Chapter 275: Dragon Breath?

Chapter 275: Chapter 275: Dragon Breath?

On the battlefield.

The wind from his fists howled, and shockwaves rolled.

Every one of Lance’s punches carried a sonic boom, smashing viciously against Albert’s blocking arms.

At first, they thought Lance was insane.

But after a few exchanges, the situation changed.

"Why are your arms completely fine?!"

After a particularly violent collision, Albert couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

His combat Trait had a hidden Effect, "Concussive Bone Shatter." Even if an Ordinary person could block his attacks, their arm bones would be pulverized by the continuous impacts.

But with every block and every clash, the black-haired young man’s arms were as steady as a mountain, showing no signs of bone damage whatsoever!

With another savage collision, their fists met, erupting in a visible white shockwave.

Albert was forced back half a step, but Lance remained perfectly still.

Of course, Lance knew why he could withstand such an attack.

It was because of the Talent from the Blind-Eyed Crystal Lizard:[Subcutaneous Crystalized Bone]!

[Your Constitution cap +2. Your Natural Base Armor Value an additional +1. When you suffer blunt or crushing damage, the subcutaneous crystal membrane will produce micro-vibrations, forcibly dispersing the kinetic energy from the point of impact and significantly reducing internal injuries and physical staggering effects.]

His Natural Base Armor was now stacked to a terrifying +3.

This meant his current physical Defense Power was equivalent to wearing a full set of Light Armor made of Refined Steel at all times!

If he added the Crystalized Energy Armor formed by [Heart Intent Martial Structure] on top of that...

...his physical defense was practically invincible among those of the same Tier.

His long-standing weakness in defense had finally been perfectly compensated for by stacking various Demon Talents.

Lance had engaged Albert in close combat purely to test whether a melee expert could break through his defense in his current strongest defensive state.

Now, he had his answer.

Immediately after, the development of the battle stunned everyone.

After just a few dozen seconds of high-intensity clashes, Albert, a Level 4 Fighter known for his Power and Constitution, was actually being beaten back relentlessly by a Level 3 youth!

Lance fought with increasing ferocity, unleashing the full extent of the [Azure Dragon Extreme Intent Style] techniques. Silvery-red Ether Energy swirled around him like flames.

Every punch left a deep dent in Albert’s Armor, accompanied by the acrid smell of something burning.

Albert, on the other hand, had a face etched with pain and despair.

His arms were beginning to twist unnaturally under the constant heavy blows.

BANG!

With one final, violent impact, the Chest Armor Albert had been so proud of finally reached its limit, shattering with a shriek of twisting metal.

Seizing this fatal opening, Lance’s right leg whipped out like a steel whip compressed to its absolute limit, lashing viciously against Albert’s side with a terrifying whistle.

[Azure Dragon Extreme Intent Style: Dragon Leaping Tail]!

BANG!

Albert’s body, weighing over two hundred pounds, was kicked clean off his feet and sent flying sideways as if struck by a catapult.

While he was still in mid-air, before he could land, Lance clenched his right fist. Metallic-red Ether Energy instantly elongated in his hand, forming an incomparably sharp Crystal Long Spear.

Without the slightest hesitation, the veins on Lance’s arm bulged as he threw the spear. It shot out like a bolt of red lightning!

SCHLICK!

The Crystal Long Spear accurately pierced through Albert’s undefended chest.

Its tip burst from his broad back with a blinding spray of blood before embedding itself deep into the distant stone wall!

Albert’s massive body stiffened abruptly in mid-air.

Then, he fell and tumbled across the ground.

The life quickly faded from his eyes, and finally, his head drooped heavily.

In just a few short minutes. Two clean, decisive battles.

The vast square, filled with tens of thousands of spectators, fell deathly silent.

This process of slaughter, executed with such casual ease, sent a chill down the spine of everyone present.

They asked themselves if they, too, could defeat Jedel and Albert with their High Levels and extravagant equipment.

But they would certainly have to rely on their greatest strengths to achieve a tactical victory.

If they encountered a counter like Jedel’s poison or Albert’s defense, they would have an extremely difficult fight, and might even be defeated unexpectedly.

However, the fighting style Lance had just displayed shattered their preconceived notions of what a Professional could be.

Every discerning person present could see it.

Well-rounded!

He was just too well-rounded!

Based on the strength he had shown so far, it was impossible to find any obvious weakness in this young monster.

A mere Level 3 from one of the Close Combat Professions had just beaten a Level 4 Fighter, renowned for his Power, to death in a pure melee brawl.

When faced with a potent neurotoxin, he had inhaled it directly into his lungs without any harm.

And on top of all that, he even possessed a terrifying long-range offensive ability comparable to an artillery bombardment!

’Damn it, how could the Material Realm produce such a monster?’

Only now did everyone finally understand why the rule issued by the Underground City’s will had required four of them to gang up on Lance.

Because if it wasn’t four against one, they wouldn’t stand a single chance of victory!

"[Pale Guard]... Just what kind of Profession is that?"

