Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 637 - 252. Ascend the hall, enter the chamber

Chapter 637: 252. Ascend the hall, enter the chamber

"Li Aozi?"

Leino immediately gripped his magic wand with both hands and thrust it into the ground.

[Summon Clay Golem]

The earth quickly gathered and shaped into five burly soldiers, forming a wall that securely shielded Leino.

"He helped us reach the magic alien world first."

Caramel Snail’s figure instantly appeared, kicking off the wall and spinning in mid-air like a high-speed top. The blade, wrapped in purple haunting flames, swiftly sliced through the golems’ bodies, cutting them in half.

’Using rotation to increase cutting power?! Is he not afraid of being turned into a sieve by me?’

Leino was about to cast a spell but quickly noticed the distortion in the air around his opponent.

’——I see, he distorted the space. If I had cast a spell, he’d seize the chance and take me down.’

Make a decisive move swiftly!

Leino summoned a gust of wind. Caramel Snail immediately activated Dominator Body, confronting the wind head-on, shattering fireballs with a raised hand, and retaliating with bursts of Sword Qi, clashing fiercely with Leino’s Arcane Missiles.

Literal flashes of sword light and explosions filled the air, dazzling the spectators, who erupted in cheers and shouts.

"He’s so cool! It’s like a Sword Saint!"

"The evil ghost warrior behind him is so intense! What arcane energy is that? I want it too!"

"Caramel Snail, wait, wasn’t he one of the people who went to space with my Leo?"

Swish!

Caramel Snail flipped his wrist, transforming into an implanted gun. He pulled the trigger with one hand for close-up shooting while unleashing a flurry of sword moves with the other, occasionally using gravity to rotate and twist, launching dense Sword Qi that forced Leino into a narrow alley.

However, Leino was also an outstanding player in the Ajincour Service. Even in a terrain disadvantage, he skillfully utilized his professional abilities.

Mages may lack other things, but their mana bar is long and they have many skills!

He began with a Basic Invisibility Trick, hiding two Flame Pots among the rocks he threw. When Caramel Snail swung his Sword Screen to block, the blade shattered the Flame Pots, causing an instant explosion.

"Hmm?!"

The flames, flashes, and thick smoke startled him and left him blinded. Leino immediately launched a set of Magic Missiles and raised a Magic Guidebook.

Whoosh——

The Magic Guidebook flipped open rapidly, and the spells recorded on each page fired like sentry machine guns at a rate of 6000 rounds per minute, rapidly depleting Caramel Snail’s health.

But fortunately, he was a [Destroyer] player, his high health allowing him to survive the blind condition unscathed.

’I can’t drag this out... The magician’s kiting ability is too strong. Without arcane energy, I wouldn’t even be able to touch him.’

Caramel Snail quickly raised his hand, using gravity to accelerate himself, and rapidly moved his feet, while also creating an illusion that leaped high into the air.

’A mage dares to get so close to maximize output? No, Yutianxiao told me that when a mage dares to engage closely, it means they definitely have a countermeasure.’

Meanwhile, he himself charged straight at Leino!

[King’s Carriage Displacement]

The illusion did not attract Leino’s attention. He keenly sensed Caramel Snail’s killing intent with his sword and instinctively drew a Magic Scroll, aiming directly at the charging Caramel Snail.

[Blazing Sunlight]

This was his ultimate trump card, fitting to use at this point.

"Goodbye!"

Leino’s heart calmed down immediately.

Although his opponent’s reaction speed and operations were astonishing for a newcomer to the competition, clearly talented and likely with plenty of practice against high-ranking players.

However, no matter how strong the skills and dazzling the sword light, someone caught in a trap would not get another chance to escape.

Scorching light burst forth, engulfing the street in flames, rapidly reducing Caramel Snail’s health to near-zero.

But Caramel Snail had been waiting for this moment.

[King’s Carriage Displacement] activated!

After withstanding 0.24 seconds of damage, the illusion and the real body swapped places immediately.

[King’s Carriage Displacement] could be activated regardless of the real body’s condition!

This effect gave Caramel Snail the chance to turn the tide!

"——Up there!"

Leino’s reaction was swift, but he couldn’t destroy the illusion in time. He quickly tried to redirect the Magic Scroll towards the airborne Caramel Snail, but changing its direction was like turning a tank’s turret: it required immense strength and was very slow.

Just a bit more, just a bit more and he would win by scratching Caramel Snail’s body!

Swish!

Caramel Snail’s body descended, and he threw his weapon with his right hand.

[Canyue] activated!

As an arcane energy he borrowed, it only allowed his body to briefly enter two-dimensional space. Even so, the highly abstract arcane energy had a high usage difficulty, taking him a long time to train and master.

This moment was what it was all for!

In the two-dimensional space, Caramel Snail activated [King’s Carriage Displacement] again.

Leino, eager to take him down with one shot, had raised the scroll to the sky, making the illusion he had previously ignored remain intact.

