Read Novel Full Chapter 429: Disrupting the Blood Ring 2]
Chapter 429: Disrupting the Blood Ring 2]
The blood storm from Dominic’s skill was really troublesome, at least it was more troublesome than most wide area attacks Gabriel had seen in this world because it did not only burn, it also stuck, and it pulled in more fuel the longer it stayed active.
Gabriel estimated that if he took several direct splashes without any defensive measures, then even if he did not die, his injuries would definitely cause his battle prowess to decline by a large margin, and in a fight against someone like Dominic, that kind of decline was the same as signing his own death note.
Even though Dominic had not shown his full hand yet, just judging by the pressure from the ring and the way it could drain blood from living soldiers, it was not crazy to assume Dominic’s control stat and mana pool were far above the average hero rank.
’The longer I wait, the more losses I will suffer.’
Gabriel’s eyes flashed. He lifted his foot, and with a fierce stomp, his body was propelled forward toward Dominic’s position, closing the distance within a few seconds.
Dominic quickly responded by stepping back onto the broken edge of a collapsed structure, putting more space between them without looking like he was retreating. At the same time, his other hand lifted, and blood rose from the ground in front of him into a rotating stream that tightened into several spear shaped projectiles, each one burning with that red aura that did not behave like normal fire.
The first projectile flew straight for Gabriel’s chest, the second aimed for his thigh, and the third came slightly later, aimed for the gap between shoulder and neck where clothing was thinner.
Gabriel did not jump away. He cut into the line.
Shing!
The greatsword met the first projectile and split it, sending burning droplets spraying outward. Then he turned the blade and batted the second aside while stepping through the gap it created. The third projectile clipped his shoulder and burst into a smear that tried to cling and chew through cloth and skin.
Gabriel’s expression did not change, but his jaw tightened slightly as he muttered the skill name.
"Iron Skin."
When the skill was activated, Gabriel felt his skin tighten, reinforcing his body and reducing the damage to something painful but manageable.
The burning smear still stung. It still made his muscles tense, but it did not slow his legs, and that was the only thing that mattered.
Dominic’s attacks continued. Blood blades formed in the air like thrown knives, then chains rose from the ground trying to wrap around Gabriel’s ankles, and each time Gabriel answered with the same method. Cut what could be cut, break what could be broken, and keep moving no matter how ugly it felt, because the longer he stayed under the ring, the more Dominic could turn the field into fuel.
Anna wanted to move with him, her jaw tight and her fists trembling, but she did not, because she understood she would only give the blood ring more bodies to harvest, and she refused to be the reason Gabriel’s plan failed.
Dominic’s face remained calm even as Gabriel cut through attack after attack, and that calm was almost insulting because it showed he was not surprised. He had expected someone to try this, and he had prepared for it.
He raised both hands slightly higher, and the blood around him thickened into a rotating front, a sturdy wall made from liquid meant to explode into burning spray if Gabriel forced his way through.
At the same time, several blood chains burst from the ground near Gabriel’s feet, and one of them latched around his ankle with enough force to yank him off balance.
Gabriel slammed his boot down, snapped the chain with raw strength, and then cut the remaining ones in a swift motion that did not waste energy. Droplets splashed onto his legs, and Iron Skin reduced the bite, but the pain still existed, and that pain was proof that Dominic’s attacks were not harmless.
His breath came out slow and controlled as heat crawled across his skin.
Gabriel did not pretend he was immune. He simply shrugged off the burning sensation and pushed forward.
"You won’t reach me in time," Dominic growled, his voice laced with frustration as he saw how his attacks were being cut down.
Gabriel answered without slowing.
"Unfortunately for you, I do not need time. I only need distance."
He pushed into closer range, close enough that Dominic’s long range patterns tightened and the blood ring above flickered unevenly for a moment, as if the load was shifting.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed that flicker, and several heavy drops fell near Gabriel’s route in response, but Gabriel kept adjusting, refusing to take a direct hit that would slow him for free.
When Gabriel reached the distance where Dominic could no longer throw dozens of projectiles without risking his own space, he shifted his grip on the greatsword and did something not many were brave enough to do.
He ran his bare hand along the blade, drenching it with his own blood, then afterward gripped the handle tightly with the same bloody hand.
The greatsword responded with a low hum, and the blood on its edge trembled as if it recognised something familiar.
Gabriel’s stance lowered and his shoulders turned slightly. Then he swung with his full strength, activating Crimson Judgement’s strongest skill, Annihilation Strike, once again.
Without a moment of hesitation, crimson judgement descended with Whistling cry as Gabriel slashed multiple times in a span of 20 second!
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
A large trail of crimson arcs shot out from the blade, not one single wave, but several overlapping cuts that travelled forward like a pack, tore through the air toward Dominic’s position. The arcs weren’t fire, but they carried a burning red aura that matched the battlefield’s colour, and the ground beneath them cracked and sprayed dust as the force passed.
Seeing the arcs tearing through the air toward him, Dominic’s eyes went wide in panic.
"...This attack again..."