novelraw Chapter 730 405: This Lesson Is Called Overwhelming Force (Part 2)
Chapter 730 405: This Lesson Is Called Overwhelming Force (Part 2)
"Nine Spirit Realm Knights, including a captain, watch closely."
As soon as these words fell, she moved.
Roland knew she was about to demonstrate real battle skills herself.
The essence of effortless mastery, Sofia's battle skills were exactly that.
She simply unsheathed her sword, struck, and returned it to its scabbard. The Spirit Realm Knight at the forefront didn't even have a wound, remaining frozen in place, devoid of life.
Nine unsheathings, nine kills.
Her sword-drawing movements were so perfect as if out of a textbook, or perhaps surpassing technique, nearing the limit of Cosmic Law.
In the moment she sheathed her sword, her beautiful silhouette was uniquely lonely.
Roland faintly understood her loneliness.
In this vast world, no one could understand her, nor stir her heart.
She might be that kind of eternally lonely misfortunate soul.
True solitary pride isn't in expression or gaze, but permeates every cell in the body.
In the Theia Plane, Sofia's power was suppressed by Cosmic Law, unable to fully release before the Return Day; there was a sullenness in her eyes, always giving off a cold, fierce feeling.
But in the Netherworld, all restraints lifted, her flower of life could finally bloom without reservation.
At least in that moment, her charm surpassed Sylph.
Regardless of appearance, temperament, or figure, this was a transcendence of the life level.
In that moment, Roland even had an impulse to worship.
Could it be...
Roland's body slightly trembled, and he softly asked, "Did you just touch upon the Divine Domain?"
Sofia's lips curled slightly, she responded gently, "You could say that. Watching your battles these days, I simulated combat in my consciousness, and gained much."
"Does slaughtering these small fish help you too?" Roland was somewhat curious.
"Not really, killing more small fish does me no good."
Sofia looked deeply at Roland and spoke openly, "By observing your fighting style, I simulated an ultimate state of you and then killed you in the sea of consciousness, gaining quite a lot."
Roland: "..."
He shrugged, chuckled, "Should I be grateful you didn't treat me as a small fish, or critiquing you for using me as a training sandbag?"
"You are a worthy opponent for my full efforts." Sofia's eyes suddenly ignited.
Roland retreated with caution, "What do you intend to do?"
If it were someone else, he wouldn't panic, but with Sofia interested, she might just attack him fiercely, or even cut him down.
In battle, Sofia was unreasonable.
"No need to worry, we're friends. Let's go, it's time to set off."
Roland's spirit suddenly revitalized.
"Alright, let's go."
As Sofia stepped away, Roland realized something was wrong and hurriedly caught up.
"Sofia, you're going the wrong way, this leads to the Nether River, not the Netherworld."
"We're supposed to head to the Nether River." Sofia responded calmly.
"Wait, what did you say? There's the Netherworld Ferryman there, he's at the Peak of the Holy Realm, Tier Two Limit; though there's no restriction on my power here, at most I'm Tier Three Level."
Roland was a bit speechless, "Am I fighting the Netherworld Ferryman?"
"Yes." Sofia replied casually, as if talking about killing a chicken.
Roland wanted to say more, but Sofia calmly closed off his protest.
"Do we have plenty of time?"
Roland could only follow Sofia to the Nether River.
Standing by the Nether River, Sofia paused and softly asked, "Roland, if your battle skills are inferior to the opponent, how should you respond?"
"Crush with strength; in face of absolute power, skills are useless."
Roland gazed at the oncoming Nether River boat and the ferryman standing at its helm, sighed lightly, "But why do I feel like I'm the one being crushed?"
Sofia simply smiled without speaking.
The Netherworld Ferryman saw Sofia and Roland standing on the shore, and yelled furiously.
"What do I see? Damn spirit bodies, and a living person?!"
"This is the Netherworld, not your sightseeing spot!"
The Ferryman's roar shook the Nether River's ripples, countless water ghosts shrieking as they fell into the water.
