## Chapter 288: Battle with a Huge Strength Disparity
The moment Shabak fell, besides himself, there was another person filled with horror, and that was me. Let alone Shabak, even I, who had been watching their every move from beginning to end, didn't notice when that Sword was 'inserted' into Shabak's chest. It was as if a Sword appearing in his chest was a matter of course, something that didn't attract my attention at all. By the time I came back to my senses, Shabak had already fallen.
What kind of Speed and Strength is this? No, perhaps it can no longer be measured by these two Standards; it has reached a certain Realm.
Slowly exhaling, I suppressed the shock in my Heart, leaned down slightly, and coldly stared at the Strong Enemy before me. The Strength/Power difference between us was simply too vast. I couldn't find a single shred of Hope for victory. But now, no matter what, I had to take a gamble. It was better than waiting for death. The only thing that brought me comfort was that Shabak was dead. That wicked fellow should have been cast into the Eighteen Layers of Hell long ago.
Kalot still stood quietly, like a straight iron tower, looking at me with empty hands, as if saying: Come on, attack me, let me see your Strength/Power.
A Cat and Mouse Game? How annoying. This guy, what I hate most are those who act pretentious.
The next moment, a Crystal Sword appeared in my hand. The moment the intense Sunlight reflected through the Crystal Sword's body, piercing the opponent's Eyes with its Glow, I moved. A series of Footsteps instantly appeared in the straight-line Distance between us. My Sword had already struck the spot where Kalot was.
He dodged. Feeling the empty 'swish' as the Sword body cut through the air, my Gaze narrowed, but I wasn't surprised. If he were so easily hit by a single blow, I would have been wary instead. To be honest, even if I hit him, I wasn't sure if I could break his Defense. A Paladin above Level 60! Right now, I was completely being forced into this; I didn't want to fight, but I had No Choice but to fight.
"Good Tactics." A voice devoid of Feelings came from beside my ear.
The moment the voice appeared, my Sword followed the momentum and slashed sideways, missing. Following the voice, I turned, advanced, hacked and Thrust, then hacked and Thrust again. By the time the Paladin finished speaking, I had attacked no less than twenty times.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Gripping the Crystal Sword tightly in my hand, I panted slightly. From the start of the Attack until now, it definitely hadn't exceeded three seconds, but for me, it was the most thrilling Time. Seeing the Paladin not far away still maintaining his original posture, meaning his Upper Body hadn't moved at all, merely shifting his heel slightly to Dodge my Attack, no matter how calm I was, my Heart couldn't help but turn cold. The opponent's completely relaxed Demeanor had utterly shattered my last shred of Hope. The huge Gap/Difference in Level and Strength/Power truly couldn't be reversed by the Protagonist's Halo.
What surprised me even more was when my Gaze inadvertently fell to the Ground, only to discover an astonishing Fact. From the Attack until now, the messy Footsteps on the sandy Ground, no matter how I looked, were only mine. There wasn't a single one from the Paladin. Was this guy a Ghost? Even an Assassin couldn't achieve this Degree, could they? My Gaze towards the opponent became even more solemn.
"But your Swordsmanship and Pace are too terrible." While several thoughts flashed through my mind, the Paladin, like the most precise testing instrument, continued in a mechanical voice. By this point, only five or six seconds had passed since I started attacking. His next sentence left me stunned.
"I really don't know how Kashya taught you. If it weren't for your subconscious Movements and Gaze, I really wouldn't be able to confirm if you are a student she taught."
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, not daring to relax in the slightest.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My Name is Kalot, affiliated with the Freedom Alliance. I was once Kashya's disciple. Speaking of which, you are also my Little Junior Brother." Kalot said coldly. When he mentioned Little Junior Brother, there wasn't a hint of the Warmth a senior brother should have.
"Stop trying to claim kinship. I'm not that Old Drunkard's disciple." I immediately refused without thinking. Bah, that Old Drunkard was so secretive and only taught me a few moves. He wants to be the Teacher of a Genius like me? Where in the world is there such a good Matter/Thing?
"Old Drunkard? Your tone is somewhat similar to that Madman's." The Paladin Kalot finally 'revealed' a trace of a Smile at the Corner of his mouth, but this Smile was still cold.
"I don't know what nonsense you're talking about, but as Kashya's disciple, why did you join the Fallen Alliance?" With anger, I questioned him in a deep voice. For some reason, although I didn't admit that Old Drunkard had any extraordinary qualities, I subconsciously believed that the students she taught shouldn't be like this.
"Various reasons." A sharp Glow flashed in Kalot's keen Eyes, as if he instantly thought of many things.
