Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 508 Corrosive Toxins
"hold head high!!!"

A long, deep wolf howl suddenly burst forth from the depths of the night.

The long, slender limbs of the jet-black winter wolf, its mane swaying, landed lightly under the moonlight. The fierce wind it carried was like countless sharp blades, whipping up showers of flesh and blood in the crowd.

The Shahua fishmen were alright; the fine scales covering their bodies provided them with a reasonably tough defense. But for those Tidebringer gangsters who hadn't even obtained a professional rank, they couldn't withstand it for even a second.

Many times, there wasn't even time to react. All they heard was a wolf howl, and a hideous, twisted black phantom flashed by in their sight. Their once whole and healthy bodies were riddled with holes by the gale, and they screamed in agony as they fainted and lost consciousness.

The scenery on both sides rushed past rapidly, but the highly focused attention made the target in the field of vision seem to enter a state of slow motion, allowing for clear and keen capture of every subtle movement of the other party.

Xia Nan's target was naturally the merman priest who held the horn.

In team battles, it is essential to deal with the enemy's key spellcasters first; this has long been a consensus among almost all adventurers in this world.

He had not made a move before, but instead concealed his strength and observed in secret. He was only wary of "Rotten Eagle" Gri, who was guarding the fishman like a protector, and was hesitant to attack rashly, lest he fall into the trap of being forced to fight two against one.

Right now, Agu, the dwarf rogue in the Ironrock Shield squad, sacrificed his own life to help Xia Nan lure the pirate leader away from the murloc priest, so he naturally wouldn't waste this opportunity.

The distance of several tens of meters passed in the blink of an eye.

The burst speed granted by [Fang Hunt] does not slow down with the increase of job level and combat intensity; on the contrary, it becomes more rapid and fierce as Xia Nan's physical attributes improve.

Time seemed to stand still.

From Xia Nan's perspective, which was almost 0.5x speed, he could even see the thick blood dripping from the edge of the scimitar in Ge Li's hand not far away, as well as the fishman's gills moving in and out.

There was no intention of holding back at all.

Given his personality and fighting habits, if it's a decapitation tactic, it's best to kill him with one blow.

No matter what cards the opponent holds or how meticulous their plan is, once the head is separated from the neck, everything vanishes into nothingness.

The dark gray straight sword, [Emberfall], reflected the moonlight, its surface shimmering with ochre-red energy, while the surrounding air distorted slightly with the influence of gravity.

[Fang Hunt] + [Whirlwind Slash] + [Gravity Etching] + [Heavy Tide]!
The four combat skills merged together, transforming into the strongest sword strike Xia Nan could unleash in his normal state.

At the same time, mental focus is highly concentrated, and [Gravity Control] is ready at any moment.

If the Shahua merman priest in front of him makes the slightest attempt to cast a spell to defend himself, he will do everything possible to interrupt it from a distance using gravity.

It is clear that Xia Nan, acting on instinct under the influence of his keen senses, seized that fleeting opportunity in the battle.

However, standing on the other side of the field at this moment is a Shahua Murloc Priest with a professional level of lv5, capable of using third-circle spells.

His combat experience is extremely rich.

For so many years, leading the fishmen to wreak havoc on the seas, they have faced countless decapitation tactics, whether against adventurers or other enemies.

Therefore, even though it smelled the unprecedentedly strong scent of death in the air, it did not show any panic or helplessness.

The ability to unleash two spells requiring concentration, "Demon Fire" and "Human Immobilization," in succession is a reward for completing its sacrificial ritual—a special talent bestowed upon it by its racial deity.

Although it reduced the enemy's numbers in a short time, it also pushed the priest's mental energy to its limit, requiring a short rest before she could continue casting spells.

But as one of the few elite spellcasters among the Shahua fish-men, how could it not have its own trump card for survival?

"Om..."

The magical particles around his body suddenly became chaotic, and a bright yellow light could be seen bursting out from his neck.

There, a necklace with a small seashell at one end was vibrating violently in the light.

Then, with a crisp sound like an egg breaking, it suddenly exploded!

The entire necklace, along with the seashell pendant below it, shattered and fell to the ground.

The bright yellow light expanded rapidly outwards from the center of her neck.

