Chapter 81: Light-Bathed One (Combined Chapter)

The battle between me and Ingram, after I threw the fire oil bomb at the insect swarm, completely entered a white-hot stage.

The rapidly spreading fire in the woods, violently beating heart, even the short and urgent breathing...

As if even will was ignited together, the two of us who'd gradually figured out each other's strength in continuous exchanges had long lost that initial vigilance and caution.

With the battle developing to this degree, facing a powerful enemy, pursuing "no damage" was no longer realistic.

Exert all strength, through every means, even at the cost of heavy injury, to place the other party in a death situation.

The boundary between life and death was only a line apart.

Whoosh—

Scorching burning wind swept across my cheeks, the red scenery wreathed in flames on both sides rapidly retreating backward.

Brilliant golden holy light reflected in my pitch-black eyes. I tightly gripped the sword hilt with both hands, the bloodstained iron-gray sword body flickering with sharp cold light under the firelight's reflection.

"Sizzle."

Borrowing the beheading longsword's length advantage, the sword tip first pierced into the gap between the sheriff's chest armor and neck that had absolutely no defense under a sharp blade.

The fairly thick fabric was instantly penetrated, then came skin, muscle, cartilage...

And at the same time, as the distance between us closed and our positions diagonally overlapped.

I myself also entered Ingram's attack range.

That single-handed mace flickering with glaring golden light, accumulating scorching holy light power, angled diagonally upward, aiming at my abdomen that had no defense due to attacking and exerting force.

The originally loose uniform sleeves were torn by Ingram's engorged, swollen arm muscles.

The air was torn, emitting a chilling, miserable wail.

Even with chain mail protection, if this terrifying hammer smashed on the softest part of the human body—the abdomen—what kind of tragic result it would cause was almost needless to think.

Trading heavy injury for the enemy's death was only the most ideal result.

The greater possibility was mutual destruction.

Teeth clenched tight!

I'd even prepared in my heart to forcibly withstand the damage with Constitution and specialty.

But in my ears, suddenly came the sound of a lute string snapping.

"Twang!"

My spirit was clearly highly concentrated, all attention focused on the battle.

But at this moment, I extremely strangely heard.

From the other side of the scene, faint yet obvious, the light sound of a coin spinning and flipping in the air.

In the corner of my eye was the silver-white robin flying past the treetops, and the radiance flickering on the coin's surface.

As if some invisible thread, accompanying the coin's flight, in an instant connected my body with that silver-white radiance.

That was...

The gaze of the goddess of fortune 【Tymora】.

This powerful deity sitting high above in her divine kingdom.

In the prayers of her most devout believer, using the holy symbol and symbolic object as medium, cast her downward glance toward the material plane.

Without needing to consume divine power, nor needing to descend a saint's incarnation.

One-half of the "fate" divine office, holding dominion over the mysterious authority of the "luck" domain.

Let this lady with a kind, changeable personality, bright and interesting, just smile and blink her eyes.

Fate's scales silently tilted toward one side.

The nearly nonexistent tiny probability was quietly increased, turning "impossible" into "possible," illusion into reality.

As thoughts flowed, I only felt from head to toe throughout my body, suddenly came a hard and solid sensation, as if an invisible barrier had been attached to my skin's surface.

No need for explanation, the thought flashed through my mind like instinct.

—【Iron Bones】: 0.5% probability to be immune to physical damage received

The next second, the mace flickering with brilliant golden light, wrapped with Ingram's entire body's strength, amid the whistling strong wind, fiercely smashed on my abdomen.

The metal hammer face violently collided with the armor composed of chain links...

Without the slightest sound.

Clearly using all strength, that mace just rapidly "touched" against my body.

As if all the force was transferred and dissipated by that invisible membrane on my skin's surface in this instant.

That was a kind of extreme contrasting sensation that made one dizzy and nauseous.

I could even clearly see the brief surprise and astonishment that appeared on Ingram's face flushed red from excessive exertion.

Immediately after, the holy light accumulated on the iron hammer's surface suddenly exploded!

I only felt a burst of scalding burning pain transmit from my abdomen. The brilliant radiance bursting below my line of sight made me unable to stop squinting.

Forcibly enduring the indescribable pain, my body leaned greatly forward, both hands tightly gripping the sword hilt, as if pressing my entire body's center of gravity on the blade.

Step, charge forward!

"Bang sizzle!"

Wood splinters flew!

Penetrating flesh, the bloodstained iron-gray sword tip stabbed straight into the wood fibers.

Metal plate armor hit the rough tree bark surface, producing a dull sound.

The beheading longsword pierced through from the neck root.

