BXBX NOVEL Chapter 46: Chapter46-The Curtain Rises
This young man showed no sign of panic faced with a life-or-death crisis; his eyes were as tranquil and undisturbed as the surface of a lake.
Such composure, unshaken even as mountains crumble, the team captain had only seen in seasoned warriors who had survived countless brushes with death.
Yet the youth before him was barely eighteen!
As the team captain hesitated, bewildered.
He suddenly saw a mix of gold and earthen hues ignite in John's eyes.
Then, under the captain's astonished gaze.
The gold and yellow lights slowly merged, swiftly coalescing into a golden armor around John.
This armor seemed to form a seamless whole, covered in a layer of yellow scales with intricate patterns, majestic and imposing, radiating an indestructible aura!
"Gold Mail Armor!"
In just the blink of an eye, the golden armor enveloped John completely.
Witnessing the golden armor on John, the team captain felt his world turn upside down.
He could never have imagined that this young man was capable of skill fusion!
This was something not even many top-tier powerhouses could achieve!
Yet this youth, having awakened just a few days ago, had already accomplished this feat!
A wave of fear involuntarily rose in the team captain's heart.
Given more time, who knew how far this young man could grow!
At this moment, John suddenly noticed that the once formidable punch from the team captain inexplicably slowed, its power significantly diminished.
He had initially planned to apply a Zephyr Shield to himself, but a thought struck him.
John wanted to take this opportunity to test the extent of enhancement the Gold Mail Armor provided to his physical capabilities.
He stepped back, then under the team captain's ghost-like gaze, he gathered strength in his arm and threw a punch back at him!
"Boom!!!"
Their fists collided, blood-red and golden lights intertwining, creating a violent airflow that swept through the branches, causing nearby twigs to crackle and countless leaves to fall like rain.
Both were sent flying backward.
The team captain landed and couldn't help but take a step back to steady himself.
John, on the other hand, took three consecutive steps back to barely dissipate the force of the opponent's punch.
The team captain, feeling the power from John's fist, could hardly believe his eyes.
He had been intercepted head-on by a magus!
He was a gold-tier fighter, and even if he had been momentarily distracted, his strength was not something a fragile magus could match!
John, clad in the Gold Mail Armor, stood upright.
He could feel a tingling pain in his hand but showed no change in expression, merely sighing inwardly.
A gold-tier fighter was indeed not so easy to deal with.
The Gold Mail Armor not only greatly enhanced his defense but also significantly boosted his physical condition and strength, combining the advantages of both the Gold Armor Spell and Rock Mail, making it extremely powerful.
Even so, John could only barely parry the opponent's attack.
Had the opponent not been distracted or possessed even greater strength, his wrist might have been dislocated on the spot.
He was still too weak!
If the team captain knew what John was thinking, he would probably be so frustrated he'd spit blood.
A bronze-tier magus managing to stand against a gold-tier fighter and still not satisfied?!
If other awakeners from the Federation knew about this, they would probably line up just to beat up John for his audacity!
After landing, the team captain didn't rush to attack.
Instead, he watched John warily, looking for vulnerabilities while also trying to buy time.
John, of course, wouldn't let him stall, especially not knowing how many House Carter members might be on their way.
A flash of cyan and ice-blue light flickered in John's eyes, and soon a cyan shield enveloped him.
At the same time, an ice spear appeared in his hands.
"Zephyr Shield!"
"Ice Spear!"
John stomped on the ground, causing the earth to shatter, and his figure instantly turned into a streak of light rushing towards the team captain!
The team captain cursed inwardly.
He had hoped to delay for a while, then send a signal to seek help from nearby House Carter guards.
Now, John had disrupted his plan, forcing him to brace for the incoming attack.
"Boom, boom, boom!!!"
The two figures collided, fists and feet striking, whipping up fierce winds. In just a moment, they exchanged several blows.
Seizing an opportunity, John's ice spear, with a trail of afterimages, aimed straight for the opponent's vital spot.
