ActFin Runaway Baby, Run! Baby!

Foreword:

The face is a mirror of the soul.

--Maxim Gorky

Berloberg's sword hilt fell into the spring; instead of sinking, it floated on the surface.

Xue Ming wanted to test the water depth by throwing stones, but this unusual phenomenon baffled him. It was as if the common sense of physics, such as "gold sinks when it encounters water," no longer applied in the Elf Holy Land.

Now, Xue Ming must let go of some concerns and abandon all defenses.

Because this is Berloberg's trial, a duel, a contest of spirits, a head-on confrontation of courage and determination!

Is the crystal-clear liquid in the spring mercury?

Just jump down like that? Jump inside?

Xue Ming didn't think much of it and simply touched the water source with his finger, immediately feeling a strong suction.

A Heaven and Earth Turning force pulled him into the "Mímisbrunnr"—

--If your memory is good enough, you should remember the geysers of Mimir Hot Spring Market. Over hundreds or thousands of years, environmental changes have turned them into lava. To obtain a beast that can achieve extraordinary creation and ascend to godhood, one must endure the pain of being tempered in fierce fire.

These springs are Mimir/Mim's nerves, connecting the brain and limbs of the progenitor of the gods.

Like the [Dreamland] created by Fragrant Dream, there also exists a strange Spirit Realm within these springs. This is the homeland of the elves, the Elf Sanctuary within the Spirit Realm.

The world turned upside down, Xue Ming plunged headfirst into the spring, only to immediately surface. He was then pushed back to the surface by the powerful current.

Before he could reach for Berloberg's sword hilt, he saw a deep blue heart hanging in the dome, illuminating the strange village. This underwater light source was the same soaring light that Wolf and Xue Ming had seen in the material plane.

The deep blue heart was still beating, each pump bringing with it a powerful surge of psychic energy. Many tiny spirits, like butterflies fluttering their wings, would fly away from the heart, only to be drawn back in by the powerful psychic energy the instant they left.

Xue Ming stared intently, and those young, weak spirits resembled blurry human figures, just as Berloberg had described during his self-introduction: a little fairy wearing a blue pointed hat.

In the blink of an eye, a terrifying bloodshot eye opened on the surface of the heart, staring intently at Jiang Xueming. The blood vessels in that eye spread out, then stained the entire heart red. The Heart of Light, which was originally a pure energy body, seemed to be cursed by corrupted flesh and blood, growing patches of fleshy tendons and blood vessels.

Xue Ming awaits the challenge--

He thought to himself, "This might be the Vita Imprint that poisoned Mimir/Mim."

The Mountain Giant are Mimir/Mim's children. Trolls turn back into stone during hibernation. The giants seen in Niflheim were originally pure energy beings, born from various strange weather and geological events.

The Vita Imprint controlled them, parasitizing or coexisting within them, transforming Mimir/Mim's rocky body and giving it a physical form. When it was time to repay this human flesh deal, Mimir/Mim was also facing a terrible fate, about to be cursed to death by the Vita Imprint —it decided to renege on its debt, no longer wanting to work for Mother Earth for free, so it lay down on the spot, sending this bloody curse to countless underground creatures.

Before long, this wondrous evolution came to an end. A drop of dark pus flowed from the still-beating flesh and blood heart. This tear of blood fell into the clear spring water, and before Xue Ming could reclaim the hilt of Berloberg's sword, it tightly enveloped the medium.

The blood-red eye closed again, returning to its original form, transforming back into a deep blue heart, which pulsed with a slow, heavy heartbeat, emitting bursts of light.

The Sword of Berloberg, lying on the surface of the spring, began to expand, repeatedly transformed by this seed of flesh. In just a few seconds, the bud grew like a sapling growing wildly in the light, sprouting feet, calves and thighs, an abdomen and torso, rough stone-like skin, a head and facial features.

It was an androgynous, fleshy clay figure with no defined outline. When it lifted Berloberg, twisted fleshy buds climbed up the hilt and gradually transformed into a complete blade.

"Come on, Gunsmith," Berloberg spoke, issuing a duel invitation from the flesh and blood statue.

Jiang Xueming gestured. "So you mean you'll come with me as long as I beat you?"

Berloberg: "That's right."

Jiang Xueming assumed a fighting stance. "Have you really reached your rebellious phase?"

Berloberg uses a flat sword stance, raising the greatsword to his shoulder, with his eyes, hand, and sword tip aligned in a straight line.

