Chapter 841
Chapter 841 - 827: Downward
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[Authority True Words: The Gaze of the One-eyed Newman (Snake Tamer)]
[Summon Newman’s gaze at the coordinates of the user of the True Words, manifest its authority, borrow its will, to achieve complete control over ’snakes’.]
The description is quite simple and direct, and the application is exceptionally narrow... but the mastery it brings should be a significant enhancement in a single effect.
Lu Ping’an faintly perceived that this "complete control" probably meant more than just "binding" or "restricting".
But now was clearly not the time to test it out at random.
[In This World, the minimum output of this ability is Lower Gold, and it is expected to reach Upper Silver or higher on Earth. Please be cautious when using it.]
[Depending on the method of summoning, this True Word has two modes of use: channel the authority through the user’s body for better effect, but after use, it cannot be used again for at least seventy-two hours. Alternatively, summon a phantom of Newman for a remote glare, which can be reused after a minimum of twenty-four hours.]
This ability seems quite dangerous. The latter isn’t worth mentioning, it’s the same as Zhi Xi with an out-of-body summons.
But if using the body as the outlet for the power, naturally involving Newman’s strength and will, there’s a good chance the user could instantly die or, even worse, turn into a wild snake on the spot.
[This ability belongs to the rare category of authoritarian Divine Rights. Possession indicates favor from a deity and may even allow one to act as its spokesperson in some respects. But is being granted authority by a deity a good thing, and what about the authority of an Abyssal Evil God? The lucky ones watched by a tyrant and foolish ruler, can they really live for long?]
"...Authority True Words, huh? Uh, it should be a good thing, right? At least the effect won’t be bad, but how did you suddenly choose Newman’s core ability? Not that it’s bad, but with extra benefits come extra troubles, such as high-level snake kin..."
Uh, this is probably what comes from being too greedy.
But now, there’s no turning back after the bow is drawn. On the middle finger of Lu Ping’an’s right hand appeared an additional ring of golden magic lines.
It looked like a seal that resembled a "watchful eye" magic ring.
Lu Ping’an could faintly feel that he could even open the "single eye" of that magic ring at any moment... What would happen next was hard to say.
"Why not give it a try?"
Considering Ah Jiu, who lay in slumber, Lu Ping’an was itching to give it a try.
"...If you run into that Snake King or something..."
"Alright, let’s leave it for now."
Taking into consideration bloodline suppression, this ability should be quite targeted toward the snake kin of This World. Lu Ping’an thus held back his eager right hand.
Having dealt with the current problem, Lu Ping’an simply walked out of the courtyard...
"...Eh? You haven’t found Xia Qin yet?"
"...Lu Ping’an, being chased by that thing is really annoying."
Lu Ping’an asked around, only to learn that barely over forty minutes had passed on his side... even though he had rested for quite a while, taken a nap, and had a bath on the other side.
Now rejuvenated, he inquired about the situation and learned that the unlucky lord-whose-house-had-been-raided not only had tracking capabilities (possibly through his subordinates), but had also actually followed him all the way here.
After two skirmishes, Zhi Xi was clearly outmatched and kept retreating while fighting... such un-Abyssal behavior resulted in large-scale defections from the newly acquired subordinates.
"No worries, these creatures are only good at riding a winning streak, I never put much stock in them to begin with."
Ordinary soldiers like these are never reliable. They come and go as they please... As long as the big creature behind is taken down, the defectors will come back.
"...Seems like, you can’t win."
"It’s not ’seems like,’ better start escaping."
Lu Ping’an merely turned his head and lost all desire to fight.
He had wondered why Zhi Xi had been going up and down all the time... Now it seemed that the entire ground was trembling.
The thing chasing him was like a small mountain.
This was not a figure of speech, but a literal description.
It resembled a six-legged toad... except for the thick shell and mountainous size.
It was an outrageously absurd monster, covered in thick layers of rock, advancing through leaps which every time shook the entire ground.
It seemed sluggish, but the distance covered with each leap was frighteningly vast.
Looking back, Lu Ping’an estimated he was probably not even as big as one of its fingers.
A massive size doesn’t necessarily equate to absolute strength, but when your opponent’s size is a hundred, a thousand times, or even more than you, you need to question whether a small needle can pierce the defenses.
Moreover, considering that momentum, it might even be on the physical plane at the rule level, which would be utterly unmanageable.
"...You’re here, now we can conveniently escape."
As she spoke, the already darkened armor began to break down, as Zhi Xi prepared to disappear from the spot.
