A Sliver-of-Health Counterkill

"You want to kill it? Arrogant insect!"

Enraged by Luo Li's killing intent and the vicious aura emanating from Enma, Earl Shadowwing lost the mockery in its scarlet eyes, replaced by icy murderous intent.

With a beat of its wings, it vanished into the air like a phantom. The next instant, it appeared before Luo Li, its sharp claws shrieking through the air straight at his head!

Fast! Too fast!

The A-rank vampire was far faster than any enemy Luo Li had encountered before.

[Future Preview] barely caught a trace of its trajectory, but his body could not keep up at all!

"Time Retardation!"

Gritting his teeth, Luo Li frantically poured in what little mental power he had left.

Hum!

The flow of time around him abruptly slowed, turning Earl Shadowwing's lethal claw strike into slow motion in his eyes.

Even so, the terrifying power contained in those claw tips still made his scalp prickle.

I can't dodge! I have to block!

Clang-!!!

He held Enma across himself, meeting the claws in a brutal collision.

A deafening metallic clash erupted, sending sparks flying.

Luo Li felt an irresistible force surge into him. The webbing of his hands split instantly, blood streaming out. As though struck by a speeding truck, he flew backward and slammed heavily into the rock wall.

"Urgh!"

He spat out another mouthful of blood, his chest and abdomen churning as his vision repeatedly darkened.

The effects of [Time Retardation] broke off because of the tremendous drain on his mental power and his injuries.

"Oh? You managed to block one of my blows?"

Earl Shadowwing looked slightly surprised, but a cruel smile soon appeared on its face.

"Unfortunately, an ant is still an ant."

It vanished again, attacking from another angle.

Relying on [Super-Speed Reaction] and anticipation, Luo Li rolled and dodged in a sorry state, swinging Enma to barely block its blows.

But every collision worsened his injuries, leaving his arms numb with searing pain as his mental power poured out like floodwater through an open gate.

He tried to activate [Space Folding] to gain some distance, but under the interference of the A-rank vampire's powerful energy field and its mental lock, short-range jumps became extremely difficult and costly. Several attempts failed to get him completely clear of its attacks.

The battle was an entirely one-sided crushing.

More and more wounds covered Luo Li, his blood staining his tattered combat suit red.

Though Enma was sharp enough to cut through Earl Shadowwing's protective energy and some of its defenses, it could not inflict a fatal wound.

Meanwhile, Earl Shadowwing's attacks grew increasingly fierce. It seemed to relish this process of torturing him to death.

"Struggle! Wail! Your blood... seems especially delicious!"

Earl Shadowwing licked its lips, the red glow in its eyes blazing.

It suddenly opened its mouth and released a soundless psychic shriek!

Hum-!

An invisible psychic assault swept toward him like a tsunami.

Luo Li felt as though countless steel needles were piercing his brain. The agony nearly knocked him unconscious in an instant, and his movements abruptly stalled.

Now!

A cold gleam flashed in Earl Shadowwing's eyes. Like a venomous snake darting from its hole, its claws pierced the defense of the Enma Luo Li had barely raised and plunged viciously into his left chest.

"Argh-!"

The agony drew a muffled groan from Luo Li.

He could clearly feel the icy claw tips piercing his muscles and touching his ribs. He could even feel his heart pounding wildly beneath their threat.

The breath of death had never felt so clear.

Am I... going to die?

Castorice...

Castorice's worried violet eyes flashed through his mind...

No! I can't die here!

His fierce will to survive and conviction to protect ignited his nearly exhausted spirit and latent life potential like a final measure of fuel!

At that instant between life and death-

The [Spacetime] Path within him, formed from the fusion of [Remembrance] and [Finality], seemed to sense its host's utmost yearning and desperation, resonating violently at an unprecedented frequency.

Every detail of his past cultivation, his insights into time and space, his understanding of causality and existence... countless fragments collided and fused frantically under the pressure of life and death.

An entirely new application based on the essence of the [Spacetime] Path suddenly illuminated his consciousness like lightning streaking through darkness.

Not acceleration, not retardation, not jumping, nor rewinding...

But-[Displacement]!

Through a method he did not yet fully understand, one that involved the essence of existence, he would briefly and locally exchange his own state with that of "a certain coordinate."

"Displacement!"

Luo Li roared with the last of his strength, his mental power surging into this newborn skill like water through a breached dam. At the same time, he locked onto the claw Earl Shadowwing had driven into his chest... and a sharp rock jutting up conspicuously nearby.

Hum-!

An ineffably mysterious ripple swept past.

Earl Shadowwing was savoring the tremors of its prey's heart on the verge of shattering through its claw tips, along with the sensation of that sweet blood, a cruel, satisfied smile on its face.

