Chapter 165: Just Speak

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Under the moonlight, the two men stared at each other in silence.

Thales looked at Asda in disbelief, then at Black sword.

’What?

’A massacre... in Renaissance Palace?

’The royal family... was killed?’

In Thales’ memories, there was only one incident which had both of the described events happening at the same time...

Thales swallowed and his brain revolved frantically. ’These two men... what roles did they play in the Bloody Year?’

Asda maintained his chilling smile, but this time, his smile seemed to be laced with another emotion.

"It’s time to set things right." A strange blue light surfaced in Asda’s eyes, and it only grew brighter with each passing moment. "This time, I will solve this problem of yours, once and for all."

As his voice fell, Asda "changed".

Thales stared in shock as he watched the blue light in Asda’s eyes overflow like a creek, branching into several streams. It blanketed his entire face.

From afar, Asda’s skin now looked chapped and cracked. The blue light flashed from beneath and the whole thing was extremely strange.

A chilling sensation grew in Thales’ heart.

In that instant, he felt that Asda did not only change in appearance, his entire being was a little different.

’What’s going on?’

"Your luck runs dry here," the Mystic who had blue light flowing across his face slowly said. But this time, it felt as if all emotion had faded from his words. There was no trace of fluctuation in his tone whatsoever. "You will never have the opportunity of coming near me again."

He was just like a stiff puppet.

Black Sword gradually raised his brows. Apparently, he had seen this side of Asda before.

Black Sword slowly stroked the ridge of his sword with his left hand. With a slight bend of his knees, he lowered his body and posed in a position that felt familiar yet different to Thales.

"That was just a trial earlier," Black Sword plainly said. The tip of his sword was pointed at the peculiar-looking Asda.

"Regardless of what you’re trying out, it all ends here." The Mystic was expressionless. Without a trace of anger in his tone, the words that traveled between his lips flowed with a blue light from time to time.

The next moment, without a word, Black Sword pounced!

The Mystic, who was flashing in blue light did not even look at his opponent. He just stared straight ahead with a vacant look in his eyes.

Black Sword’s assault was significantly faster than the last time. Within a few seconds, he was already ten steps away from Asda!

The Mystic slowly raised his hand in the direction of Black Sword’s assault.

Black Sword let out a low growl. His entire body leaned forward as a force rushed from his legs. The speed of his assault accelerated again!

"Air is ubiquitous," the Mystic’s abnormal, indifferent voice slowly rang. "It fills your entire body from the inside out."

Thales had his eyes wide open. He had a feeling that something was about to happen.

Sure enough, the moment Asda seemed to unconsciously raise his right hand, Black Sword’s figure swayed violently!

His speed immediately decreased.

"All the air in your lungs has condensed, none shall enter or exit." The blue light on the Air Mystic’s face glowed brighter. "You won’t be able to inhale a thing."

Black Sword’s facial expression changed. He clutched his chest desperately with his left hand!

Thales’ mouth hung open in shock.

’What?

’The air in the human body?

’Can Asda actually go to this extent?’

Sure enough, Black Sword seemed to have suffered a huge blow. He began to turn red in the face and eyes.

His movements were distorted and even his feet began to shake!

Thales looked at him with concern—his only chance of escape.

Black Sword propped his sword on the ground as he lowered his head and gritted his teeth.

At the next second, Thales could see within his field of vision that the scene surrounding Black Sword suddenly blurred.

In that instance, some form of power appeared to obstruct Thales’ field of view, confounding him in the process.

However, reality did not allow Thales to linger on in his thoughts—Black Sword had extracted his sword from the ground right before his eyes!

His stagnated movements seemingly smoothed out at that moment.

Black Sword’s figure actually recovered its original speed as he continued his assault towards Asda!

Questions arose in Thales’ heart. ’What did Black Sword do?’

"A good response," the Mystic’s plain and expressionless voice rang again as he answered Thales’ question. "Strengthening by the Power of Eradication. Urging muscles related to breathing to forcibly breathe in small amounts of air."

Black Sword’s figure swayed. He stumbled in his footsteps as he rushed up to Asda!

Like a drunken man, his movements lost the ease of his first assault. Thales was very concerned that he might fall at any time.

’Moreover...’ Thales frowned. ’If not for the Legendary Anti-Mystic Equipment, Asda would have...’

The Mystic did not seem to care about Black Sword. With an unmatched indifference, he said, "It will only allow you to live for a dozen more seconds."

Black Sword stared at Asda, who was flashing in blue light. He clenched his jaws as he looked like he was enduring an unprecedented amount of pain.

He raised the strange sword in his hands at Asda!

The streams of light on the Mystic’s face flowed in blue rays once again.