"Actually, I don't care which Alliance I'm in, and I'm too lazy to bother with its fate. I just want to achieve my own purpose. The Freedom Alliance, well, you call it the Fallen Alliance, they can let me act freely and provide some Information and convenience. That's all."
"Hmph, selfish and disregardful of Life."
"I don't deny it."
The next moment, my Figure crossed the five-meter Distance, and the Crystal Sword slashed down towards him. Since we had no common language, there was no point in saying more.
My Eyes blurred, and the slash missed again. Concentrating and listening intently, I immediately caught that faint sound of airflow. Dodging to the left? I sneered inwardly, my Figure quickly turning without stopping.
Turning to the right.
A trace of surprise flashed in Kalot's Eyes. He wouldn't think this was a simple misjudgment. Even the most inexperienced Adventurer wouldn't make such a Low-level mistake.
The moment I turned, the bones in my Body suddenly crackled, and my Figure instantly grew taller by several inches. In less than a second, I had completed the Werewolf Transformation. Being able to achieve this instantaneous Speed was thanks to the Stats attached to the Horadric Cube—+100% Cast Speed.
In the instant Kalot was stunned, a white whip-like shadow quietly swept towards the dead angle of his Line of Sight. Before I could even force out a Smile of successful scheme at the Corner of my mouth, the empty feeling as my Tail swept through the air made me freeze again.
He could even Dodge such an unexpected Attack? Was this guy really Human?
Turning back, Kalot was already maintaining a Distance of about ten meters from me, his Figure intertwined with Light Snow , who was roaring continuously. However, amidst Light Snow 's Storm-like continuous Attack, he still looked leisurely and at ease, handling it effortlessly.
No, relying solely on me and Light Snow is not enough to deal with him. His Speed is too strange. I must Summon my other Pets. First, I'll try if the Airdrop Encirclement can be effective. If I Have No Choice, I can only Transform into Blood Bear.
I gritted my teeth. My Body began to condense Magic Light. Before the Summoning Array could even appear, my vision suddenly went dark. A tall Figure had already appeared In Front of me, like an insurmountable mountain, so majestic and possessing such a Sense of Oppression that it instantly froze my breath.
"I didn't plan on letting you continue Summoning. If you want to live, fight for it with your own Strength/Power." A cold voice sounded in my ear. The next moment, my Body suddenly left the Ground, my stomach churned, and the Spell was forcibly Interrupted.
"Cough cough—" Falling to the Ground, I hunched over, covering my abdomen and coughing violently. One punch, just one punch, made my stomach churn and my internal organs feel almost displaced. The Pain was so intense I almost fainted.
Enduring the Pain, when I shakily stood up, the scene I saw made me furious. Light Snow , who was entangled with Kalot again, was pouncing when Kalot flashed. Only an afterimage was left on the Ground, but his Body had already appeared overhead. His Large Hand pressed directly down on Light Snow 's head. With a loud noise, hot Sand flew high, and a Giant Pit instantly appeared on the Ground. After the dust settled, Light Snow 's Body lay at the bottom of the Giant Pit, her head pinned down by a large foot. No matter how hard she struggled to stand up, she couldn't break free from the restraint of that foot, only letting out stubborn roaring sounds.
Watching my Comrade being humiliated by the Enemy, Light Snow , who had always been loyal and protected me, was actually stepped on the Ground by that dirty large foot. My Heart felt as if it had been pierced by an Arrow. Boundless anger immediately burned fiercely, and a trace of blood-red appeared in my Eyes.
With a wave of his Large Hand, Light Snow 's Body turned into a streak of White Light and disappeared. Kalot withdrew his foot and turned his head unhurriedly, placing his Gaze on me.
"Cherishing your Pet, the Idea/Thought is indeed commendable, but I won't give you another chance to Summon it."
"There's no need for that." I glared fiercely at Kalot, my Eyes containing nothing but anger.
"Oh? Looking at your Appearance, it seems you're still hiding a Trump Card. Let me witness it." Kalot tilted his head, his Gaze towards me becoming sharp again.
"Then open your Eyes wide and take a good look!" I roared, and the Berserk Power within my Body surged out wildly, raging through every nerve like a bursting dam. It hurt, it really hurt. The unbearable Pain made me involuntarily roar up at the sky in Madness, emitting a roar that didn't sound Human.
But no matter how great the Pain, how could it compare to my Wrath at this moment? Even if he was Kashya's disciple, as long as he dared to violate my bottom line, I would kill him without hesitation.
