Chapter 848 The Strength of Pathway Fusion
"This is... a high-temperature flame!"
Klein was also an expert in playing with fire. He immediately recognized that the flames on Angel's fingertips were no longer cursed flames that had special effects on spirituality, but were mixed with the hunter's flames that could burn everything, forming a strange purple flame.
With a swish, Angel dispersed the purple flame in his hand, rubbed his fingers ostentatiously, and continued:
"A 'gift' is different from the power gained from taking a potion. It's a power bestowed by a superior to a lesser. In my case, it's the person in the mirror, leveraging the status and authority of the City of Disaster, who has bestowed upon me the power of the path that this source essence can control... This doesn't involve Beyonder characteristics, only a small amount of divinity. Therefore, it doesn't require rituals, digestion, or acting, and it won't have any corresponding effects on the body..."
She was referring to the forced gender change brought about by the Iron-Blooded Knight... Klein, who had also seen the Red Priest card, nodded and asked in return:
"Why does your 'Man in the Mirror' possess so much knowledge that you yourself don't know, and even be able to use the power of 'Source Essence'?"
"She didn't mention it. I think it's related to the reason she mentioned not being able to leave the City of Disaster. Perhaps knowing this knowledge also brings certain dangers, and only a person of the Source can resist it."
Angel analyzed, and the gentle smile and eyes of his "person in the mirror" appeared in front of him again on the streets of the deserted city.
Only then did she realize that there was a hint of sadness hidden deep in the other person's eyes, and then she added:
"Perhaps it's not about confrontation, but about protection..."
The two of them were silent for a moment, each thinking about their own things. Angel continued:
"Currently, as a Sequence 3, I can only obtain the Sequence 4 Hunter Path Gift. This is the only way to achieve a balance within my body dominated by the Witch. If I advance further, the Gift may be strengthened accordingly..."
"I can use almost all of the Iron Knight's abilities, including steel and fire, the ability to connect with teammates to share damage and strength, and even the ability to strengthen all weapons in my possession... In addition, I can also combine some of the Witch and Hunter's abilities to create unique effects... Perhaps jumping from Iron Knight to Immortality will also be able to do the same. As long as you can bear the risk of jumping a path, this method of advancement may be more powerful than a single path."
Hearing this, Klein recalled the dark night he fought Ince Zangwill in Kukwa City in the northern part of West Balam. Back then, at Sequence 4, he displayed an incomplete mythical creature form that combined the paths of "Night" and "Death." His tough and resilient spirit impressed even The Fool.
“What improvements have been made?”
He asked back with interest.
"The Thread Cutters I mentioned earlier are one of them. They are like weapons that I've 'enhanced'; they are invisible, sharp, and difficult to defend against. 'Petrification' can leverage the Hunter's 'Precision' to deliver precise strikes, and can even transmit certain special forces to the other side, such as..."
As he spoke, without Angel making any movement, the secret doll Enuni standing beside the two of them began to show signs of limb paralysis and joint stiffness, and its body surface also turned an unhealthy gray-white color, starting from the fingernails and spreading towards the heart, as if it had turned into stone.
This... is the "petrification" she mentioned!
Klein watched the changes in the marionette, feeling his body gradually stiffen and lose vitality through the spiritual thread, and a chill rose in his heart.
No, that's not right, it's not just Euni who's stiff!
He suddenly realized that the power that turned Enuni into stone was passing through the spiritual thread and transmitted to the owner of the secret doll, that is, himself. The originally invisible lines emerged from the air, and the lively black turned into a heavy gray-white, visible to the naked eye.
Klein himself fell into the same situation as the marionette. His limbs gradually became heavy, and a layer of gray glass covered his eyes, and his vision gradually became blurred.
"Look, this is it. If that 'weird wizard' from yesterday dared to face me again and let all her marionettes come into my sight, it wouldn't be long before she turned to stone and sank to the bottom of the 'Fountain of Youth'... unless she could decisively sever all connections to her marionettes. But that would mean she'd lose most of her combat effectiveness, so there's nothing to fear."
As Angel's gentle voice rang in his ears, the heaviness on Klein's body gradually faded away. The grayish-white layer on the surface of his body, including Enuni's, quickly disappeared, returning to its original color.
"I have a feeling she's alluding to me, the 'Weird Mage'... but it's true. Under the threat of this power, unless I can quickly mobilize the power of all my marionettes and end the battle in one blow, I'll be struck by multiple attacks of disease, curse, and petrification. With 'Precision', these powers can even reach me, hidden behind the marionette, exposing my fragile self. And even if I want to quickly create a new marionette, I can't do it because all creatures within a 20-kilometer radius will quickly succumb to the disease. Of course, that assumes Angel can be so cruel as to kill so many innocent people... Haha, she, like me, has the weakness that 'Amon''s' clone mentioned..."
Klein thought with some trepidation as he stretched his own and Enuni's limbs, feeling the renewed vitality in his body. Then he continued to ask:
"Then that 'Iron Knight' weapon you just made is useless, isn't it?"
