Chapter 454: Charging and Change

A faint tremor came from the Dragon-Slaying Sword.

From weak tremor to strong, and from strong to intermittent alternating strong and weak.

Rod's expression turned odd; he kept feeling this vibration method was somehow familiar.

Before he could investigate further, Virgil had already dragged his bloated, mutated body right up in front of him.

"Die for me!!!"

A fist swung over, carrying sick blood and pus, its power more than a notch higher.

Unfavorable to maneuver midair, Rod reined in his 【Reflexive Dodge】 instinct and simply held the Dragon-Slaying greatsword sideways; while blocking, his whole body also took the momentum to rush toward the ground.

Boom—

Rod landed with a thud, directly collapsing a small hill.

"Whoa."

The obese version of Virgil's strength had broken through to the mid-stage of Tier 8; judging by the brass spirit-measuring orb's reading, it had probably reached around 410.

But it seemed all the boost went into strength, while his speed had actually slowed a bit.

Originally, with 【Dragon Strength Art +3】 and his post-advancement stats, Rod had already surpassed him, only to be overtaken again—kind of disgusting.

Rod disgustedly flicked the sick blood off the greatsword, sensing the plague-typed spiritual energy within it.

He couldn't help feeling a bit stunned.

This should have been the plague domain he had left behind, but now it had undergone some changes; the portion belonging to him had been purged, transformed into a different plague.

What on earth did this half-elf eat?

He tossed a 【Prey Desired】 on, and his agility instantly surged by 25%.

Facing the fat man charging again, combined with his 【Reflexive Dodge】 instinct, Rod could just barely suppress him with speed.

Mainly, his moves were just too clumsy—long, obvious wind-ups and long recoveries.

This guy just wasn't bright.

Amid the rapid exchanges and dodges, the Dragon-Slaying Sword trembled again.

This time it was a wave-like alternation of strong and weak, spreading back and forth across Rod's palm—kind of disgusting.

Rod figured it was probably the sword spirit playing tricks.

He wasn't going to indulge it either, and punched the sword hilt.

【Wooo~】

A wail instantly transmitted into his mind.

Rod raised an eyebrow, knowing this was the Dragon-Slaying Sword's spirit: "If you've got something to say, say it. What's with the trembling?"

【Want that again.】

The voice came again.

It was a girl, her tone sometimes fast, sometimes slow, slightly high-pitched.

"Vital essence?"

【Mm, a bit more, a bit thicker.】

"Heh, first tell me how the true dragon-slaying feature of this sword is actually triggered."

A moment's hesitation.

The sword spirit spoke again.

【Charge it, use that to charge it.】

Rod couldn't help feeling a bit speechless now.

You're not a succubus—what are you charging with that stuff?

【Don't know why, but that has the energy needed for dragon-slaying. The enemy in front also has similar energy.】

"?"

"Die for me!!!"

Virgil roared and charged over again, looking just like a silverback fighting for mating rights in heat.

This thing has energy similar to my vital essence?

Insulting me, basically.

Rod switched from a one-handed to a two-handed grip; dodging with a sidestep, he spun into a horizontal slash that sent him flying.

Like skipping stones, bouncing along under the water's surface tension, then in one rush plunging into the Delinbier river channel.

"Tally, where's your backup snack? Hand me a tube."

A shadow slid to his side; Tally's little head poked out, looking thoroughly unwilling.

"Tally doesn't know what master is talking about, used it all up long ago."

"Who are you fooling? I saw you picking at Lady Lilian last night—hand it over."

"…Oh."

Tally reluctantly pulled a tube of vital essence from the crevice of her chest and handed it over.

Just as he was about to say to keep him stocked from now on, another distant bang of an explosion came, and she hurriedly retreated back into the shadows.

Rod, who had just taken the vital essence tube, grunted as a fist's force was stamped onto his chest from across the air.

He flew backward, crashing through countless trees with a clatter, smashing straight through Axe Beach's city wall, dragging dirt and bricks along the ground, tearing out a long, churning scar of earth.

He opened his eyes and found he had already reached the outer perimeter of the Count's Gubao estate.

He stood up, dusting off his chest with a bit of relief.

That punch packed quite a wallop; good thing 【Dragon Scale Art】 had reached +4, or he would have been seriously hurt at the very least.

Judging by this, 【Dragon Scale Art】's defensive limit before further refinement should be around mid-stage Tier 8—no wonder he had been able to mess around relying on it all this time.

Virgil leapt out from the river channel, his momentum climbing another level; the sword strike Rod had just delivered hadn't done him the slightest harm.

His face twisted into a hideous, terrifying mask: "Why! Why! Why won't you just die!!!"

"Could it possibly be because you're just that bad?"

Rod spun back with a sword strike that slammed straight into a Scattered Forest personnel attempting a sneak attack, smashing him clean in two.

He tossed the essence tube in his hand upward, caught it, then slammed it down onto the blade of the Dragon-Slaying Greatsword.

Crack—!

As the essence tube shattered, the liquid inside splattered everywhere.

With a ripping sound, beneath the brown hard-skin cord on the sword's spine a great mouth suddenly split open; a pink tongue inside greedily licked the liquid off the blade clean.

Immediately following came a heavy, domineering roar.

The greatsword began to shudder violently.

From the flat edge, rough canines with fascia attached squeezed out one after another—pfft-pfft-pfft—growing densely across the flat blade.

Combined with the great tongue split open on the sword's spine, there was a flavor of flesh fused with metal about it.

Rod fell silent.

Mm.

He really didn't want to use it. It was a bit ugly.

【Pull me.】

The brown hard-skin cord trembled once, like a pole that couldn't hold itself up.

"Oh."

Rod tugged the brown hard-skin cord somewhat unwillingly, then yanked it outward with force.

BOOM!!!

In an instant.

Like an awakened engine-beast, wild and brimming with power, trembling the air with a deep, chest-rumbling roar.

BZZZZ!!!

A low, continuous humming.

The rough canines that had grown savagely from the flat edge began to move counterclockwise along the flat blade, rotating like a giant chainsaw, erupting in the grinding clatter of metal scraping against bone.

Sparks flew!

"?"

Rod stared at the Dragon-Slaying Greatsword still roaring in his hand, momentarily dumbfounded.

A chainsaw?!

No wonder there's a weird pull-cord, no wonder there's no edge, no wonder the cut on the White Dragon's horn wasn't very clean!

This is the Dragon-Slaying Sword??

Ugly it may be, but at least it's a treasure-grade weapon.

Rod looked toward Virgil, who was once again throwing punches as he charged over.

This time he didn't keep dodging; he stepped in close, dragged the humming, roaring greatsword in one hand, and swept it violently through.

Half-mad Virgil didn't care at all about the greatsword's transformation and crashed into it head-on.

Sssssssshhhhh sssssssshhhhh sssssssshhhhh—

Blood foam, shredded flesh, pus, severed fingers.

Caught beneath the high-speed spinning fangs, they didn't linger for an instant—bursting outward like sprayed water.

"Aaaaaah—"

Virgil shrieked and stumbled back hard, sick blood flying as his right palm was torn to shreds in that brief clash.

Rod yanked with his left hand, firing off another 【Gravity Wave】 that forcibly arrested his retreat.

The roaring greatsword swung violently and slammed down onto his shoulder.

Sssssssshhhhh sssssssshhhhh sssssssshhhhh—

Flesh and blood flew.

(End of chapter)