Yet the next second, its smile abruptly froze, giving way to utter astonishment and disbelief.

It felt the sensation against its claw tips suddenly change!

No longer soft, warm flesh and hard bone, but... cold, rough, indestructible rock?!

Shhk-!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh came from its own body!

Agony!

It lowered its head and discovered in horror that its right claw, which had been buried in Luo Li's chest, had now bizarrely... plunged into its own left chest! The position was exactly the same!

Meanwhile, that damned human had appeared several meters away. Though he was still bedraggled, the clothing over his left chest torn and a shallow bloody hole steadily bleeding, he had clearly avoided a fatal strike to the heart.

"No... impossible!!!"

Earl Shadowwing roared in shock and fury, violently yanking its claws from its chest as dark red blood gushed out.

It could not understand what had just happened! A spatial ability? No! That feeling... was more like some sort of... forcible alteration on the level of rules!

In the instant its shock and injuries slowed its movements-

"Die!!!"

A cold light blazed from Luo Li's eyes as he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Enduring the pain and weakness that nearly made him faint, he poured in the final trace of strength that had surged forth like a dying flash upon comprehending his new skill, together with Enma's bloodlust, which had reached a boiling point.

[Time Retardation]-locked onto Earl Shadowwing!

[Causal Tracing]-instantly discerned the vulnerability in its energy core exposed by its self-inflicted injury!

Like a judgment from hell, the dark red blade light tore through the air with unwavering resolve, sweeping across Earl Shadowwing's neck with absolute precision.

Swish-!

The sound of the blade cutting into flesh and severing bone was clearly audible.

The shock and fury on Earl Shadowwing's face froze.

Its mouth remained open as though it wanted to say something, but its head was already slowly separating from its body.

Dark red blood shot into the air like a fountain from its severed neck.

Hum-!!!

Bloodblade Enma released an unprecedentedly joyous hum, like a dragon's cry.

Bloody light blazed from the blade as though it had come alive, greedily devouring the A-rank vampire's surging blood and powerful soul essence.

A torrent of pure, immense energy carrying the icy breath of death surged wildly through the hilt into Luo Li's body.

Wherever the energy passed, the terrible wound in his left chest began to writhe and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His damaged internal organs rapidly repaired themselves-his exhausted mental power recovered swiftly, like parched land receiving long-awaited rain! Even his physical fatigue was rapidly fading.

[Bloodblade Enma has absorbed the blood and soul of the A-rank vampire "Earl Shadowwing." Advancement requirements met!]

[Advancement complete!]

[New trait: Blood-Drinking Revival-When the weapon absorbs an enemy's blood and soul, it can return a portion of the life essence and energy to its host, greatly healing injuries and replenishing expended reserves.]

"Ah..."

Feeling the surging power within him and his rapidly healing wounds, Luo Li could not help letting out a groan of pleasure.

This feels... incredible!

A comeback from certain defeat! A counterkill with a sliver of health!

And misfortune had turned into a blessing: he had comprehended [Spacetime Displacement], a practically bugged divine skill for both saving his life and ambushing others. Enma had also successfully advanced, acquiring a crucial recovery ability.

He stood there, greedily absorbing the energy Enma returned to him and repairing his injuries, his heart filled with relief at surviving disaster and confidence from his soaring strength.

An A-rank vampire... wasn't so much after all.

However, just as he relaxed and prepared to carefully examine the changes from Enma's advancement-

A faint sensation of being watched crept quietly up his spine like a cold snake.

It was not the vampires' malicious, bloodthirsty aura.

It was more like... a calm, appraising gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.

From... that dense patch of shadow behind me to the side, or some concealed rock crevice farther away?

Luo Li whipped his head around, his gaze sharp as a blade as he scanned that direction.

He unleashed [Remembrance Perception] at full power, his mental power spreading toward it like a tide.

Yet aside from the wind moaning past the rocks and the crackle of the burning helicopter wreckage in the distance, he sensed nothing.

That patch of shadow was empty, and he could sense no fluctuations of life or energy in the rock crevices either.

It was as though the feeling of being watched had merely been an illusion caused by his overwrought nerves after the battle.

But Luo Li's instincts were frantically sounding an alarm.

No!

Someone is definitely watching!

Someone who could evade my [Remembrance Perception] in this environment... is probably far from ordinary.

An enemy? A friend?

Or... a mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it?

Luo Li tightened his grip on Enma, which had grown even darker and more dangerous after drinking its fill of A-rank blood. His newly relaxed nerves tensed once more.

He stood where he was, continuing to absorb energy to recover while sensing every stirring around him.