And eventually, it transformed into a semi-transparent shield made of pure energy around the priest's body.

The moment the shield took shape, the gray-black straight sword, imbued with force field energy, fell amidst the howling of wolves.

"Boom boom!!!"

The exaggerated sword strike, which combined four combat skills, unleashed power in an instant that undoubtedly far exceeded what Xia Nan's professional level should be capable of.

The combined power of [Spinning Slash] and [Fang Hunt] brings out the sharpness and toughness of the [Emberfall] straight sword to its fullest potential.

Furthermore, the force field energy of [Gravity Etching] is superimposed on the gravitational additional damage of [Heavy Tide].

As soon as the sword fell, the one-time bright yellow shield that the fishman used as his trump card didn't even last a second before it was completely shattered into countless light fragments.

Clearly not expecting Xia Nan's sword to possess such power, the merman priest's face, covered in fine scales, showed a visible expression of astonishment.

Even so, the completely shattered semi-transparent shield still bought it a very brief opportunity to move.

This allows the fish-man to grip the horn tightly with all four arms and raise it to his mouth.

Inhale and blow.

Diang—

A sharp, piercing horn sound suddenly erupted.

The invisible sound waves, carrying a powerful airflow, surged outwards.

With eardrums throbbing, Xia Nan, who had just leaped from mid-air and cleaved through the light shield, and continued to slash downwards with the remaining force, felt a gale-force wind, like a storm at sea, rushing towards him.

With his feet dangling in the air and no support to exert force, the powerful airflow swept Xia Nan away.

Of course, it wasn't that the Murloc Priest used some kind of defensive spell.

This surge of air, which comes with the sound of the horn, is a special ability inherent in the horn itself.

As Xia Nan adjusted her center of gravity in mid-air and quickly dissipated her energy under the effect of the [Tidal Shaping] feat, she landed as gracefully as a feather.

The murloc priest in front had already retreated quickly.

Meanwhile, "Rotten Vulture" Gri, who had been lured away by the wanderer Agu, had also rushed up.

"Ding!"

Sparks flew!

The pirate's scimitar slashed down swiftly and collided violently with the cold, upward-facing shield.

His robust physique, enhanced by numerous secret realm experiences, allowed him to hold his own even against professional adventurers two levels above him.

With just a slight exertion of his left arm, he pushed the curved sword back.

The fierce figure used the momentum to retreat a few steps, blocking the way for the merman priest who was retreating rapidly.

This concludes one round.

Xia Nan looked at the "Rotten Vulture" Gri in front of him, and the murloc priest behind him.

His facial expression remained unchanged, but his mind raced. Clearly, his decapitation tactic had only succeeded halfway.

Using the burst damage of [Fang Hunt], he quickly closed the distance, catching his opponent off guard. He then used his combat skills to cut off the murloc priest's trump card with a single sword strike, but ultimately failed to kill the murloc on the spot, giving it a chance to catch its breath and recover.

What should we do next?

Should we continue with the plan to behead the spellcaster, or should we deal with the pirate leader in front of us first?

Do not!
The spellcaster should always be the highest priority; the Murloc Priest must be killed first!

Xia Nan was rapidly considering his next battle strategy when "Rotten Vulture" Gri, not far ahead, suddenly opened its mouth:
"Xanan, The Hague?"

"I never expected to run into you here."

“You and our Tidefall Gang shouldn’t have any conflicts, right? If it’s because of what happened at the docks back then, I can offer you compensation, and you can hand over the thug who provoked you so you can deal with him as you see fit.”

"Let's stop here. Continuing like this will not do either good for me or for you."

"Or... could we talk and reach some cooperation?"

"Gold coins, combat skills, and enchanted equipment—anything's negotiable, how about it?"

His response was a sharp, murderous wolf howl.

Xia Nan never talks nonsense with dead people.

"Tsk."

Knowing that his plan to stall for time had failed, "Rotten Vulture" Grylls gritted his teeth inwardly.

He flicked his right hand, which was holding the scimitar, and a deep green luster with a deadly sweet scent appeared on the edge of the blade.

His profession is called "Corrupted Blade Raider," a less popular variant of the "Warrior" class.

While it is inferior to its primary role in terms of strength and speed, it has gained special abilities related to corrosive toxins.

