novelraw Chapter 154: Arrogant
Chapter 154: Arrogant
Loren executed a zero-frame startup, unleashing Sin-Burning Flames once more. Although he didn't have the damage boost from Lurking Fangs this time, the combination of Sin-Burning Flames and the Judgment card alone was enough to instantly kill this Plague Envoy.
His sins were far too heavy.
"Throat-Severing Slash!"
A flash of fiery light streaked through the air as Loren's blade arrived before the Plague Envoy, who hadn't even had time to begin an incantation.
If Loren's blade made contact, victory would be assured. Yet, the smoother things seemed, the more Loren felt something was off. Sure enough, in the next moment, his Intuition began screaming a warning—danger was coming from behind.
Plague Envoys who came here likely all knew necromantic magic, and necromancy contained many attacks targeting the soul. Even Void-walking couldn't completely evade them, but as a transmigrator, his soul was exceptionally robust.
Loren glanced back, but his blade never slowed. He was rapidly assessing the situation, weighing the pros and cons.
If the attack from behind was something he couldn't withstand, he would use another method to dodge. If he could take it, he would prioritize killing this Plague Envoy.
It's better to cut off one finger than injure all ten. Loren understood this principle well. Eliminating one first would avoid a lot of trouble.
Behind Loren was another Plague Envoy. A ghostly blue, semi-transparent chain extended from his hand, its other end terminating in a scythe.Soul Chain, a Fifth-tier magic. While it could damage the soul, its primary function was control. Loren could withstand this strike, but he wasn't so sure about any follow-up attacks.
Necromantic magic lacked instantaneous burst damage, so the Plague Envoy's subsequent attack likely wouldn't be necromancy. Void-walking could dodge it.
Loren made a decisive choice. His blade swept across the Plague Envoy before him, severing the head in an instant. The head flew through the air, but no blood sprayed. The wound was instantly cauterized, the blood vaporized before it could even spurt—a testament to the extreme heat of Sin-Burning Flames.
The damage amplification from Sin-Burning Flames this time wasn't as significant as last time, indicating this one's sins weren't as profound as the previous envoy's.
One down, one to go. Loren was confident that even if the next attack was necromantic magic, he could counter-kill successfully. He hadn't even used the Strength card in combat yet, and that card could trigger a power surge.
But the anticipated attack never came. When Loren turned to look, he found a bullet hole had appeared in the Plague Envoy's forehead. On the rooftop of the building behind the envoy, Loren spotted a familiar figure.
Laila stood there, one foot braced on a roof protrusion. The wind whipped her black robe around her, and she held a sniper rifle, smoke still curling from the barrel. As Loren looked at her, the wind chose that moment to blow back her robe's hood, revealing her short golden hair.
She had bought this sniper rifle back in the territory of the God of Night and Thunder, where buying a gun was easier than buying a loaf of bread.
"Big help, sis."
Seizing the opportunity, Loren didn't hesitate. He threw Requiem, pinning the head-shot Plague Envoy to the ground, and simultaneously released Sin-Burning Flames to incinerate the head on the ground and the headless corpse.
These Plague Envoys had physical bodies, so there was no Deathrattle effect. But Loren worried he might still be alive, capable of a final, desperate counterattack.
He didn't spare the other one either, immediately throwing out a flurry of Crimson Blades to slice him to pieces. Then he moved closer and released Sin-Burning Flames to burn the remains to ash completely.
[Level up successful. Gained 1 attribute point. Current level: 30.]
Killing two Plague Envoys leveled Loren up. He had gained three levels in a single night, but he knew this was just the beginning.
The Vengeful Spirits he had released would wreak havoc in the Canaan Kingdom, harvesting a massive amount of experience. The soldiers there would provide far more experience than Zombies, whose contribution was minuscule.
Upon reaching level 30, Loren still didn't rush to choose a talent. Selecting a talent when encountering a special situation was the correct approach.
Loren stepped over the corpses littering the ground, casually casting a water magic spell to wash the blood from his body, and walked to the building where Laila was. He opened his arms.
Laila also put away her sniper rifle, slinging it back over her shoulder. She leaped down from the roof, landing in Loren's embrace.
Only after Loren had held Laila for a while did she realize something. She quickly pushed him away.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I just couldn't sleep and ran into you by accident while taking a walk. I wasn't specifically following you."
Flustered, Laila fell into tsundere mode, concocting a reason that even she found awkward. Loren just smiled in response.
This kind of "I'm nice to you just incidentally, not because I like you" is tsundere. "You're nice to me, but I didn't ask you to be, so why should I appreciate it?" is being a spoiled princess. Many people confuse the two.
A tsundere is someone who stubbornly refuses to admit their feelings, yet their affection still inadvertently shows through. It's not about looking down on others or denying their efforts.
Loren knew exactly how Laila had found him. She had placed a tracking mark on him long ago. Although Laila had only used it as an excuse to kiss him back then, the mark was genuinely imprinted on Loren.
"Let's go home first."
Loren pulled a healing potion from beneath his now-tattered black robe. After drinking it, his injuries rapidly healed. Loren had only suffered some superficial wounds;
the main issue was the Zombie Virus.
However, Loren had the Strength card. That card could grant him most of the abilities of a shonen manga protagonist, including suppressing the outbreak of an illness. He could go back and slowly research a cure.
"How are we getting back? My horse collapsed from exhaustion halfway here."
Laila didn't say the latter part—she had run the rest of the way on foot. When Loren embraced her earlier, he had felt her clothes were already soaked with sweat.
"I have a horse prepared. We can ride together."
"Fine. I guess I'll just have to put up with squeezing in with you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Laila felt so awkward she could have dug a hole with her toes. The more she tried to express her true feelings, the more her words came out wrong.
The two walked together through the ruins, stepping over corpse after corpse. They didn't speak further. The place was quiet, with only the cawing of crows.
Soon, they found Loren's tethered horse. There weren't many people around, so there was no need to worry about theft.
Loren picked up the black robe he had hidden nearby and put it on. He felt a pang of longing for Scarlett. Without that living backpack, everything was so inconvenient.
As Loren's skin was covered by the robe, a flicker of regret passed through Laila's eyes.
"Get on."
Loren mounted the horse first, then extended a hand toward Laila.
"I can do it myse—... Thank you."
This time, Laila managed to cut off her own tsundere remark in time, stepping forward to take Loren's hand.
With Loren's pull, Laila was hoisted onto the horse, sitting behind him.
In the silent night, only the sound of the horse's hooves echoed. Laila leaned against Loren's back, savoring this moment of peace.