the Twin Witches at all.
These enemies who had rushed out, under the Green Leaf Witch's powerful magic bombardment, couldn't even escape and were all cut down within a minute.
The roadside on both sides was stained red with blood!
The pile of shattered corpses ahead forced the ghoul dogs to slow down.
Swoosh!
A black arrow shot out from the front left. In mid-air, its speed not only showed no signs of slowing but instead grew faster the farther it flew.
In the span of a breath, it had already become a black afterimage.
The arrow's target was not the people on the carriage, but the eyes of the lead ghoul dog.
Faced with such a high-speed attack, the ghoul dog had no choice but to release the bone chain pulling the carriage, swinging it to block in front of itself and collide with the arrow, producing a metallic clang.
And with this action from the ghoul dog, the entire carriage came to a complete stop.
Tap~ Tap~
Several sets of footsteps sounded from up ahead.
Immediately after, four imposing figures, each exuding a powerful aura, appeared, blocking the road ahead.
The silver-white mithril badges hanging around their necks revealed that these four were a "Mithril-Rank" adventurer squad.
(end of chapter)
Boom!
Magma surged into the sky.
Tang Zheng burst out of the magma again, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and sucked in a cold breath. "So painful. That last hit must have had the critical hit bonus from the passive [Aura of Courage]."
Besides inheriting his base stats, the Heroic Spirit Warrior had clearly inherited his passive abilities as well.
Swoosh!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior had already charged over again, its hands a flurry of punches, bombarding Tang Zheng. Every punch that fell, striking the air with an explosive boom.
Meanwhile, Tang Zheng's figure continuously dodged while also throwing punches in return, the power of his attacks equally astonishing.
The two of them, one higher and one lower, were positioned within the magma, their four arms a blur of afterimages as they struck unceasingly.
However!
Despite such a fierce exchange, not a single one of their fists actually landed on the other.
[Evasion Intuition]!
[Evasion Intuition]!
Under the enhancement of the [Gunner] skill, Tang Zheng and the Heroic Spirit Warrior could accurately perceive each other's attack trajectory. Coupled with the fact that their basic stats were identical, this resulted in the current situation.
Despite the extremely fast and unrelenting offensive rhythm, neither side could manage to hit the other.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shadows of fists flew, and the explosive sounds were incessant.
Tang Zheng dodged while throwing punches, simultaneously narrowing his eyes to carefully observe the Heroic Spirit Warrior before him.
He had a sudden whim to summon the Heroic Spirit Warrior to fight against himself. First, he wanted to find an opponent of the same level against whom he wouldn't need to hold back. Second, he wanted to figure out the abilities possessed by the [Soul of Heroic Spirits].
Boom! Boom!
The roar of fists striking the air boomed continuously, and the magma where they fought surged and crashed against the surroundings.
The stalemate between them didn't last long.
As the effect of the [Evasion Intuition] skill faded, both sides simultaneously lost their perception of the other's attacks.
The next moment!
"[Mind's Eye]."
Tang Zheng shouted inwardly, activating [Mind's Eye] to seamlessly continue from where [Evasion Intuition] left off. He easily dodged the opponent's incoming fist and then struck the Heroic Spirit Warrior's shoulder.
Pow!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior was sent flying by the blow, smashing heavily into the distant magma sea. Soaring flames ignited the air, rising high.
The searing air currents exploded with a thunderous roar!
"What a pity. The Heroic Spirit Warrior can't use martial skills."
Tang Zheng waved his hand, swatting away a large glob of splashing magma. A trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes; he had already tested it just now.
The Heroic Spirit Warrior couldn't use job skills such as [Dark Wave], [Enlarge], [Shrink Spell], [Mana Slash], [Pure Throwing Spear], and so on.
As for magic-type skills like [Mad Meditation], that was even more out of the question.
Common skills, however, were unaffected, but the common skills Tang Zheng had mastered were mostly support-type, such as [Stealth], [Evasion Intuition], and so on.
These restrictions from YGGDRASIL made the Heroic Spirit Warrior a more pure combat clone.
This made Tang Zheng think of Zesshi Zetsumei.
She also possessed [Soul of Heroic Spirits]. In the light novel version, Zesshi Zetsumei's Heroic Spirit Warrior also showed no ability to use martial skills.
Thinking about it carefully, it was quite normal.
The execution of martial skills requires the consumption of concentration, and the Heroic Spirit Warrior clearly did not possess the "stamina" that only living organisms have.
Although he had already anticipated this result, Tang Zheng was still disappointed. If only the Heroic Spirit Warrior could use martial skills, its combat power would absolutely increase dramatically.
Bang!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior charged over again.
Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed as a surge of magic power welled up in his body. He chanted in a low voice, "Fourth Tier Magic: Charm Species."
A mental wave surged out, instantly landing on the Heroic Spirit Warrior.
However!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior was completely unaffected and charged right up to Tang Zheng.
"Huh?"
Tang Zheng was stunned for a moment. Caught off guard, his reaction was half a beat slow, and he was struck on the shoulder by a fist, knocking him back several meters.
"Again!"
A look of excitement appeared on Tang Zheng's face, and he charged forward again. Fist shadows instantly filled their vision as they engaged in pure physical combat without using skills.
He had almost forgotten. Although the Heroic Spirit Warrior looked human, in reality, that was just because its appearance was the same as the user's; it didn't have a race. If one had to describe it, it was an artificial organism similar to a golem, possessing the same resistances as a golem, such as: no need to eat or sleep, immunity to mental attacks, immunity to instant death attacks, immunity to critical hits, and it doesn't tire or age.
The surface of the magma sea trembled ceaselessly.
Waves of magma crashed down from time to time, submerging the figures of Tang Zheng and the Heroic Spirit Warrior, but they would quickly reappear.
