Chapter 9: A Bloody Lesson

Author: Zhen Sa'ai | Last Updated: 2017/9/26 14:17:36 | Word Count: 2781

The ultimate move, Amaterasu, deals up to 1150% damage, over ten times the user's attack power. However, to maximize its power, it must be executed at close range. When unleashed in melee combat, this move's destructive power is undeniable.

"Take this!"

A light blue slash tore horizontally toward the massive wild boar. The arc, several dozen meters wide, sheared through the nearby trees, leaving cuts as smooth as glass. The sword's energy struck the boar forcefully, splitting its seemingly tough flesh and sending blood and chunks of meat flying as it was knocked back several meters.

Though it appeared to be a single slash, it was, in fact, a series of dozens of continuous strikes that relentlessly tore through the boar's flesh until the energy finally dissipated.

Panting lightly, Kiana stared intently at her opponent. How effective was this move, exactly?

A deep wound appeared on the boar's belly, exposing half-digested food and intestines. Writhing in agony, the creature rolled on the ground, screaming in pain.

"What tenacity! Creatures in this pirate world are really something else to withstand so much."

Kiana muttered in surprise. Eventually, the wild boar, after much thrashing, weakened and succumbed to blood loss, its eyelids drooping.

"Is it dead?"

Kiana cautiously approached, wanting to confirm its death. But just as she reached it, the boar suddenly sprang to life, snapping its jaws at her.

Caught off guard, Kiana attempted to dodge, but being so close, she couldn't react in time. The boar clamped its jaws onto her left arm, using the last of its strength to try to rip her arm off.

"Aaaahhh!"

A surge of pain engulfed her. In an instant, Kiana was drenched in cold sweat. She hadn't expected it to play dead.

The boar bit down hard on her arm, its enormous teeth digging into her flesh, filling her nose with the stench of blood.

"Let go, you bastard!"

Kiana grasped her pulse blade, stabbing it into the boar's eye.

With a squelch, the blade sunk deep into the boar's eyeball, causing blood to spurt onto Kiana's face. The intense pain forced the boar to release her arm.

Kiana quickly pulled her left arm free and continued twisting her blade in the boar's brain. This prompted a desperate struggle from the creature. It kicked its powerful forelegs and struck Kiana hard in the waist.

Bam!

Kiana was sent flying, slamming into a tall tree before dropping to the ground as leaves drifted down over her.

"Ugh!"

She spat blood, with fragments of her internal organs visible in it. She could feel several ribs broken, though her arm was worse, barely hanging on by strips of muscle, with bones shattered.

As she looked up, a counter appeared in the upper right corner of her vision: ten small slots, only two faintly glowing blue, the rest dim.

"Is this... a health bar?"

Kiana quickly realized it was a health gauge from Honkai Impact, each slot representing 10% of her health. Apparently, she only had about 20% left—a dangerously low amount. Another hit could be fatal.

With a sigh, Kiana redirected her attention to the wild boar. Only her right hand remained unscathed, while her legs were severely injured, leaving her immobile.

"Still not dead?"

Despair welled up as she watched the boar thrashing. She was exhausted, with no energy to move, and once the boar died, other threats would soon converge. She had no strength left to defend herself again.

"Reality sure isn't a game. If only I could still move with just a sliver of health," she murmured, wincing as she glanced at her barely-attached arm.

"Ai-chan, I think... this might be the end for me."

Kiana took her phone from her chest, whispering in despair. She had let her guard down, understandable for a shut-in suddenly thrust into such a harsh world without any combat experience.

Her stomach growled—she was starving. She had wanted to check if the boar was dead because she planned to eat it, only for it to nearly eat her instead.

Ai-chan appeared on her screen, frowning at Kiana's disheveled state.

"Captain, are you an idiot?"

"...Ai-chan, I'm on the verge of death, and you're insulting me?"

Kiana's face twisted in disappointment. She needed comfort, not harsh words.

"Your Crimson Armor is out of energy. Why didn't you switch to the White Armor?" Ai-chan chided, exasperated.

Kiana froze, realizing her mistake. She'd forgotten that, unlike the game, she could switch forms mid-battle here, too.

"And you're not entirely helpless," Ai-chan continued. "That pulse blade still has a weapon skill you haven't used yet, right?"

Kiana, snapping back to her senses, quickly activated the weapon skill.

Six faint blue phantom swords appeared around her, their icy aura even slowing her bleeding.

Swish!

One after another, the swords flew at the wild boar.

Bang, bang, bang!

The first sword drained the last vestiges of life from the boar. Frost covered the wound, spreading quickly across its body. The remaining swords were merely overkill, slamming its massive corpse into the air before it crashed back down. Kiana watched, certain it was finally dead.

Seeing the materials drop confirmed her suspicion.

"I can use loot drops to tell if a monster's truly dead," she realized belatedly. Among the items, her sharp eyes spotted a small, faintly pink glowing cross, which she instantly recognized. It was a health item that occasionally dropped from slain monsters, capable of restoring health and SP.

The materials flew toward Kiana, merging with her body and vanishing.

As the pink cross entered her, Kiana saw her health bar jump to 60%, and her wounds began to heal. New flesh grew on her injured arm, while broken bones reconnected. A tingling sensation followed as her nerves regenerated.

Before long, Kiana's injuries were mostly healed, though she was still fatigued and ravenous.

"Ai-chan, my health bar is only at 60%, but all my injuries are gone?"

"Captain, Valkyrie armor prevents injuries from showing if health is above 50%."

"I see… So some things here work like the game after all."

She quickly brushed this off and fixed her gaze on the boar's body.

Clutching her pulse blade, she walked over.

"Thanks. You've taught me an invaluable lesson: never assume an enemy is dead. I'll eat your meat with gratitude," she murmured, slicing into its leg.

After this bloody lesson, Kiana vowed never to let her guard down again. Only when she saw loot drops would she trust her enemy was truly dead.