"I possess the battle memories of you and Bu Liuxing. You want to go to Shambhala? You'll have to get past me first!"

Upon hearing this, Berloberg drew his sword and stepped forward, attempting to close the distance.

Xue Ming immediately raised his hand and called for a stop.

"Wait a moment!"

Berloberg said smugly, "What? Regretting it?"

Xue Ming: "I want to raise the bet, call someone to help me."

"Huh?" Berloberg's jaw dropped. "You actually think one of me isn't enough for you? You're incredibly arrogant!"

Xue Ming said sincerely, "I need to find a spirit for Benni, preferably one that's simple-minded and pure-hearted—her soul is cursed, a piece of it is missing. Call a helper, and if I win, I'll take you away."

As she said this, Xue Ming immediately summoned Fragrant Dream.

The Steel Cat stepped forward, and together with its spirit, it put pressure on Berloberg by encircling him from two directions.

"They really don't know their place." Berloberg pouted and then made a heart shape with his hands towards the blue heart in the sky.

The Blood Eye reappeared, spitting out a second tear of blood, which then transformed into a new blood and flesh statue. This time, the little goblins all looked towards the warrior at the spring, showing great interest in this unfair contest.

"Let's fight!" Fragrant Dream rubbed her hands together, eager for battle, and asked her true form, "Hey, which one are you going to fight?"

Jiang Xueming: "I'll deal with the ones with swords, you go and beat up the unarmed ones."

Fragrant Dream: "No problem!"

Berloberg pulled his hand away and patted the fleshy clay statue beside him, shouting to Xue Ming, "This good brother is me too! It's all me! You want to fight me, armed, with your mortal body?"

Jiang Xueming: "It's not that I look down on you, it's just a military strategy, and the process will be very quick."

"Military strategy?" Berloberg asked, puzzled.

Jiang Xueming spoke frankly, explaining all the tactics, "Fragrant Dream's speed and power far surpass mine. At first, I couldn't figure out your stats. Since you've openly told me that your power comes from my combat experience and that you are my mirror image, then letting me, a lowly horse with bare hands, deal with your sword-wielding form is the best exchange."

"If SD can quickly eliminate the enemy, and then I and Soul Might team up for a two-on-one fight, you have no chance of winning."

"Aren't you afraid I'll cut off your head? In just a few seconds! Your best tactical skill is..." Berloberg hadn't finished speaking.

Jiang Xueming interrupted, "Come on, give it a try. You've never been to Pankrasin, so you don't know what I've been through."

The sword spirit was unaware of what had happened after Jiang Xueming's trip to Shinto City. All it knew about its master was the moment the Gale Ninja used his strange spiritual energy to dissolve the sword blade. As for what happened afterward, including the trip to Lieyang Fort, the Immortals Alliance, and the autumn harvest operation in Shambhala, all of this was told to it by Jiang Xueming Barry.

Its Dao Heart was shattered by the Gale Ninja, and as a staff, it had lost its connection with Xue Ming. It had no idea what level of freakish monsters lived in the Pankrasin Palace, or what terrifying combat experience Jiang Xueming had absorbed from these tireless old monsters over decades.

Faced with his master's calm and composed attitude, Berloberg appeared fierce but weak, striding forward and using the blade of his sword to force Xue Ming to choose a position— Fragrant Dream's range was only sixteen meters, so it changed its strategy and wanted another clone to cooperate with it in a simultaneous attack, no longer wanting to fight one-on-one. According to the gunsmith's combat thinking, no matter how powerful the spirit was, as long as the main body could be dealt with, the spirit's power was like a paper tiger and would immediately dissipate.

As it advances, Xue Ming retreats, while at the same time, Fragrant Dream rushes towards its clone at high speed, coercing Berloberg to make a choice.

The greatsword shone with divine light, radiating a thousand degrees of heat. The scorching blade repeatedly struck and slashed against the solid iron armor. Fragrant Dream pursued the clone to the side, while Berloberg swung his sword to block, feigning a leaping and slashing attack. However, he was distracted by Jiang Xueming's declaration of attack—he possessed Jiang Xueming's combat experience, but not his calm mind.

The silent spring is like a clear lake, with only the clear sound of fierce clashes of metal echoing in the desolate world.

Fragrant Dream was quite surprised--

--When will the original body be able to exchange a few blows with itself?

