Chapter 466: Jar Falls, Ghost Stumbles
Just as the Soul Vase Ghost closed in on Evan, Marcus and his pets finally caught up.
"ATTACK!"
At a single command, Marcus and Pebble launched themselves into action. Dragon-Roar Critical Strike followed Dragon-Roar Critical Strike as they hammered the Soul Vase Ghost without mercy. The rest of Marcus’s pets joined the assault, unleashing wide-area attacks that crashed into the ghost and tore through Evan at the same time.
After two rounds of relentless attacks, Evan’s health had fallen to 1,450. Marcus’s super-skill, Corpse Demon Shatters Heaven, was ready. As far as he was concerned, the situation couldn’t have been better. One finishing blow would kill Evan, complete the Village Chief’s quest, and possibly secure the kill on the Soul Vase Ghost as well.
But just as Marcus prepared to activate the skill, Evan realized he had no way out.
His health was nearly gone, the ghost was still after him, and even the villagers he had once fought to protect had turned against him. Rage twisted his face as he glared toward the village.
"SCREW YOU!"
"You ungrateful bastards! I led that thing away from your village! Without me, you’d all be dead! There would’ve been a lot more than three corpses lying there! And now you send him after me? You’re all a bunch of ignorant fools!"
His eyes shifted to Marcus and then to the Soul Vase Ghost, burning with resentment.
"If I can’t have it, NO ONE CAN!"
Abandoning all defense, Evan ignored both the ghost and the attacks raining down around him. Instead, he pulled a blue wine jar from his inventory. The moment he tore away the seal, wisps of icy blue mist leaked from the opening.
Without hesitation, he hurled the jar at the ground with all his strength.
"SCREEE!"
The Soul Vase Ghost let out a panicked shriek.
If this had happened earlier, it would have been exactly what the ghost wanted. The moment the Twin-Winged Ice Owl’s soul escaped, it could have used the Soul Vase to capture it and slowly absorb its enormous power.
But things were different now.
The Soul Vase had already been seized by the Soul-Mist Water Demon Cat. The artifact no longer responded to the ghost’s commands. It couldn’t recall the souls inside it, and it certainly couldn’t absorb new ones.
If the Ice Owl’s soul escaped now, there would be nothing to contain it.
Once released, the soul would immediately fly off uncontrollably. Unless it found the corpse of a suitable large water bird within an hour, it would eventually dissipate and disappear forever.
The Soul Vase Ghost had no other choice, it instantly abandoned Evan.
The falling jar became the only thing that mattered.
At the same time, another fear crossed its mind. The Soul-Mist Water Demon Cat had been devouring everything it could get its paws on. If the Ice Owl’s soul escaped, there was a very real chance that damned cat would swallow it before anyone else could react.
’I have to get that jar!’
The ghost pushed itself to its absolute limit. Its body became a streak of gray mist as it shot toward the falling container.
It flew closer and closer, its fingers stretching forward. Only inches remained between its hand and the jar, and the Twin-Winged Ice Owl’s soul had not yet escaped.
A surge of excitement flooded the ghost. ’It made it in time!’
"Dragon-Roar Critical Strike!"
At that exact moment, Pebble’s attack landed.
Critical Hit!
A massive chunk of damage exploded above the Soul Vase Ghost’s head. More importantly, the strike triggered a knockback effect.
The ghost’s fingertips had already brushed the jar, then everything went wrong.
Bang!
The impact hurled the Soul Vase Ghost sideways. The jar slipped beyond its reach by the narrowest margin.
Crash!
The ghost slammed into the ground several yards away. It immediately tried to get up, but it couldn’t. Stun.
Pebble’s attack had triggered not only a critical hit and knockback, but also a stun effect. Yellow rings spun above the ghost’s head as its body froze in place.
Three full seconds.
For the Soul Vase Ghost, it felt like a death sentence.
"Corpse Demon Shatters Heaven!"
Marcus had been waiting for exactly this opportunity. The instant Pebble’s attack connected, he activated his strongest skill.
He had no interest in the Twin-Winged Ice Owl’s soul. Whether it escaped, vanished, or ended up in someone else’s hands meant nothing to him.
His goals had always been straightforward.
Kill the Soul Vase Ghost. Kill the traitor Evan. Recover the Boomerang Wind Sword for the village. Everything else was irrelevant.
He hadn’t reacted when Evan smashed the jar because he simply didn’t care. The Ice Owl’s soul wasn’t his objective.
As far as game mechanics were concerned, monsters didn’t share kill credit with players. It didn’t matter who dealt the most damage. It didn’t matter who started the fight.
The one who landed the killing blow took the reward.
"LET’S GO!"
As Corpse Demon Shatters Heaven activated, Marcus’s Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword erupted with three streams of black wind.
The swirling darkness rapidly condensed in midair.
Just as it had in the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb, three enormous Corpse Demon spirits emerged from the storm. Their ancient forms towered overhead, each gripping a pair of black blades. They hovered in the air like predatory birds circling their prey before drawing their weapons in unison.
Then they attacked.
Six black slashes tore across the battlefield.
The strikes cut through the air with terrifying force as they swept toward both Evan and the stunned Soul Vase Ghost.
"So cool!" "Amazing!" "What a powerful knight!"
The villagers stared in shock.Most of them had never seen a skill of this level before. The sight alone left them speechless.
Marcus allowed himself a faint smile.
The appearance was impressive, but the real power of the skill was even more frightening.
The six black energy blades surged forward and crashed toward Evan and the Soul Vase Ghost like a storm unleashed.
