[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-city-of-desire-kingdom-building":3,"chapter-city-of-desire-kingdom-building-city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-868":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","City of Desire [Kingdom Building]",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1846911,2449,"Chapter 872: Breaking Out","city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-868",868,"\u003Cp>Proofread by Thomas F\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baron Lockridge\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She defended herself against my attack, something she had not been able to do before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not seem like a fluke; she knew where the blade was coming from and defended accordingly. She was not able to do that, but now she is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cannot see the blade or hear it; the mist has completely suppressed her senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have given me quite a lot of injuries, Baron. It's time I return the favour back to you,\" she said, with her looking directly into my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she said it, I felt her cast another spell. I tried to stop the mist from interfering, but the artifact is shielding her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have only defended once, Baroness, and you are already talking big,\" I replied and moved toward her when I stopped suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw the icy dome forming around us, but that did not stop me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What stopped me was the rapidly declining temperature and increasing density of the icy energies. They are already dense and getting denser, making the temperature drop quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's already very cold in here, enough that a normal person would freeze to death within minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for me, it is cold, who is enhanced with the power of the artifact. It's not enough to save me from it; it is mist that is helping me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's my domain, and I'm trying to push cold out of it, but the density is so great that I couldn't. So, I am pushing away the cold around me, but some of it is still leaking through and affecting me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this cold is coming from the blue lines across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spells, she kept casting over and over, had most of the power go into the ground. I had thought she did it to strengthen it, but I was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dome formed, and I had noticed something about it. Its walls are thickening rapidly; it did not give me a good feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My instincts are screaming at me that I shouldn't let it get thickened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I may not be a Mage, but I know magic and also understand the specialty of ice energies of her artifact. It is more powerful than a normal spell, colder, and harder to destroy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel everything through the grey mist, and what I felt told me I should destroy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, instead of attacking her, I moved to the edge to destroy the dome wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had taken a step when I felt her moving, and a moment later, she had appeared in front of me. Her speed was much faster than it had been until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She attacked immediately, with the dense icy mist covering her sword. It's very cold, and now, now it has become even colder and drier than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded immediately and in full force, using Nobles Fury, Silent Slash, Baron's Strike, and Ghostblade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also used the mist to reduce air resistance and make my attack faster and stronger. The fog is very powerful, with many abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is sensory mist, but it could also affect physical things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few months, I have been practicing constantly to gain greater control over it and uncover more of its abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade moved fast, cutting through all the mist, when it reached her blade. That is when I activated my newest ability once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phase!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could phase my blade and myself in the mist. Currently, it is only a few inches, and the effects of the icy energies further shrink that distance, but it's still enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade appeared on the other side of her blade and moved toward her neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed as much aura into the blade as possible. I needed to finish her off, as I could feel it was still getting colder, with the dome thickening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don't like it, and the only way to deal with it is to kill her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It will not only win me this battle and give me glory, but also give me an artifact. I could use it to get more freedom and privileges from Grimvale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that, with her death, the other barons will not resist. I will not have a problem in conquering the baronies while Silver deals with the monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade moved toward her, but she didn't retreat. Instead, her blade moved toward me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made me frown, but I didn't stop. My blade will reach her first. I had gathered the thick mist around me to slow it down even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as she is dead. I will be fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, my blade was only ten inches away from me when I saw icy blades materializing around me from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shocked me, not the blades, but how close they have materialized around me. Without the artifact, she wouldn't have been able to cast the spells in the mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would have made them collapse before they materialized, but I couldn't do that now that she has the power of an artifact supporting her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, I kept the mist around me thicker. So, even with an artifact, she wouldn't be able to materialize, but I pulled more mist to me, giving her an opportunity to materialize a spell close to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She has cast them so fast that I barely sensed them before they appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It isn't just for them, but also for other spells she had cast. Second, she defended my attack. Something had happened, and I bet my life that it is related to the artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled my blade back immediately, not only because the attacks were coming, but also because an ice wall appeared in front of my blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I know the wall wouldn't be able to stop me, but it would slow down my blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ice Blades came at me, and so did her sword. I activated Silent Steps and Ghost Movement, my latest skill to retreat, but the attacks are coming from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the ice blades behind me reached me; they were just inches away from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, I used the phasing, shifting to avoid all blades, but not all of them. One struck against my stomach and the other against my chest, both of which I defended with my armor, but the third one cut across my neck, giving me a shallow cut across it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn't the worst; the worst is Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade phased and was able to stop her sword. Seeing that, I felt relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good,\" she said. There was not even a hint of disappointment. Instead, I could hear her laugh, and the next moment, I understood why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More Ice Blades appeared around me, not just the ice blades, but also the Ice Knives and Frost Thorns on the surface, while she swung her blade at once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, there is no mist covering her sword. Instead, an icy