Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 128: Yu · Texture Error · Bird
The activity area’s command center was semi-embedded, built right into the side of Huai City’s famous Lion Head Mountain.
Amidst the raging thunderstorm, the command center seemed to be one with Lion Head Mountain, standing firm and unmoving.
Inside the command center, red lights signifying a level-two alert were flashing, and every screen had been activated.
Some staff members rapidly tapped at their keyboards while others hurried between workstations, the whole scene resembling a machine operating under immense pressure.
All Alliance Members in the area had already entered the field training zones to conduct a systematic sweep, remaining on high alert for any other anomalies.
At that moment, the white-haired director of the activity area, Yang Guannan, stared at the main screen with a grim expression.
Leos, which should have been inhabiting the Storm Mountain Range, had traveled hundreds of miles to Huai City outside of their migratory season and were displaying extreme aggression. This was something that hadn’t happened in nearly fifty years.
And now, their targets were students participating in field training, which put everyone’s nerves on edge.
"What’s the situation?" Yang Guannan asked, striding quickly toward a technician.
"The Leo Group’s unusual activity has been reported to the Divine Strategy Alliance for handling."
The technician replied calmly, "Feedback from the Divine Strategy Alliance’s Celestial Eye shows that the Exotic Beast Areas and all Secret Realm entrances are currently stable. There are no signs of a beast tide, but they still recommend that we incr—"
"Who asked you about that?"
Yang Guannan stroked his beard irritably. "I’m asking about the two students who are under attack! How are they doing now?!"
"Ah, my apologies..."
The technician apologized sheepishly and pulled up the corresponding video feed for Yang Guannan:
On the screen, Su Zhi and Shao Ya defended their position in a cave, while Yu Bao and Xiaoyue alternated their Skills to fend off the combined assault of the Leo Group and the King Leou.
In truth, they didn’t have much of a tactical advantage. The cave was only a shallow opening, so they had a wide area to defend.
Yu Bao would also counterattack from time to time with Furious Sand Blade. The scene looked intense, with lightning flashing and sand swirling...
In reality, neither side had managed to land a hit...
"As long as they’re not hurt."
Confirming that the two kids were safe, Yang Guannan breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere in the command center relaxed slightly. At the very least, they could confirm that the two students were in no immediate danger of losing their lives.
However, the tension didn’t dissipate completely. Everyone remained ready to launch a rescue at a moment’s notice.
"They shouldn’t have a problem holding out for a little while; they’re top contenders in the city league, after all. But we’ll probably still have to intervene in the end," one Alliance Member commented, picking up his steaming cup of tea.
Another member, a man with curly hair, sighed in agreement. "The kids definitely have the ambition, but there’s a world of difference between an arena match and actual field training."
"Tell me about it. I had to make an emergency intervention last year to save a kid who made it to the city league’s final four. For some reason, the guy got it in his head that he just had to go up against a Two-star Pet Beast..."
At this, everyone nodded in shared understanding.
They’d all heard what happened afterward. That student’s only comment on the experience was: ’The hospital WiFi is pretty good.’
"So how long do you think they’ll last?" the tea-drinking member asked, snapping his fingers to start a pool.
"I bet an hour."
"Isn’t that a little low? I’ll bet four hours. Su Zhi is the first-year champion, after all."
"Nah, Su Zhi’s no good. His skills are all flashy but lack substance. He can show off now, but he probably doesn’t have a very high ceiling..."
This continued until a sharp "What the fuck?!" came from one of the stations, and all eyes snapped to the main display screen—
·
"Woof woof... woof."
After a minute of barking, Yu Bao had finished explaining his entire battle plan to Wu Bao:
1. Yu Bao would press himself against Wu Bao, who would then use Perfect Block to launch him.
2. At the moment of peak velocity, Yu Bao would activate Desert Concealment for a second forward burst.
3. After emerging from his Desert Concealment form, he would use Sand Manipulation Technique for a third acceleration.
4. Finish it with a point-blank Furious Sand Blade!
"Woof?" Yu Bao patted Wu Bao on the shoulder—even though Wu Bao didn’t have one.
