Chapter 376 Coin Flip

To Xia Nan, the situation on the battlefield was already perfectly clear.

Moin's physical defense after complete crystallization was absurd, but [Gravity Etching] could almost ignore the crystals on his body and inflict a fatal wound.

The only limitation was its "number of uses."

He had only one chance to strike.

For this, Xia Nan had to find the perfect opening—a moment when the enemy absolutely could not dodge or defend. Then, using every ounce of his strength, he needed to drive the sword, wreathed in forcefield energy, into a vital spot.

This was his general battle plan moving forward.

Meanwhile, after the Goddess statue shed its stone skin to reveal the Pastel Gemstone body beneath, the pink energy suffusing the air had not only healed Moin's wounds and drastically boosted his physical attributes, but the cleric had also seized the opportunity to inflict heavy injuries on Xia Nan.

How to proceed next—that was entirely up to Xia Nan.

A [Healing Potion] was ruled out immediately. Leaving aside the process of pulling the fragile glass vial from his belt pouch, biting the seal off, and downing the liquid, simply waiting for the effects to kick in while heavily wounded would put him in extreme danger against the enemy in front of him.

Furthermore, a standard-quality Healing Potion priced at 50 gold would not be enough to restore his peak combat capability. Against the empowered Moin, the situation would only worsen.

The "Spring Pulse Cleansing Heal" from [Tears of Spring Breath] was indeed a 4th Circle healing spell with excellent effects, but ultimately, it was just an enhanced version of a "Healing Potion".

It could not fully heal him from his heavily wounded state, nor did it provide any effects to boost his abilities.

Under these circumstances, the choice was obvious.

Through their brief exchanges, Xia Nan had completely grasped Moin's fighting style, physical toughness, and actual combat strength.

All he needed now was to carve out a good enough opportunity for himself.

[Ember Echoes]—its activation condition was met when the user's vitality dropped below 33%.

And its 30-day cooldown had already refreshed a few days prior.

Its duration was 60 seconds.

One minute—Xia Nan had one minute to chop off his enemy's head.

Boom—

Wrapped in ash and sparks, an invisible, scorching current of air swept outward alongside the thunderous beating of his heart.

Crimson flames surged from deep within his body, transforming into blazing light that spread and wreathed across his skin.

The dagger wound in his abdomen instantly stopped bleeding. Covered by the flames, it healed in the blink of an eye, leaving not even the faintest scar behind.

Driven by the special effects of [Ember Echoes], Xia Nan's vitality, previously below 33%, shot up to 66% in a flash of flickering fire, continuing to regenerate at a rate of 0.333% per second.

His already abundant stamina soared even higher. His maximum energy, recovery speed, and consumption efficiency all received massive boosts; even the physical defense of his body strengthened along with the fire blanketing his skin.

"Huuu—"

His breath drew out long, red sparks drifting into the air as he exhaled. Air currents surged around him, and fragmented ash burned with fire amidst his violently swaying black hair.

The deeply dented surface of his [Purgatory Pulse] armor had already been swallowed by the flames rising from below, its silver-gray frame taking on a molten, fiery state.

Fortunately, its primary material hailed from Baator Hell, granting it a certain adaptability to fire. This prevented the armor from being completely ruined under the passive burning of those sorrowful, otherworldly flames.

In comparison, the [Bone-Bound Iron Greaves] on his lower body performed much better than the metal gear, likely because their primary material came from the bones of a powerful monster. Right now, a layer of crimson fire gleamed across their cold, smooth bone surface.

But looking across Xia Nan's entire body, the most drastic change was naturally the [Ember Fall] straight sword in his hand.

Threads of flowing fire channeled through his fingertips into the blade without the slightest hint of resistance, as if they were one entity. The vibrant pink light originally reflected on the blade was instantly expelled, replaced by a scorching flame that bathed the sword and slightly distorted the surrounding air.

If the color of the [Ember Fall] straight sword had previously been like the dusky gray-black of the sky just as night fell...

...then now, it was stained with the brilliant orange-red glow of the setting sun.

It shared the same origin as [Ember Echoes], forged using the [Molten Ash Silver Ingot] remolded by the flames of the secret realm.

Right now, as the sorrowful Ember swallowed Xia Nan's body, the weapon grade of the originally "blue Rare" [Ember Fall] straight sword was elevated to "purple Unique".

