Chapter 46: Merging Divinity
2015-02-03
Author: Floating Tower (诸生浮屠)
Time Stop.
One of the most outrageous spells of wizards, and a legendary spell capable of overwhelming non-spellcasting professionals. The spell’s effect is simple: it allows time to come very close to a standstill within a certain range, during which only the caster can move freely. Generally speaking, the duration of Time Stop lasts between 15 to 60 seconds, during which everyone else is in a state approaching stillness, while the caster can move freely; however, any spellcasting or physical attack by the caster will not take effect until the spell ends.
So!
This is how Soren was able to retreat with Vivian while the Swamp King was dismembered.
Because the Time Stop spell is so incredibly powerful, many have studied ways to counter it. The first and simplest way is through the monk’s abilities; the legendary monk’s “Lunar Shadow Technique” can grant immunity to all time-related spell effects. Even deities that manipulate time cannot control them. However, “Lunar Shadow Technique” is a very difficult skill to master, and there are not many monks who enter the legendary domain of the world, even fewer can learn it.
The second method is predictive evasion.
The range of Time Stop is not great; anything within or entering that range will approach a state of stillness. Therefore, if one can predict in advance, they can evade in various ways. Among these, Soren is most familiar with ‘Shadow Plane Teleportation.’ If he can enter a shadow travel state the moment before Time Stop initiates, he will be excluded from the stilled time. Soren’s body will enter the Shadow Plane, and when the effects of Time Stop end, he can emerge from the Shadow Plane.
There are indeed many such evasion methods.
However, the key is to temporarily leave the current plane and space, thus avoiding the effects of Time Stop. After the spell ends, one can teleport back. Spellcasters’ plane banishment, chaotic teleportation, interdimensional teleportation, etc., can achieve this, but it requires a very high level of spell judgment and considerable luck. This kind of predictive evasion method of escaping Time Stop has, even for Soren, a success rate of less than thirty percent.
Because a prepared spellcaster is quite terrifying!
If neither of the above conditions can be met, one must rely on sheer resilience. For resilience, it is necessary to prepare triggering spells or triggering equipment, to activate defensive energy right before Time Stop or to activate abilities like “Legendary Resilience” just before Time Stop. This way, one can last a little longer; whether one can survive is still uncertain. Just relying on combat skills is useless. A special specialty is needed to coordinate with this, namely “Sixth Sense” and “Super Sixth Sense.” [Note: Even at his peak, Soren only obtained the “Sixth Sense” specialty and did not even touch the more advanced “Super Sixth Sense.”]
This is a specialty that is harder to master than “Instinctive Evasion,” requiring not only strong perception but also other special requirements.
Because the effects of Time Stop are so outrageous, many have attempted to simulate ways to break it, including phasing oneself in advance, and multiple triggering protective energies. However, after extensive research, one method is widely recognized as the most effective: to transform oneself into a being of demigod level or higher. From the demigod level onwards, all deities are immune to Time Stop. They possess their own domain abilities, rendering most time-related spells ineffective against them.
Thus.
Time Stop is a legendary spell that exerts crushing power over all beings below demigod level!
………………
The Swamp King is dead!
A strange spiritual light immediately appeared in Soren’s eyes, but this light did not move toward him. Instead, it gradually merged into Vivian’s body. A hint of divine light flashed, as if the corpse of the Swamp King had lost some mysterious and unknown power. However, a peculiar brilliance flashed in Vivian’s beautiful big eyes, which seemed to awe with the presence of divinity. This strange phenomenon lasted for only a moment, and then the little girl’s expression showed signs of drowsiness as she looked up at Soren and murmured in a sleepy childlike voice, “Brother! I’m so sleepy!…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Vivian fell asleep.
Soren quickly embraced Vivian’s petite frame and rolled to dodge an enemy’s thrown spear. With the Swamp King dead, the enemy quickly began to scatter, especially those enslaved Sea Bandit Fishmen, who almost immediately fled into the distance. However, there were still enemies remaining to fight: the mixed-blood offspring bred by the Swamp King. Soren leaped onto the ghost ship, The Requiem, and placed the sleeping Vivian in a safe spot.
The divinity from the Swamp King had been absorbed by her!
