Two men and one sparrowhawk leaped through a skin-biting and bone-freezing snowstorm . It was tolerable for Bluebird and Lookhin, who were in perfect shape . However, the absolute cold was lethal to Sila in his current condition . He had to spare some of his power to protect himself against the cold despite his body being on the verge of death and extremely exhausted .

He had spent too much power in the fight against Zero, especially when he used Dual Overwhelming Attributes several times, which greatly consumed his stamina .

Even though the curse was lifted thanks to the Crystal Demonic Sword, the remains of Zero"s magical qi still continued to fiercely run through his veins and harm his organs . It acted as an unwanted foreign substance that suppressed Sila"s qi and psychic power from tending to his wounds .

If Shueria"s Bomb Lurking Psychic was like bombs that had been scattered all over his body and acted up from time to time, Zero"s magical qi brought him a unique miserable pain that he had never experienced before .

The black magical qi wildly ran through his veins as if it was a living creature—and that made it more difficult for Sila to drive it away . The blood vessels visible underneath his skin had become a terrifying black . Sila coughed out blood several times, and each time the blood was black as ink and quickly evaporated . It felt like his skin was burning, as if he was put into boiling water . Just the gentle touch of snow blowing in the wind was enough to torment him .

All of that was just a small portion of the suffering if he included the pain from the five holes in his chest and the stab wound in his abdomen . These wounds didn"t close at all . The best that Sila could do was reshape the Crystal Demonic Sword into a steel plate and plug the wounds to prevent blood loss . It was a temporary remedy though .

Lookhin utilized her psychic power to help Sila up in the air and dragged him along the way . Eventually, Bluebird led them to the entrance of a certain cave—one of his secret hideouts . It was a deserted cave located between the city and the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Castle that he had stumbled upon by chance in the past . For the record, Bluebird had researched and discovered that it used to be the habitual residence of the Bison King . However, it was always empty each time he checked . As such, he decided to seize it as one of his hiding spots around Belacia City .

After the two leaned Sila against the cave wall, Bluebird tried to come up with a solution . Inspecting Sila"s wounds and conditions through his Information a.n.a.lysis skill, he frowned as he made a serious expression .

“As expected of the final move of Zero, the Shadow Emperor . Given the state you are in, you are better off dead . ”

Lookhin sat beside Sila, tears welling up in her eyes . Sila gently stroked her head . “Let that be our last solution . How is my condition?”

“According to my investigations, Zero"s magical qi is what he invented on his own . He combined the qi that is exclusive to his race—the horse race of the nightmare species—with his magic power of the dark element, which is perfectly matched to his species . His magical qi rampages through your veins as if it is a wild horse, tearing your veins and muscles apart and torturing you . Fortunately, the curse that came with it has lost its effect, otherwise, you wouldn"t be able to move . ”

Sila nodded . Now he understood why he couldn"t use his qi to inspect his body . Zero"s magical qi quickly moved through his veins, and it outran the speed of his qi circulation .

If he truly wished to drive it away, he would have to rely on Dark Psychic Corrosion . Coming up with the idea, Sila quickly attempted it . He put forth his concentration and controlled his psychic power to circulate throughout his body . The fine, black particles made of psychic power flowed through his bloodstream, yet the speed of Zero"s magical qi far surpa.s.sed his . No matter how hard he tried, his power couldn"t catch up to Zero"s at all . Instead, it felt more painful than ever since the magical qi ran fiercer, deteriorating his concentration and breaking his control over his psychic power .

In the end, both his qi and his psychic power failed to oppose Zero"s power .

“Cough! Cough!” Sila coughed up more black blood . In the meantime, Bluebird communicated with Asmodeus in his mind . He was trying his best to search far and wide for the solution to help Sila .

“Mnn . . . Actually, Asmodeus said there"s still a way out . ”

Bluebird"s speech was no less than a ray of hope, yet his expression didn"t look so good .

“It"s good that there is a way . . . What is the problem?” Sila could tell that there was a catch .
Advertis.e.m.e.nt
“We are shorthanded, both in the number of people and items . Asmodeus said we should use external help . First, we must block the magical qi from moving with a sealing spell . Then, we must have two people—one using qi and one using magic—transmit their powers into your body to suppress it . Anyway, these two have to possess magic artifacts to prevent recoil from the magical qi"s struggle . Otherwise, our plan will just lead to two more victims . Lastly, you have to eliminate it with your psychic power . . . Dying is far easier, I"d say . ”

“What are we lacking?” asked Sila . He was grasping at straws .