Pinning Ingram's entire person to the tree trunk.

Crack pop—

Raging flames devoured the shrubs and long grass in the woods, murky air permeated with sparks and grass ash.

Overhead, the silver-white robin leisurely flew past, disappearing into the clouds at the horizon.

Abdomen, the brilliant golden holy light gradually weakened with the master's death, finally completely dissipating as the mace with only the iron handle remaining fell to the ground.

I still gripped the sword hilt in my hands, post-battle afterglow making my arms slightly tremble.

Before my eyes flashed familiar semi-transparent characters:

......

【Light-Bathed One】

Category: Specialty

Effect: Radiance Resistance +5%

Introduction:

Under the goddess of fortune's gaze, having fought fiercely with sacred radiance, you luckily obtained weak resistance to radiance damage.

Remark:

"Light is shadow's shadow."

—Oathbreaker · Defiler of Light · Twilight Flame Prince · Laetitia

......

I only glanced at it slightly, not even having time to savor it carefully before the intense burning pain surging from my abdomen scattered my attention.

The panel gradually faded, dissipating into the air.

My entire person slumped to the ground.

Looking down.

I saw the chain mail at my abdomen was already largely reddened, showing traces of melting.

And the flesh under the armor transmitted waves of scorching pain.

Forehead covered in sweat, I sat on the ground gasping for breath.

My mind recalled the 【Adventurer's Handbook】's techniques for handling this type of injury.

At the same time judging the specific degree of the current injury.

If it really didn't work, that half bottle of healing potion probably couldn't be saved.

"Tap tap tap."

Compared to my somewhat disheveled state after battle, Alton hadn't suffered any injuries.

Just his trouser legs were singed by flames, with some scorched marks on the surface.

Taking small steps, his figure nimbly ran over.

His gaze examined up and down my body, seemingly assessing the injury.

Then bending down, fingers gripping the chain mail's lower edge.

Forcefully lifting!

Hiss—

Under high temperature burning, the flesh at the wound had almost stuck together with the metal armor.

The refreshingly painful sensation of forcible separation made me unable to stop sucking in a breath of cold air.

It was only because I gritted my teeth and forcibly endured it, otherwise I'd probably cry out in pain on the spot.

Alton didn't look at my expression either. After helping me remove the damaged chain mail shirt from my body.

Turning around, he rummaged in his waist pouch for a while.

Then pulled out from within a small bottle of blue-green ointment.

Fingertips dabbed a few lumps, forcefully applying it at the wound.

I tightly maintained my expression, pale lips pressed together, my gaze becoming hazy due to intense pain.

Fortunately, very quickly, accompanying the ointment being evenly applied, its medicinal effect also gradually took effect.

A cool stream that was even somewhat cold, devoured the vast majority of the burning pain, coiling and circling in the burned flesh.

The halfling's movements were efficient. Pulling out a roll of bandages, he skillfully helped me wrap the wound.

My eyes looked at the short figure before me, my mind recalling the silver-white radiance that flashed in the corner of my eye during the battle just now, and the coin in his hand.

Carrying some caution, I tentatively asked:

"Just now... were you praying to the goddess?"

After all, the damage immunity effect of 【Iron Bones】 had only a 0.5% probability of occurring.

Since I'd obtained this specialty, it had never triggered.

Extremely unstable, couldn't count as any trump card.

I usually didn't count on it in battle, only treating it as a possible pleasant surprise.

But unexpectedly, precisely at the most critical moment in my battle with the sheriff, this effect triggered.

Connecting it to the halfling's strange movements during the battle, and my own actual feelings...

Inevitably I had some doubts inwardly.

"That's right!" Alton had absolutely no intention of hiding this. My words barely fell before he nodded in confirmation.

"The Lady looks after me very well! Last night I was still sharing Karanfor's experiences with her, but later you woke me up and I only got halfway through."

The halfling's face smiled broadly, as if chatting about some household matter with the other party.

Hearing this, my heart couldn't help jumping, my tone even more careful:

"She, didn't get angry, right?"

"Of course not!" The halfling didn't raise his head, the bandages in his hands wrapped around my waist circle after circle.

"Didn't I say just now? The Lady is very nice."

"If she was really angry, she wouldn't have helped you just now!"

Saying this, he even raised his head, jokingly blinking at me.

"Don't worry. Even if there are small emotions, I'll just go to the casino again."

Before my eyes involuntarily flashed the halfling's wild and aggressive posture at the card table.

I couldn't help smacking my lips.

At the same time instinctively considering how many times my savings of over a hundred gold coins could go all-in at a tavern.

