Chapter 662: Chapter D241: Battle Tides
The unbearably intense taste of the magic potion traveled down the throat, reaching deep into the soul, causing even the normally composed young man to tightly close his eyes.
Amidst that fiery bitterness, past scenes flashed within his consciousness—
Why give such a dangerous magic potion to his immature sister?
In response to his questioning, the father answered:
Because she is weak.
At that time, he couldn’t grasp the meaning of his father’s words.
But now, he understands.
Understanding one’s own weakness and fighting against it with everything one has.
Regardless of the benefits, without calculating gains or losses, fearing neither success nor failure.
—Simply to carve out a place for oneself in this world.
“When you manage to do that, perhaps that will be the day you enter the inner sanctum.”
“—Ah, you’re right.”
The young man opened his eyes and turned to look.
Since the conversation began, for the first time, he truly focused his gaze on the hero.
He expected to see that incompetent sister, the foolish and stubborn sister, the one so weak it made him disgusted, whom he wanted to abandon but somehow ended up always falling behind.
—Yet what met his eyes was a saintess.
The slender figure in the plain monastic robe stood out, causing the emerald eyes of the same color to ripple with emotion.
At that moment, countless snippets of the future flashed in his mind like a revolving lantern.
Numerous beings, human and otherwise, followed her as she raised the holy banner, leading the country, and indeed the world, to a new future.
The mere medal of a viscount faded against her, and even the brilliance of a crown paled in comparison.
On this woman, not a trace of the weak sister of old could be found.
“…Ha, so this is the effect of the supreme forbidden curse; it truly is exaggerated.”
The brother’s lips curved into a knowing, yet unavoidably shocked expression.
He remembered a saying: If something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck.
Yet, as a mage, he knew that was nothing but nonsense.
Mimicry, illusion techniques, flesh alchemy, etheric construction… There are countless ways to transform something, and that thing which looks like a duck might be a high-tier slime or even a transformed hero.
And he had over a hundred ways to discern the true nature of things—
But if exhausting all verification methods still yields the same conclusion?
The girl before him was destined to become a saintess in the past, about to become a saintess now, and will certainly be a saintess in the future.
Concepts were overwritten, roots were altered, even metaphysical destiny was contracting.
The world hasn’t changed, his perception wasn’t affected, only the hero was dyed by the forbidden curse—like turning white cloth into gold, anyone who sees it would only marvel at its pure radiance.
To insist on his own view in front of the current hero was like pointing at a golden silk and claiming it was white.
In this situation, the problem wasn’t with her, but with himself who was overturning right and wrong.
1-4. Are you jealous?
5-8. Isn’t this future good?
9. We need her
10. Great Success/Extreme Failure
D10=d10(8)=8
♛:
“Isn’t this future good?”
As if asking himself, yet as if someone were whispering in his ear, such doubts quietly grew in the brother’s heart.
Indeed, if the hero became a saintess, he wouldn’t need to do anything, and the family’s status would naturally rise.
Viscount, count, even marquis? Insignificant.
If his ambitions were high, even the title of duke could be within reach.
From any perspective, this was a broad avenue.
And from any angle of prediction or calculation, no better future could be found.
“I see… Ha.”
Understanding the beauty of that future accurately, the brother let out a laugh.
“I understand why father rated you that way—a manipulative fool.”
His voice grew sharp.
“The me before, and the you now, are nothing but ignorant fools.
“The difference is, I was merely ignorant, while you choose not to see.
“So, though I don’t really want to say this, it’s time to learn a lesson from my sister this time.”
The sound of the sword humming as it was drawn pierced clearly, slicing through all future segments.
Countless images of the future shattered like a mirrored surface, as the surging flow of destiny crashed against an indomitable reef, shattering instantly into a spray of fragments.
The magic power brought by the magic origin secret medicine rose without reserve, and the sword staff in his brother’s hand was surrounded by pitch-black clouds, encircling him with thunder and lightning.
