Hot!
So hot!
Fighting until now, Durin only felt his head growing hotter and hotter, and his heart pounding more and more fiercely.
The heart beneath his left chest felt as if it were on fire. Surging Darkin Magic coursed through Durin's entire body, like sharp knives tearing and scraping his skin, muscles, blood vessels, and bone marrow. It was an indescribable tearing sensation—but not painful.
He could feel the long-dormant Darkin Magic within him becoming active again, beginning to obey his commands, gathering all the fire elemental particles it could from the air, and growing increasingly Mad as the magic surged.
Durin's mind now held only one thought:
Kill this woman!
Tear apart this so-called Demon!
Today, either he dies, or this Demon perishes!
Durin's gaze grew fiercer. He held the enchanted scimitar in his right hand, completely abandoning the metal round shield in his left. The black-red armor on his body was like a living, conscious epidermis parasitic on his skin.
Mirador's exquisite face instantly darkened. The tear mole under her left eye transformed her demeanor into one that warned others to keep their distance, completely changing her former gentleness, leaving only indifference.
Her left hand, entwined with black mist, gradually converged into three sharp claws, while in her right palm, a spiraling orb of arcane energy, formed from shadow energy manipulated by Demonic power, hovered.
The two stood silently facing each other.
Durin first took two steps, then suddenly accelerated, rushing towards Mirador in two or three ghostly strides.
Seeing Durin, who was radiating scorching white mist, Mirador immediately flung the arcane energy orb from her palm towards him.
The speed of this attack was so fast that Durin, who was Running, almost didn't react; he only noticed it out of the corner of his eye.
Typically, human horizontal vision is around 200°, which allows a vast amount of visual information to be received by the eyes. The brain then initially processes this information, filtering out most useless data, and then submits the remainder to consciousness for processing.
The corner of the eye, however, is different; it often keenly captures stimulating movement information. This is an instinctive reaction developed for survival.
The gleaming scimitar and the arcane energy orb wrapped in black mist successively tore through the air, emitting whooshing sounds.
—Bang bang bang!
His rapidly beating heart allowed Durin to tilt his entire body sideways using his waist, but a burning pain still came from his back.
The residual energy of the arcane energy orb barely grazed his back, and Durin's speed was so fast that even he couldn't believe it. The scimitar in his hand cut a bright arc through the air, accompanied by a teeth-grinding whooshing sound.
The blade was covered in a surging blaze, striking Mirador's right shoulder precisely, moving from bottom to top along her neck all the way to her entire face.
His body, enveloped by the scorching gale, and the storm of flames, darkened from their original brightness, flickering with black-red light.
"Ah!!!"
[One-Handed Weapon + 3, Current Proficiency: 116/125]
[Running + 2, Current Proficiency: 92/100]
Mirador's illusion was indestructible, but her true body was clearly not.
Hit by the enchanted scimitar, Mirador couldn't help but scream. Her skin peeled back as if torn, and blood spurted from the wound!
The Demon was consumed by the flame storm, and the lingering flames and orange-red light dispersed around like startled ghosts until they vanished.
Deep-red flames spread along Mirador's shoulders, arms, chest, and thighs, while also scorching Durin's skin. But for some reason, Durin was not afraid of these terrifying flames at all; instead, he became even more Mad from the heat of this fierce blaze.
He felt an immense sense of kinship, not even perceiving any pain.
These fiercely burning black-red flames even incinerated and melted the instrument bag Durin was carrying, revealing the grotesquely shaped Darkin Harp, which fell to the ground with a clang.
"Ah!!!"
A tragic wail escaped Mirador's mouth, and a malevolent glint flashed in her eyes.
Mirador's face, which should have been moist and lustrous, looked as if it had been dehydrated; cracks appeared on her skin, and her entire face fissured inch by inch, revealing a crimson glow from the crevices.
Bang!
As Mirador screamed tragically, the surrounding environment and even the sky seemed to be violently struck by a table and chairs against a glass mirror, producing a loud crashing sound. Cracking and shattering sounds suddenly erupted, and a nearly distorted moonlight refracted through the fractured gaps.
Durin completely ignored the Darkin Harp on the ground, and with his heart pounding in his chest, he moved again.
