Chapter 116

The next second, the weapons collided.

Their moves were devoid of any fancy techniques. Like wolves pouncing on rabbits, each strike was delivered with full force.

On the left is Lappland, who, completely ignoring her injuries, launches a furious and relentless attack.

On the right is Texas, who, having become completely accustomed to the Jade Shield, still fights with a life-or-death mentality.

With a clanging sound, both sides were quickly wounded.

Lappland was already injured, and any strenuous exercise would tear her wounds open. Moreover, her Originium-related illness had reached a critical stage, and she suddenly vomited blood after thirty rounds of fighting.

Seeing the responsible look in Texas's eyes, she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and let out a maniacal laugh:

"Hahahaha, Chelinina, actually I'm quite envious of you. We have the same background and comparable strength, yet we've taken completely different paths."

You always seem to be one step ahead of me, able to do things I can't. Now you've even made friends, something I can't do either. You were right, it's all my own fault. Ultimately, it's just a ridiculous sense of pride at play; there's nothing complicated about it.

But spilled water can't be taken back. Whether it's you or me, we need to kill the other to bring this matter to a complete close. And the one who survives will emerge stronger.

Before Texas could refute her fallacious reasoning, Lappland suddenly surged with power, sacrificing her life in the process.

During this period, their abilities were temporarily back to square one. The key to their victory, besides luck, lay in whose will was stronger.

Lappland's heart was a barren wasteland, devoid of any personal thoughts. She surrendered her mind to her frenzied wildness, unleashing the fighting instincts of Lone Wolf.

Texas is completely different. In the three years she's been in Lungmen, she's made many good friends. To protect her friends and to safeguard her ideal life, Chelinina has always maintained her inner convictions.

Both women gritted their teeth, brandishing their weapons. After forty rounds, their courage gradually eased. With each powerful strike, they let out a roar.

After sixty or seventy rounds of fighting, their eyes were like lightning. This was no ordinary warrior; he was clearly a celestial being!

After a hundred rounds, neither side had slowed their pace in the slightest. Sword Rain and Wolf Soul clashed, the attacks so fast they were almost invisible. The battle gradually intensified. A later poem, "Po Zhen Zi," vividly describes the scene:

"The strange weapons and bronze weapons clashed, and Lupo was enraged and fought back."

The twin swords slashed swiftly, drawing up dust; their blades spun in mid-air, whipping up a great wind. The sound of their clashes was deafening.

Some say it's all ordained by Heaven, and that we are simply destined to meet.

A torrential downpour of Sword Rain, a raging storm of Wolf Soul, intent on slaying their comrades. Same fate, different dreams.

Ultimately, Lappland's weapon reached its limit and was shattered by the Bronze Sword in Texas's hand. A divine weapon forged over millennia, its skill was far beyond that of ordinary people.

"Waaah..."

Lappland lost his weapon and suddenly collapsed, collapsing to the ground. He clutched his chest with one hand and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Although she tried her best to hold on, her body had reached its limit. Not only did the excruciating pain from her fracture recur, but forcibly using Originium Arts also caused the Originium within her body to be stimulated.

The pain was excruciating, so intense it made Lappland break out in a cold sweat. She knew her days were numbered.

Texas was badly wounded, but not fatally. She raised her sword, her chest rising and falling with her breath.

"You lost."

Hahahaha.

Lappland laughed maniacally while blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, making him look extremely ferocious and terrifying.

"Chelinina, you've won. But unfortunately, given my current physical condition, I'll probably die on the way back to Syracuse. You should know that a wolf that isn't accepted by its pack can be called Lone Wolf. I've left the Saluzzo family and am homeless for a long time."

What will you do next? Cough cough, kill me now? Or risk me dying en En route and forcibly send me back to Syracuse?

"Chelinina, you're different from those boring guys. You often make choices that completely surprise me. This time, I have no choice but to die here or on the road. Can you, as always, make choices that are unpredictable to me?"

At this point, she suddenly coughed violently. The movement aggravated an old injury to her ribs, causing Lappland to furrow her brow in pain.

"Childish."

Texas gave a brief assessment, sheathed her Bronze Sword, and said coldly:

"I won't play this kind of game with you."

"Heh, you don't want to, but I do, Chelinina. I'm looking forward to seeing what choice you'll make; this is our last game."

The more one understands what madness is, the more fully one can embody what madness is.

Lappland may seem a bit reckless, but she's more clear-headed than anyone else right now.

Staring at his old friend, Texas suddenly felt a pang of reluctance and asked with a serious expression:

"Does it really have to be this?"

"Of course, because... cough cough..."

Lappland suddenly started coughing uncontrollably, forcing a bitter smile despite the intense pain:

"I want to beat you just once, Chelinina."

To be honest, she felt very disappointed when she saw Texas put away her Bronze Sword.

If we don't kill them now, does that mean we'll forcibly send them back?

The fierce battle just now had exhausted her energy and strength, and she felt that she would soon die.

Chelinina, you don't actually think that giving me two injections of inhibitors will save my life, do you?

Don't be silly, Originium-related illness is incurable.

Even in Columbia, where medical standards are highly developed,

I wouldn't dare claim I could cure it. Looking across the entire Terra, no one else could.

Texas bent down to check her injuries, preparing for a quick bandage and disinfection. She then turned her gaze back to Lappland lying on the ground and said:

"Besides killing you now or waiting for you to die on the way back to Syracuse, I have a third option."

"What?!"

177 The Third Option

"What?!"