"It's called 'Angelica's Blade,'" Angel corrected. A mirror-like light flashed in his hand, and the simple-looking, yet inexplicably murderous straight sword quietly appeared. "On the contrary, with the ability of 'Iron Knight', this Hunter Path weapon can play an even greater role in my hands. Both the range of the 'Destruction Ray' and the sharpness of the blade after burning with flames have been enhanced... And the most important 'Connection' ability, after combining the gift and the weapon's characteristics, has reached a distance of five kilometers. The power and damage it can share are also far greater than before. I can even use the gift to influence my iron puppets, allowing them to gain some of the abilities of the 'Iron Knight'."
Ten "Reapers" were strengthened to the point of being "Iron-Blooded Knights." They were like an army. Even if a demigod, known for his melee combat abilities, were surrounded, the outcome wouldn't be so good... Klein was a little surprised, realizing that there was a reason why the Einhorn family, who mastered the "Hunter" path, could become the rulers of Feysac. If the Soran family hadn't been driven out of power by Roselle, they might have been in the same situation now.
A thought suddenly popped up in his mind:
Since the fusion of two adjacent paths can gain such powerful strength, can he also jump to the "thief" or "apprentice" path?
When he was previously troubled by the formula for the "Weird Mage" potion, Klein had pondered this question and even considered taking action. Now that he knew his entire path to advancement might have been "arranged," the same thought resurfaced in his mind.
If the Ancient Scholar's ritual hadn't been tailor-made for me, perhaps I should have considered other avenues in the face of this difficulty... I have Amon as the Thief, but the Apprentice might actually be quite good. Even if there's a so-called curse, I can use the gray mist to resolve it myself...
His mind was full of thoughts, and when Angel looked at him with some confusion, he hurriedly found an excuse:
"I wonder if the 'Gift' you possess is similar to that of Cynthia, Admiral Amyrius' mistress on Oravi Island, who was harmed by the 'Mother Tree of Desire'... She also displayed strength comparable to that of a Mid-Sequence Beyonder, but after her death, no special characteristics emerged. During the battle, I discovered that the source of her power seemed to be outside..."
"So, that tree covered in buds and tentacles, capable of arousing the lust of everyone around it, is the path represented by the 'Mother Tree of Desire'? It seems there's no such manifestation among all known paths..."
Angel was indeed distracted by this topic. The two discussed it for a while, but did not reach any conclusion, so they had to give up.
"Well, I'll go back to the Hillston District first." After explaining the changes in his own abilities, Angel stood up from the sofa and removed the spiritual walls around him. Looking at Klein, whose disappointment was evident, he suddenly laughed. "Why, you want to bully me, a poor witch who just completed her promotion?"
Considering the abilities you just mentioned, you should be the one bullying me... Klein muttered to himself, and suddenly noticed that Angel's expression in front of him gradually became indifferent. His eyes were not focused on him, but were looking straight ahead, with his hands on his lower abdomen, standing upright.
This attitude of ignoring him exudes a dignified and holy temperament from the inside out, like an angel descending from the sky, making people want to protect her carefully, but also giving rise to a violent desire from the bottom of their hearts, wanting to try to destroy her expression and shatter that holiness.
Even though her appearance and clothing remained the same, her outward demeanor was completely different from the innocent smile she had just seconds ago, as if they were two completely unrelated people.
"How is it? Do you like the previous one or this one?"
The angel in front of him suddenly spoke, his tone soft and pleasant.
Ah, she did it on purpose for me to see?
Klein was startled, and a famous emoticon from his past life popped up in his mind:
"I want them all!"
He coughed lightly, his eyes wandering, and he didn't dare to answer.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Angel laughed again. His saintly demeanor disappeared, and he returned to the same expression he had when they first met in Tingen: cautious yet curious about everything. He slowly approached and whispered in Klein's ear:
"Why, are you thinking of having it all, Mr. Dantès, the philandering man?"
Having his thoughts exposed, Klein suddenly hugged her and replied with gritted teeth, pretending to be vicious.
"That's right, I want them all. The dignified and holy you, the natural and innocent you, the brave and fearless you, the naive you, the mysterious you... Don't even think about escaping!"
Angel in his arms froze in shock. His figure suddenly faded, his outline shattering into illusory mirror fragments. Klein's arms relaxed, and he stared blankly at the mirror double slipping away from his sight.
This, was that a stand-in? Then all my words would be in vain...
Feeling his cheeks getting a little hot, Klein quickly regained his composure. He glanced at the two secret dolls beside him and told them to leave the bedroom on their own accord to avoid embarrassing their master.
As long as I'm not embarrassed, others will be embarrassed... He muttered, sighed a little disappointedly, and prepared to go back to bed to continue sleeping.
Suddenly, his arms were hugged from behind by a pair of slender jade-like arms, and the two palms were gently placed on his chest, while his back was surrounded by a soft and warm touch.
An intense feeling of joy instantly filled Klein's brain.
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