The team captain appeared to panic, but a flash of triumph flickered in his eyes.
He knew John had taken the bait.
Just as the ice spear was about to hit, the team captain's figure vanished, then reappeared behind John.
"Blink Step!"
Dodging John's attack, his legs glowed with a cyan light, and he delivered a whip-like kick as fast as lightning towards John's neck.
"Wind Leg!"
The team captain's attack was swift; John couldn't dodge in time and was hit directly on the neck.
John's neck was instantly snapped by the ferocious kick!
But the team captain's expression changed drastically.
The figure of John that was hit gradually turned into black mist and dissipated.
Meanwhile, another John had somehow appeared behind him.
"Shadow Puppet!"
He held the ice spear in his hand, and with a ruthless thrust, aimed directly at the team captain's back.
"Thwack!"
The sound of the ice spear piercing flesh resonated.
Suddenly, silence enveloped the surroundings.
The team captain looked at the ice spear tip protruding from his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He had lost!
And to a magus in close combat, no less!
John's gaze remained indifferent as he slowly pulled out the ice spear.
The icy-blue shaft bore no trace of blood, remaining pristine, and no blood flowed from the team captain's wound.
As the ice spear had pierced his body, the blood at the wound was instantly frozen.
"Thud!"
The team captain's vital energy slowly faded away as he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and then gradually knelt to the ground, his eyes filled with despair, his mouth opening as if to beg for mercy.
Even with his heart pierced, the strong physique of a fighter didn't allow him to die instantly.
John wasn't surprised; this was the power of an awakener.
In some ways, they had transcended the category of ordinary beings.
John's gaze towards the team captain held no sympathy.
"If someone seeks my life, I shall take theirs," had always been his rule for survival.
John's wrist twisted, lifting the ice spear, ready to end the opponent's life.
Just then, his expression abruptly changed, and he turned around to look towards the unreachably high crimson peak.
"Boom!!!"
The twelve blood moons suddenly burst into dazzling red light, staining the sky and clouds a deep red!
A scarlet beam of light suddenly rose from the summit of Demonbone Peak, piercing the sky!
"Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!"...
A series of mournful wails and angry roars echoed continuously across the Corpse Plains, Withered Forest, and Demonbone Peak.
In the plains and forests, which were relatively normal up until now, withered hands suddenly stretched out from the soil, and one after another, ghastly humanoid creatures emerged from beneath.
These creatures were numerous, and even near John, a few appeared.
Buried for who knows how many years, they were clad in tattered garments, staggering in their steps. Some were so decayed that only bones remained, while others had deformed bodies and tumors, presenting a sight both horrifying and nauseating.
To John's surprise, these creatures did not attack him upon emerging.
Instead, they slowly knelt down, devoutly worshiping toward the twelve blood moons and the tower atop Demonbone Peak!
With each bow, they were enveloped in a layer of blood-red light, their aura becoming increasingly bloodthirsty and frenzied, creating an eerie scene.
John's expression grew increasingly solemn.
He realized that someone might have encountered the secret realm's boss, triggering this phenomenon.
Glancing at the now silent team captain.
John quickly looted the equipment from the three House Carter guards, not bothering to inspect them, and hurried towards the depths of the Crimson Realm.
Chaos was about to ensue. Whether he could obtain the treasures of the Crimson Demon would depend on this unfolding spectacle!
...
Meanwhile, outside the secret realm, the situation was equally tumultuous.
Lucas, clad in a blood-red robe, stood with Theodore, who was draped in a red cloak.
Behind them were hundreds of House Carter guards in bronze armor, presenting a formidable sight.
Opposite them stood only a lavishly dressed fat man and an elderly man with white hair.
Yet Lucas and his companions dared not be careless, treating them as formidable opponents.
This was because the lavishly dressed fat man was named Albertus, the sole heir of this generation's House Fairfax.
And the white-haired elder was a venerable figure within the Federal, a notorious calamity-level powerhouse, a lv83 Wind Grand Magus known as the "Storm King."
...