Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 57 - 044. Arrogance is a common ailment among most iron riders.

Chapter 57: 044. Arrogance is a common ailment among most iron riders.

Li Aozi was furious.

Personal Talent, Object Resonance—this actually couldn’t be considered a very rare talent.

One could say that on this entire planet, among billions of people, there might only be this one example.

It was a talent that was extremely, extremely, extremely compatible with the precursor profession of a Meteor Fall Master—[Bishop]!

The description might seem ordinary, more focused attention, easier observation of the patterns of change in things—but its actual performance was terrifying.

Simply put, this talent could directly cancel out the casting lead-time of incantations, gestures, actions, and array formations for spellcasters!

What concept is this?

This meant that ultimate moves with long casting durations, such as [Dragon’s Breath], [Netherworld Demon Light Flash], and [Gate of Purgatory], which all took several minutes to cast, didn’t require standing in one place. One could move freely, unleash movement skills at will, and it wouldn’t interrupt the casting.

You could even open a Fold Jump, rush from a safe zone straight into a forbidden zone to unleash a big move, and still have time to escape back.

For occupations like [Martial Artist], [Psychic], [Biochemist], [Mechanic], and [Architect], that practically don’t need to use skills, this is useless. They inherently have short cooldowns, and their abilities don’t require much lead-time. Their output depends on means other than skills, or they simply rely on basic attacks.

But, for those occupations with long casting lead-times, this is a divine technique!

For example, for [Summoner], [Soul Ferryman], [Netherworld Envoy], [Angel Envoy], and [Bishop], these professions all have high damage output capabilities, but to achieve full damage, they had to completely sacrifice mobility.

So you see—

"You have such a great talent, and instead of becoming a famous Mage after university, you come to the Fourth Rule to be a little agent?!"

And you still play the [Mysterious] system? You still play a [Spirit Medium]?

The skills of the [Mysterious] system basically have no lead-time, have strong spell penetration abilities, and come with all sorts of strange gadgets. Even if you can’t hit the lead position, you can still be a pretty good support and information role.

And the [Spirit Medium] is even known for being an occupation with short cooldowns and high mobility, a rare magic assassin in the early stages, and can also transition to [Cursing Master], [Angel Envoy], [Scourger], [Guide] in later stages.

Each one of them had huge potential, an essential pick for professional competitions.

Then, look at what you learned?

You actually took up a job as an [Agent]?

Li Aozi was going insane.

This is a Strength-based occupation!

You are a Spirit Medium, a [Spirit Medium] whose main attribute is [Will].

This is a crime, go die for it!

Li Aozi prided himself on having few pursuits, but he was extremely jealous of this particular talent.

For a moment, all he could think was: the Talent I don’t have, others also shouldn’t have, such childish mentality.

Especially seeing Agent Yawen’s standard agent combat techniques made Li Aozi’s blood pressure soar.

What a waste.

"What a joke, I’m going to puke!"

Li Aozi’s eyes reddened, whether it be due to his profession, or his inner arrogance, he couldn’t help but go berserk at the sight.

Too small-minded, just too small-minded!

It’s like begging with a golden bowl in hand!

This was no longer simply about a newbie being worse. He had to throw a heavy punch to teach her a lesson!

Li Aozi was so angry he was grinding his teeth; he threw a combination of punches without holding back.

His punch caught Yawen in the chest. As he moved forward stepping with his left foot and bending his knee, seizing the center line, his swinging left punch hit Yawen’s arm, which was up to block. The shock to her already dislocated wrist was so painful, she let out a low groan:

"Mmh—"

Before the pain could take hold, Li Aozi aimed a punch at her throat. Yawen gritted her teeth and bore the pain, ducked, and curled her body forward, ramming her shoulder into Li Aozi’s embrace, her elbow hitting his diaphragm and stopping his momentum.

"Mmh—ahh—"

I can’t. I can’t lose here, if I lose here, it’s all over.

「Yawen! Think about why you came to the Fourth Rule... if I fall, everything in the family is over.」

Can’t die, can’t lose.

Yawen reminded herself in her heart.

With a determined look, she caught a weakness in her opponent and stomped down hard on Li Aozi’s foot.

[-5]

This woman hadn’t learned the [Spirit Medium]’s [Soul Erosion] and [Evil Spirit Stab]; relying on her small stature alone, after her damage was reduced by 8% by Li Aozi’s passive Gravitational Arcane Energy, she hardly had any killing power left.

In a certain sense, without using Arcane Energy and Spiritual Power, the physical attacks from both were essentially just scraping each other, but considering both of their not so robust health bars, the attacks were still considerable.

Li Aozi didn’t care. In one swift movement, he grabbed her nape, activated his gravity, making her lose all weight and float, then pushed her head down and stuffed her into the car through the sunroof.

Bang!

Yawen, in pain, landed in the passenger seat, causing Qiu Ran and Nomi to be startled.

Seeing a beautiful sister come in, Qiu Ran instinctively waved his hand:

"Hello?"

"Hello my ass!" Nomi reached over and slapped his hand away.

[Spiritual World Sprint]

Yawen once again entered that unnatural ghost state, moving rapidly despite the physical laws, initially trying to open the car door to jump out and escape. But the locks could only be controlled from the driver’s seat.

So, she tried to escape through the sunroof above, but Li Aozi’s whole body was wedged there, confident that even in her ghost state, she couldn’t pass directly through it.

This is called closing the door to beat the ghosts. Players love it when they’re fighting a Spirit Medium and the moment they start a Spiritual World Sprint, the players just close the door and throw in poison gas grenades, enjoying the scene inside like it’s a theme park of joy.