Along with the tearing Pain, Blood seeped out from the Skin all over my Body, dyeing me completely into a Blood Person. My Body slowly began to swell, and a violent and frantic Aura emanated from me as the center, forming an increasingly strong black vortex. My black pupils were also gradually covered by a layer of blood-red.
Alice!!
Just as I was gradually about to be swallowed by this Berserk Power, the Little Ghost, who had already prepared, slowly integrated herself into my Soul. Practice makes perfect; this Fusion was even smoother and faster. The power carrying the Little Ghost's sweet Aura flowed through every particle of my Soul. With the surge in power, that Unruly/Untamed Berserk Power instantly became more docile than a little Sheep, and control of my Body was back in my hands.
This is truly incredible, Kalot made no attempt to hide the surprise in his Eyes. The strong vortex emanating from the opponent turned into Wind Blades, causing his Cloak to flap wildly. The swirling yellow Sand stirred up by the vortex formed a Sandstorm, obscuring his Line of Sight. All around, there was nothing but Sand, but his Eyes remained fixed on the front. That unknown, Powerful Sense of Oppression forced him to be cautious.
"Roar~~"
With an earth-shattering roar, the Sand and dust in front of Kalot suddenly seemed to be squeezed, forming a vacuum tunnel. From this tunnel, a blood-red Fist the size of a water vat charged straight over.
"Bang--"
Whether it was unintentional or intentional, Kalot was hit squarely by this Fist. His Body flew horizontally like a cannonball, skimming the Ground for over a hundred meters before falling to the Ground. Its momentum undiminished, it skipped across the Sand like skipping stones, then bounced up like tattered cotton. This repeated four times before it finally stopped, plunging headfirst into a raised Sand Dune, deeply buried inside. At this point, he had been sent flying two or three hundred meters away by this punch.
And in the place where he flew out, the swirling Sand and dust were suddenly blown away by a strong airflow. A Blood Bear Form over ten meters tall roared mightily up at the sky. The fur all over its Body looked as if it had been dyed with fresh Blood. The Blood Jade Pupils, the size of a baby's fist, were filled with endless brutality and Madness.
I roared up at the sky. The resonant roar echoed through the vast Great Desert. After attacking so many times, I finally hit something tangible. It felt so exhilarating!
"Thump--Thump--"
With every step of the massive Body, the Ground vibrated once. My heels sank deeply into the soft Sand, making me furrow my brow. This Terrain was really not very suitable for my Movement.
At this moment, the Sand Dune a hundred meters away from me suddenly burst open. Kalot's Figure appeared inside. His cloak was covered in dust, and a trace of blood seeped from the Corner of his mouth, making him look quite disheveled. How could the Blood Bear Form's powerful blow be so easy to deal with? Even a Paladin above Level 60 had to pay a heavy price.
Wiping away the trace of blood from the Corner of his mouth, Kalot sized up the slowly approaching Blood Bear Form with a Surprised Gaze. He muttered to himself—Interesting. So you were hiding such a terrifying Shapeshifting. No wonder the arrogant Kashya was willing to teach you. Given Time, you will likely far surpass us.
The sound of air breaking sounded. Kalot raised his head. The blood-red Fist that had just sent him flying, bringing with it a whistling sound, was now less than half a meter away from the top of his head. A trace of a Smile showed at the Corner of his mouth. Kalot's Body suddenly trembled slightly, and then, the blood-red Fist passed directly through his Body and landed on the Ground.
A dull thud sounded. The loose Sand couldn't resist this terrifying one punch at all. After the dust settled, the small Sand Dune where Kalot had been standing had already turned into a Giant Pit.
"Strength/Power and Explosive Power are more than half of that Barbarian Madman's, and his Speed and agility are surprisingly also faster than in Werewolf State. Only Level 20-something, he's truly a Monster worthy of the Name!" Kalot, whose Figure had appeared dozens of meters away in a flash, crossed his arms and calmly calculated.
"But--" He slowly released his hands and drew out a white longsword.
"Overall Strength/Power is still too weak."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kalot and his Sword became one, turning into a streak of White Light that swept past me.
What's going on? Where is he? Where did he go?
My Brain went blank. The place where that white line swept past, besides Pain, was also mixed with the Feeling of burning (Fire Damage), Cold (Cold Damage), Paralysis (Lightning Damage), and Weakness (Poison Damage).
That streak of White Light that swept past had not yet disappeared when another streak of White Light swept past from behind me, followed by the third, fourth, fifth... In less than three seconds, my entire Body had been swept by hundreds of white lines. These white lines crisscrossed densely, covering my Body completely like a Spider Web.
