Chapter 254 [Dream Weaving Corridor] and [Fate Coin]

Xia Nan's Constitution was exceptionally strong.

The enhancement from the Giant Serpent Secret Realm's Gilded Gourd Dewdrop had brought his Constitution attribute to "8" points.

It seemed only three points higher than an ordinary person's, but the physical enhancement it brought went far beyond what those cold numbers could represent.

Ever since Xia Nan emerged from the Secret Realm, he had rarely worried about his stamina. [Fang Hunt], originally meant to be a highly draining ultimate move at lower levels, had even become his standard combat technique.

He had never fallen ill, and the minor injuries he sustained in battle took little time to heal on their own.

In his past life, singling out this Constitution attribute alone would have been enough to place him at the pinnacle of humanity.

Right now, his even more outstanding Perception attribute allowed him to shift his body at the critical moment, dodging the silver needle from Trevelyan that should have pierced directly through his heart.

Although it still penetrated his chest, the shift turned what should have been a catastrophic, lethal injury into an ordinary, manageable wound.

If he forcefully held on with his willpower and Constitution, he could even maintain full combat power for a time.

However, the fine silver-white needle shot from Trevelyan's fingertips seemed to carry a strange, corrosive toxin in addition to its speed and armor-piercing force.

The unusually intense pain radiating from his chest and the faint sizzling of his flesh being corroded by the toxin caused Xia Nan to collapse in a dizzy spell before he could even steady himself.

He immediately took measures to save himself.

Buzz— A faint emerald light, brimming with the aura of life, quietly burst forth from inside his armor.

[Tears of Spring Breath]:

1. Lesser Healing (Active / 1st Circle): Use natural energy to restore a small amount of health to a creature you touch (3 times/day);

It was extremely effective.

This Rare blue gear from the Lycanthrope Mint had been entrusted to "Rockhammer" Barn back when Xia Nan was still in Rivervale Town, remodeled from its original earring design into a necklace.

To avoid drawing attention, he generally wore it under his shirt; from the outside, one could at most see the custom-made iron chain around his neck. The teardrop-like crystalline emerald body was hidden beneath the iron armor and inner lining.

Now that he had suffered a severe injury, he naturally used the healing spell attached to it immediately.

The effect... wasn't too bad.

Although "Lesser Healing" was only a 1st Circle Spell, the most serious threat affecting Xia Nan's body right now wasn't the wound itself, but the toxin rapidly spreading within it.

This was perfectly countered by the natural energy within the spell.

Almost the exact second the emerald light burst forth, the intense pain from his chest eased, and the spreading toxin was suppressed.

Xia Nan estimated that if he used up all three casts of "Lesser Healing" for the day, he would just about be able to completely neutralize the toxin in his body and heal the wound.

But this required time.

Based on the spell's healing efficacy just now, he would need at least fifteen minutes to recover his peak combat state.

So—could he just lie here peacefully and wait for these ten-odd minutes to recover?

Obviously impossible.

The enemy was not far ahead, and his strength far surpassed their entire group. Even in his peak state, Xia Nan wasn't necessarily a match for those two veteran Class Holders.

Therefore...

A thoughtful look surfaced in Xia Nan's eyes.

[Tears of Spring Breath]

2. Spring Pulse Cleansing (Active / 4th Circle): Release a surge of healing energy to wash over the body, restoring a certain amount of health to the wearer (1 time/week).

As a piece of blue gear, the enchanted spells on [Tears of Spring Breath] were naturally not limited to the three daily casts of "Lesser Healing".

"Spring Pulse Cleansing", a Fourth Circle Healing Spell that could be used once a week.

Xia Nan had seen its effects before; it was like a second life. During his battle with the Lycanthrope Mint, it had directly rendered all the injuries he had painstakingly inflicted on her completely useless, wiping away all his efforts.

Now that [Tears of Spring Breath] had fallen into his hands, this incredibly effective spell with a rather long cooldown had naturally become one of his trump cards.

Xia Nan was confident that as long as he revealed this trump card, the wound on his chest would fully recover in a single breath, allowing him to instantly plunge back into battle.

But just as he made up his mind and prepared to activate the spell...

The situation on the battlefield seemingly underwent an unexpected turn.

"Squelch."

Thick leather boots sank deeply into the rain-soaked mud. The crisp clinking of metal armor plates grinding and colliding against each other echoed in the air.

Radiant golden medium-length hair clung wetly to his cheeks. On his handsome, chiseled face, the friendly smile from when they had met in the inn was completely gone.

All that remained was endless, freezing apathy.

Trevelyan arrived on the scene, his gaze sweeping past the black-haired young man who had collapsed and couldn't get up under the ambush of his [Gleaming Silver Spike].

His eyes stared straight ahead.

At some unknown point, the outlaw Lawson, whose stealth state had been accidentally interrupted by the black-haired young man, was once again enveloped by his silver-white cage.

