NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 87
Chapter 87 Alpha: “15 seconds, enough for me to kill you a hundred times!” (Requesting Subscription)
“Although I did consider this possibility.”
Xue Ji, upon seeing this, didn’t feel any shame: “But actually witnessing it still leaves one in awe.”
“Your control over Magic Power is far more refined than mine.”
Cid’s method of breaking through was quite straightforward and brutal.
Xue Ji had actually anticipated such a situation before, but none of the people around her possessed this level of control.
“So…”
Since she already knew the flaw of this technique, Xue Ji immediately thought of how to compensate for it.
“How about now?”
“Snap!”
Xue Ji slapped her paper fan against her palm, instantly altering the nature of the Time Stop field.
“Hummm~”
If the previous gray-white world was a tranquil lake surface,
Then now, from tiny ripples to surging waves, the gray-white world seemed to come alive, moving even within this frozen realm!
“This is truly…”
Almost instantly, Cid felt the all-pervasive gray stance.
His expression grew increasingly grim.
Clearly, Xue Ji’s further improved Time Stop field was putting immense pressure on Cid.
“How terrifying!”
At this moment, Cid felt as if he were submerged in a pool.
The gray stance continuously eroded his Magic Power, attempting to reassert dominance over the substances that composed Cid.
In this way, Cid would have to expend a large amount of Magic Power to resist.
To put it bluntly, once an enemy used Cid’s methods to counter the Time Stop field, his life would enter a countdown state.
Even Cid, with mid-30-level power among the Seven Kings, had insufficient Magic Power to resist Xue Ji’s erosion.
3 minutes!
That’s how long Cid could currently move freely within the Time Stop field.
Moreover, with Cid’s intense movement and battle,
His Magic Power would be greatly consumed, further shortening the 3-minute time limit.
“Truly troubling, this technique.”
Cid looked extremely serious: “I must end the battle within 3 minutes. Is this the strength of the Seven Kings of the Seal Organization? It’s too overwhelming.”
“Swish!”
Unfortunately, Alpha didn’t give Cid time to ponder how to counter this move.
Her figure disappeared from its original location, reappearing next to Cid, then slashing down at him with a sword.
“Bang!”
The identical Slime-formed swords clashed, emitting the sound of metal striking metal.
But it wasn’t over yet!
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Following the initial clash, dozens, even hundreds of sword duels began.
Their figures darted and twisted across the gray-white prairie, their speed so fast that countless afterimages were left behind even in the Time Stop world.
And every time they engaged, powerful Magic Power transformed into tangible storms, crushing the earth, sweeping the heavens, and splitting distant hills right down the middle.
Bai Luo observed the two constantly battling from above.
Both of their swordsmanship skills were superb, but Cid’s clearly surpassed Alpha by a margin.
This was unavoidable.
In his past life, Cid studied a great deal of Blue Star martial arts, understanding the theories within far more thoroughly than Alpha.
Though Alpha inherited the Pokémon swordsmanship of the Shadow World,
It couldn’t compare to the vastness and profundity of Blue Star civilization.
Compared to the brute force of the Shadow World, Cid’s swordsmanship was more intricate and dazzling.
“Bang!”
Soon, following another clash between the two, a broken sword flew high and finally landed on the distant grass.
“Yare yare.”
Cid helplessly looked at the broken sword in his hand, causing it to dissolve into viscous purple-black Slime and disappear.
The originally elegant noble attire was now in tatters.
Numerous wounds covered Cid’s body, the most ghastly stretching from the shoulder blade all the way down to the waist side, as if intending to split him diagonally in half.
In just this brief moment, the blood gushing from Cid’s body had already dyed him a bloody mess.
“15 seconds.”
“451 exchanges.”
Alpha’s figure slowly descended to the ground, looking at Cid with a cold expression: “You died 152 times.”
“Tch.”
Indeed, Cid lost again, and it was a complete and utter domination.
As Alpha said, almost every three clashes resulted in Cid being slain by Alpha.
“What strange ability was that just now?”
Even though Alpha’s swordsmanship was inferior to his own, every time they crossed blades, Cid’s sword momentum was forcibly scattered.
Even the Slime-made sword required Magic Power to stabilize, otherwise it would be shattered by the opponent.
Recalling the sensation from earlier, Cid began to understand somewhat.
As for his physical injuries, Cid paid little attention. He knew the opponent held back.
Otherwise, with just that final slash, not only did it sever the Slime sword, but it also broke through his Magic Power, causing real damage.
The reason Cid was still alive was merely because the opponent hadn’t delivered a fatal blow.
Even with restraint, Alpha’s actions proved something.
Why did she wait until the last sword strike to use heavy force?
Simply put, Alpha didn’t want Cid to become severely injured after the first move.
Fighting someone with wounds was too boring!