“First off, a spellcaster who can use a sealing spell . Additionally, it has to be of the light element . As for the two who must transmit their powers to you, I can take on the role of the one who transmits magic power, but we lack the other who transmits qi . Finally, a magic artifact to prevent the rebound . Transmitting power into you is like forming a bridge . Without the artifact, Zero"s magical qi can jump at the ones who transmit their powers to you . ”

“Unfortunately . . . I can use my racial skill, but slime"s magic skill lacks the light and dark elements . ”

“Even if it didn"t, it would be useless . I don"t think you can both maintain your magic power and control your psychic power to destroy Zero"s magical qi while your body is in this wrecked state . Just a single mistake and you will die . ”

Indeed, Sila was fully aware that he wasn"t that good at dividing his focus .

“Lookhin can . ” Lookhin stood up . “Lookhin will transmit qi to Papa . ”

Bluebird shook his head . “Asmodeus said you are not suited to the role . Great Sparrowhawk Qi leans toward the cold element, which is the same as Zero"s magical qi . We need someone with qi of the hot element . By the way, my magic is lightning type which is cla.s.sified as of the light attribute, so it can oppose the dark element, though not as efficiently as pure light magic . ”

“We are lacking a lot . . . Besides, in this kind of place, we can"t possibly ask for help . . . ” Sila replied weakly . His health points continued to decline with no sign of stopping .

Lookhin kept pouring Bluebird"s health potion into Sila"s mouth . She was sad to know that she was useless . She raised her right hand to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes .

“Hm? Lookhin . . . What is that on the back of your hand?” asked Bluebird .

“Clute gave me,” replied Lookhin as she showed it to Bluebird . Conversing with Asmodeus, Bluebird smiled as he saw a glimmer of hope .

“That is the rune, right?! . . . We may have a way! Who is Clute, Lookhin? Do you know this person, Sila? Where is this person right now?”

Sila gulped down the health potion and replied, “Clute is the White Giant of Belacia City . You"ve probably heard of him . ”

“The White Giant? Did you guys encounter the White Giant? Tell me what happened . ”

Sila briefly explained the earlier events to Bluebird . Apparently, the White Giant in Sila"s story was completely different from the one in Bluebird"s imagination . Bluebird regretted missing the opportunity to witness such a scene . Regardless, he was still more concerned about Sila"s condition .

“Asmodeus said Rune Magic can create a high-tier magic artifact . If we are lucky, this will solve two of our problems: the magic artifact and the sealing spell, since Rune Magic is also cla.s.sified as of the light attribute . The White Giant promised he would come for help, right? This is the time . ”

Lookhin had never wanted Clute to come and help her to begin with . Regardless, it was another story if it was to help Sila . She tapped on the rune and called out for Clute . Yet nothing happened .

“He doesn"t come . ”

“Asmodeus said you must imagine yourself in danger or in a state where you greatly desire help . The rune will automatically respond to it . ”

Lookhin nodded . She imagined the sight of Mamon"s grin, which she hated the most, while unleashing her power to make it feel like she was fighting . Soon, the letter on the back of her hand shone and floated up, before expanding itself into a dimensional door .

The small figure covered in a white fur cape crossed the dimension and reached Lookhin"s side . He wasn"t alone though . Another similar figure followed him from behind .

“Lomyok!!” exclaimed Bluebird . Meanwhile, the elegant Deity Lomyok waved the Gorgeous Female Fan at himself .

“Oho? Isn"t this Bluebird, my number one fanboy? Hmm . . . What happened to Sila? Why do you look so worn-out?”

Clute swept his eyes through the place and found that he was inside a cave . Noticing Sila, he also wondered why Sila ended up in this sorrowful state despite being perfectly healthy just a few hours ago .

He asked, “What is going on? Can I be of any help?”

Sila hurriedly explained to them what had happened . On the other hand, Lomyok also told him what had happened on his side .

Lomyok said that he had arrived at the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Castle using his G.o.dly qinggong . After he had leisurely taken some time to go sightseeing, a horde of vampires appeared to chase after him . Unfortunately for them, Lomyok was used to the experience of being chased down by his fans, so he could comfortably roam free while evading all of them . He went deeper into the castle without taking any offensive actions . For the record, all the monsters in the castle were magic-type, so they posed no threat to Lomyok who was wearing the Queen"s Spirit Raiment . Ultimately, he arrived at the Vampire Queen"s private bedroom .