The passive [Molten Flow Reshaping] took effect, automatically recovering the blade's durability and slightly increasing the bonus Ember damage.

Pitch-black like a solar eclipse, edged only by a ring of crimson fire, his cold eyes reflected the crystallized figure ahead—a figure that seemed stunned in place by the sight before it.

Xia Nan stared at his enemy.

At this moment, exactly one second had passed since he activated the "Ember" state.

"Arooo!"

It was a long wolf howl, different from before—higher pitched, as if wrapped in wrathful flames.

The 33% comprehensive physical attribute boost from [Ember Echoes] instantly increased his combined "Strength" and "Agility" attributes by nearly six points.

Applied to [Fang Hunt], this resulted in an even more absurd startup speed and explosive power.

The black wolf with the same eclipse-like eyes broke into a run, its slender limbs leaving charred, fiery tracks every time they struck the ground.

The spatial distance was crossed in an instant.

Even the crystallized Moin, whose physical attributes had also been enhanced, momentarily struggled to track the black-and-red phantom blurring into a straight line before him.

Driven by an intense sense of danger, he instinctively crossed his arms in front of his body.

That wave of scorching air, accompanied by a slashing, molten blade, crashed into him.

In that moment, Moin could catch a brief glimpse of the crimson fire dancing on the youth's cheek, feeling the searing heat radiating from the ash and sparks drifting around him.

Then came the burning agony of the flames.

The 25% bonus Ember damage attached to [Ember Echoes] was different from ordinary fire attacks or forcefield energy. It was a mixed damage type blending mental and physical flames.

Combined with the base 10% mental damage bonus of the [Ember Fall] straight sword itself...

...even though Moin blocked the strike with his arms, his spirit felt as though it had been viciously cleaved by an unhindered, flaming blade.

He fell into a sudden daze as an indescribable burning pain erupted within his mind.

But what the cleric found even harder to accept was that the crimson flames wreathed around the black-haired adventurer's sword seemed to carry a unique burning damage.

It was no longer a simple physical attack.

The pink crystal particles on his skin—bestowed by the "deity" and boasting immense physical defense—began to show clear signs of failing.

Crystal skin that might have required over a dozen consecutive strikes to the exact same spot to breach was half-scorched away by the crimson fire in just a single blow.

"Ah!!!"

A high-frequency shriek formed by energy vibrations burst into the air. The sudden surge of danger and powerlessness welling up inside made Moin frantically pour out the pink energy within his body.

Once again, a translucent energy barrier expanded outward from the Pastel Gemstone on his chest.

His sword tip touching down, Xia Nan lightly tested the barrier. Realizing he still could not break through it, he did not hesitate to retreat rapidly, shrouded by the fiery phantom of the black wolf.

He easily evaded the enemy's counterattack.

Landing gracefully amid the wolf's howl, his dark eyes glanced at the outer side of Moin's arm. Surrounded by the ambient pink energy, the scorched sword mark was rapidly healing.

He shifted his gaze, looking toward the Goddess statue made of Pastel Gemstone behind the cleric.

Thoughts flashed through his mind.

'After activating [Ember Echoes], my attacks have gained an additional layer of "Ember" bonus damage, which can visibly injure Moin.'

'By my estimate... three strikes will completely break his defense.'

'With my attack rate and rhythm, if we were anywhere else, the sixty-second duration of the Ember state would probably be enough to kill him over a dozen times.'

'But we happen to be fighting on his home turf.'

'The vast amount of pink energy provided by the Goddess statue is helping my [Dream Weaving Corridor] charge up quickly, but it is also constantly supporting Moin.'

'A wound I carve out one second heals the next, forming fresh crystals.'

'To make matters worse, his barrier defense is completely impenetrable with my current attack power. There is zero chance for me to land two consecutive strikes in a short window.'

'One strike lands, and the barrier forces me back.'

'When the barrier retracts and I close the distance again, Moin's injuries are already healed. Everything goes right back to square one.'

'The "Ember" state only lasts for 60 seconds in total.'

'What should I do?'

'Look for a chance to destroy the Goddess statue?'

'That won't work.'

'I already tested the strength of the Pastel Gemstone before coming here. Unless the enthralled willingly breaks it, an outsider will find it almost impossible to destroy. Its durability is far higher than normal armor.'

'And the Pastel Gemstone making up the Goddess statue is clearly much purer. Its quality isn't even in the same league as the ones on the townsfolk. There's no way to destroy it.'