Immediately after, the Mystic’s eyes shone with immense blue light!

Nobody could clearly see the expression in his eyes.

Thales saw the air surrounding Asda beginning to emit starry specks of faint blue light—once more, a heavy pressure fell upon the air around them.

’No.’ Thales gritted his teeth and took a step back, maintaining his field of vision. ’This time, it’s not as simple as heavy pressure!’

*Boom...*

A muffled sound rang!

Thales watched in terror as the event unfolded. With Asda as the center, the snow in a circular area surrounding him sunk. The sunken layer was visible to the naked eye.

It looked like it had been forcibly slammed in by someone!

*Boom!*

Black Sword sunk to his knees uncontrollably!

Relentless, Black sword clung to his sword. The point of his sword was just a few inches away from Asda.

He knelt in front of Asda and gritted his teeth as he growled softly. His left hand supported him from the ground, but it trembled continuously.

As though burdened with weights by the tens of thousands, he could not move.

*Shing!*

Black Sword could not help withdrawing his sword. He forcibly pierced the tip of his sword into the ground as he braced himself from being crushed.

’This is bad.

’I’ve made a wrong estimation... Black Sword is no match for Asda at all.’

Thales clenched his fist as his heart paced with nervousness. ’But, with such a huge commotion, surely there’s bound to be someone who’s noticed already?’

"See, once your body has been set back, your reflexes will slow down," the Mystic spit his words out mechanically. His voice was calm, "You will become much easier to deal with."

Black Sword knelt on the ground as he growled begrudgingly.

"Never-ending luck has allowed you to fully live an extra twelve years—you’ve always been able to manage a narrow escape.

"But this time, you have no comrade who will trade his life to create an opportunity for you to kill me." As blue light flowed over the Air Mystic’s face one again, he slowly said, "You have no comrade who will trade his life to save you either."

At that moment, Black Sword looked up with much difficulty. His eyes burned with hatred and fury.

"Monster..." he relentlessly said through his teeth.

The Mystic shook his head in indifference. He lifted his right hand and kneaded his fist silently.

In Thales’ eyes, the specks of blue light in the air started to brighten. The air surrounding Asda tightened with a terrifying force.

*Clank!*

The strange sword that belonged to Black Sword bore several inches deeper into the ground. An ear-piercing sound was released as the sword’s ridged end ground against the rock strata.

Black Sword’s body was gradually being pressured downwards. His left hand and his two legs that were supporting him contracted uncontrollably towards his own torso.

Thales felt his skin crawl—he remembered the Mystic’s favourite trick, kneading flesh into a human meatball.

’I’ve experienced this personally before, haven’t I?’

The trembling of Black Sword’s body became increasingly vigorous and his body contracted unceasingly at the condensing air pressure.

His bones started to snap.

And a painful howl escaped from Black Sword.

Yet, his right hand remained firmly on the hilt of his sword.

As if it was life itself.

’We’re done for.’

Thales sighed.

But at this very moment...

In Thales’ field of view, Black Sword’s figure blurred again.

The second prince’s heart dropped.

’Based on the events earlier, this means that Black Sword...’

*Crack...*

A strange sound came from underground.

The Mystic seemed to have realized something and his shining eyes turned as his face flashed a brilliant blue. "You..."

At the next second, a crisp crack came from the ground Black Sword had been crawling on! It started from where he forcibly pierced the ground with his sword!

*Boom!*

Beneath Black Sword, the ground abruptly split open!

*Crash...*

His entire living being sunk into the cracked rock strata!

The Air Mystic turned his head sharply, the blue light in his eyes flashed really quickly.

In that instant, Thales could clearly see that Black Sword was twisting the sword he had relentlessly held on to, dragging it horizontally on the ground!

He created a hole on the surface of rock!

The terrifying air pressure seemed to have found a vent as it bore into the hole, breaking open the entire rock strata. Following that, more and more air permeated the gradually cracking interior of the rock.

Shortly after, the heavy air pressure around them suddenly reduced!

Thales was stunned. ’If this is the case...’

Sure enough, Black Sword who had been huddled on the ground was relieved of this restriction of air. He stepped on the continuously sinking rock as his figure suddenly emerged above ground!

At that moment, the eyes of the risen Black Sword were bright, pure and steady.

He cast his gaze on the expressionless Mystic, and looked straight into the latter’s eyes, which were shining with immense blue light.

Black Sword inched forward again, getting a step closer to Asda.

The Mystic suddenly lifted both of his hands a little. His figure flew backwards at the push of the air!

It appeared like he was escaping from Black Sword.

But before he could drift too far away, a terrifying tremble erupted from Black Sword’s right hand!

