Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 330 Do you think I'm still the same silly boy I used to be?

After a long and intense battle, all three were exhausted. Whether it was the Bell Hunter, Lu Mingfei, or Natsuki Subaru, they were all at low health and low mana.

However, Lu Mingfei's release of the high-level dragon prayer "Corruption of Aegis" completely turned the tide of the battle, although it also completely drained his life force, leaving him lying on the ground like a dead fish, unable to rise again.

The Bell Hunters, burdened with "Crimson Corruption," are in a situation a thousand times more dangerous than Lu Mingfei and Natsuki Subaru.

He is a powerful figure who has cultivated "qi" to the peak of the hero realm. His body and will have been tempered through countless trials and tribulations, almost surpassing the scope of ordinary life.

This is why, even when he was severely injured by the Greatsword of the Hunting God and engulfed in black flames, he was still able to suppress his injuries with his "qi" and unleash terrifying combat power.

But what he is facing now is "scarlet corruption".

Even beings as proud and unparalleled as "Shattered Star" Ratahn, a demigod, were corrupted by it, ultimately driven to madness and left to eke out a living in endless agony.

This is a curse originating from a legitimate "god".

Finally, in a fierce battle with Subaru Natsuki, the Bell Hunter could no longer hold on.

"Ho...ho..."

He leaned on his broadsword, knelt on one knee, and tried to circulate the remaining "qi" in his body to resist and dispel it.

The scarlet "qi" light flashed wildly on his body again, fiercely fighting against the rampant corrupting power within him, emitting a chilling "sizzling" sound.

It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The Bell Hunter could clearly "see inside" that his hard-earned body was withering away at an alarming rate, his vibrant blood and energy were being polluted into thick, foul-smelling pus, and his strong muscles and bones were becoming brittle and covered with rusty red spots.

This is a negation and end at the level of life itself.

Corruption is the beginning of new life.

He will become the soil of corruption, and from it, new life will be born.

Even though that life was twisted and ugly.

His eyes, which once burned with an indomitable fighting spirit, were now stained with a murky crimson, his vision began to blur and distort, and he seemed to hear countless mad murmurs in his ears, tempting him to give up resistance and surrender to that eternally decaying embrace.

“Oh...the...glory…”

He squeezed out a few indistinct syllables from deep in his throat.

That was the name of his long-destroyed homeland, the source of his beliefs in cultivation and battle.

He tried to muster his last bit of willpower to stand up, even if it meant swinging his sword one more time.

But then, "plop."

He ultimately failed to stand up; the broadsword supporting his body slipped from his grasp, and he collapsed heavily forward to the ground.

The crimson stains of decay on his body spread rapidly at a visible speed, his skin began to ulcerate and ooze pus, emitting a strong stench.

Even with peak cultivation, a hero could not create a miracle in the face of a curse that even demigods could not escape.

He was like a once-shining star, ultimately swallowed by endless crimson darkness, leaving behind only a rapidly decaying shell.

Seeing the Bell Hunter's body still twitching unconsciously after he fell to the ground, with signs of decay still spreading, Natsuki Subaru, struggling with his exhaustion, staggered forward.

He glanced at the body that had once exerted immense pressure on them with a complex expression, then without hesitation, raised the Greatsword of the Hunting God and delivered a precise blow to the neck, ending the suffering completely and ensuring that the body would not undergo any unexpected changes. Having done this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly moving away from the rapidly decaying body, and with his last ounce of strength, collapsed with a thud beside Lu Mingfei, who lay on the ground like a dead fish.

The two lay side by side, gazing at the eternally crimson, oppressive sky of Galid, their chests heaving violently as they greedily inhaled the air mixed with the stench of blood and decay, unable to utter a word for a long time.

After a long while, Natsuki Subaru finally managed to turn his head and look at Lu Mingfei, whose face was pale, and asked weakly:

"I mean... Lu Jun... you have such... such outrageous moves... how come I've never seen you use them before?"

His voice was hoarse, filled with intense curiosity:
"If I had known... you could summon... Corruption Breath... I would have pulled you over sooner."

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingfei didn't even bother to fully open his eyelids, only letting out a weak snort and replying in the same feeble tone:

"Nonsense...you think...I don't want to use it sooner?"

He took a breath and continued:
"That thing... [Aegis's Corruption]... I've only recently mastered it... I'm not... proficient at it at all... And it's Crimson Corruption! Crimson Corruption, man!"

"This stuff is contagious and spreads rapidly! Do you think I'm Marlenia? Daring to use it casually in a place like Nymgford? If it's not controlled properly... instead of killing the enemy... you'll turn an area red first... that would be a huge sin!"

He paused, then laboriously raised his finger and pointed to the surrounding environment covered with scarlet fungal carpet:

"It's only because this place is...Galeed...a severely corrupt and rotten area that I dared to risk trying it out.

Otherwise, do you think I'd willingly empty myself and resort to such a suicidal tactic?

After hearing this, Natsuki Subaru paused for a moment, then forced a smile that looked more like a grimace:
"...That's true...this thing...is really too weird..."

He recalled the sight of the Bell Hunter struggling painfully and decaying rapidly in the midst of corruption, and couldn't help but shudder, completely understanding Lu Mingfei's concerns.

The two fell silent again, with only heavy breathing echoing across the cursed land.

A moment later, a clear, ringing bell rang out from afar.

Then, two warm stones were gently tossed onto them.

A leisurely voice followed:

“My young friends, well done! These two ‘warm stones’ are a small token of my gratitude, to help you dispel some of the chill and weariness of this Galid.”

The two barely managed to turn their eyes and saw that the wandering tribal merchant, who had been hiding on a distant boulder watching from the sidelines, had somehow arrived in front of them with his camel.

He was still wearing that tattered straw raincoat, his wrinkled face peeking out from under his pointed hat, and the sly smile that was typical of a wandering merchant.

Lu Mingfei looked up with difficulty and found that this guy seemed to be older than any other businessman he had ever met. The deep lines on his face were so deep that they could trap a mosquito. He was probably at the age where he should be holding his grandchildren by the fireplace, telling stories and enjoying his retirement. Instead, he was still doing business on the edge of danger in this dangerous border region.

Natsuki Subaru didn't even have the strength to lift his hand to pick up the warm stone; he could only roll his eyes with his last bit of energy, squeezing out a muttered complaint through clenched teeth:
"Old man, do you think... I'm still that silly kid who you tricked out of all the runes with a 'moss ball'?"

Do you think I don't know what kind of stuff this 'warm stone' is?

He took a breath and continued:

"The amount of health this thing restores... is less than the drop of red dew I get from licking the cap of the Holy Grail bottle!"

"You're so stingy! I saved your life!"

(End of this chapter)