Lappland found it incredible when she heard this:

"Is there a third option?"

Texas didn't answer directly, but instead kept everyone in suspense, telling Mudrock to bring over a first-aid kit:

"Let's bandage the wound first and disinfect it with iodine. I'll tell you later."

Lappland looked suspicious, wondering if this was a delaying tactic to appease her.

A third option?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

If she doesn't want to see blood now, is she planning to do it on the way back to Syracuse?

"If you want to kill me in the wasteland, you might as well do it now and save me the trouble."

Texas was speechless; all this guy could think about was killing.

"I will not take your life, nor will I let anyone else take your life. As for how, I cannot say now. In short, I will give you an answer today."

Seeing her resolute attitude, Lappland didn't say anything more. It was already around one o'clock, with only a dozen hours left until midnight.

Taking action now or in the wilderness is one option; sending her back is the other. Besides these, Lappland can't think of any other way.

Does Texas want to prolong its life with inhibitors?

This stuff isn't cheap, and besides, I'm already terminally ill, so taking that won't be very effective.

The battle just now drained Lappland of a lot of energy and strength. Actually, the fracture isn't too bad; he's been resting since early March and will recover eventually.

The most troublesome thing is the Originium that is gradually activating in her skin and organs, and there are faint signs of it expanding. According to the symptoms, she is in the late stage of Originium-related illness, where her time is running out.

"Okay, then I'll wait for you until midnight."

The Sarkaz mercenaries brought a first-aid kit and gave Texas a quick bandage. At her insistence, they also treated Lappland's wounds.

After finishing, Texas tilted her head slightly and gave Shi Lei a wink, indicating that she wanted to talk to him privately.

The latter immediately understood and followed them to the rooftop of the low building. It was a secluded spot, perfect for a private conversation.

Texas first bowed respectfully before speaking to the man before her:

"Can I discuss something with you?"

Without even saying a word, Shi Lei could guess the content of her conversation simply from her gesture of inviting him out for a private chat:

"You want me to remove her Originium?"

"Yes, the Originium on her thigh is very large. Removing it will extend her lifespan by several more years."

To be honest, Shi Lei didn't have a good impression of Lappland. If it weren't for this crazy woman, they wouldn't have spent more than half a month searching the Lower City.

Seeing that Shi Lei remained silent and did not agree, Texas, considering the current context, deduced that the other party was somewhat resistant and sighed helplessly.

"Actually, Lappland is quite pitiful. She was instilled with Syracuse's ideology from a young age. Now she's separated from her family and wandering around, and..."

"Wait a moment."

Shi Lei raised his hand, interrupting the conversation.

After hearing Lappland refer to Texas as Chelinina yesterday, he was bored and searched for the name on his phone. He not only found information about Chelinina Texas, but also about the destruction of the Texas Family and the massacre that followed.

The operation three years ago was not carried out in secrecy. To intimidate other Syracuse gangs still operating in Columbia at the time, Madam Sicily was very high-profile. She publicly announced that she would send elite assassins from Twelve Families to carry out a genocidal trial against the Texas Family, who were advocating independence.

What concerned Shi Lei was that the Columbia government at the time did not intercept this group of elite assassins.

He subsequently found no news of the killer's arrest, suggesting that the Columbia government may have tacitly approved the operation for its own benefit, or even secretly assisted in it.

"Texas, I know you're kind. But she's your friend, not mine. No matter how unhappy or terrible Lappland's childhood was, it's no excuse for her to act recklessly as an adult."

Actually, whether or not you save her is really none of my business. As long as you seriously consider it and still choose to save her, I'll go remove the Originium later. What's more important now is, besides Lappland, do you have any other entanglements with the others in Syracuse?

Her answer will, to some extent, influence Shi Lei's choice of promotion location.

"I..."

Seeing Texas lower her head, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, he immediately understood:

"Are you unwilling to talk about it because you're afraid of dragging me down? Or do you consider me an outsider and think I'm meddling in your business?"

No, I don't consider you an outsider!

Texas's voice suddenly rose, but quickly fell back down, losing its momentum. "I just don't know where to begin."

Shi Lei gleaned a piece of information from this statement:

"Does that mean there are many?"

"No, there's only one!"

Seeing that he was determined to find out, and with an air of not being able to get any information out of him...

They seemed determined not to give up. Texas sighed inwardly, deciding to no longer conceal the truth of what happened back then. "Do you know how the Texas Family was destroyed?"

"I know, there are news reports online. It says that Madam Sicily sent assassins to carry out a purge of her entire clan."

"That's right. Three years ago, I escaped from the encirclement set up by the assassins of the Twelve Families. The person in charge of intercepting me at that time was Lappland."

I escaped by sheer luck, but the hunt for the Texas Family didn't stop. I made a deal with a Wolf Lord who promised to persuade Madam Sicily to release me. But if he ever asks for my help again, I must fulfill his request at all costs.

I haven't told anyone about this. Everyone mistakenly believes I obtained Madam Sicily's pardon through my own efforts, but they are all wrong.

Shi Lei nodded and asked the question that had been on his mind:

"How strong is this Wolf Lord?"

"They're nothing special, but they're Beast Lord, immortal and indestructible. Even if they're killed, they can quickly regenerate."

This description reminded him of the Emperor. Several times it suffered fatal wounds, yet didn't even bleed:

"That boss..."

"That's right, it is also Beast Lord."

"So, you need to complete your deal with the Wolf Lord to completely sever ties?"