Chapter 532
In a rowdy tavern, there stood a bard happily singing and chugging ale from time to time . He wore a green and violent costume and looked out of place, nonetheless, everyone in this place appreciated his famous poems and engaging melodious voice .
"Sing with me, my dear invitee!
The story of a conflicted man,
Never honest, and always bland
Protecting love, never grand
Uncaring of the moving sand
Not bothering with the unseen hand . "
A long while later, the bard left the tavern, humming and caressing his precious lute . The poet walked for a dozen meters before his path was blocked by someone wearing a jet black armor, a pale-faced youth, to be more precise .
"Ah! If it isn’t grumpy boy!"
The bard, Aneirin, flashed a smile at Leiu and loudly greeted him, not behaving respectfully or showing fear . Unlike the rest, he and the Nameless Knight were old acquaintances, furthermore, he was a troubadour, harmless, only seeking the thrilling mysteries . Back in the past, he traveled with Leiu to forgotten lands and sealed tombs, looting priceless treasures and discovering shocking revelations .
"Do you have some time?"
Leiu, his face still expressionless, talked to the energetic Aneirin .
"I always have time for you . Come, let me buy you a drink . "
The bard dragged Leiu to a relatively quiet restaurant and ordered some food and win . Once the table was filled with plates, the bard started devouring everything while gazing at the motionless and silent youth .
"So, what brings you to this far away land?"
"I want you to tell me a few things . "
"What things? As far as I’m aware, you know everything I know . "
Seeing the bard’s honest expression, Leiu chuckled and retorted: "Not quite . "
A frown appeared on Aneirin’s face as he stopped munching the food, wiped his oily mouth then said:
"If you want to know about normal things then I can talk all day but you very well know that I’ve made a few oaths about certain matters and divulging anything about them will break my voice . Literally . "
"Don’t worry, it isn’t about them . "
After Leiu’s confirmation, the bard breathed a sigh of relief, drank some wine then focused back on the armored youth sitting opposite of him .
"I want you to recount your experiences with him . "
"Him? Who’s him?"
"Zodiak . "
Aneirin’s brow creased as he heard that name . He tilted his head, pondered for a few moments before asking:
"I thought you were on bad terms with him . Why are you suddenly so curious?"
The Nameless Knight shrugged and answered: "Maybe I was wrong about him... who knows . "
Before talking, the troubadour spent a while collecting his thoughts and weighing what to say and not to say .
"I think all that needs to be said was mentioned in my book . If you’re not that much of a reader than I’ll tell you the shorter version .
The man was eccentric and very amnesic . He would sometimes talk gibberish, say random names and would disappear for a few days before coming back all bloodied . I clearly remember that every time he sleeps, he would have a nightmare, yelling loudly and vanishing yet again . Oh yes! He seemed to bear a grudge against all humans in general... it’s kind of ironic since he was also a human . There was also the notebook, he would always write his experiences there . I once asked him why he’s doing that and he said that someone told him to do so, as to not forget who he was . "
"Did he ever speak of his origins? His home?" While tapping on the table, Leiu asked .
"No, he avoided such topics . There was also something else... he seemed to be desperately looking for someone . "
"Who?"
"No idea . I only know it’s a blue-haired girl . "
...
"Parasites, my dear guest, are a race that can only survive with evolution . Not only do they require a host but it’s also necessary to evolve in order to adapt to the ever-changing environment . In your case, you absorb your targets’ powers but that doesn’t make you them . You can also impersonate them to a certain degree, especially if they’re powerful individuals . Sure, your race makes you immune to death by physical damage, however, there are some cases where physical damage is also categorized as soul-based, eradicating both the body and its consciousness . Plus, for you to get stronger, you would require fresh victims, something this place lacks so we’ll try a different, unorthodox approach . "
Lucy was trying out her new devil arm and testing it with Lonely Moon, the silver revolver . As for Arthur, he was dragged to the side by Timos, who spoke of a new kind of training, a tactic that is guaranteed to enhance his powers .
"First of all, you need to know that your Dark Magic is categorized as a mental-attack, mainly prioritizing the target’s emotions . Sure, it can inflict physical damage but it’s real purpose lies in disturbing the enemies’ mind, rendering them unable to think properly . In what we’re about to do, you’re only allowed to use your main attributes and nothing else . "
Arthur remained silent, listening to the Black Devil, who repeatedly warned him .
The parasite was led to wide cave illuminated by numerous torches, the air was cold and the ground unsteady .
"What you need to do is simple; don’t get killed . "
Just as Timos said that, a violent gust of wind struck Arthur, sending crashing into a wall behind him . Before he could get up, another gale dragged him from the rubble and throw him to the other side .
When he was about to hit for the third time, a wall made from blackened earth sprung from below, barely stopping the invisible wind .
Sadly, it lasted for a brief moment before it was turned into dust, however, Arthur managed to manipulate the earth and create two large hands that blocked the whistling whirlwinds .
Earth beats Wind so Arthur focused on the former attribute . Unfortunately, he barely lasted for a minute before he was sent flying like a kite, his body bloodied . Even if he were to receive a fatal physical attack, he won’t die so Arthur wasn’t worried... until a strange gust of wind entered his body and perturbed his consciousness, causing him to feel an agonizing pain which made him crawl on the ground while holding his chest .
"The best and most basic way to strengthen yourself is through a never-ending battle . Since you’re immune to anything physical, your soul and consciousness need to be hurt so they can suck energy to replenish themselves and heal the wounds . It’s a forceful method but very effective . "
Since he shouldn’t use Life Energy, he could not heal his wounded soul which made his movements slower and sluggish . Hours passed and Arthur was treated like a toy, being flung from one side to another .
His clothes became scarlet red and his body filled with horrifying scars .
. .
Outside, Lucy was calmly standing next to the lake, her right arm now covered with scales as it held the gun . Besides singing cicadas, everything else was awfully quiet .
Her eyes, which were closed for a long time, abruptly opened, her left one emitting a blue brilliance . Almost instantly, a blue dome surrounded her, dangerously slowing the flow of time .
Although her movements were slightly affected, she still was able to swiftly raise her hand and fire multiple shots all around her . The bullets that left the gun seemed frozen mid-air as they were trapped inside the blue dome .
Once her eye’s ability wore off, the bullets, which were frozen, flew at several thin tentacles that sprung from the ground . As they were fired when time was slowed, the might of the bullets was ten times stronger, shredding the disgusting tentacles, turning them into bloody mists .
Just when she thought she was done, another tentacle attacked her from below, hitting her abdomen and flinging her high-up in the air . Thankfully, she managed to stabilize her body and step on the nine lotuses floating around her .
"Your reaction time is slow and you abandoned everything to defend the attacked spot . Girl, you can fool everyone but me . "
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