’You, understand?’
"Ooh!" Wu Bao nodded, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
’Don’t you worry, Big Bro, you can count on me!’
With that, Wu Bao turned around, allowing Yu Bao to press himself against his back.
Seeing that they were actually going through with it, Su Zhi quickly interjected, "How are you going to control the trajectory and direction of the Perfect Block’s rebound? Besides, your Sand Manipulation Technique isn’t ready for actual combat!"
"Woof," Yu Bao huffed, shooting Su Zhi a look one might give an idiot and waving a dismissive paw.
’The rebound trajectory of a projectile striking armor is just a function of the armor’s slope and the angle of impact. All you have to do is plug in the parameters, reverse-engineer the formula, and then solve for the required angle. Duh.’
’And as for the Sand Manipulation Technique, he’d figured that out, too.’
Su Zhi stared blankly at the sky. "..."
’These points I’ve been putting into Intelligence... something’s getting seriously weird...’
"REEE—"
High above, the King Leou beat its wings once more and launched another attack, diving straight down.
However, just as it was about to reach the bottom of its dive, the heavy Yellow Earth Wall suddenly parted.
"OOH!" Wu Bao planted its four feet on the ground, its carapace suddenly glowing with an intense light—Perfect Block activated.
Yu Bao’s figure shot out in a perfectly straight line, flying directly toward the King Leou!
After flying for four meters, the effect of Perfect Block wore off. Yu Bao hung motionless in the air for a split second before activating Desert Concealment, dissolving into a cloud of sand and hurtling forward once more.
Desert Concealment couldn’t be activated without a center of gravity, but Yu Bao had seized that split second of hang time!
"WHOOSH—"
With a surge of sand, Yu Bao flew another eight-plus meters toward the King Leou.
The King Leou now realized the gravity of the situation and hastily beat its wings to pull back.
At the same time, several golden bolts of lightning shot out from the surrounding storm clouds, streaking toward Yu Bao.
’This little dirt dog wants to fight me up close; a well-laid plan, I’ll admit. But I am a mobility-type Pet Beast. I won’t let him get his way.’
’And Yu Bao’s reckless charge has left him completely defenseless, exposed to my attacks!’
However, Yu Bao didn’t lose his center of gravity and begin to fall as the King Leou had anticipated.
A faint Golden Light emerged on Yu Bao’s body, appearing like a beacon in the dark ocean of the night sky—Thick Earth Blessing activated!
The lightning bolts streaked past, leaving only a couple of black scorch marks on Yu Bao’s body but failing to knock him from the sky.
Quite the opposite—as a swirl of sand materialized beneath him, Yu Bao actually accelerated, rushing toward the King Leou even faster!
’The Desert Swan uses Sand Manipulation Technique after takeoff to conserve stamina. This meant the skill required another skill to get airborne first; that was the prerequisite for activation.’
’Yu Bao was only now realizing that he had known Sand Manipulation Technique all along; he just had never created the right opportunity to use it.’
And now, in the instant Yu Bao used Desert Concealment to gain altitude, the pathetic amount of lift he had before erupted with massive force, like an invisible hand thrusting him higher into the sky!
The King Leou was dumbfounded.
’Aren’t you a dog? Was the wrong texture applied or something?’
In that moment of stunned confusion, Yu Bao used the Sand Manipulation Technique to close the distance, getting within ten meters of the King Leou.
Empowered by Thick Earth Blessing, he activated Furious Sand Blade!
"SHIING—"
The powerful Furious Sand Blade shot out like a bullet.
At such close range, even the King Leou, which prided itself on its mobility, was finally helpless to do anything.
With a muffled, tearing sound, the Furious Sand Blade pierced clean through the base of the King Leou’s left wing, trailing blood and light as it soared toward the heavens, a streak more brilliant than any lightning.
"REEE!!!"