Kalot's Custom Skill—Instant Step + Paladin Fourth Tier Combat Skill—Vengeance
In my dull Gaze, Kalot appeared out of thin air In Front of me and slowly withdrew that white longsword. At this moment, the first streak of White Light that he had swept past only began to slowly disappear. Then, from the shoulder area it swept past, a burst of Blood Mist spurted out. Then the second streak of White Light disappeared, and the place it swept past was another burst of Blood Mist. The third, fourth... Hundreds of white lines disappeared in just a few short seconds, and hundreds of Blood Mist bursts also spurted out from all over my Body, dyeing the sandy Ground within nearly ten meters around me into a Blood Pool.
With the Blood Bear Form's Life Force and recovery ability, these small wounds could still be endured. But the worst wasn't these small wounds, but the Four Element Negative Effects of burning, Freeze, Paralysis, and Weakness that came from every wound. These small side effects intertwined, finally forming resistance inside my Body. The continuously flowing Strength/Power within my Body seemed to be interfered with by this resistance. Blue, green, red Glow, White Light, constantly intertwined on the surface of my Body, looking like a colorful Energy Body Giant Bear.
All my Strength was drained away, and my massive Body could no longer be controlled and fell down. I gritted my teeth, strenuously propping myself up on the Ground with my constantly trembling hands.
Move! You bastard, move!
I constantly roared in my Heart, but my Body was completely disobedient. Vengeance was after all a Paladin's High-Level Skill. Used by Kalot, the Four Elemental Stats Damage was even more terrifying. Even with my Blood Bear Form's Vitality, my Body gradually succumbed, and even my Consciousness began to blur.
"One last piece of Advice for you, my Little Junior Brother." Kalot walked to my In Front with steady and powerful Pace. His short Body, not even knee-high, emitted a Presence that was not inferior at all.
"Attacks that cannot deal Damage to the Enemy, and Defense that cannot resist Enemy Damage, no matter how Powerful, are useless."
Kalot's Figure became increasingly blurry, and my Consciousness gradually blurred. Am I going to die? Carrying this final thought, I finally could no longer endure. My eyelids slowly closed, and I fell down. My massive Body rapidly shrank, finally returning to my True Form.
Looking at his Opponent/Rival falling down, Kalot slowly stepped forward a few steps. Suddenly, a fierce streak of White Light lit up, making him stop his Footsteps. He slightly narrowed his Eyes. After the Glow dispersed, a girl wearing a Priest Robe and slightly emitting Holy Light floated in Mid-air, her hands spread open, blocking him In Front. Her beautiful silver Eyes were filled with inviolable Holy and Authority.
Staring blankly at the Holy Maiden before him, Kalot didn't know what he thought of, and he actually became infatuated. For an Expert with such a strong will as him, losing composure was not an easy Matter/Thing. What exactly was it that could make him so flustered?
"Get lost! Go back! You are not allowed to Approach Xiao Fan again!!"
The Little Ghost strenuously spread her hands, protecting her beloved's Body behind her like a hen. Her somewhat crazy silver Eyes made others have no doubt that as long as Kalot took one more step forward, she would immediately launch a frantic Attack.
Kalot, who woke up from the Little Ghost's scolding voice, suddenly shook his head self-mockingly. What was I thinking? It wasn't "her," it was just that their Temperament was too similar.
Coming back to his senses, he felt a sense of Pressure from the Little Ghost. It wasn't in terms of Strength/Power, but rather that noble and graceful Temperament and Demeanor. It was as if a Powerful warrior facing a defenseless King would also feel respect from the bottom of his Heart. Who exactly was this Mysterious Maiden? She seemed to have high status and authority. Looking at her, she seemed just like...
Kalot pondered for a long time, and finally, a very fitting word appeared in his mind.
Saintess!
Just like a Saintess high above. Whether it was her Temperament, Demeanor, or Movement, they were all so similar. No wonder he felt she was very similar to "her," and no wonder he, this Paladin, felt Pressure.
"I didn't intend to kill him."
She said to the other party with a Smile. That Temperament of the other party, which was extremely similar to "her," made his originally cold and lifeless Gaze unconsciously become warm.
"Then get away from me, immediately." The Little Ghost's Gaze didn't relax for a moment. Looking at Kalot, it was just like looking at her father's murderer, wishing she could kill him.
"Alright, I understand." She was too similar. Kalot really wanted to chat a few more words with the girl, but he knew that saying anything now was useless and would only make her hate him more. With a sigh, he slowly retreated a few steps, then turned around and left.
He gently reached into his chest with his left hand, took out an unremarkable Small Stone, and looked at it. His Gaze became increasingly gentle and sorrowful, just like looking at his beloved Wife. Two drops of Tears slowly flowed down from his cheek.