“—If seeking opinions, kindly ask the person herself, I now only handle waking up this fool.”
[The brother’s counterattack succeeded, the hero’s commandments decreased 1265-762=503, remaining: 9050]
[Brother’s skill: Future Calculation has been sealed]
[Weapon: Sealing Cloud Sword Staff (R7, Legendary)]
Base: Armor Break +80, Against Holy +50
Additional:
Endless Transformation: The cloud has no shape, the wind no form. The sword staff transforms according to the user’s will into the most suitable shape, able to become a long spear, giant axe, chains, etc., and can consume its own armor break value to convert to destructive damage.
Sealing: The magic cloud entwining the sword staff is essentially a cage sealing the ancient royal city. Upon hitting an enemy, D incarceration of the caster’s constitution occurs.
Cloud Collection: The staff survives symbiotically with the cloud. Each turn recovers 300 magic power, if Endless Transformation is used, recovers 30 armor break.
Description:
Discovered amidst the countless bones in the ruins of the ancient royal city, the inheritance of some border forging master.
The youth applied the knowledge from this legacy, using endless magic clouds as material, to re-enchant and forge the long-accompanied sword staff, promoting it to a legendary weapon.
The blade swirled with ominous clouds, capable of transforming into various shapes.
[The hero enters the Holy Word Puppet Rhyme status]
[The hero’s blessing enters the second stage: Star Saintess (remaining 1757), hero’s legendary attribute unsealed, universal attributes *1.5]
[Hero (Star Saintess) LV60]
Strength: 75
Agility: 180
Constitution: 191
Intelligence: 210
Perception: 180
Charm: 180
[Transformation]
1.5. Snake
2.6. Bird
3.7. Fish
4.8. Moon
9. Wings
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
D10=d10(8)=8
♛: Moon
→☆→☆→☆→✧←★←★←★←
Many past memories and countless fragments of the future, all like illusions, fleeting.
The young man slowly opened his eyes, met by the concerned gaze of a young girl.
“Brother, was that… really intense?”
The Hero, seeing his brother enveloped entirely by violent Magic Power, with his Emerald Eyes almost bursting with light, asked empathetically.
“How do you know? Did you drink it?”
His brother replied calmly, knowing he was feigning ignorance.
“…Oh right, how would I know?”
The Hero tilted his head in confusion, his gaze on his brother was gentle, as if deep in thought, yet seemingly thinking of nothing.
Under the Blessing of the Forbidden Curse, her current Status was something even the Four-winged King, her Caster, might find hard to explain.
“But, brother,” disregarding his deep expression, the Hero’s eyes fell on the sword staff in his brother’s hand, softly saying, “if you could visit the border, I think it would be happy too.”
“I’ll consider it.” His brother lightly lifted the sword staff, responding softly.
The Hero also gripped the Finger Claw of the same origin as the current sword staff, Crystal Armor flowing over her Monastic Robe like water,
she stepped forward, her figure splitting into two.
One smiled, one was indifferent.
[Hero (Twin Moons) LV60]
Strength: 135
Agility: 309
Constitution: 326
Intelligence: 359
Perception: 309
Charm: 309
Beast Spirit Magic Power: 20003
“So, next is a spar, right?”
The smiling Hero spoke easily, her tone carrying unapologetic Battle Intent.
“Don’t blame me if you get killed, old brother.”
The indifferent one coldly added, a fierce glint sparking in her red eyes.
“…That’s a fresh title indeed.”
Hidden power spread like ripples, countless previously concealed Array Patterns emerged on the dilapidated training ground, flickering with dim light.
Beneath his brother’s sword edge, violent Magic Power erupted like a volcano.
[Brother activates skill: Secret Concealing Device (D Perception base value 1/2, if total value exceeds 228, stack Ritual Magic, if below, compound with Advanced Magic)]
D152+151=d152(95)+151=246
[Brother activates Ritual Magic: Libra’s Wound]
Causes damage to the opponent while equally weakening another aspect of the opponent, highly versatile, applicable for any Blessing, Enhancement, or even Curse and abnormal status removal.