As a servant of the ancient abyss demon lord Dagon, the Swamp King’s body contained divinity from the Abyss Demon God. Although this divinity was very weak, bestowed during a desecration ritual, Soren still worried whether Vivian could successfully merge with it. He began to control the living ropes aboard the ghost ship, killing off those enemies still resisting. By the time the battle finally ended, the sea was awash in blood; it was unclear how many beings had perished here, but there were hardly any surviving Sharkmen left.
“Your Excellency!”
The first mate maneuvered the pirate ship closer, his expression quite exuberant, with scars on his arms and abdomen. Excitedly, he said, “We won! The Swamp King is dead!… Your Excellency is now qualified to become the new Pirate King!… Once this news spreads, many pirates in the nearby waters will come to rally to us!…”
Soren’s expression did not show much excitement. He glanced at the few remaining subordinates on the deck and said solemnly, “What is the casualty count?”
The first mate’s face darkened slightly as he replied, “Over half casualties; the second mate was also killed in battle.”
So many people died.
More than 50% of the pirates Soren brought with him were lost! These were all his already subdued pirate followers!
However, the achievements were also quite glorious.
Soren sunk a pirate ship, captured two pirate ships, but still allowed a portion of the enemy to escape. Soren had no strength left to pursue the enemy. Those who got away included Sea Bandit Fishmen and human warships. One warship sank to the seabed, while another had its hull breached and was already starting to take on water. It wouldn’t be long before it sank. The only intact vessel was the Swamp King’s Dragon Head Warship, which was generally unscathed but lacked enough hands to sail it back.
So it had to be towed back by the ghost ship!
………………
Night deepened.
Soren held Vivian and looked up at the sky; the stars were very dim under the night sky, and the ghost ship was providing escort nearby.
He glanced at the data displayed before him and fell into thought.
“Activate Decapitation Attack!”
“Decapitation successful!… Target dead!… You have gained combat insight!…”
“You have obtained part information on [Sword Intent: Decapitation].”
“In numerous battles, you have mastered a new combat skill. You comprehend the combat skill [Sword Intent: Decapitation]!…”
………………
“Activate Half-Slice Attack!”
“Half-Slice successful!… Target dead!… You have gained combat insight!…”
“You have obtained part information on [Sword Intent: Half-Slice].”
“Combat Insight!”
“With each battle and slay, your combat skills gradually improve!”
“You have obtained part information on [Dual Wielding].”
………………
In this battle.
Soren directly comprehended [Sword Intent: Decapitation], and for the second time obtained information on [Sword Intent: Half-Slice] and [Dual Wielding]. This means with one more prompt, Soren could master both powerful abilities simultaneously. Among them, he has become quite proficient with [Sword Intent: Decapitation], while [Dual Wielding] still requires some accumulation. If he can master [Dual Wielding], Soren can directly use the specialty points gained from leveling up to further master [Advanced Dual Wielding].
The road ahead.
Soren needs to find a way to strengthen to [Legendary Dual Wielding].
At that time, the speed of his attacks while using dual wielding would reach a jaw-dropping level, and with sufficient attributes, it might even be possible to block bullets with a knife.
A day passed quickly.
Just when Soren thought Vivian would sleep for a long time after absorbing the divinity of the Swamp King, the little girl woke up the next morning, but she was only awake for a short while.
The morning light spilled in.
Soren was awakened by the slight movement of the little girl in his arms. Vivian gently opened her eyes, saw Soren, and revealed a sweet smile, then softly said, “Brother, I had a dream.”
Soren felt a surge of joy. Seeing her awake, he immediately asked, “What did you dream about?”
“I dreamed of the Swamp King.” Vivian rubbed her small white hand against her eyes and muttered, “That monster actually wanted to fight me again. But I quickly killed it again.”
“Uh!…”
“But after I killed it, it seemed like an even bigger monster appeared!… It looked like an enormous octopus, but its head was strange, like some kind of monster fish.”
“Uh!… I’m so sleepy!… Brother!… Do I have to kill that strange octopus too?…”
Vivian’s voice grew lower and she fell asleep again.
However, Soren’s expression was quite surprised. He realized that Vivian seemed to be consciously exterminating the consciousness of the absorbed divinity, something that had never happened before.
In the past, she would only gradually awaken after he exterminated the divine consciousness.
But now she indeed awoke after eliminating the consciousness of the Swamp King’s remnant, yet it seemed she had not yet eradicated the deeper, ancient Abyss Lord Dagon’s remnant consciousness.
This made Soren somewhat worried!
………………
(PS: Many things today. There will be another update.) (To be continued ~^~)
