Chapter 574 - 520: Ber Von Xin (1/2)
Arthur used his invisible thread in an attempt to catch the Bee, however, the moment they got too close, the insect started buzzing loudly and literally vanished. Fortunately, Arthur's Sixth Sense was locked on to it so he was able to know what happened. The praying mantis turned blurred as it left afterimages, confusing Celes, who only saw the Bee disappear. She thought it just vanished but the reality was that this normal-looking and harmless target had a speed that even made Arthur flabbergasted.
His scythe-like limbs cut everything in his way, whether it's trees, thick grass or hiding monsters. The Bee was intelligent enough to traverse a path full of obstacles to hinder the incoming parasite. The problem is; Arthur cannot kill it, he has to capture it alive so that the mission is completed. It definitely looked exactly like the tattoo and its fast and absurd response to danger ascertained his suspicions, the only thing left is to not let it escape his sight and, of course, catch it.
HE could only continue chasing, he didn't use [Faster Than Death] because there's a probability it'll suddenly shift direction, moreover, this kind of teleportation isn't that efficient in this cat and mouse chase. Celes, who was left alone near the swamp, let out a sigh as she looked at the direction Arthur darted to, not knowing whether it's wise to follow or not. She was strong but that doesn't mean she's as fast as them, which made her practically useless in this problematic situation. There was even the matter of Maxine and Lucy, who seemed interested in the Bee.
Speaking of them, the high-leveled player managed to cut down the Merman, killing it in less than a minute. She and Lucy swiftly crossed the Swamp and wanted to get the Bee but they were blocked by the Grey Seat of Decay.
”You stop her, I'll go after the Bee.”
The pink-haired woman darted toward the forest while leaving Max alone with Celes.
”Yes yes, you do that. Fighting her seems more fun.”
With her a sword in hand and ready to attack, the player sized up her opponent, her spirit ignited and her eyes restlessly examining every inch of Death Magic user.
As for Lucy, she was like a bullet, running through everything and leaving her path filled with Lava that melted the vegetation and even caused a small fire, which will most likely spread due to the poisonous gas lingering around the swamp.
Arthur ran after the Bee for three minutes, the two even left the whole Swamp area and entered an open area filled with small mountains made from countless small white stones. In the midst of this chase, he changed forms, becoming a large White Tiger enveloped by green lightning and black flames. Two wings massive wings could be seen erected from its back, one was vibrant and majestic like that of an angel while the other was inky black, bony, and grotesque.
In addition, he used [Griffin's Bloody Switch], converting all of his Wisdom to Agility, making him attain a speed that would any spectator dumbstruck.
…
”This should be the area.”
A middle-aged man with long black hair, a fully-grown beard, and simple dark blue leather clothes just entered the rocky area along with his partner, a young man wearing a mage's robe and holding a magical wand.
The first one was an exceptional and famous individual often called Sword God. He had a very high status across all the three Universes thanks to his domineering and invincible sword skills. A long time ago, he even battled the Nameless Knight and, from what the rumors claim, it's the only loss he suffered in his entire life.
Sword God Ber Von Xin, he's someone who reached the peak of sword mastery and is the strongest participant of the Red Tower. He got paired with the mage that came with Maxine, the quiet yet strong Tula. He was the second in command of Maxine's group and a talented Magician who excels especially in Ice and Water magic.
Ber Von Xin chose to enter the Red Tower to fight either Leiu or the Joker. However, when he saw Arthur and how he cut down the Celestial Tribulation, another goal was added to his list. He could never forget the sight of that simple yet devastating sword slash. From anyone's point of view, it seemed slow and clumsy but perfection has always been in simplicity, moreso for a sword user.
This pair needs to obtain a special white rock that has a star symbol engraved on it, which is why they immediately came here. Tula didn't object any of his companion's decision and obediently followed, knowing that it's wise to listen to the expert rather than try to find the rock using his magic, which isn't really suited for 'treasure-hunting'.
The two didn't waste time and started meticulously going through every rock, neither complaining or slacking off. Approximately ten minutes after they began, they heard an awfully loud explosion occur a short distance away.
One of the small mountains blew up and a massive Divine Beast showed itself. Its appearance was unique and rather frightening, an ominous aura enveloping it as sped toward one direction. Tula remained expressionless but his wandering eyes indicated that he was shocked and wasn't able to follow Arthur. However, Ber Von Xin could see the shadow of the White Tiger chasing after a minuscule insect.
Without needing any confirmation, they knew it was the parasite who caused the Celestial Tribulation. The mage had already confronted him on the second floor but the Sword God never faced him, neither was he going to anytime soon.
It wasn't a good time and place to initiate a battle so the middle-aged man remained still and merely watched everything unfold.
…
Arthur was only a few meters behind the Bee despite using multiple skills to drastically boost his Agility. The Bee was able to shift direction without losing any momentum but that wasn't the case for him, moreover, every time he tried freezing time to slow it down, it'll just break free easily and increase its speed.
He just crashed into another mountain of stone, which the Bee managed to pass through using tiny holes. Sadly, Arthur wasn't able to destroy the mountain as it was actually a sleeping, humongous golem. As countless rubble flew into the air, Arthur activated the White Tiger's special ability, allowing him to pass through physical objects.