novelraw Chapter 268-2: Ogiwara Clan’s Chief Retainer, Desperate Water Prison (2)
Chapter 268-2: Ogiwara Clan’s Chief Retainer, Desperate Water Prison (2)
[You have possessed the shell of the Corrupted Earth Giant!]
[With a roar, your muscles bulged all over your massive body. Just as you were about to exert your strength, the runes on the chains flashed, draining every last drop of your power as swiftly as a whale swallowing water.]
[Your strength gone, you collapsed weakly, choking on the foul water as you coughed uncontrollably.]
[The Ogiwara Clan Head still looked down at you with that same cold gaze, his expression contemptuous, as though urging you to keep struggling, so you would despair all the sooner.]
[With another roar, you activated the racial talent Earth Form, intending to enlarge your body into a giant…]
[But the runes on the chains flashed once more, locking your form in place so that not even your racial talent could be invoked.]
Lin Xun’s heart clenched. He quickly opened the panel to check.
He saw that the text of every skill had turned a dim gray, clearly indicating that none of them could be activated.
Even the items and equipment on his body could no longer be used and did not appear when he switched shells.
At the top of the shell slots was a label, ‘Abnormal Status.’He tried to switch between various shells, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t break free of the chains.
“…Is my only option to respawn for free?”
With all shells rendered useless, the only way to escape seemed to be to kill himself and return to the Resting Page.
But doing so would mean a second failed assassination, which would further strengthen the Tenshukaku’s defenses. Even if he came back, it would likely be nearly impossible to conquer this place.
For a long moment, Lin Xun frowned deeply, trying every possible way to escape.
While bound by the chains, aside from switching shells, he could do nothing, no skills, no items.
[…]
[The Ogiwara Clan Head waited for quite some time. Seeing that you still refused to abandon your struggle, he seemed to lose patience. With a cold laugh, he turned away and left, his sleeves trailing behind.]
[Before long, a burly giant appeared in the cell. It was the Fire-Worshipping Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer.]
[As he strode toward you, the foul water rising to your waist rippled in waves, and the entire water prison shuddered faintly.]
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer grinned at you savagely, the fat of his face scrunching into folds, revealing two rows of yellow-black teeth.]
[He unfastened the iron grating overhead, then swung the iron whip in his hand down at you without warning!]
[Agonizing pain split your face open. Just one lash flayed your skin to ribbons, blood pouring down your neck, dyeing the chains and the water below a vivid red.]
Lin Xun’s expression didn’t change. He simply switched to the thick-skinned, fleshly Earth Giant shell.
If he kept using any other shell, he’d probably be whipped to death within a few strokes.
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer brought the second lash down hard, carving another bloody welt across your face.]
[He struck again and again with the iron whip, but when you neither howled nor pleaded, his eyes bulged with rage, and he lashed you with even greater force…]
[…]
[Another stroke fell. Blood ran freely all over your body, dripping from the chains, turning the filthy water around you a bright, hellish red.]
[You have sustained Extremely Severe Injuries!]
[…]
“How can I escape? If this goes on, even the Earth Giant will be whipped to death.”
Lin Xun gritted his teeth, but no matter how he racked his brain, no solution came to him.
If he could use his items, he would have summoned the Valkyrie long ago to shoot down that Chief Retainer with a single arrow.
But now there was only one path left: death and return to the Resting Page.
Seeing that the Earth Giant was about to succumb, Lin Xun had no choice but to switch to another shell, anything to buy a little more time.
Other than the Earth Giant, the most durable shell was probably the Little Dragonkin.
Lin Xun let out a long sigh and was about to switch shells to stall.
Suddenly, inspiration flashed across his mind.
“The Little Dragonkin… That’s it, Little Dragonkin! Why didn’t I think of that sooner!”
[You have possessed the shell of the Knowledge-Seeking Primordial Hermit!]
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer was panting like an ox, sweat pouring from his body. In the entire cell, only the sound of the whip striking and his ragged breathing could be heard.]
[When he saw you suddenly switch to such an ugly yokai shell, he thought you were provoking him. Fury blazed in his eyes as he lashed out again with the whip!]
[As the barbed iron whip fell upon you again and again, before long your whole body was drenched in blood, just like when you were in the Earth Giant shell…]
[But the fluid flowing from your wounds was not bright red blood, it was pitch-black dragon blood, thick with corrosive venom!]
[The blood streamed down your neck, over the chains, and dripped into the foul water below…]
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer failed to notice that as the black dragon blood soaked into the chains binding you, they gradually became mottled and rusty, the runes etched on them dimming and breaking apart…]
[…]
[The Chief Retainer had already swung the whip with all his might over a thousand times. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.]
[You were on the verge of death as well. If this shell hadn’t been so thick-skinned and tough, you would have perished long ago…]
[Yet the Chief Retainer paid no attention to the way the foul water around you, once stained bright red, had now turned a deep black.]
[You could clearly feel that the chains binding your wrists had become as brittle as dry wood, if you put forth your strength, you could snap them.]
[If someone were to inspect the manacles closely, they would see them covered in honeycomb-like corrosion marks. The flickering runes were long gone.]
[After resting on the floor for a while, the Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer finally regained a measure of strength. He pushed himself upright with difficulty and picked up the iron whip once more…]
[You lifted your head. In your pair of draconic eyes, a raging fire of vengeance blazed.]
[With a sudden surge of strength, you tore free. With a sharp crack, the chains binding your hands shattered!]
[Your abnormal status has been lifted!]
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Just as he opened his mouth to shout, he saw you switch again to another tall, lean shell.]
[This shell wore a dark cloak and gripped two fine staves of unequal length. As the shell raised its head, a strange glint flashed from the hood’s shadow.]
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer’s body froze. The iron whip fell from his hand to the floor…]
[You have possessed the shell of the Fire-Worshipping Heartless Ninja Master!]
[You drew the sharp sword from your waist, severed the shackles at your ankles with a single stroke, and tapped the ground lightly with your toes, leaping out of the water prison!]
[The Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer’s eyes rolled wildly. His fat hands fumbled toward the iron whip on the ground, as though he were about to regain consciousness…]
[With a smooth motion, you turned away. Your figure vanished.]
[The Chief Retainer finally recovered his wits. Just as he opened his mouth to cry out, he saw the most beautiful flash of swordlight he had ever witnessed in his life!]
[An instant later, his tiny head, so out of proportion with his massive body, flew high into the air. From the severed neck, a jet of blood sprayed out like a fountain.]
[His colossal corpse crashed to the floor. The head landed with a thump and rolled away.]
[You have defeated the Ogiwara Clan Chief Retainer. Your experience has greatly increased.]
[You have obtained the Faint Spirit Essence of Sanctity.]
[You have obtained the Iron-Spiked Steel Whip (Rare+ Weapon).]
[You have obtained Yutaro’s Rice Ball (Epic Item).]
[Your small figure emerged. You sheathed your sword and exhaled, feeling utterly exhilarated.]
[…]
[From the corridor outside the cell came the sound of approaching footsteps.]
[Your keen ears picked it up, the left steps were heavy, the right light. It seemed the person approaching was missing part of their right side.]
[You knew it could only be the Ogiwara Clan Head coming, and he was alone!]
[This was your best chance for an assassination!]