The green sheen on the surface of the scimitar not only contains deadly toxins but also has a strong corrosive effect, capable of eroding any defensive equipment it attacks.

Based on his past combat experience, most of the time, the enemy would be caught off guard by the poisoned blade in his hand due to the information gap. Not only would their equipment be corroded, but their bodies would also be gradually weakened by the effects of the toxins.

Of course, because corroded equipment doesn't fetch a good price, Gri doesn't often use this combat skill unless he encounters an exceptionally difficult enemy.

Right now, facing Xia Nan, who has already made a name for himself in the Hague, even disregarding his terrifying record of wiping out the top leaders of the Horned Shark Gang, the powerful burst of energy he just displayed in those few seconds is enough to make Gerry fight with all his might.

Facing the black wolf charging towards him, a fierce glint flashed in Grylls's triangular eyes, and he brought down his scimitar, which gleamed with a deep green light.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound burst forth.

The pirate scimitar clashed with the black arm shield once again.

"It's done!"

Gerry was secretly delighted.

Such a powerful collision was enough for the corrosive venom on the blade's surface to erode and soften this strangely shaped shield.

With just two more, or at most three, strikes, he could completely destroy the only piece of armor his opponent possessed.

At that time, Xia Nan, the "Hague" resident, will likely have to use his longsword to parry, which could trigger a chain reaction.

After several rounds, when the opponent's arm shield, longsword, and even armor are completely corroded by the venom, no matter how strong they are, they will likely be at a disadvantage against someone who still has intact weapons and equipment, and will gradually lose control of their body under the corrosive effects of the toxins.

Thoughts flashed through my mind.

But just a second later, the expression on Gerry's face suddenly froze.

The scimitar struck the arm shield squarely, and the dark green venom from the edge of the blade splashed onto the shield's surface upon impact.

But to his disbelief, these usually ineffective corrosive venoms seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the dark arm shield that reflected a cold, eerie light.

Like rainwater sliding off a glass surface, it didn't erode or corrode anything, not even leaving the faintest white mark.

"Why!?"

Gerry thought to himself in astonishment.

Of course, Xia Nan couldn't tell the other party outright that one of the effects of his [Netherscale Guardian], which was made primarily from the scales of the giant serpent from the secret realm, was "immunity to corrosion/acid damage (non-legendary source)".

In fact, he didn't even notice, or care at all, about the little thoughts in the other person's mind.

Because its true purpose is not the "Rotten Vulture" Gerry in front of it at all.

"Ding-bang!!!"

Unlike the forced defense of the past, this time Xia Nan actively pushed forward to meet the curved blade with the snake scale shield, which, to some extent, was an "attack".

This also allowed him to attach [Chongchao] to it.

Compared to the vibrant ochre-red force field energy of [Gravity Etching], gravitational fluctuations can only be seen as slightly distorted space on a visual level.

Without sufficient observational skills, it is extremely difficult to detect.

"Rotten Vulture" Gerry also failed to notice.

Or rather, even if he noticed the anomaly in the air around the arm shield, the opponent, who did not know the specific information about Xia Nan's combat skills, would have no way of determining the reason for the change.

Therefore, when the Agility check for the Imbalance effect after [Tide] hit came, he was completely unprepared.

He felt an indescribable, strange force coming from his right hand, which was gripping the scimitar, and spiraling upwards, spreading throughout his arm and even his whole body.

The once stable center of gravity suddenly became unbalanced, as if the ground beneath one's feet was no longer solid ground, but rather undulating waves.

With Xia Nan supporting his arm shield and pushing him forward with force, he was sent flying backward.

"It's over!"

Grief sensed something was wrong. He held his scimitar horizontally in front of his chest and swung his legs, trying to regain his balance in mid-air.

Strangely, the gray-black straight sword that he had imagined would strike down again did not appear before his eyes.

Instead, there were high-pitched wolf howls ringing in my ears and a fierce gust of wind sweeping past me.

It was as if they had realized something.

Gerry's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively turned his head to look to his side and behind him.

The jet-black winter wolf with its swaying mane seized the opportunity and overtook him.

And the target... was none other than the Shahua Murloc Priest, who was currently retreating rapidly under the cover of several elite guards!

"Damn it!!!"

(End of this chapter)