He continued his story with a serious expression . “Totally disappointing . I expected her to possess otherworldly beauty, yet it was simply ordinary, nowhere near my level . I wanted to take my leave but the Vampire Queen suddenly fell into a rage and charged at me, claiming that I looked down on her beauty . I have a principle not to harm women, so I only fended off her attacks . In the end, this boy appeared, and the Vampire Queen shut her mouth . She was even eager to invite us out . ”

Clute explained, “Lookhin called me when I planned to bring this Big Brother out of the castle . Therefore, I took him with me . ”

“Oh, right! Lomyok, you are a qi-type player . Tell me, is your qi of the hot element or the cold element?” Bluebird enthusiastically asked .

“Ara~ Ara~ I just got here, and you are already giving me your full attention . Well, well, I won"t keep it a secret from my fan . As its name—G.o.d"s Grace Qi—implies, it"s qi of the hot element . ” Lomyok circulated G.o.d"s Grace Qi throughout his body, and his skin glowed and gave off a soft, golden aura .

Bluebird ignored Lomyok"s narcissistic remark . “We have everything ready!! Unbelievable! With this, there is a way for you to survive, Sila!”

Sila was happy, though he was a bit hesitant to bother them . “It"s fine if you don"t want to do this, everyone . ”

Clute volunteered, “I will handle the task of sealing and preventing the recoil . You can count on me . ”

“Seeing an injured person before my eyes, how can I, the elegant hero, leave them to suffer? Especially so when you are someone I know . ”

Seeing that everyone was willing to help, Bluebird repeated the method while Sila rested on the cave wall with Lookhin taking care of him .

Clute picked up two small rocks and engraved a rune on each of them . He then sent in his magic power to invoke their power .

“Ehwaz (Horse) . ”

Clute handed Bluebird and Lomyok the rocks with shining letters as he said, “Keep it on you . ”

Bluebird took one of the rocks in his hand and inspected it . “Just like that? You just wrote a letter on an ordinary rock? It seems . . . quite unsafe . . . I"d say . ”

“For Rune Magic, magic power is far more important than the material . The user"s magic power is what indicates the efficiency of the artifact . Higher quality materials only help in extending the duration of the spell . Those rocks can protect your bodies for ten minutes before they break . ”

Listening to the explanation of the most powerful Rune Magic user, Bluebird felt a.s.sured . He and Lomyok sat next to Sila . Both of them placed the rocks on their laps .

Clute drew a letter directly on Sila"s bare chest before stepping back . He swept his gaze across everyone . The process would initiate once he activated the sealing spell .

“Let"s start,” Sila instructed, to which Bluebird and Lomyok nodded .

“Othala (Homeland) . ”

The rune, which Clute had used it to create the domain, was activated to create a small world inside Sila"s body . It locked Sila"s power within his body, leaving no path for escape while slowing down the speed of Zero"s magical qi .

Lomyok and Bluebird placed their hands on Sila"s shoulders before respectively transmitting their qi and magic power to him . Lomyok"s warm qi went in to oppose the cold qi part of magical qi while Bluebird"s lightning magic power went in to oppose the dark magic part .

For the next step, the one who had it the hardest was Sila . He calmed his mind and controlled his psychic power to flow along with Bluebird and Lomyok"s power, slowly but steadily corroding Zero"s Eroding Nightmare Magical Qi .

Zero"s magical qi had nowhere to escape . With its wild nature, it went on a rampage like a wild horse, crazily running through Sila"s veins . The pain it brought to Sila was too much, almost breaking his concentration .

At that moment, Sila reminded himself to use Moon Reflecting Mirror . Thus, he activated it from the inside of his mind .

Moon Reflecting Mirror was like a rein which pulled the unruly black horse to calm down . The magical qi in his body was being purified instead of being corroded away as planned . It flowed through the three people"s bodies with Sila as the center .

Once the foreign power entered Bluebird and Lomyok"s bodies, the rocks on their laps shook and cracks appeared on them . Clute was busy focusing on the rune on Sila"s chest, so he didn"t notice that the magical qi had been partially purified, turning into a power that was half-helpful and half-harmful . As a result, the artifacts couldn"t decide whether they should provide protection . Soon, they malfunctioned and broke, leaving Bluebird and Lomyok"s bodies defenseless .