It possesses explosive power that surpasses the speed of sound, a speed and force that Jiang Xueming, with his mortal body, could never withstand. Yet, in Berloberg's hands, this greatsword danced with dazzling skill.

It obeyed Xue Ming's orders to block the clone's path. It was completely unprepared for the greatsword attacking from the side, but Fragrant Dream was confident that in the face of absolute power and speed, skill was something that could be ignored.

However, the results of these two rounds were unexpected. Although the scorching sword was slow in SD's eyes, it was extremely precise. Every time it thought it could break through the blockade, it saw the hindrance of the greatsword striking and stabbing at the crucial joints where it could generate power. The quality of its punches dropped rapidly, and the high-speed punches that were originally unavoidable became slower! This series of agile and graceful diving maneuvers turned into a messy, chaotic punching style under Berloberg's adjustments!

Xue Ming had no intention of watching the fight; he was constantly adjusting his position.

--Berloberg fought very cleverly. It knew the range limit of Fragrant Dream, and it was precisely this knowledge that allowed it to trap this freely flying deity within a sixteen-meter range by strategically positioning its clones and repeatedly pulling them back. Once this terrifying spirit slowed down, the explosive power of its punches and kicks would also decrease sharply.

It has a way to intercept Fragrant Dream with a sharp blade of light, but this doesn't last long. In this open area, they are like two chess players using puppets as pieces. Whoever can master the sense of distance in the blink of an eye and wins in terms of concentration and endurance will be the winner.

At a distance of sixteen meters, Berloberg's greatsword could easily have enabled him to leap and slash at lightning speed, cleaving Jiang Xueming in two in one go. The difference between unarmed and armed combat was simply too great.

Once Fragrant Dream returns to the rescue, it can switch swords and reposition itself, using its clones to change angles and launch a pincer attack.

SD could destroy the unarmed Berloberg in an instant, leaving no room for error.

The four figures constantly shifted positions and fought fiercely, concealing their weaknesses while attacking the enemy's weak points. However, Berloberg grew increasingly exhausted as the fight progressed, and after twelve rounds, it was at a disadvantage.

Without any probing, every move was a full-force, unreserved attack.

Using self-sacrificing techniques like basic attacks is Jiang Xueming's fighting style. He has never had any concept of fist, foot, or weapon techniques. After returning from his advanced studies at Pankrasin Palace, he became even more convinced of this. [Pankrasin - All Power] is the supreme tactic.

The gust of wind from the sword's blade rushed towards him, and the raging air currents made Berloberg involuntarily close his eyes several times—a sign that his mental energy was reaching its limit.

However, as the victim, Xue Ming, even under the protection of Fragrant Dream, still had to endure the scorching flames; the blade was too hot, and the light too intense.

--This left Berloberg in disbelief.

Is this the power a gunsmith should possess? Under continuous high-speed combat and the interference of such intense light and sound, he should have lost his sight and hearing much earlier than I have, but...

Before it could think further, Berloberg wanted to enter the flow state of combat once more. But judging from the Gunsmith's performance, he shifted his feet, raised his arm to parry, switched positions with SD to push the spirit, went to Berloberg's uncomfortable left hand, dodged the sword's edge, and planned his next move in one smooth motion.

This man never truly woke up; once faced with a life-or-death crisis, he had no time for extra thought. All that remained was how to crush the enemy and how to struggle for survival.

Berloberg could sense that although the duel was unfair—to defeat Fragrant Dream was tantamount to wrestling with Ming De, whose stats on paper far surpassed Fragrant Dream's —even if it could only drag the fight out for a while, it still had at least a 20% chance of winning, leaving a few wounds on the gunsmith, making this arrogant man feel pain—that would be enough. This was Berloberg's wish; he hoped that the gunsmith could use this opportunity to overcome his past self and become stronger.

In thirty-three rounds, in a short minute, in a long minute.

Berloberg made a positioning mistake; he misremembered the location of his clone by two steps, a mere two steps, or about sixty centimeters.

This turned out to be a fatal mistake.

—It wondered to itself, when did this illusion begin?

Was this the brief respite that Fragrant Dream parried the blade of last time? It seemed to give me a chance to catch my breath and exert my strength, but I couldn't complete the action of sheathing the sword and charging up again. I could only follow its arm's reach and retreat to the side of the clone.

At that moment, the gunsmith immediately adjusted his offensive and defensive rhythm. He had originally been using a musical rhythm of 160 beats per minute, something that Teacher Victor had taught him, but he later changed it to 180 beats per minute. His eye movement frequency and stride were completely different, like a tiger that had its eyes on its prey's weakness and would never let go.