And with his physical attributes drastically weakened under the effects of [Bestow Curse], the outlaw could no longer easily break through the silver-iron bindings like before; he was merely struggling and hacking continuously within the cage, attempting to escape his confinement.

At this moment, Trevelyan had completely taken control of the situation on the battlefield.

Yet, the expression on his face appeared somewhat subtle and bizarre.

As for the reason, it was naturally what was reflected in his eyes: the silver-white metal block tightly gripped in Lawson's hand.

Trevelyan had never doubted his loyalty to the Morton Family.

After all, it was the Duke who had given him the resources to grow. Without the Duke's family's help, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to become a veteran Class Holder at Level 5 and the youngest Knight Commander in the territory at this age.

But loyalty was one thing. No matter how strong his sense of belonging and honor toward the Morton Family was, it didn't mean this young man had never harbored fantasies.

On countless nights in the past, after pouring all his energy into training and lying exhausted on the bed in his room, Trevelyan would daydream that perhaps in the future he would become the most loyal and powerful knight under the Duke; perhaps, like Mr. Croff, he would train countless outstanding talents for the Morton Family; or perhaps he would perform great meritorious deeds for the Duke, be rewarded with a piece of territory, and become a lord...

That was until a day a few years ago, when he learned that the lovely and kind young miss—who was even more beautiful than the golden acacia flowers of the Spring Grass Festival—was about to be married off to the eldest son of an equally noble minister in the Imperial Capital.

His mindset underwent a slight, subtle shift.

He remained loyal and reliable, but the fantasies he had on his bed at night began to include some scenes that could only be called blasphemous.

If only he also possessed the background and power of that minister's eldest son; if only his Class Level at that time was "15" or even "20"; if only others no longer called him "Little William," "Captain," or "the watchdog," but instead called him "Lord Trevelyan," "Sir Trevelyan," or even...

It was like weeds growing in the cracks of a stone.

Ambition quietly took root and grew in the crevices of the shadows in his heart, cloaked under the guise of loyalty.

Trevelyan had heard the rumors about this secret treasure. However, being inside the family, he clearly knew that ever since that dazzlingly powerful ancestor, no one in the Morton Family had ever been able to reach those past heights again—not even close.

Because of this, he had never taken the secrets regarding the supposed functions of the family treasure to heart, nor did he believe they were true.

But right now, when he truly had the chance to come into close contact with this legendary treasure that had always been safeguarded in the deepest part of the Morton Family's secret vault...

Trevelyan's thoughts changed.

Perhaps he should personally test the truth of the rumors. If he failed, then by returning the metal block to the Morton Family, he would undoubtedly receive the most generous reward from the Duke, and he would still be the family's most loyal and heroic knight.

But if he truly discovered the secret hidden within the treasure—the secret that allowed the Morton Family's ancestor to climb all the way from a commoner to eventually become a duke of the kingdom...

Trevelyan's eyes flickered uncertainly.

He spaced out for a second, but his gaze quickly shifted into a sinister coldness that was even more terrifying than Lawson's.

Killing intent pervaded the air.

For vainly attempting to steal the Morton Family's secret treasure, Lawson deserved to die.

And if he wanted to monopolize the treasure for himself, the other people on the battlefield absolutely could not be left alive either.

At the same time, upon witnessing Xia Nan get attacked by Trevelyan and collapse with his life or death unknown, Hai'an and Wood on the other side of the battlefield became even more panicked.

They didn't understand why Trevelyan would still take such an action despite clearly knowing their group's identity. However, linking it to the recent rumors about the Morton Family and the red dragon that had disappeared along with the mage, they had formed a few guesses about the silver-white metal block Lawson had snatched from their hands.

"We don't want anything!" Wood shouted loudly at Trevelyan. "That thing was picked off a corpse by a guard in our group. We have absolutely no idea what it is!"

Trevelyan didn't even turn his head, gripping his two-handed greatsword and slowly approaching as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Seeing this, Wood, who could sense the other party's killing intent, had no choice but to grit his teeth and forcefully shove Hai'an behind him.

His eyes red, he practically roared in a low, hoarse voice to the young man, "Young Master, run! I'll hold him off!"

Hai'an's face was pale. Despite being of noble birth, his mental fortitude and decisiveness were like those of a veteran Adventurer who had undergone countless trials.

He merely gave Wood one deep look.

Then he abruptly turned around and sprinted frantically away from the battlefield.

As he ran, leaf-like phantoms fluttered around his body, causing his speed to suddenly increase. It seemed to be some sort of combat technique.

Gripping his daggers tightly with both hands, Wood clenched his jaw, having already resolved himself to die.

But the only thing that reached his ears was Trevelyan's emotionless inquiry, "I recall there were six people in your group in total. Where are the other two?"

Wood opened his mouth, but before he could reply...

The heavily armored knight ahead of him abruptly vanished from where he stood.

Swish— Silver-white and blood-red flashed in the corner of his eye.

Wood subconsciously turned his head.