The purified magical qi ran wild at the last moment . It divided itself into three parts and kicked Sila, Bluebird, and Lomyok away from each other . Their bodies flew and heavily crashed against the cave wall .

The power that should have calmed down started to go on a rampage again . Regardless, Sila realized this situation was similar to when he suffered from Lucifer"s Omniscient Evil G.o.d Qi . He quickly shouted to inform his two friends, “Don"t resist!”

Despite the doubt in his mind, Bluebird was aware that his knowledge regarding qi was lacking compared to Sila"s, so he lowered his resistance and let the magical qi roam free inside his body while enduring the pain . As for Lomyok, he never tried to resist . Instead, he even used Worlds Crossing Bridge to make the magical qi run along with his own qi circulation .

Realizing that their plan had gone wrong, Clute was startled . He hastily wrote the rune Algiz (Elk) on the ground to create a domain that helped the three people replenish their strength . At the very least, this would prevent them from dying . On the other hand, Lookhin, who couldn"t do anything in this situation, showed a worried expression next to him .

Sila was the first to succeed in circulating the energy . It was natural since he had gone through this kind of experience before and had comprehended its process .

The system notification rang out in his head .

You have achieved a certain condition . You have gotten the Transcendent Rank magical qi skill: Element-Changing Nightmare Magical Qi .

You have achieved a certain condition . You have acquired the ability to wield magic power as your secondary energy type . You have gotten one Transcendent Rank magic-type skill as the base of your magic ability . Please give it a name .

Due to a racial limitation, you can"t select the element of your magic ability . Its element has to be the dark element in accordance with the origin of it .

The skill Dark Psychic Corrosion, Transcendent Rank, has been returned to you .

Lomyok soon followed Sila"s achievement . His proficiency in qi was no less than Sila"s, so he only took a few more seconds .

You have achieved a certain condition . You have gotten the Transcendent Rank magical qi skill: Sky-Soaring White Horse Magical Qi .

You have achieved a certain condition . You have acquired the ability to wield magic power as your secondary energy type . You have gotten one Transcendent Rank magic-type skill as the base of your magic ability . Please give it a name .

You can select the element of your magic ability . Please find more information from your system window .

Bluebird struggled the most since he had no fundamental knowledge about qi . Unlike qi, magic power could be directly unleashed without having to go through the circulation . After squirming on the ground for a few dozen minutes, he was completely exhausted when the system notification rang out .

You have achieved a certain condition . You have gotten the Transcendent Rank magical qi skill: Lightning-Quick Qilin Magical Qi .

You have achieved a certain condition . You have acquired the ability to wield qi as your secondary energy type . You have gotten one Transcendent Rank qi-type skill as the base of your qi ability . Please give it a name .

The three of them barely stood up and looked at each other with tired expressions . They shared what had happened . It seemed they all got the ability to use magical qi from making Zero"s into their own . As their magical qi originated from Zero"s, they all received magical qi that emphasised speed, though each of them mutated according to the characteristics of their energy .

The nature of Sila"s power leaned toward the cold and negative element . Also, regarding his magic skill, he already had the slime-race magic skill to manipulate six basic elements . As a result, the system granted him Element-Changing Nightmare Magical Qi, which was basically of the dark element like Zero"s, so it maintained the Nightmare naming part . It had the ability to strengthen the six basic magic elements through the offensive trait of the dark element . Regretfully, it came with no spells due to Sila"s racial limitation . The only way for him to exert its strength was to use it through qi circulation .

As for Lomyok, he was a pure qi-type player, so the system gave him the magical qi that simply emphasized speed . It was the power that flowed and ran elegantly like a graceful white horse . Regarding the magic aspect, he didn"t have any limitations, so the system granted him the freedom to choose any magic element as his core element . In any case, like Sila, he wasn"t skilled in spell casting, so he preferred strengthening his qi through magic power instead of relying on spells .

Lastly, Bluebird had no prior knowledge regarding qi . Qi circulation was learned through proficiency and repet.i.tion, thus he would have a difficult time before he got the hang of it . Apparently, his magical qi possessed the attribute of loading and discharging electricity . It granted him an increase in movement speed and could strengthen his spells through qi reinforcement .

The three of them had grown a single step stronger by acquiring a newfound power . The new abilities would become great a.s.sets for surviving in the crueler world of Monster Soul that would unfold in the near future .