Then, that sixty-centimeter distance made it impossible for me to catch up with Fragrant Dream; I was defeated in just one minute.

Berloberg watched helplessly as another fleshy clay figure had its head swept off by SD's kick. It couldn't catch up with this ferocious and swift spirit, and it could never catch up again. The arrogant words it had uttered had become a joke.

At this moment, as long as Fragrant Dream and Jiang Xueming flank them, no matter how powerful Berloberg is, even with its steel-boned and soul-powerful body, it has no chance to turn the tide. Its vision is only 270 degrees, and it is powerless to fight back against a powerful enemy attacking from both sides.

"Come on! It's not over yet!" Jiang Xueming waved his hand, summoning back Fragrant Dream, and once again merged body and soul. "Berloberg, our duel is not over yet."

Berloberg threw down his sword, jumping up and down in anger.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you!? To challenge an elf with this frail body of flesh and blood? This sword can wound your spirit, but it can't kill you."

"Come on!" Jiang Xueming nodded. "Didn't you say that I'm the person you want to protect the most? Why are you being so stubborn? We can learn from each other. I also want to test my abilities. If I can defeat you while you're wielding a sword—maybe I'll become stronger. If you can beat me, it means you've become stronger too, which is a good thing."

It is said that the face is a mirror of the soul. Without facial features, Berloberg doesn't even know what his soul looks like. This is related to the racial attributes of elves; they are initially mindless energy beings, growing alongside successive masters, absorbing many strange experiences and skills, thus transforming into their current form.

Berloberg picked up the greatsword again, gazing at the bloodied and mangled weapon. Looking at its "innocent," stubborn yet endearing master, it felt somewhat lost.

It allows one to experience sweet dreams within the Spirit Realm shaped by Fragrant Dream.

Starting from Mimir/Mim's geyser, countless branches branch off, and in each shallow stream, it sees countless reflections.

I want to speak.

"I want to keep talking forever."

"Please don't turn me into a sword."

Jiang Xueming: "Then we agree that I will send you back next spring."

Berloberg's eyes widened. "Really?"

At that moment, a crack appeared on its stone face, and the eyes were the first to shatter.

Jiang Xueming: "Really."

Berloberg's nose and ears also cracked open, letting out a bright light.

"Make me a mouth, something that can talk. Something that can."

In that instant, the flesh and blood statue turned into dry rock and soil, into ashes in the air, leaving only a gleaming, worn-out sword hilt. From another flesh and blood statue emerged a crystal-clear garnet.

The blue heart in the sky returned to normal, and the little fairies, having watched the entire performance, began to dance again, following the heartbeat.

Jiang Xueming didn't say anything; he still couldn't figure out what Berloberg was thinking.

He picked up the sword hilt, and a fierce burst of light erupted from the guard, finally confirming that the sword spirit had returned to his side, and he could no longer hear Berloberg's voice.

Before Xue Ming could react, he was pulled back into the spring by a strong suction force.

The world turned upside down once again, and he returned to the Elf Sanctuary in the material plane. All around him were old, dilapidated wooden houses and stone cores, which seemed to be psionic amplifiers, allowing parts of the elves' spirits to reside within them.

Xue Ming was soaked to the bone, feeling like he was turning into a frozen piece of meat. Berloberg immediately spewed out a beam of brilliant white light, so bright that he couldn't open his eyes. He used this light to dry his clothes, then hid in the largest treehouse to rest for about ten minutes until his undergarments were completely dry before continuing his journey.

During his rest, he saw a mural in the treehouse, which seemed to have been left by ancient sages.

It was a knight in a tin can, wielding the Stone Sword, signifying his special status as the chosen one. Beside him, a long-robed mage in a fur coat raised his staff, bestowing a halo of light upon the excited and furious king.

Why is this king described as both excited and angry?

Because the Stone Sword was never actually pulled out, a heart-shaped stone still clung to the blade. Clearly, in this version of the King Arthur legend, Arthur gained the elves' approval through his own power.

Includes English annotations and illustrated descriptions.

Merlin: "This one has elves and magic."

Arthur raised his sword and asked, "What magic?"

Merlin: "Stone Spell."

It seems these elves have similar personalities, all somewhat inexplicably rebellious.

After holding it in for a long time, Xue Ming finally uttered two words.

"Alright."