The intense physical brawl lasted for a full several hours!
A hint of fatigue had appeared on Tang Zheng's brow, and the movements of his hands had slowed somewhat, yet the Heroic Spirit Warrior's assault hadn't diminished in the slightest from beginning to end.
"It doesn't get tired? How terrifying."
Tang Zheng had now gradually shifted to the defensive, his eyelids twitching as he thought to himself.
"The basic experiments are now complete. The next step is—"
A thought stirred in Tang Zheng's mind. He quickly retreated to put distance between himself and the Heroic Spirit Warrior and issued a command: "Activate your skill!"
Bang!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior's movements paused. Then, a red mist erupted from its entire body. In the blink of an eye, a crimson full body armor enveloped the Heroic Spirit Warrior.
Seeing that crimson figure, Tang Zheng's eyes lit up slightly, and he said in pleasant surprise, "That skill is actually unaffected!"
The Heroic Spirit Warrior summoned by activating [Soul of Heroic Spirits] is entirely white, and even its clothing is the same. One glance is enough to know that the Heroic Spirit Warrior is not a real person. On this point, even the one Shalltear summons while wearing equipment is still a Heroic Spirit Warrior with white equipment.
And now! This [Body Armament], which had mutated under the influence of the Otherworld and was then modified with Rune technology, was actually unaffected.
The crimson armor enveloped the Heroic Spirit Warrior, allowing it to act as a completely independent individual!
[Shadow Assault]!
The Heroic Spirit Warrior instantly blended into its own shadow, transforming into a flowing shadow, and rapidly rushed in front of Tang Zheng.
Immediately after!
A fiery red sonic attack erupted with a boom.
[Blazing Sound Wave]!
Boom!
Tang Zheng was sent flying, crashing into the distant mountain wall. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but a brilliant smile spread across his face:
"As expected, the abilities on the [Body Armament] can be used!"
…………
Carne Village.
Early morning.
Tang Zheng's group boarded the carriage pulled by the ghoul dogs and headed out of the village. Compared to when they had just arrived in the village yesterday and were not particularly welcome, now, the village chief had gathered a group of villagers to see Tang Zheng and the others off.
The low-grade [Regeneration Potion] had treated all the villagers. A price of five copper coins could hardly be called expensive compared to buying herbs for treatment.
When Tang Zheng had initially set the price for the diluted [Regeneration Potion], it was specifically for selling to ordinary people.
The healing effect of the low-grade [Regeneration Potion] was very average, but that was only in the eyes of powerful adventurers. The average person was only Level one; having 10 HP was already good. A single bottle of low-grade [Regeneration Potion] was more than enough to easily heal their injuries.
Thump—thump—
The wheels rumbled over the uneven road, jolting up and down.
Enri stood on the carriage with a happy expression, one hand holding onto the carriage, the other waving nonstop to the villagers of Carne Village.
"In one night, you seem to have gotten on good terms with the people of that village." Tang Zheng leaned against the carriage frame, took a swig of water from his water pouch, and said with a light chuckle.
Enri turned around nimbly, her light brown pupils shining with adoration as she looked at Tang Zheng:
"Lord Captain, you're amazing! Those alchemy potions easily healed the injured people in the village."
"They all admire you so much,"
"Admire me? Forget it. I charged them, after all." Tang Zheng shrugged.
"I think you genuinely wanted to help them, Lord Captain!"
Hearing Tang Zheng's words, a serious expression appeared on Enri's fair and lively face, and she shook her head firmly.
She remembered that the Lord Captain's potions were divided into two types.
One was the regeneration potion that sold for five copper coins, and the other was the regeneration potion that sold for ten gold coins.
The five-copper-coin regeneration potion was clearly meant for ordinary people who had no money. During this time, she could sense that the Lord Captain didn't actually care much about money.
"Someone's coming!"
Just then, the Green Leaf Witch's steady voice rang out.
At almost the same moment.
Several figures rushed out from both sides of the road. A quick glance revealed more than a dozen people.
Enri's face paled, but she didn't show the same fearful expression as last time. Instead, she pulled a short sword from her clothing and gripped it.
It was a weapon she had bought in Carne Village with the money she had earned.
"In just one night, quite a few people have caught up to us." Tang Zheng said, sounding a bit bored. He raised his hand and waved it slightly:
"Take care of them."
"Yes!" The Green Leaf Witch responded respectfully and stood up from the carriage.
Magic rained down.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
"...!"
Screams instantly rang out. The Twin Witches' power was at a level between Level 23 and Level 25, which would place them as "Adamantite-Rank" adventurers.
These ordinary mercenaries or adventurers were no match for the Twin Witches at all.
These enemies who had rushed out, under the Green Leaf Witch's powerful magic bombardment, couldn't even escape and were all cut down within a minute.
The roadside on both sides was stained red with blood!
The pile of shattered corpses ahead forced the ghoul dogs to slow down.
Swoosh!
A black arrow shot out from the front left. In mid-air, its speed not only showed no signs of slowing but instead grew faster the farther it flew.
In the span of a breath, it had already become a black afterimage.
The arrow's target was not the people on the carriage, but the eyes of the lead ghoul dog.
Faced with such a high-speed attack, the ghoul dog had no choice but to release the bone chain pulling the carriage, swinging it to block in front of itself and collide with the arrow, producing a metallic clang.
And with this action from the ghoul dog, the entire carriage came to a complete stop.
Tap~ Tap~
Several sets of footsteps sounded from up ahead.
Immediately after, four imposing figures, each exuding a powerful aura, appeared, blocking the road ahead.
The silver-white mithril badges hanging around their necks revealed that these four were a "Mithril-Rank" adventurer squad.
(end of chapter)