fire that sent a shudder through me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What the fuck are you doing? Come and help me!' I screamed at Dane. He should have finished the mercenary by now and come to help me against this bitch,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Give me a few minutes. This bastard is tougher than I had thought.' He replied. It should have surprised me, but I have no time to be surprised right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Leave him and help me!' I forced out. I hate to beg, but things have become very dangerous for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sequence she used to spell is extremely dangerous. She had formed a mini-domain of ice element, with a dome; barely any energy leaked out or went to waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning, every spell she casts is only going to increase the power of the sequence spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade moved, and I phased in mist, as I had never done before. I pushed the artifact as much as I could, drawing aura from deep within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have no other choice; she is attacking me from all sides. The more I defend and dodge, the more attacks appear to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It isn't just the aura and artifact; I am pushing hard, but also my skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another cut appeared across my leg and another across my waist. My sword is crushing through the ice attacks, while I am phasing repeatedly to dodge more, but it's not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attacks that I dodge and destroy would come back again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The biggest danger is her; her sword is a storm, coming at me from left and right, and it is getting faster as the energies in the dome grow denser, making her spells more powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once more, I tried to dodge the attack, but it cut across my waist again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, freezing that part with Ice Fire. If not for the mist protecting me, it would have permeated inside me and turned me into a popsicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Damn Silver!' I cursed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's all because of that bastard. If he had not given this bitch an artifact, I would have killed her within a minute, and I should not be massacring the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of the army, I had called the strongest officers to aid me, but all those bastards are occupied fighting the enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The edge of ten thousand is not enough to defeat the enemy quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a step toward the dome and once more got the cut. She is not letting go near the boundary. She wants to keep me occupied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you are here, Baron, I hope you will stay here. I will even build you a beautiful tombstone, given the relation we had,\" she said and attacked me once more, with her sword and the spells that never stopped coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are overestimating yourself, Baroness!\" I roared angrily, but in my heart, I knew it was the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am tired, nearly at the limit. I won't be able to continue for long. Once I reach the limit, she will not have any problem finishing me off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I need to escape, and there is only one thing that could help me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is extremely risky, but I didn't have any other choice. If I stayed, I would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is hard to believe that things have changed so suddenly. One minute, I was carving her body with the bloody cuts, and in another minute, I found myself on the receiving side of a bloody carving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade hummed. It is ready, but I hesitated. If it didn't work, I would really die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was hesitating when I got cut again on the cheek. It is my deepest wound, and I have begun to cover it quickly. Seeing that, I let go of all my inhibitions and activated the move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I had done, the grey mist rushed toward me fast. A moment later, covering me in a cocoon, in the form of a cloak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I did, I moved; my speed isn't fast. It's even slower than before, but as the attacks came at me. My cocoon would move like a whip, destroying every attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It even stopped her from flashing her ice-blue blade and pushed her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had given me speed, I would have gone at her, but it only provides this now, and I am grateful for it and moving toward the edge at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't have it for long, only for three seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She understood: I was escaping and started attacking like never before, but my dense, misty grey cloak tore through all and reached there two seconds before whipping toward the dome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its walls are thicker than my thigh, but my cloak will tear through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, surprise couldn't help but appear on my face. My cloak had torn through it, but more slowly than I had thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ice was much stronger than I had imagined. If the cloak had been slightly weaker, it wouldn't have broken through it so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leila Silver\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wall of ice exploded, and he escaped from the dome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried so hard, pushing myself, until some of the power of the artifact leaked inside me, which I am barely holding back from freezing me to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I didn't stop and attacked, but he turned and defended. He shook, but so am I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at me, and I looked at him. I could tell his condition is bad, with frozen cuts all over his body like they are on mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We are only standing because we are pushing ourselves. The moment we let go, we will fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think it's enough to say, this battle had come to a standstill. There is no use in fighting anymore,\" he said, and I wanted to deny and keep fighting, but I am barely hanging on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I didn't deal with this energy soon, I would be turned into a popsicle, and that would be a defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the battle and saw my men were fighting in a stalemate, which relieved me. We had fewer numbers than the enemy, but despite that, we are not at a disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it might turn to the disadvantage. If we keep fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Vandal and Dane; they stopped fighting, with their eyes turned toward us. Dane looked fine, angry, irritated, but fine without any injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vandal had a few cuts and a grin on his face. To him, they are nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned back to Lockridge, the man I wanted to kill so much, but I knew that fighting further would be detrimental; besides, we had already accomplished our objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our objective was not to defeat them and take the baronies. However, that would have been nice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is to stop them from advancing into Lauryl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Retreat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two retreat orders rang out a minute later at the same time, and our armies separated and moved away before stopping at the boundary of territories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 50+ chapters early, unlock exclusive art & maps on Patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>",2330,"2026-06-09T06:55:07.099Z",1,"novelbin.me","7f64640c513ab0fb4b6e82aa8832eeb814c109a6075d42ab02efc5cbf35ad623","city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-774","city-of-desire-kingdom-building-chapter-773",917,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcity-of-desire-kingdom-building-cover.jpg"]