A strange power surged. In the middle of the chaotic air flow, the sword in Black Sword’s hand traveled towards Asda with unmatched steadiness, power and accuracy!

Thales took a deep breath as he watched Black Sword’s instantaneous counter-attack.

The point of his sword was about to pierce Asda’s head.

However, the blue light on Asda’s face shone brightly once again.

*Clank!*

There was a sound of blunt impact!

It sounded like sword just crashed into the hardest metal. It was blocked by a strange, transparent barrier right before the tip of Asda’s nose!

Thales frowned. He saw a blue barrier appearing before Asda’s body, blocking Black Sword’s weapon.

"Air wall," he said to himself as he looked at the blue ball of light in Asda’s left hand.

"You’ve always been able to find a way to live in the face of desperation," the Mystic said soullessly. "That was a beautiful counter-attack."

Black Sword roared in fury. With great force beneath his feet, his body rushed to the front as his sword pierced forward!

Asda flew back. The sword still hovered unwaveringly in front of him, seemingly unable to break through the air-wall barrier.

Nonetheless, it looked as though Black Sword was pushing Asda backwards.

However... something startled Thales. ’They’re flying towards me!’

"Trying to kill me once again?" the Mystic’s voice was cold and quiet as though a sword was not before his eyes, but a mere fly. "You’ve known ever since day one that I can’t be killed."

"Then why do you need to defend yourself?" Black Sword’s eyes were wide open with fury. He held his sword with both hands. His footsteps were incessant, as if he would pledge his life to break the air-wall barrier.

"It’s just a habit." The Mystic floated backwards and plainly said, "I don’t like others to come close to me."

Thales felt his skin crawl as he watched them floating over. He just wanted to flee.

But at this moment, the state of the affairs changed again.

Black Sword suddenly retracted his sword, and he turned around rapidly.

With a final stomp of his foot, he gave up thrusting his sword forward and he left Asda’s side altogether!

The streams on the Mystic’s face flared as he did not expect Black Sword’s actions.

In the next second, Black Sword rolled sideways and fell to Thales’ side!

Thales was surprised. Before he could react, he felt pressure tightening on his shoulder!

He turned his head around, feeling astounded—he realized that Black Sword was standing behind him and holding his left shoulder firmly!

’How...’ Thales’ brain was a sea of confusion.

"Black Sword!"

The Air Mystic had been lackadaisical since the beginning, as if he had lost all emotions. He now roared stressfully for the first time, "Don’t you dare!"

Asda put down his left hand, maintaining the air wall and raising his right.

In that instant, Thales felt a coldness on his neck.

That peculiar, black sword was at his throat!

Asda’s hand halted mid-air.

Thales could hear Black Sword’s cough ringing in his ear.

It caused his heart to palpitate continuously.

Thales then came to his senses.

’Is Black Sword... holding me hostage?’

’I...’ Thales strongly resisted his desire to curse as a sense of bitterness arose in his heart. ’Must I be this unlucky?!’

Observing it all, the rays on the Air Mystic’s face flashed more and more violently. He frowned. "You always surprise me."

"I told you, it was just a trial earlier... to make sure that my skills didn’t decline." Black Sword coughed and spit out a mouthful of blood "Your response hasn’t changed much either.

"Then, I just found this opportunity."

Black Sword panted as he tightened the hand that was clutching Thales. "This boy is of importance to you?"

The blue light in the Mystic’s eyes faded, revealing the expression in his eyes.

The streams of light on Asda’s face gradually dissipated as well.

Thales flashed him an unsightly smile. He thought of shrugging his shoulders but they were detained by Black Sword. He could not move an inch.

"Even if you cut his throat open, I can still use air pressure to seal the bleeding." Asda looked at Black Sword, who was holding Thales, and solemnly said, "You know that this is futile."

Upon hearing that, Thales breathed a sigh of relief...

Until he heard Black Sword’s following words.

"Right." Black Sword sighed. He flipped his sword to the ridged side and kept his grip on Thales. "So, I’ll just cut off his entire head..."

"Can you put him back together then?"

Thales stopped breathing.

’Wh-What?’

"Go ahead and try it." Asda’s brows relaxed. He did not seem to care as the rays of coldness in his eyes shot in all directions. "Threatening a Mystic? You and your Black Street Brotherhood... just wait and see the price I will make you pay."

Black Sword snorted lightly.

The sword in his hand gradually approached the boy’s neck.

Asda watched his movements, and his brows slowly sank.

"Wait-Wait a minute!"

The crisp voice of a boy rang.

Black Sword and Asda collectively paused. The both of them turned their gazes around.

In Black Sword’s grip, Thales yelled as he felt his skin crawl, "The two of you! Just talk things out first!"