However, Cid completely ignored Alpha’s provocation, fully immersed in the strange force attached to Alpha’s sword.
Her sword seemed to carry some special kind of power.
Cid condensed spider-silk-like threads of Magic Power from his palm, quickly stitching up the wounds on his body.
It felt like some sort of mechanism.
Cid was a typical data enthusiast, believing that as long as the power was massive enough, he himself could turn into a bomb that destroyed everything.
But this encounter with Alpha gave Cid a rude awakening.
In this world, there existed someone more troublesome than a stats monster—mechanics monster!
Numbers versus mechanics.
Simply put, the former was akin to having an attack power of 10,000 points or 1 million points in a game.
While the latter involved attacks that guaranteed death, rendered all your attacks ineffective, and operated like rules that made no sense.
Alpha’s Fate Power undoubtedly belonged to a fairly advanced category of mechanics.
Once this sword strike was unleashed,
Would you choose to block it?
Result: Death.
Would you choose to flee?
Sorry, this sword strike is certain to hit; you can’t escape.
As for other methods, they’re all invalid in the face of predetermined certainty of hitting, killing, and breaking!
Alpha’s abilities weren’t as flashy as Xue Ji’s, lacking multiple variations.
Simplicity represented practicality, and also invincibility!
The only way to counter Alpha’s destined sword strike was to master similar rule-based powers to block and neutralize it.
In short, opponents who haven’t grasped the laws would, once given the opportunity by Alpha,
Be killed by her, regardless of having infinite life values or maximum regeneration abilities.
“Indeed.”
“Wasn’t the person who slit my throat earlier you?”
After a fleeting exchange, Cid roughly understood the combat styles of Xue Ji and Alpha.
Xue Ji’s abilities were quite bizarre.
Compared to close combat, her powers leaned more towards a mage.
Of course, this was Cid’s guess; she might also be the type that excels in both physical and magical combat.
Maintaining the facade of a mage outwardly, and when the enemy approaches, pulling out a heavy hammer to instantly teach them the dangers of the world.
Don’t ask why Cid was so suspicious.
Because he himself was exactly that type.
A Shadow Skill User hides their strongest techniques, waiting until the opponent thinks they’ve used their full strength, then suddenly unleashing it to surprise the enemy.
“Do you wish to continue?”
Cid’s declaration of taking on two opponents obviously irritated Alpha.
Causing her to ignore that this was merely a sparring match, aiming directly for Cid’s vital spots to end the battle as quickly as possible.
“I admit, I spoke too loudly just now.”
Cid was straightforward; facing either Alpha or Xue Ji alone was already difficult for him.
Taking on both at once, Cid now felt the urge to slap himself.
Although he hadn’t fought Alpha under normal conditions, enduring Xue Ji’s Time Stop battle was something Cid didn’t want to experience again.
“Zing!”
Seeing Cid concede, Alpha planted her sword in front of her, resting her hands on the hilt: “So, whom do you choose, me or her?”
“…”
Honestly, Cid didn’t fully understand the information about Alpha and Xue Ji.
Alpha’s abilities, Xue Ji’s Time Stop.
These were just the tip of the iceberg of their capabilities, things that wouldn’t matter even if revealed.
“You’re really skilled, I can’t think of a way to counter you right now.”
Cid was referring to Alpha, despite the Pokémon girl simply swinging her sword throughout, Cid felt she was stronger than Xue Ji.
Golden King, Fated Power.
Cid didn’t know the essence of Alpha’s abilities.
The only thing he could judge was that the trouble caused by the latter far exceeded Xue Ji’s Time Stop.
“Truly worthy of being the protagonist of this world.”
Inside the Ancient Capital Castle, Bai Luo, eyes closed in a light nap, praised subconsciously: “This sharp intuition is not on the same level as other light novel protagonists.”
Bai Luo had read many Japanese light novels and watched anime set in other worlds.
Throughout numerous works, excluding the protagonist’s cheats, considering solely their innate talents, Cid was absolutely among the top tier.
He was just overly neurotic and somewhat edgy.
“So, what will you do, Xue Ji?”
Opening his eyes, Bai Luo slowly spread his palms, revealing a glowing orb in front of him.
Within it was clearly the battlefield where Cid, Alpha, and Xue Ji were located.
This wasn’t some form of remote projection, but rather a small world created by Bai Luo using spatial and creation authority.
As for the three of them, they were currently inside Bai Luo’s palm, presenting this battle whose outcome was already determined.
“Ara ara…”
Xue Ji stepped forward, not feeling annoyed, instead showing interest in Cid’s attempt to pick on the weaker opponent.
“So, in your eyes, am I easier to deal with than Alpha?”
“This is truly… being seen through entirely.”
Xue Ji’s voice grew colder, the nine tails behind her fanning out and swaying slowly: “You brat!!”