"All right!" The halfling bit the bandage with his teeth, stood up with hands on hips, looking at the already-wrapped bandages at my wound and nodding with satisfaction.

His face showed quite a proud smile as he shook the small bottle in his hand at me.

"Good thing before going out I brought the burn ointment Aunt Mary insisted on giving me. Now it came in handy."

Before I could respond, the surrounding burning flames seemed to suddenly remind him of something.

His originally smug expression suddenly changed as he cried out in alarm:

"My lute!"

Then hastily turning around, he ran toward the direction we'd come from.

Reaching out to lightly touch the bandages, feeling the cool breath surging beneath them.

My gaze fell into thought.

With Alton's help, the damage immunity effect triggered by 【Iron Bones】 immunized me from the powerful blunt strike that should have heavily wounded me.

Otherwise, with Ingram's force just now, even if I didn't die I'd be heavily injured—the kind that drinking healing potion could only barely alleviate.

Right now, only needing to bear holy light damage, the injury I'd suffered was undoubtedly much lighter.

With my Constitution, plus the halfling's burn ointment, probably a dozen days or so and I could fully recover.

My right hand supported the ground as I covered my wound and struggled to stand up.

Putting the still-radiating-heat chain mail back on, I lowered my head to examine the various melted marks on the armor's surface.

"50 gold..."

I muttered inwardly, my face showing visible heartache.

"Don't know if Rockhammer shop can fix it. Maybe I'll even have to buy a new set."

Then I drew the wooden sword 【Qingsong】 from my back, and toward the skeleton in the center of the forest clearing that had already been soaked with undead aura and was violently trembling in the magic circle, I chopped and stabbed repeatedly, smashing it to powder.

Then using my foot to completely destroy the formation patterns drawn on the ground.

Not until those shattered bone frames no longer produced any movement did I breathe slightly easier.

In my current state, I couldn't withstand another high-intensity battle.

Turning around, returning to where the battle had ended.

Enduring the stinging pain transmitting from my abdominal wound, my arms exerted force to pull the beheading longsword from the tree trunk.

My gaze briefly examined the sword body's surface. Seeing no obvious cracks, I sheathed it again.

Before me, the sheriff who'd been pinned to the tree by the longsword lay face-down on the muddy ground.

Motionless, clearly already completely dead.

I crouched down, turned the corpse face-up, then stripped off his light plate armor.

Mm... the surface had a few obvious scratches. Didn't matter, completely usable.

Although it was standard armor issued for the sheriff position, the specific style wasn't particularly obvious—hard to identify through the equipment alone.

First bring it back to avoid the spotlight. After some time passes, then take out the armor—should be no problem.

To be safe, perhaps I could even find a blacksmith to alter this plate armor's appearance.

This single-handed hammer was a pity though.

That last burst of holy light had almost melted and dissolved the entire hammer head, leaving only a bare handle.

Couldn't sell for much.

Not being particular, I carefully groped across the corpse with both hands, searching for possibly existing spoils.

Unfortunately, aside from a coin pouch containing 12 gold 6 silver 2 copper, there was nothing.

Come to think of it, even I knew to deposit most gold coins in the bank.

Not being some spellcaster who mastered storage-type spells, an ordinary sheriff from a border town, even with church background, definitely couldn't afford storage-type magical items.

Naturally impossible to carry all his net worth on his person.

Footsteps came to my ears.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, it wasn't burned by fire."

The halfling's smiling face showed some relief, his arms hugging his lute with a broken string.

"How about you, any gains?"

"Just these two." I showed him the plate armor and coin pouch in my hands, shrugging as I answered.

"Hehe, told you, luck is conserved!"

"Right!"

Alton put the lute back on his back again, his gaze looking at me before him.

"You should still be staying in River Valley Town afterward, right?"

I nodded in confusion.

"Then we probably won't see each other for a very long time." The halfling shook his head lightly, his right hand grasping as he pulled something from his waist pouch and tossed it to me.

"Parting gift!"

I reached out to catch it, a cool, hard sensation transmitting to my palm.

My gaze looked down.

What came into view was precisely that brass coin engraved with the goddess's blurred face.

"You..." I suddenly looked up, only to see the halfling somehow pull out another identical copper coin from who knows where.

Tossing it up and down in his hand.

"Fortune favors the bold." Alton's face bloomed with a bright smile, the coin at his fingertips reflecting firelight. "The Lady said it to me personally."

Instinctively looking down, my gaze stared at the copper coin in my hand.

Suddenly,

Unexpectedly, a long string of semi-transparent characters appeared in my line of sight.

Among them, the most eye-catching were a few words I'd never seen before, yet made my breathing instantly stop:

—【Level】: Epic (Pink).

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