The previous two companions had already been sent to the courtyard, and with only Zhi Xi holding the "key" and running like wild, now that Lu Ping’an had come out, it was naturally his turn to take over.
Zhi Xi fulfilled her promise, and the armor really disintegrated while running!
"Damn, you’re playing for real..."
𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
But the next moment, Lu Ping’an also disappeared into the shadows.
At this time, the huge form of the Abyss Knight became a target for pursuit, and when it vanished, even the gigantic lords paused momentarily.
The shrill duck-like scream echoed throughout the world; it had lost more than just a petty thief. Just minutes before, it had sensed that its "treasure" had completely disappeared, making pursuit utterly impossible.
The nameless lord, like a spoiled child unable to get its toy, threw a thunderous tantrum rolling on the ground.
And, being so close, the Magic Monsters and Magical Beasts crushed under its weight suffered a truly tragic fate.
By this time, Lu Ping’an had completed his adjustments.
This time, he didn’t use the conspicuous Abyss Beheading Blade, but merely borrowed strength from the magic lines on his right hand to summon a sufficient amount of Abyss Aura, burying himself in this sea of the Abyss.
It’s easy to lock onto the large form of an elite boss, but what about these "wild monsters" everywhere?
Lu Ping’an quickened his pace, blending into the swarm of beasts.
At this moment, to his surprise, he discovered that most of the wild Deep Abyss Magic Monsters didn’t reject him... especially the various pythons, venomous snakes, and snake monsters that were everywhere, even actively making way for him.
"Step aside..."
With just one sentence from Lu Ping’an, a large snake coiling around a tree trunk slithered away on its own.
It seems that even without using the powers residing in his fingers, his mere presence possessed a certain power against snake-type creatures.
At this moment, however, Lu Ping’an didn’t feel joy, but instead fell silent for a while.
"Chris, is this really okay?"
"It should be..." At this time, even Big Cat seemed unsure.
"I didn’t have any True Words of the Abyss before, and True Words are quite hard to come by," Big Cat’s supplement made Lu Ping’an feel more uneasy.
He could even sense that from that magic line, the "Abyss" was being continuously drawn in, as if trying to change something.
This kind of power wasn’t a problem for Lu Ping’an, but clearly, the much thicker Abyss Aura from Zhi Xi signaled that power often comes with a price.
"The Abyss lineage innately possesses strong invasive qualities; it’s normal for them to become demonized after using too much of their stuff..." Big Cat was somewhat uncertain, but before Lu Ping’an could complain, she added two more sentences.
"... All powers come at a price, the higher the level, the more it’s true. We’ve been aware of it from the start, the resolve to become non-human, the resolve to become unlike what we were," Big Cat stated matter-of-factly, not as a question. In her view, Decree-level professionals weren’t even human anymore, let alone the use of powers above the rule level.
If it weren’t for the fact that Lu Ping’an was indeed too much of a "newcomer," this notion of worrying about becoming something other than oneself would be considered immature and professionally unqualified.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Ping’an nodded and didn’t dwell on it any further.
After the minor interruption, Lu Ping’an also remembered his main business...
"Sister Xia is alright, isn’t she..."
"She should be fine; that thing has been chasing Zhi Xi, and if things really go south, Xia Qin would jump back here," Big Cat reassured.
Once he found a relatively safe area, Lu Ping’an released his two "guides."
The state they were in was pretty bad; for them, the intense pressure and environment akin to camping that Lu Ping’an and Zhi Xi were enduring were nothing short of a life-and-death trial.
Lu Ping’an casually tossed a deferred payment to Fang Lingguo; after all, he needed to borrow her power.
"Xia Qin, Xia Qin.....humid, dirty, snakes..."
What Lu Ping’an heard was a string of rather troubling keywords.
After a moment of silence, he gave Fang Lingguo a second task.
"Find a safe escape route, one that ideally leads directly to the outside."
Now, the group was already on the fifth layer of the seventh level of the Abyss. Considering the joyful battle above, Lu Ping’an still wanted to ensure everyone’s safety and lead them out first.
"...humid, snakes....the seventh layer, just like before, Xia Qin and the others went to the seventh layer too!"
A direct passageway to the Upper Side from the seventh layer? Although somewhat unexpected, it seemed to make sense; after all, they couldn’t always make that supreme Big Boss climb up and down, right?
In fact, given the entire upper layer was a battlefield, heading downward was indeed safer.
"Let’s go, let’s see what the lair of the Snake King looks like... and it would be even better if we could take a tour of her treasury on the way," Lu Ping’an concluded with a hint of anticipation.
— End of Chapter 841 —