[All damage dealt by Brother to Hero will reduce the Saintess’s Precepts]
“Gleaming Scales, come forth.” The Hero remained calm, raising her fists confidently.
As she spoke, a vast Magic Power surged at the end of the contract.
Ice solidified in her other self’s hand, transforming into sharp Finger Claws, gleaming with cold light.
[Hero activates skill: Lonely]
[Familiar: Fantasy Snowflake Scales responds to the summon, Hero gains +D1, consumes +0.5]
[Brother activates skill: Arcane Cloud Blade, Extreme Thousand Layers Array]
D82+98+130+5d200=d82(69)+(118)+(168)+(15)+(17)+(106)+228=721
[Hero activates skill: Sacrifice (Star base value 1/2)]
4d68+268+4d162+648+d35+35=(8)+(36)+(66)+(26)+(52)+(92)+(44)+(145)+d35(27)+951=1447
Facing the Hero raising her fists and taking her stance, the brother said no more, with a flick of his sword staff, dim Radiance was slashed out.
The Hero’s fists struck simultaneously, the two girls’ movements were mirror-like, charging towards the sharp sword light.
Behind the sword light’s trajectory, the Magic Cloud churned, wind and thunder raged, and lightning struck the bricks of the training ground like dense raindrops, sweeping towards the Heroes grandly.
However, this Great Magic, enough to destroy cities and fortresses, was pierced by the tiny fist in roaring sound before it even touched the girl’s body.
The sword light shattered like an egg hitting a rock under the Hero’s Iron Fist, the violent explosion shook the entire Space.
The next moment, the two girls’ figures flashed, piercing through the thundercloud, instantly appearing at the youth’s sides.
“—Brother, is this your full strength?”
“Hey, are you serious? It could be fatal.”
Gentleness mingled with concern, indifference tinged with disdain, delivering the same voice in different tones to the youth’s ears.
Following that, was the explosive sound of fists breaking through the atmosphere.
“…Full strength? Heh.” Time in Perception seemed to slow, the brother’s lips curved slightly.
No universal Profession exists in the world, even if he temporarily stepped into the Palace, even if he learned from a Battle Mage’s instruction, he was ultimately an academic and research-focused Mage, lacking in on-the-spot combat skills.
Indeed, Mages have numerous plans and Spells to compensate for their weaknesses. But casting time, Magic Power consumption, various limitations often reduce their strategies to mere theoretical discussions.
Perhaps just as Mages prepare to cast confidently, the enemy’s Sharp Blade has already slit their throats.
—However, a Mage’s Wisdom is not confined to oneself.
In the next instant, several scrolls flew out from the brother’s robe, quickly and automatically unfurling themselves. The engraved Magic Text leapt from the paper, transforming into lines of Spell Chant. Simultaneously, the robe he wore, the ring on his hand, and the necklace around his neck all glowed with Magic’s light.
“—Then let me show you what it means for a Mage to go all out.”
[Brother activates Privilege Ability: Mage Noble (Viscount)]
[Brother uses Magic Scroll, Chanting +200*3]
[Brother uses Magic Items, gaining effect: Force Field Shield (Armor +30, Damage Reduction 0.3), Concentration (Chanting base value 0.3), Magic Convergence (Magic Damage base value 0.3)]
[Brother activates skill: High Wind Chanting]
2d133+113+30+600=d133(20)+d133(83)+743=846
[Brother activates Advanced Magic *4, activates skill: Extreme Thousand Layers Array – Chain Two]
Each time a round of Magic is activated, one Chain Stacking can be conducted, inheriting the fixed value of the chain count/10 from the previous round’s Attack.
4d140+240+144=(88)+(28)+(61)+(74)+384=635