If not for this week's intense training, Roland would have fallen at this shout.
But he was no longer a small fry from a week ago.
He stepped forward, about to speak, but was pulled back several steps by Sofia.
"Come up here!"
Roland understood and knew what Sylph was implying, not to fight on the enemy's home ground.
He unhesitatingly gave the ferryman the middle finger, spewing countless profanities.
The Netherworld Ferryman had never encountered anyone so arrogant; his reason was instantly overtaken by anger.
He had ferried here for countless ages; what soul body dared speak to him like that?
With a roar, he struck the Nether River with his oar, his dark figure drifting across the wide river surface, landing on the ground.
"You court death!"
He couldn't be bothered to waste words with Roland and directly swung at him with the oar.
The oar in his hand appeared to be only two or three meters long, yet it crossed dozens of meters in a single stride, directly smashing towards Roland's forehead.
Though it was only three meters, it spanned fifty meters; this bizarre yet real feeling made Roland's hair stand on end.
Just as he prepared to take a step back and breathe easy, Sofia's voice came from behind.
"Go, crush him."
Roland's vision went black, nearly torn apart by pain.
Fortunately, in these recent days, he had experienced multiple soul impacts and had grown accustomed to them.
A surge of tremendous power nearly tore his body apart from within.
Luckily, he was now a spirit body, with a completely different physical structure, allowing him to endure.
Was this the power touching the Divine Domain?
Roland laughed heartily.
The ferryman, originally towering and majestic like a lone peak, now seemed as insignificant as an ant.
He put away his longsword, raised the Sage's Staff, and smashed it down, leisurely.
The ferryman's lips trembled with anger at Roland's impudent action, nearly fainting.
Reversed, reversed it is, daring to disrespect him, the Nether River Guardian, so!?
Then let there be complete annihilation! Reincarnation rights, revoked!
The ferryman howled, the oar struck Roland's head, while he also rammed Roland's staff with his forehead.
No skill, no evasion, purely a contest of strength.
The ferryman showed a hint of a smile, thought he could be tougher? His head was forged from the divine steel of the Netherworld; mere mortals couldn't...
No, impossible!
Fear took over the ferryman's face, his voice shrill with terror, "You, you are..."
"Too late!"
Roland swung the staff again, smashing it down.
The first strike shattered the ferryman's Nether Steel head, the second shattered his Soul Box, and the third with pure destructive power utterly annihilated the Netherworld Ferryman.
The ferryman's body turned into shining dust, vanishing without a trace.
Meanwhile, the soul bodies waiting at the shore to board the boat froze in place, astonished like toads amid a thundery rain, merely trembling, at a loss for what to do.
"Let's go; if we don't leave, someone will come," Roland softly reminded.
"You can leave; I'm just here to fill in as the ferryman for a few days," Sylph said calmly.
"Wait, what did you say?" Roland was bewildered by Sylph's bold act.
"I said you can leave," Sylph's expression remained cold.
"You're not accompanying me to... Alright, that's not the point; the point is you killed the Netherworld Ferryman yet want to take his job?"
"You killed him, what does it have to do with me?" Sylph replied expressionlessly.
Roland was stuck, unable to say a word.
He could never fathom a girl's thoughts, and this was no exception.
Seeing his shocked expression, a slight smile played at Sylph's lips.
"I will travel the Nether River on this little boat. Without the Nether River Boat, they can't come across; you're running out of time."
Roland wanted to ask what would happen to the soul bodies needing to cross, but the words stopped short.
He could answer this one for Sylph.
No spare boats in the Netherworld, it's not my concern.
True to Sylph's domineering style.
He turned swiftly and bolted, a thank you echoing over the Nether River.
Watching Roland's retreating figure, Sylph sighed softly, murmured with a hint of melancholy, "I can only stall for a while, the rest is up to you."
Her gaze turned toward the sky shrouded in endless darkness, her eyes cold, with a subtle disdain at the corner of her mouth.
"The Divine Domain? No, they are unworthy to deify me."
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