ushernet Chapter 172 - Their Purity Is Just Too Low
Chapter 172 - Their Purity Is Just Too Low
chapter 172 - their purity is just too low
whoosh!
the lithe black figure darted around the metal playing cards, moving as nimbly as a mountain cat, rapidly closing in on the magician.
at that point, haisha's body no longer resembled that of a normal woman, especially her limbs. at some point, her shoes had been discarded, revealing furry, soft pads on her feet, with cushioned spots under each toe. sharp claws extended from her fur, digging into the ground, giving haisha explosive power and traction.
the magician saw only a wine-red flash before haisha's figure appeared beside him, her hand fiercely slashing at his neck.
"hmph!" the magician let out a cold snort, and the air around him suddenly distorted, as if heated by intense flames. in an instant, a small, semi-transparent barrier materialized in front of the magician, blocking his upper body and causing haisha's claw to strike at nothing.
boom!
the impact sent a ripple through the air, and dust and leaves flew all around.
taking advantage of the moment, the magician quickly retreated, putting distance between himself and the catwoman. his hands were empty; he had used up all his playing cards.
"meow!" knocked back by the invisible shield, haisha flipped backward several times, her movements graceful and agile, before disappearing into the dense forest again.
"heh... not bad, your power is around that of a c-rank psychokinetic. too bad you're still a c-minus, and still below me."
the magician confidently adjusted his hat. he tore his suit open to reveal a white lining beneath. the lining had been specially modified with numerous neatly arranged pockets, each holding seemingly heavy objects that the magician—a psychokinetic—could manipulate with his mind.
though he couldn't yet affect his own or others' bodies, he could at least control these small, concealed weapons. with enough training, a psychokinetic could launch metal weapons freely, even simultaneously controlling two or three that could attack precisely from multiple directions.
“secret technique, twin-winged butterfly!”
the magician's hands blurred as his fingers clicked rapidly, performing a series of strange gestures. then he clasped his hands together, his index fingers and thumbs raised like a butterfly's wings.
ding, ding, ding!
the pockets of his lining suddenly emitted the crisp sound of clinking metal.
whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
a flurry of metal weapons flew out, guided by his psychokinetic force, tracing arcs through the air. hundreds of projectiles shot into the forest, their overwhelming momentum resembling a swarm of bees.
from the shadowy forest came a faint groan—haisha had been hit. the sound quickly disappeared, and a moment later, it was quiet, as if she had vanished once again. the magician scanned the darkness cautiously. with a wave of his hand, the remaining projectiles flew back like swallows returning to their nest, hovering shakily in the air.
a cold wind swept across the hillside, rustling the leaves, and making it hard to discern any movement. on the other side of the road, the three teens had relocated to hide behind some bushes. their throats were dry—they had never witnessed such a thrilling and dangerous fight.
the way the catwoman and magician fought looked like something out of a movie—each move was brutal and executed without hesitation. they, too, were neo-humans, possessing abilities beyond that of normal people. however, all three had awakened their powers only recently. the strongest of them, the green-eyed boy, could barely use his eye technique to intimidate ordinary people. never before had they witnessed a life-or-death battle.
the magician was especially impressive; with a flick of his coat, his hidden weapons attacked everything around him. the ground, stones, and tree trunks were marred by signs of battle—while the damage was small, it was enough to be deadly.
"is this the kind of life uncle soro used to live?" the green-eyed boy exhaled deeply. "dangerous...and thrilling!"
on the other side, the magician remained focused on the catwoman, his gaze vigilant and his muscles tense. any unusual rustling or slight movement, and he would act without hesitation.
"not here... not here either... she's not here..." he walked slowly through the area covered by his projectiles.
drip.
level five: hell.
a level one, also known as a safe zone, was generally no different from any ordinary environment, presenting little danger. however, a level-two zone held strange phenomena—bizarre occurrences that defied the laws of physics, or roaming entities like steam golems.
of course, as the saying goes, blessings and disasters are often intertwined. dangerous places also held valuable rewards. many neo-human organizations classified those special zones not only for their danger but also for the unique treasures and resources they held.
one of the most famous examples was pure black demonic water, a spring that erupted from fissures in the earth. the water wouldn't stay long and would dry up within a single night. once gone, it wouldn't reappear in the same location again.
the water had potent effects on neo-humans and when diluted and consumed regularly, it accelerated the growth of their abilities, allowing them to progress several times faster than usual.
pure black demonic water could be found in zones from levels one through five. the higher the zone's danger level, the more potent the water's effects. it was said that pure black demonic water from a level-five zone could cause a person to undergo a complete transformation in a single day.
standing before the magician now was a steam golem. those creatures acted as guardians of the special zones and roamed endlessly. they also possessed great strength and unknown combat techniques. surrounded by a corrosive, chilling black mist, they were relentless hunters who sought to kill people, particularly at night. they were mindless killing machines that acted purely on instinct.
the magician glanced at haisha, the catwoman, and said, “if it were just one of us, we wouldn't stand a chance against the relentless pursuit of a steam golem. but with the two of us working together, escaping its range should be—huh?!"
haisha had already bolted like an arrow from a bow, sprinting at high speed and covering a dozen meters in an instant.
sometimes, when facing danger, you don't need to be the fastest—just faster than the other person!
"damn it!" the magician cursed under his breath as he followed suit. hidden under his shoes were iron plates. metal was the best material for him to manipulate with his psychokinesis. by lifting the plates, he could reduce his weight, making himself more agile.
but even with that, he still couldn't match the speed of the catwoman. the two ran down the mountain path, one after the other. behind them, the steam golem's red eyes whirled, locking onto its target as it charged forward, steam billowing from its body.
as it passed a boulder, the golem suddenly turned its head, red light flashing from its eyes. behind the rock, the three teenagers felt their hearts pound in their chests and their palms slick with sweat. the girl bit her lip, gripping the hem of her skirt, her face pale with fear.
luckily, the steam golem didn't pause, as if the three weren't as worthwhile as the two ahead. it continued its relentless pursuit, steam trailing behind it like its shadow.
suddenly, as it passed a large tree, the golem stomped the ground, leaving a deep crater. it turned, the red light on its head shining like a spotlight on the tree trunk in front of it. the light illuminated the forest ahead, casting an eerie glow. it then paused for several seconds.
the three teens behind the rock glanced cautiously in its direction.
smack!
a large, broad hand pressed against the bark of the tree, and from behind it stepped a cold, expressionless man.
"a cheap imitation of the decaying knights..."
whoosh!
a blurred black shadow sliced through the air like lightning. cassius retracted his hands, calmly clapping off the dust that had gathered between his fingers. a meter ahead of him, the steam golem stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.
then...
boom!
its metal and stone body exploded on the spot. in less than half a second, its chest collapsed and its limbs shattered, the golem bursting into fragments in the air.
cassius waved his hand, clearing the dust from the air.
he glanced back at the rock, where the three teens stood, mouths agape in shock. turning in the opposite direction, cassius looked far off at the two figures in the distance and muttered to himself, "the purity of the descendants of the hellsing is far too low."