Strike when they are weak, take their life.
If not now, then when?!
The next moment, Durin's body instantly appeared before the Demon. He raised his left arm, covered by Darkin Armor, clenched it into a fist, and the fist, enveloped in dark red flames, smashed down fiercely.
A cold, evil aura clung like a festering wound!
Seeing this, Mirador's withered, sharp claws on her left hand also lunged towards Durin's throat at that instant, seemingly intending to tear his windpipe apart.
"Hmph!"
Durin twisted his waist and turned without thinking, his spine writhing like a flood dragon, attempting to dodge.
The sharp claws pierced Durin's right shoulder precisely. His mind buzzed, and a burning, salty taste surged wildly from his mouth and nose!
A large chunk of flesh was even scraped off his right shoulder by the claws, exposing bone. Blood spurted from the twitching wound like a child's water gun.
But Durin seemed to have blocked out the pain, wildly striking with his clenched left fist as if hitting a sandbag!
Bang, bang, bang!
[One-Handed Weapon +3, Current Proficiency: 119/125]
[Running +2, Current Proficiency: 94/100]
[One-Handed Weapon +2, Current Proficiency: 121/125]
[Running +3, Current Proficiency: 97/100]
[One-Handed Weapon +4, Current Proficiency: 125/125]
[Running +3, Current Proficiency: 100/100]
[One-Handed Weapon Specialization Point * 1]
[Running Specialization Point * 1]
[Character Level increased by one level, now Level 8, gained one Skill Specialization Point]
Mirador's eyes widened. She couldn't imagine that her strength would be so vastly inferior to his; it was like comparing a small witch to a great wizard.
The rain of punches combined with immense power struck Mirador like a bolt of lightning, causing her to wildly thrash her body, no longer able to control herself.
The fragmentation of space led to a dislocation of light, giving a visual sense of discontinuity. Three-dimensional cracks gradually appeared, followed by the entire space beginning to tremble and collapse.
Those cracks gradually expanded, tearing this space into scattered fragments. Amidst the violent vibrations, the fragments detached from their original positions, shifted, and then—
The illusion finally shattered completely!
Bang!
With a thunderous roar, the surrounding black mist gradually dispersed.
Durin looked closely and clearly saw the surrounding situation: there were no damaged walls, nor were there any burning alleys.
At this moment, a faint cracking sound came from the alchemical streetlights on both sides, and the light bulbs exploded the next second.
The light bulbs shattered into countless small glass fragments, which then fell all over the ground.
However, the consequences of the damaged streetlights were far more than that. Perhaps the circuit or something else was also destroyed, and an entire row of streetlights completely flickered out with a "sizzle," plunging the whole area into darkness.
Crack, crack…
The sound of skin tearing and bones breaking filled the entire alley.
Durin clearly saw Mirador's fair skin gradually turn deathly gray in the black flames, rapidly tearing and ripping apart from both sides. Her entire face became covered in cracks and deeply sunken, and ink-black aura surged wildly from the cracks.
And beneath the fissures was not flesh and blood, but a terrifying, ink-black shadow.
Even beneath the human face, a face encased in a carapace was revealed, but its texture gave the illusion of being clad in heavy metal armor. The top of its mask had slightly backward-curving horns, and hair extended downwards from beneath the horns.
Four crimson eyes glowed like four demonic eyes burning with purplish-red flames.
The insect-shell-like mask emitted a "rustling" tremor, the entire mask trembling like fluid, highly tensioned black scales.
?!
Second stage?
Durin was startled, his pupils widened, his heart rate and breathing quickened, cold sweat drenched his entire body, and sweat dripped from his fingertips to the ground.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe how quickly the transformation occurred.
Standing in the shadows was a tall yet extremely slender figure. The shredded flesh, tattered clothes, and blood on her body all fell away, as if not a single drop of blood dared to remain on her, all turning into burning ashes and drifting away with the wind. At the same time, her body almost twisted into a 180-degree posture, making cracking sounds.
The Demon's slender and tall height was roughly estimated to be around one meter ninety, with a figure that was full-bodied and curvaceous, a classic hourglass shape. Her skin had also transformed into a deep purple, with some crucial areas being purplish-black, as if she were wearing a translucent garment.