Someone in the crowd swallowed hard, their voice trembling.

’Just from the name, you’d never associate it with such an extremely violent fighting style!’

At this moment, Lance stood in the center of the field. The clothes on his upper body had been completely disintegrated by the battle’s aftershock.

This revealed a chiseled, powerful torso, radiating explosive strength.

Only a tattered scrap of cloth remained around his waist, fluttering gently in the faint breeze of the Underground City.

The intense heat from the battle caused white steam to rise continuously from his skin, shrouding him in an aura that made him look like a demon god.

Lance slowly turned his head, his still Dark Gold eyes sweeping coldly over the remaining two, Leonel and Aquina.

He slowly raised a finger and beckoned.

"Come at me together."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly across the silent square.

"I’m in a hurry."

The moment he said this, the veins on Leonel’s forehead bulged with fury.

’Humiliation! This is blatant contempt!’

But he also knew they had already missed their best chance to attack as a group of four. Now, they were in a position where it was impossible to back down.

"Aquina, I’ll tank the damage up front! You find an opportunity to shoot him down!"

Leonel roared, gripping the Dark Gold Tower Shield tightly with both hands. He hid most of his body behind it, entering an absolute defensive stance.

Meanwhile, the veteran Ranger Aquina wasted no words.

He pushed off with his legs, nimbly leaping into the air by kicking off the walls of the surrounding ruined shops, searching for the best sniper’s perch.

Facing their combined assault, Lance didn’t hesitate. Pushing off his feet, he became a blur and charged straight toward Aquina in mid-air.

In a team fight, taking out the enemy’s ranged physical DPS first was the most basic tactical knowledge.

"Die, you monster!"

Aquina nocked an arrow while still in mid-air.

The bowstring shrieked under the immense force, as if the very air was trembling!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Three specialized Armor Piercing Arrows, designed to deal with Heavy Armor units, formed a straight line in mid-air.

Wreathed in high-pressure air currents, the arrows shot toward Lance’s face like three heavy artillery shells fired from a cannon!

Feeling the terrifying wind pressure rush toward him, Lance didn’t dare to be arrogant and try to tank an Armor-Piercing Heavy Strike empowered by a Specialty with his bare body.

With a single thought, [Heart Intent Martial Structure] instantly formed a crimson spear in his right hand.

Instead of dodging, he met the first arrow head-on, hurling the spear with all his might!

BOOM!

The spear and the first arrow collided in mid-air, triggering a massive explosion.

The shockwave from the explosion slightly altered the trajectory of the next two arrows, reducing their power.

Immediately after, a heavy Energy Giant Shield rapidly condensed on Lance’s left arm.

CLANG! CLANG!

The remaining two arrows slammed into the Shield, which shattered on impact. However, Lance cleverly used the force of the Shield’s explosion to deflect the immense kinetic energy to the sides.

The two deflected arrows plunged deep into the stone pavement, instantly blasting out two craters several meters in diameter!

It had to be admitted. As a Level 4 Ranger, Aquina’s single-target physical burst damage was indeed the most terrifying of the four.

If an ordinary Level 3 Professional had taken that volley, they would have been killed instantly.

But an attack of this level was still within Lance’s tolerance.

After making the crucial leap to Level 3, and with the insane buffs from four core Demon Talents, he was a completely different person from before.

Just as Lance blocked the arrows and prepared to press his advance to kill the Ranger in mid-air,

RUMBLE!

a translucent Air Flow Barrier several meters high shot up from the ground without warning, blocking Lance’s path like an insurmountable wall.

Leonel had made his move!

He had activated his Defense Specialization as a Wall Knight, attempting to use this wall of wind to obstruct Lance and buy time for the Ranger’s second volley.

However, as Lance rushed toward the Air Flow Barrier, not only did he not slow down to avoid it, he didn’t even make a move to punch it.

He abruptly puffed out his chest.

He took a deep breath.

The next second, a crimson glow, more dazzling than molten lava, ignited deep in his throat, radiating terrifying heat through his skin!

The mutated Talent from the Mine Kobold, [Talent: Dragon Throat], activated.

[Your Constitution cap +1, your Power cap +1. Your lung capacity is greatly increased, your voice can carry "Dragon’s Might," and your throat can convert Ether Energy into "Dragon Breath."]

ROAR!!!

A roar erupted from Lance’s mouth.

Visible, tangible sound waves, mixed with the scorching flames of the Ash Dragon Breath, formed a destructive storm that slammed directly into the Air Flow Barrier and Leonel, who was hiding behind it.

And at this moment, among the tens of thousands of people present, the most horrified person was not Leonel, who was bearing the brunt of the attack.

It was the Golden Lion Cross Captain, Felix, who had been standing calmly on the sidelines, observing.

The instant he heard that roar and saw that flash of fire, Felix’s arms, which had been crossed over his chest, tightened abruptly, his fingernails nearly digging into the gaps of his hard Arm Armor.

"Dragon Breath?!"