novelraw Chapter 213-1: The Underground Duel of the Scallion-Tuna Tavern (1)
Chapter 213-1: The Underground Duel of the Scallion-Tuna Tavern (1)
[You return to the port. Following the signs, you set off on the road to the Scallion-Tuna Tavern.]
[…]
Halfway there, as expected, you once again encounter the ronin gathered around the Karmic Fire.
Lin Xun easily dispatched the ronin. This time, he did not choose to leave immediately.
Instead, he stepped a bit farther from the Karmic Fire, staying out of its glow, to test a theory he’d been mulling over.
He tried using the Karmic Fire to see how the Three-Headed Lion and the Valkyrie would react.
When ordered to approach the Karmic Fire, the Three-Headed Lion, being a flesh-and-blood creature, could not resist the malice and, within the fire’s radius, also succumbed to frenzy.
However, finding no target, the Three-Headed Lion did not attack him, instead beginning to mutilate itself to vent the malice.
“What a kind-hearted little fellow…”
Lin Xun recalled the Three-Headed Lion and summoned the Valkyrie to continue testing.The Valkyrie advanced and circled around the Karmic Fire again and again as if nothing were wrong, showing no signs of being influenced by the malice.
He pondered for a moment and reached a conclusion.
Perhaps because the Valkyrie was a refined copper construct, the malice simply had no effect on her.
Suddenly, Lin Xun’s eyes brightened as he thought of a cunning idea.
Since the Valkyrie could remain clear-minded, maybe she could become the key to dispelling the influence of the malice.
He had already devised ways to avoid the Karmic Fire’s effects.
One was to fly over it, ignoring the terrain. That way he could change paths and avoid the firelight and the malice’s sway.
But flying could only solve the problem in open terrain, and even then only if he knew about the fire in advance.
If he encountered Karmic Fire unexpectedly, the surge of malice would make it impossible to switch Shells in time, inevitably wasting Soul Strength.
The second method was simple: rather than avoiding the malice, he could vent it.
The best way to discharge malice was through slaughter. Once the malice had been spent, he could depart quickly before new malice gathered strength.
If there were no monsters to slay and vent the malice upon, he could try this method.
To be safe, Lin Xun decided to test it in advance, so he wouldn’t end up dead by accident in a crisis.
He handed the special equipment to the Valkyrie and had her use the Little Demon Shikigami Bell.
[Battle Angel – Valkyrie takes the Little Demon Shikigami Bell. She gently shakes it, and the crisp ringing sounds especially sharp in the silent night.]
[The bell’s sound continues, but no Little Demon Shikigami appear. The Valkyrie looks curiously at the bell in her hand and shakes it more forcefully…]
[…]
[Your Watcher currently possesses no Spirit Essence and cannot sacrifice Spirit Essence to summon any special summons.]
[Please first give your Watcher a Spirit Essence item.]
Lin Xun slapped his forehead.
“How could I forget that part?”
The bell could sacrifice up to ten thousand Spirit Essence to summon the demon shikigami. Though the sacrifice had an upper limit, the hellish game had never specified a minimum.
He only needed to use it as a venting tool, no need to squander his savings.
[You take out a Fading Trace of Spirit Essence and give it to Battle Angel – Valkyrie.]
“Five whole points of Spirit Essence, take it and spend it. Don’t complain it’s too little.”
[The Valkyrie again rings the Little Demon Shikigami Bell. The clear bell tones echo…]
[A chill wind of unknown origin blows through. More than a dozen black shadows quietly appear!]
[They are small as children, yet have blue faces and tusked jaws, their expressions twisted. Some wield knives, others heft clubs or pitchforks…]
[Powerful demons typically had forms black as mire, dense and solid, but these eighteen Little Demons were insubstantial, as if a single gust could scatter them. You could even see the alley wall behind their translucent bodies…]
“They’re only venting tools, no need to worry about the details…”
[With the eighteen ‘mighty’ Little Demons, you approach the Karmic Fire…]
[Your gaze is inevitably drawn to the pitch-black flames. Staring at the writhing firelight, a hidden malice begins to sprout in your heart…]
[Surging malice erupts. You uncontrollably draw your katana, yearning to quell the malice through slaughter, but you find no enemies…]
[Your gaze locks onto the fragile Little Demons behind you. Malice gushes forth…]
[Your katana swings, flashes of cold steel slicing through the dark…]
[Your special summon Little Demon – Eight is dead!]
[Your special summon Little Demon – Three is dead!]
[Your special summon…]
[…]
[When you finally finish venting your malice, only half of the eighteen Little Demons remain.]
[Looking at the Karmic Fire still burning fiercely, do you intend to linger here or leave at once?]
“It really works!”
By using this cunning method to produce and expend his own malice, the Shell had successfully regained clarity.
With the Valkyrie always present, she could now serve as an autonomous awakening machine, so at critical moments, he wouldn’t have to worry about killing himself and returning to the city when malice gathered.
Of course, there was also another way to vent malice, taking advantage of the Three-Headed Lion’s self-healing, undying trait to vent on it…
“Forget it. I’d rather stay human…”
With this flicker of conscience, Lin Xun continued to his next destination.
[You head toward the Scallion-Tuna Tavern…]
[…]
[You soon arrive at your destination.]
[The tavern’s entrance is splendid, and the building occupies a large area. From the boisterous voices spilling out, you can tell this place is thriving.]
[You step into the Scallion-Tuna Tavern. Inside, every table is full of guests, a lively scene.]
[You look around carefully. The patrons are all kinds of people, ronin, sailors, ashigaru samurai, and more…]
[The Fire-Worshipping Tavern Owner sees you approach and hurries forward, bowing repeatedly in greeting.]
[He discreetly slips you a money pouch and leans close to whisper, “Lord Samurai, this is this month’s ‘protection fee.’ Thanks to your patronage, the dueling arena’s business has been booming lately.”]
[As a samurai responsible for maintaining order in the city, you accept the protection money the owner offers.]
[You have obtained 30,000 Spirit Essence!]