If conditions permit, it’s best paired with a cup of coffee, and the piano piece "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" playing in the background. It’s very elegant, very joyful.

Li Aozi’s high-and-mighty attitude irked Yawen.

"If I can’t get out—then come down here!"

Yawen reacted quickly, seeing her spiritual power running low, she immediately canceled the ghostly state of Spiritual World Sprint, reached out her hand to grab Li Aozi, and with all her weight, she dragged him down as well.

"Huh?!"

Li Aozi paid the price for his arrogance. Being entangled at such close range, he couldn’t muster any Arcane Energy and was pulled in by Yawen effortlessly.

Even so, his skills were still superior, and the two immediately started scuffling in the car. Yawen didn’t struggle for long before he gained the upper hand.

"Holy crap! Are you insane? Fighting in the car!"

Nomi raised a hand to push away Li Aozi’s slamming shoulder, the steering wheel slipped from her grip, and the whole car crashed into the right-side Fourth Rule off-road vehicle.

Bang thud!

The driver of the off-road vehicle, upon being hit hard by Nomi, almost had the airbag smack him in the face. Furious, he retaliated by slamming the steering wheel and flooring the gas pedal to crash back into Nomi’s car!

Clang———!!!

"Ahh! Ahhhh———"

Qiu Ran screamed, covering her head.

Yawen’s wide-brimmed hat had flown off during the fight, and she found herself pinned underneath Li Aozi, who had chains in his grip, ready to smash down toward her throat!

"Ugh... uhh..."

Yawen could hardly breathe under the pressure, her golden-green eyes locking onto Li Aozi’s gray ones, which were shining with golden rings.

It was that same disdainful gaze, as if nothing else mattered.

"Don’t give me that..."

Her eyes took on a spectral blue hue, she gritted her teeth, and with the last of her spiritual power, she activated Spiritual World Sprint, granting her a ghostly state albeit for a mere second.

Bang!

Yawen used the barrel of the gun to smash into his armpit, causing Li Aozi to miss. Even so, the chain, heavy with gravity, smashed a dent into the sofa.

One second was enough.

Her fingers turned white from excessive force, and the overexertion of spiritual power left Yawen with a splitting headache, as she muttered to herself as if reminding herself:

"Don’t you look at me with that kind of arrogance."

She rolled out from Li Aozi’s left side, grabbed the seat belt, wrapped it around his neck, crossed over his shoulder, and with both hands, was about to strangle him into unconsciousness.

"Er-hmm——"

But she was thwarted.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, the driver on the right crashed into them heavily. The intense collision caused her hand to loosen, and her body was thrown into Nomi’s arms.

"God damn it! Get off!"

Nomi was startled when a woman suddenly fell across her lap; she lashed out with a wrench in a panic. Before Yawen could react, Li Aozi seized her thigh and yanked her viciously into the backseat space.

"Aoow!!!"

Nomi’s wrench hit her own knee, causing a painful swelling. She gasped, slowed down the car, and fell half a car’s length behind the off-road vehicle that was once again prepared to collide.

As a result, the back end of the car ahead rammed directly into the front of their car.

Bang thud—

Li Aozi was about to punch down on Yawen, who he had pinned to the back seat, when suddenly, the car’s front end crashed into the vehicle in front, causing a loud noise, and Li Aozi was thrown onto the front windshield.

Li Aozi instinctively activated Gravitational Arcane Energy to steady his fall, lying sideways on the windshield, his eyes gleaming with golden circles. Thanks to the sudden brightness, he clearly saw Yawen draw a dagger from her belt, grip it in one hand, and move to stab him, using the momentum of the collision.

Li Aozi was unperturbed. He slightly tilted his head, and the dagger embedded itself in the windshield, while he released the gravity hold, spread the chains from his arms, and pressed his entire body over her!

With the chains just inches from her neck, Agent Yawen’s wrist dislocated, and her other hand was pinned by Li Aozi. However, she suddenly composed herself, turned to face Li Aozi, opened her mouth, and revealed a set of white teeth.

The gun had no bullets, the blade was stuck, her fists were weak, but she still had teeth to use!

"Endless, are you intent on wiping me out? I’m going to headbutt you to death!"

Nomi suddenly exploded with rage. She had a large bump on her head and tears in her eyes, as she abruptly floored the gas pedal, steering wheel in hand, and accelerated violently into the vehicle ahead.

Bang!

The violent jolt threw everyone in the car hard against the floor, and an unhinged Nomi laughed wildly as she accelerated, flipping the car in front of them until its underside faced the sky and its wheels were up in the air. With a hearty laugh, she turned the steering wheel, and sped off into the distance.

Boom—

Shortly after they passed, the vehicle behind them caught fire and exploded, but that was of no surprise. With Nomi’s foot on the gas, the flames disappeared into the snow and red-black skies of the Outer World.

"Destroyed, hahaha! Ahahaha! Shocked, aren’t you! Still want to crash Nomi’s car now? Ohyoyoy, did you flip over? Hahahahaha!"

Nomi knocked on the steering wheel triumphantly, turned her head as if to claim credit, and yelled at Li Aozi:

"How about that? Nomi’s driving skills, shockingly impressive... Li?"

It was eerily quiet behind her.

"Hey..."

She hesitated for a moment, her face turning pale, then suddenly turned to look back.

The moment the rear scene came into view, Nomi felt a buzz in her head, and involuntarily gripped the steering wheel hard, making deep indentations.