But it truly made it difficult for one to feel any lust. Mirador, having revealed her true form, simply stood there, giving Durin the feeling of a deep abyss black hole, exuding a chilling aura, constantly devouring his negative emotions.
Visually, the Demon's head was encased in an insect-shell mask, with a distinct matte polished feel. The insect-shell mask had two curved horns extending forward, glinting with sharp, cold light.
Her fingertips had also transformed into beast-like claws, with prominent outward-protruding bone plates at the knuckles.
"You've successfully angered me, Durin. I'm going to draw out your soul bit by bit, and then let you watch consciously as your soul is devoured by me!" the Demon said in a hoarse voice, filled with hysteria.
The four crimson eyes revealed on the insect-shell mask were filled with an intense bloodthirsty glow. Her mouth uttered a character pronunciation that was almost indistinguishable to human ears.
The next moment, Durin felt a bone-chilling coldness spread throughout his body. He could clearly perceive everything around him, yet he couldn't move, not even the simplest action of blinking.
This intense feeling of his body being controlled was far stronger than before, by an immeasurable amount.
Mirador elegantly raised her left hand and hoarsely said, "Come!"
Suddenly, Durin, as if uncontrollably, lifted off the ground and flew through the air, then zipped in front of the Demon.
The mouth part of the insect-shell mask slowly opened, and a smooth, tender tongue, covered in viscous saliva like a snake's tongue, slowly extended out and licked his neck once.
Then, she roughly pulled Durin's black hair and gave him a deep, soul-penetrating French kiss. Her tongue, like a snake, elongated, attempting to enter Durin's chest cavity.
"So delicious… This feels like eating blueberry jam cake, sweet and sour…" Mirador mumbled incoherently.
"Uh."
"Uh ah ah ah——"
"…"
Durin began to groan in pain, but after a few seconds, the agony of his soul being torn apart rendered him unable to even make a sound.
However, blood began to seep from his eyes, ears, nostrils, hair roots, and every single pore, almost instantly transforming him into a bloody mess.
After being nourished, Mirador's cracked skin healed once more, and a sickly, infatuated smile appeared on her well-defined and delicate face.
She reached out and gently patted Durin's cheek, softly saying, "Don't worry, I'll eat your soul slowly."
Plop!
Durin collapsed to the ground, sweat pouring from his forehead like a river, his entire body drenched. A dazzling white light from the sky not far away illuminated his vision, and then…
A piercing whistle echoed from the distant dark sky, followed by a series of increasingly loud grinding noises from machinery.
This was the sound of a steam airship!
Durin instinctively slumped backward, like a fish stranded on shore, gasping for a few breaths.
His chest burned. The originally menacing Darkin Armor suddenly ignited, and before Durin could react, it burned away without a trace. Even Durin's chest was scalded, leaving only a mark from the burn.
"This…"
Durin hadn't quite reacted, but a high-heeled shoe had already stepped on his chest.
Mirador looked down at Durin from above, with a triumphant smile on her face, her cherry-like pink lips slightly parted: "Durin, tell me how you…"
Before she could finish speaking, a silver-white crossbow bolt shot from afar, shattering the damp condensation on the window. The sharp arrowhead directly pierced Mirador's head.
The immense kinetic energy carried by it directly sent Mirador's entire body flying.
Clang!
Whoosh!
The cicada-like hum of the crossbow string reverberated through the entire alley.
Then, Durin heard a clear, magnetic, mature female voice drifting from the rooftop: "Indeed, I smelled Black Magic."
Author's Note:
Author's words: The next chapter is about adding points to one-handed weapons. Which specialization do you all hope for? Here are the one-handed weapon specializations: Shield Block
Personal: Shields provide a larger protective area and are more durable against projectiles. You will receive almost no damage when behind a shield.
Captain: Your led formation receives a small bonus to shield protective area and durability against projectiles.
Shield Wall
Personal: When your shield does not provide effective defense, you take -20% less damage.
Captain: When your led formation uses the Shield Wall formation, shields receive a medium bonus to protective area against projectiles.
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