What entered his vision was his own empty shoulder spraying fresh blood, and his entire left arm plummeting to the ground, still tightly gripping its dagger.

And the Knight Commander from the Morton Family had already moved later but arrived first, blocking the path of the half-elf Hai'an.

It was the exact same silver-white spike that had pierced through Xia Nan's body. It skewered right through the center of the half-elf's chest, plunging deep into the mud.

"Thud."

Hai'an's slender body weakly pitched forward under the force of momentum, fresh blood gushing from the wound like a fountain.

He didn't die immediately, but he had completely lost the ability to move, his breaths shallowing out.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Wood roared madly and charged over, but his mangled body was tossed high into the air like a broken burlap sack.

The overwhelmingly massive gap in strength left him completely incapable of resisting Trevelyan, who held the Level 5 [Silver-Plated Knight] class.

He rolled across the ground, covered head to toe in muddy water, and passed out entirely.

"Bang!"

Rising from the ground, the silver-white cage finally shattered under the relentless slashing of the long, stinger-like sword blade.

Breaking free from his bindings, Lawson didn't hesitate in the slightest. His figure paused, preparing to activate his stealth state once again.

Although his behavior was crazed, he wasn't a lunatic who acted entirely on instinct.

Under these circumstances where his own combat strength was drastically weakened and the red dragon was nowhere to be found, fighting Trevelyan again was undoubtedly suicide.

'As long as I can escape... as long as I can escape...' The silver-white metal block tightly grasped in his left hand was practically being pressed into his chest.

But just as Lawson's body rapidly turned transparent, on the verge of blending into the air...

That heavy greatsword, wrapped in flowing silver light, was already howling as it chopped down.

Clang— Sparks flew.

Even though Lawson, wielding his sword one-handed, had reacted in time to barely parry the strike, the gap in Strength still forced him to stagger backward, every step sinking deeply into the mud.

Trevelyan's objective was extremely clear.

Seeing Lawson fall into a momentary state of stun from his strike, the blade instantly reversed direction, changing from a downward cleave to an upward slash.

"Schwing."

Carried by the force across the blade's surface, the severed hand flew high into the air, trailing fresh blood.

And the metal block originally clutched tightly in that hand was simultaneously knocked away, flying to one side of the battlefield.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!!"

The sudden turn of events on the battlefield abruptly threw Xia Nan's plans into disarray.

Before he even had time to react, the half-elf and his guard had already collapsed on the ground.

'What should I do?'

'Should I keep waiting, let Trevelyan and Lawson mutually wound each other, and then step in to clean up the mess?'

'Or should I use the "Spring Pulse Cleansing" of [Tears of Spring Breath] to heal my wound, and then use [Fang Hunt] to run away?'

As for the former, given the massive gap in strength between them, who could guarantee that he would definitely be able to handle both sides even if they were mutually wounded?

As for the latter, he had no idea whether the two veteran Adventurers before him also possessed similar movement-based combat techniques. Acting recklessly would only plunge him, who had temporarily gained a chance to catch his breath, right back into an extremely dangerous situation.

He couldn't win if he fought; he didn't dare to run.

What was he supposed to do?

Xia Nan's brain spun rapidly, pondering a way to break the deadlock.

And it was exactly at this moment.

Accompanied by the crisp clatter of colliding blades, an elliptical piece of metal flickering with a soft silver light amid the rain curtain flew high into the air over the battlefield.

It spun as it fell.

Under the remaining momentum, it rolled through the muddy water, gradually slowing down.

Finally, it obediently came to a stop right by Xia Nan's hand. It was like some kind of reminder, and a flash of inspiration sparked in his mind. He wasn't sure if doing this would be effective, and he had absolutely no clear understanding of the functions of this technological artifact known as the [Dream Weaving Corridor].

Xia Nan couldn't even guarantee whether the mere "3%" energy left on the item's Attribute Panel would be enough to support a single true activation.

But right now, this was his only chance.

His eyes stared intently just below the remarks on the [Dream Weaving Corridor] panel, at that line of translucent text:

Warning:

Encryption key missing! Please manually enter the Dynamic Password!

He suddenly took a deep breath.

In the next second, he forcefully tossed the pink-grade Epic item, the [Fate Coin]—a relic of the Goddess of Luck's favored with only two uses remaining—high into the air.

Hum—

The brass coin flipped, the blurry-faced woman with long hair and a cape fluttering in the wind alternating back and forth on its two sides.

It faintly stalled at its highest point.

Reflecting the curtain of rain in the air, a faint glow fleetingly vanished across the copper coin's surface.

"Miracle" triggered.

It was a probability close to nothing, but as long as there was a "1" at the very end of countless zeroes after the decimal point...

In this instant, its probability...

...was one hundred percent!

"Tap tap tap."

Xia Nan's eyes were tightly shut.

His right fingertips danced across the top of the [Dream Weaving Corridor]. On the metal block's smooth surface, he consecutively pressed down on the randomly shifting characters one by one.

A silver-white light quietly rose amid the rain.