'So... where is the opening?'

'When should I swing that final strike?'

His mind raced as his gaze swept over the translucent barrier currently retracting over Moin's body.

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Xia Nan's mind.

'Perhaps...'

Buzz— Boom— Bang— Time quietly slipped away.

The battle between the adventurer and the cleric had truly entered its white-hot stage.

The Ember-wreathed blade slashed down on the crystal-studded body time and time again, and the pink barrier repeatedly forced the flaming figure back.

Moin seemed to finally realize that Xia Nan's current explosive state could not be sustained for long. His mindset gradually calmed from his initial panic upon discovering the Ember damage.

Knowing that his speed and agility were vastly inferior, he stopped trying to dodge entirely. He simply stood his ground, willingly taking the slashes before deploying his barrier to push Xia Nan away. Then, he used that opening to absorb the abundant pink energy in the air and heal his wounds.

He was stalling for as much time as possible, waiting for his opponent's burst state to end.

Xia Nan, of course, noticed the cleric's intentions.

Yet he seemed completely out of options, fruitlessly launching charge after charge only to be driven back again and again.

However, the target of his dark eyes had shifted away from Moin himself, locking instead onto the expanding and retracting barrier around the man's body.

The Pastel Gemstone energy provided by the Goddess statue might have allowed Moin to recklessly unleash this invincible defense without worrying about the cost.

But the barrier itself could not be cast back-to-back.

It had to complete a full "expansion-retraction" cycle. Only when the barrier fully shrank back into the Pastel Gemstone on Moin's chest could it be deployed again.

This window was incredibly short—so short that even with Xia Nan unleashing [Fang Hunt] at full power in his Ember state, it was hard to catch in time.

But without a doubt, it was an opening.

No matter what method it took, as long as he could seize that brief window between the barrier retracting into the crystal and expanding outward again...

...the forcefield damage of [Gravity Etching] should yield a satisfying payoff.

But right now, there were less than twenty seconds left on [Ember Echoes]. If he failed and wasted his final [Gravity Etching], what then?

He needed a backup plan!

With a flicker of thought, he lightly tapped the [Silver Ring] on his right ring finger.

The [Dream Weaving Corridor], which had been continuously absorbing the ambient pastel energy since the battle started, had already built up an impressive amount of charge.

"That's enough."

A look of resolve flashed in Xia Nan's eyes.

His right hand subtly brushed across his chest. Between his fingers appeared a flat, round object gleaming with a metallic luster.

"Arooo—" The wolf's howl rang out once more.

Just like before, cloaked in the phantom of the black wolf amid endless sparks and ash, Xia Nan launched a strike at the crystallized man.

Only this time, he paid particular attention to the angle of the straight sword in his hand, slashing at Moin from the side.

His target was the man's neck.

The old cleric had remained vigilant all along. Even knowing it was hard for the youth to break his defenses, he still adopted a defensive posture.

He raised one arm vertically to guard his side.

"Clang!"

The sharp blade clashed violently against the crystallized arm, and the crimson fire rapidly softened the pink crystals it touched.

He did not leave Xia Nan any chance to swing a second time.

Almost the moment the blade fell, the translucent pink barrier expanded from the cleric's body.

But to Moin's surprise, this time, Xia Nan showed no signs of retreating or evading.

Instead, his grip on the hilt tightened, as if he wanted the Ember to soften the crystals on Moin's neck as much as possible.

Assuming it was just the enemy's last-ditch struggle before his burst state ended, a glint of joy flashed across Moin's pink-lit eyes.

He clenched his left fist and threw a punch almost in tandem with the expanding barrier.

The punch was even faster than the pink light.

But in the very next second.

When his knuckles struck the molten silver-gray armor, all the kinetic energy behind the blow was swallowed clean, as if devoured by an invisible black hole.

The crystallized heavy punch—strong enough to pierce metal, snap bones, and rupture internal organs—had struck with unstoppable momentum. Yet, in an eerie and stark contrast, it just rested lightly against Xia Nan's armor.

—[Bronze Sinews and Iron Frame]: 0.5% chance to negate physical damage.

The Ember on the straight sword continued to burn, doing its utmost to soften all the crystals it touched. The crimson firelight illuminated Moin's bewildered, crystal-covered face.

At some point, a brass-colored coin was already tumbling through the air.