Amon's Third Soul Skill

Amon called his Third Soul Skill "Decipherer."

It likewise granted him an active skill, along with several permanent passive enhancements.

Passive effects: enhanced perception, Insight into weaknesses, finding flaws, foreseeing danger, and judging an opponent's next move through subtle bodily cues.

When activated, it became a sustained skill that allowed him to foresee, one second in advance, the Spirit Ring or Soul Bone Skill a target was about to use, as well as discern that skill's effects and flaws.

The Insight effect was related to the difference in level between himself and his opponent. If the target's level exceeded his own, the information he could discern would be very limited.

Amon smiled. The pieces of his ability were becoming increasingly complete, developing toward the direction of "Mysterious Amon."

Of course, because these were Spirit Ring skills, after undergoing "Douluo localization," they were not entirely identical to the abilities of the various stages of the Marauder pathway in Mysteries. There were some slight differences.

He expected that his next Soul Skill would grant him the ability to fight head-on. Unlike now, all of his proper Soul Skills were for support, while he could only deal damage with his self-created "Air Bullet."

Amon stepped out of the carriage and looked at Yan Jin and Lei Yin, who were sitting on rocks and gnawing on dry rations.

The carriage could not keep moving nonstop. Every so often, they had to stop and rest, allowing both horses and people to recover from the fatigue of the journey.

Vidal also stepped down from his luxurious carriage. His carriage was far better than the one Amon and the others had hired. It was more comfortable, did not jolt much, and was pulled by Black-Scaled Horses with a trace of Soul Beast bloodline.

He found a patch of level grass and spread a thick woolen blanket over it. A faint light flickered at his fingertips, and a pile of steaming dishes appeared on the blanket.

Braised pork knuckle, roasted whole lamb, foie gras, caviar, sashimi...

Yan Jin glanced at Vidal's lavish spread and suddenly found her dry rations even harder to swallow.

She gulped and turned away, refusing to look at him anymore.

Vidal smiled. "Come over, all of you. This time, I prepared enough for four people, enough for us to eat all the way to Northland City."

"Then we won't stand on ceremony." Amon walked over and sat cross-legged beside him.

"Oh... love you, Goldie." Yan Jin sprang up from where she stood, leaping high off the rock before lightly landing beside Amon.

Lei Yin also came over and politely said, "Thank you for the meal."

After eating and drinking their fill, Yan Jin rubbed her stomach and sprawled gracelessly across the blanket. "I'm full, I'm full... Vidal, how did you bring so much stuff with you?"

Vidal looked at Yan Jin in some surprise. It was the first time she had called him by name instead of calling him "Goldie."

He raised his right hand, revealing the ring on his index finger. "This is a Space Ring, a special kind of Soul Tool. There's a small space inside it that can store inanimate objects."

"Huh? There's something that convenient?" Yan Jin's face was full of envy.

Vidal wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, then looked at Amon and asked, "If we want to form a team, we need at least seven people. Do you have anyone in mind for the other three?"

Amon shook his head. "Not for now. We'll see when we get to The Academy. It gathers outstanding students from all over Northland Province, so there should be a few who are fairly capable."

"Mm, I'll recommend a few when the time comes. You can see whether they're suitable..." Vidal had already tacitly accepted Amon's leadership.

The formidable combat strength Yan Jin and Lei Yin had displayed in their battle against the Eyeless Snake had convinced him. And Amon, who could make those two—especially Yan Jin, that little troublemaker—behave so obediently, could only be even more formidable.

"Fine." Amon nodded lightly.

After a moment of silence, Vidal suddenly stood up and said, "Fight me. If you beat me, I'll acknowledge you as captain."

Amon adjusted his Monocle, amusement in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Vidal said solemnly, "I'm sure... Though I suspect you're most likely a support-type Soul Master, the reason those two suddenly became so powerful during the battle with the Eyeless Snake was probably because of you, right?

"It's somewhat unfair for a battle-type Soul Master like me to challenge a support-type Soul Master like you. But if you want to be the captain, you need to show strength that can convince everyone."

Yan Jin's eyes widened as she looked at Vidal, her expression carrying both admiration and pity.

Over the years, she had challenged Amon too many times to count. Every single time, she had been beaten one-sidedly.

Even with her thick nerves, she was nearly traumatized by it.

"Then as you wish." Amon walked to an open space away from the road.

Vidal stood opposite him, looking rather cautious.

"Vidal, level thirty-one agility-attack battle Soul Master." Vidal introduced himself according to the etiquette before a Soul Master duel.

Amon smiled. "Amon, level thirty-four support-type Soul Master."

"Level thirty-four?" Vidal froze. "Didn't you just absorb a Spirit Ring?"

"As you know, the Spirit Ring I absorbed was a little older. Corresponding to the risk is a high return, isn't it?"

"Indeed. Enviable." Vidal nodded and summoned his Martial Soul. Two yellow and one purple Spirit Rings shone brilliantly around him.

Seeing that Amon was still standing there with ease, without making the slightest move, he could not help but frown. "Aren't you going to summon your Martial Soul?"

Amon merely smiled. "I'm already prepared. You can attack whenever you wish."

Seeing him act so arrogantly, Vidal grew somewhat annoyed as well. "Then be careful."

"Gem Cat, possess me!"

Without further hesitation, he immediately activated his second Spirit Ring and accelerated toward Amon.

Amon raised his index finger and thumb, aiming them at Vidal.

"Air Bullet."

Bang!

A small crater exploded in the ground.

Vidal's pupils contracted. With the excellent reflexes and agility granted by his feline Martial Soul, he dodged the attack, only to be forced back by even more Air Bullets.

The distance between them grew wider and wider as a result.

"It isn't that you haven't used your Martial Soul. Rather, your Martial Soul—or perhaps one of your Soul Skills—can conceal the visual effects of your Martial Soul as well as the fluctuations of Soul Power, right?" Vidal stated with certainty.

"Oh? You figured it out so quickly? That little fool Yan Jin took half a year to guess." Amon praised.

Vidal glanced at Yan Jin, who was grinding her teeth at the side after being called a fool, and said:

"It's easy to guess. When you activate a Soul Skill, even a Self-Created Soul Skill, it's impossible for there to be no Soul Power fluctuations at all. I only sensed the previous attack after you fired it, so you must possess a similar skill. And its range only extends to yourself, right? Once a Soul Skill leaves your body, it can no longer be affected."

Amon nodded. "Correct, but before and after a Soul Skill leaves the body are two different concepts. In the former case, you have ample time to react. In the latter, by the time you notice it, it is often already too late."

It was like dodging a bullet. A person with quick reflexes might predict where the bullet would land based on the shooter's movements and evade it, but trying to dodge after the bullet had left the barrel would be too late.