"You react too quickly, Brother Leino."

Caramel Snail’s body, ghost-like, appeared in front of Leino. He raised his hand, a blood-pressure gun barrel popping from his palm, pressing against Leino’s forehead, who was still struggling to angle the tank’s turret upwards.

Gush gush gush gush——!

Corrosive ammunition poured out, emptying 300 milliliters of pre-prepared poison blood. Caramel Snail shattered Leino’s mage shield, reducing his head to a skull and depleting his health bar completely.

[Jean Leino Leopold’s health points reduced to zero]

[First round——Caramel Snail wins]

"Huff... Huff ha... Ah, huff..."

Caramel Snail gasped urgently, his pupils dilating wildly, adrenaline flooding his system, making his muscles almost feel numb.

"That was close... That was close."

He removed his character helmet, revealing his sweat-soaked, charred hair. The blood and burns on his face were stark reminders of the battle’s intensity.

"Didn’t expect... for Gamma Rank, the top players are so much tougher than the NPCs on Baizhu Star."

"Kiddo!"

Xia Yubing’s voice came through the communication channel, excited:

"Congratulations on a great start!"

"I... I fought so messily... Just one opponent, and I felt like I was about to be finished... And he was just a rookie."

Caramel Snail was still catching his breath, his brain working at full capacity throughout the fight, almost ready to shut down.

"This was just one first-time competitor, and I was already pushed to my limit..."

"What rookie? Didn’t you see his ID?" Xia Yubing asked curiously: "He’s the fourth overall on the total ranking of ’Starry Abyss’ and the top magician in Ajincour District——coissant!"

"...What?"

"Caramel Snail, you’re amazing! The forums are blowing up, discussing how a pure eSports rookie beat the top player from Ajincour District in the first match, this is a huge upset!"

"I..."

Caramel Snail raised his hand, unable to believe it.

"I defeated the world’s fourth strongest player?"

Beep beep beep——

Caramel Snail looked at the messages from friends:

[XXG] Cumin Powder: Yo, Kiddo, nice fight on your first round, defeating Coissant in round one, I’ll give you a reward later.

[LGY] Garidon: Amazing, in just half a year, you’ve become a stranger to me.

[Qiongyu] Yutianxiao: Congratulations, his barbecue set is quite brutal, keep it up, aim to knock Coissant out in the first round.

[Endless Pioneers] Night Fighting Sword: Hmm (the other party is typing).

..........

Clap!

He clenched his fists, sweeping away the doubt and confusion in his eyes, leaving only determination.

"Yes, I am no less than anyone else!"

Caramel Snail steadied his mind, lifted his spirits, and prepared for the second round:

"The half-year preparation in-game took the equivalent of five years. I’m no longer the newbie I used to be!"

Five years...

These five years transformed him from an ordinary Martial Artist chased by goblins into a warrior skilled in swordsmanship.

Moreover, he completed several tasks issued by Li Aozi, converting his body into Implanted Gear, and gained the [Mutant] secondary profession, formally mastering the[Inscription Saint Swordmaster] arcane energy.

"Though I don’t get why you’re so happy, this might be the happiest I’ve been since the guardian deity descended upon me..."

Saga Qi suddenly spoke:

"Since we’ve come this far, let’s push forward together!"

Saga Qi wasn’t usually talkative, so Caramel Snail was momentarily stunned before reacting.

"Yes, I’ve been helped so much by Li Aozi and friends... I should have become strong long ago."

Caramel Snail nodded, readied himself as Leino revived and approached, and seriously switched weapons.

"Let’s see how far I can go with all my strength!"

Swish——!

The pitch-black tachi was drawn. Caramel Snail gripped the shadowy tachi, once again facing Leino.

"That weapon..." Leino was shocked: "Is it the ’Heirloom Masterpiece’?!"

"Hehe. I went through a lot to trade it from Li Aozi."

Caramel Snail hoisted the tachi, scratched his head, and chuckled gleefully:

"She’s called Canyue Edge——uh, she prefers me to call her Phantom."

"What is this... a Sword Maiden?"

Leino couldn’t help but quip:

"I was curious, who is Li Aozi since you mention him more than even a wife’s name."

"Him?"

Caramel Snail chuckled:

"Li Aozi has many titles——[Sovereign] mentor, Lord of Baizhu Star, Mayor of Newbie City. You can come to our Baizhu Star sometime. We recently opened a route, and players from Valkyrie Fortress on the Frontier Star are welcome. We’re happy to have you."

"I can tell, he must be an interesting person."

Leino nodded, smiled, and raised his magic wand, an arcane glow lighting up:

"Before that, let’s give the audience a spectacular performance!"

"Leilial, you’re the same as ever, loving flames, loving explosions, it’s so nostalgic, in the Artisan’s Garden, we used to support each other &*^#——"

[Cognition Filter Applied]

Caramel Snail laughed, a green glow in his eyes:

"With pleasure!"