油炸小青龙

Chapter 37: The Leonine Misbegotten

Bai Shi had only seen it from a distance, but now that he was closer, he realized the Leonine Misbegotten was surprisingly large.

The common and Winged Misbegotten were very gaunt; standing straight, they were barely as tall as a man, though they were usually so hunched over that it was hard to tell.

Even the Scaly Misbegotten, the largest of their kind, was only the size of an average man, with just a bit more muscle and scales.

But this Leonine Misbegotten, Singh, was much taller than Bai Shi even without standing fully erect. He was probably two and a half meters tall.

With his imposing frame and vibrant coat, it was hard to believe he was related to the dull, gray Misbegotten.

Raising the Grafted Blade Greatsword with both hands, Singh brought it crashing down on Edgar, who stood at the forefront.

The myriad blades on the Grafted Blade Greatsword sliced through the air, their whistling cry like the wail of vengeful souls.

Edgar dared not meet the blow head-on and sidestepped to evade it.

The pile of corpses on the ground was torn in two. It wasn't a clean cut; it was as if they had been mangled by sheer, monstrous force.

After dodging, Edgar immediately capitalized on Singh's brief opening and thrust with his halberd.

The spearpoint sank into Singh's side, but Edgar's expression was grim.

Singh's hide was incredibly tough; it didn't feel like piercing flesh and blood at all.

The spearpoint couldn't penetrate completely before it was caught fast by dense muscle.

Singh pulled the Grafted Blade Greatsword free from the mangled corpses, chunks of flesh hanging between its myriad blades.

Bathed in flesh and blood, the black rust on the Grafted Blade Greatsword began to fade, its former sharp, sinister edge returning.

Singh clamped his muscles tight, trapping Edgar's halberd, then unleashed a savage sweep with his sword.

If the blow connected, Edgar would surely be cut down, no matter how sturdy his Banished Knight armor was.

Just then, a cloud of orange powder was thrown in Singh's face, followed instantly by a violent explosion. Googlᴇ search novel·fire·net

The blast ignited his fiery red fur, awakening an instinctual terror of fire deep within him.

He immediately broke off his attack, forgetting Edgar's trapped halberd. Dragging the Grafted Blade Greatsword in one hand, he desperately swatted at the flames on his head with the other.

Truly, it was a universal truth: creatures with a lot of fur were weak to fire.

Edgar wrenched his halberd free and fell back as Bai Shi charged forward.

This was the tactic they had agreed upon earlier.

Bai Shi and Edgar would take turns in direct combat, with Evan the perfumer providing support from the rear with his aromatic powders.

Evan had explained that while Singh was a warrior among the Misbegotten, his animalistic nature was still a powerful influence.

Fire attacks would not only deal heavy damage but would also temporarily frighten him, just like any other beast.

Bai Shi brought his sword down on the hand Singh used to wield his weapon. The blade sank into the gnarled muscle, nearly striking bone.

Bai Shi immediately withdrew the sword to avoid being trapped.

The blow was deep, but not enough to disable Singh's sword arm.

Edgar swung his halberd again. Its axe-head bit into Singh's shoulder, and a miniature whirlwind erupted from the point of impact, tearing at the wound.

Completely enraged, Singh finished patting out the last of the flames. Bracing himself on three limbs, he charged at Bai Shi.

He swung the Grafted Blade Greatsword in a spinning slash. Bai Shi, of course, dared not parry and leaped backward to evade the attack.

Seeing his spinning attack miss, Singh used the momentum to leap high into the air and plunge his sword downward.

Instead of dodging, Bai Shi charged forward, right under Singh.

He raised his Lordsworn's Greatsword, ready to impale Singh the moment he landed.

But Singh was surprisingly agile. He used his thick tail to adjust his posture in mid-air, planted his sword in the ground, and then vaulted over Bai Shi's blade like a pole-vaulter.

Bai Shi was stunned. He couldn't believe such a massive creature could be so nimble.

Evan threw another Spark Aromatic, but its effect was greatly diminished this time; the explosion only briefly distracted Singh.

But that brief moment was all Edgar needed. His storm-wreathed halberd crashed down on Singh's back.

This was Storm Assault, an Ash of War of the Banished Knights. With Edgar's full weight behind it, the halberd pierced Singh's back and slammed him to the ground. Yet, his grip on the Grafted Blade Greatsword remained unbroken.

Edgar planted a foot on Singh's back and used Storm Stomp, keeping him pinned to the ground as he tried to rise.

Bai Shi swung his sword at the fingers gripping the greatsword. The impact told him he had severed three of them.

And yet, Singh's grip held, and the severed fingers did not fall away.

Bai Shi looked closer and saw that the hand was enveloped in a thick, black aura, seemingly fused to the hilt.

The severed fingers were stuck fast to the handle as well.

A chill ran down Bai Shi's spine. There was something sinister about the Grafted Blade Greatsword.

But he didn't let up, continuing to carve new wounds into Singh.

As Edgar's focus points dwindled, the storm began to weaken, no longer able to hold Singh down.

Shrugging off the attacks, Singh slowly began to push himself up from the ground.

Edgar leaped off Singh's back, knowing he would have been thrown off if he'd stayed any longer.

Back on his feet, Singh panted heavily, blood streaming from wounds all over his body.

Suddenly, a great cloud of black aura erupted from the Grafted Blade Greatsword and enveloped Singh.

The thick aura seeped into his wounds, and the bleeding gradually stopped.

But Singh's body visibly withered, and his fiery red fur began to fall out and fade.

Seeing this bizarre sight, the others hesitated to attack.

"What exactly is that Grafted Blade Greatsword?"

Bai Shi couldn't help but ask Edgar. The sword was so different from how it was in the game.

Edgar's expression was grave.

"The Grafted Blade Greatsword is a weapon handed down from a bygone era. It has had many masters, and I do not know the nature of the power it contains."

"Its last wielder was a warrior of Castle Morne, from before the castle was conquered by Godfrey."

"That warrior wielded this greatsword with vengeful resolve to face Godfrey. Though defeated, his valor was recognized, and a monument was erected to commemorate his deed."

"Ever since, the Grafted Blade Greatsword has been sealed away in Castle Morne, watched over for generations and forbidden to be used by anyone."

"It was likely sealed away because its power is too sinister."

While they spoke, Singh recovered. He gripped the Grafted Blade Greatsword with both hands and charged the trio.

He attacked with a disciplined three-hit combo—a true sword technique, and something that set him completely apart from the other Misbegotten.

Ordinary Misbegotten would only swing their weapons wildly, but Singh was a warrior who possessed genuine swordsmanship.

Bai Shi dodged the first two strikes, but the third was too fast to avoid.

Bai Shi planted his sword before him, bracing for the impact.

Evan threw an Uplifting Aromatic. Bai Shi and Singh were too close for a Spark Aromatic without risking friendly fire; he could only hope the bolstering aroma would be enough.

Edgar thrust his halberd forward, bracing it against Bai Shi's sword to help absorb the force of the blow.

"CLANG!"

The sharp ring of steel on steel echoed, and Bai Shi and Edgar were surprised to find the force of the blow was far weaker than they had anticipated.

It was still a heavy blow, but it was now manageable.

It seemed that while the Grafted Blade Greatsword had healed Singh's wounds, it had done so by draining his very life force.