With one wing crippled, the King Leou let out an enraged shriek. It forced itself forward and dug its sharp talons deep into Yu Bao’s fur.
The enormous King Leou and the tiny Yu Bao tumbled through the air together, locked in a free fall.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Its giant beak, wreathed in lightning, struck down mercilessly, again and again, pecking at Yu Bao’s body, limbs, and head.
The fierce assault rapidly consumed the Energy of the Thick Earth Blessing, and the Golden Light on Yu Bao’s body quickly began to dim.
But Yu Bao, with the ferocity of a cornered beast, ignored the searing pain wracking his body and clamped his teeth down hard on one of the King Leou’s talons!
The difference in their Real-time Energy Values was magnified infinitely at this moment.
About ten meters from the ground, Yu Bao finally ran out of the Energy needed to maintain Thick Earth Blessing.
Sensing his faltering state, a savage, murderous glint flashed in the King Leou’s eyes.
It raised its sharp beak, aimed for Yu Bao’s skull, and brought it down with all its might!
"THWACK—"
This time, however, its beak met with stiff resistance.
A thick, dark green vine had blocked the King Leou’s massive beak. It had pecked more than halfway through, but the vine still hadn’t been severed.
The King Leou froze, only then realizing that Yu Bao’s kamikaze attack had delivered it right into the range of Vine Fury.
In the gloom, Xiaoyue’s pale green pupils were as cold and sharp as a razor’s edge.
’You dare touch my little brother? Die!’
"SH-SH-SHING—"
More vines swarmed out, instantly engulfing the King Leou completely.
With its throat constricted, the King Leou’s beak gaped open, its two scarlet eyes bulged, and its body began to tremble violently.
Xiaoyue’s vines weren’t strong enough to kill it by constriction alone, but they were certainly enough to keep it from breathing!
Before long, however, a few of the vines around its chest seemed to loosen.
’Did that Huajing Cat run out of Energy?’
The King Leou had a brief moment to catch its breath, only to see an unbelievable sight: Wu Bao was charging toward it, its black horn pointed forward. Even though it was clearly scared out of its wits, its charge was filled with rage...
Lance Thrust at 120% power!
"SCHLICK—"
...
"Holy shit!"
"Fuck..."
"SPLASH—"
Exclamations of every variety echoed through the command center, and the tea-drinking Alliance Member accidentally spilled his drink all over his pants.
Watching the King Leou get beaten senseless on the main screen, everyone was utterly dumbfounded.
’Are these two really first-year high school students??’
"Um... Director Yang, the Alliance committee just called. They wanted to check in and see if the two students are all right. They asked if they were Shocked or injured in any way."
"..." Yang Guannan stared at the King Leou getting beaten senseless on the screen and was silent for a long time.
Shocked, indeed.
"Just tell them... the two students are doing just fine."
"You got it."
...
"SCHLORP—"
Wu Bao viciously yanked its horn free, sending a spray of crimson blood dotted with dark yellow filaments into the air.
Bound by Vine Fury, the King Leou had taken Wu Bao’s strongest attack in its most vulnerable spot.
The blood vessels and bones near its heart had been completely shattered. It was finished; the only question was how long it could cling to life.
Through its blurring vision, it saw the little dirt dog’s Beast Tamer walk up to it.
"Let go."
Su Zhi said coldly, his eyes fixed on the talons still clamped tightly around Yu Bao.
The King Leou shot him a contemptuous glare.
"BANG!"
Su Zhi grabbed its beak and slammed a fist into its head.
"BANG!" "BANG!"
Then a second punch, and a third...
He continued until a soft hand rested on his shoulder.
"That’s enough."
A gentle voice spoke from behind him.
[Assignable Attribute Points... 0.15]
Panting heavily, Su Zhi finally noticed that the knuckles of his right hand were a bloody pulp.
He glanced down. The iron talons had finally released Yu Bao.
"Whimper..."
"It’s okay. I’m here."
Beside the giant bird’s corpse, the tamer and his pet held each other tightly.
·
·
