Chapter 18: Transcription Skill

Xia Zhi acted very composed.

Despite the iron short dagger in his hand still dripping crimson liquid, looking particularly glaring, he was still able to speak leisurely while casually fiddling with this deadly cold object.

This was a self-defense weapon he had specially prepared beforehand; with Vivian's help, he personally smelted and personally forged this short dagger.

It could not be called a divine weapon, but it was of iron texture, ground as sharply as possible while also bearing the simple amplification of Enhancement Magecraft.

—As a weapon, its characteristics were only these.

But it was already enough, because iron weapons were inherently designated as special-effective against Fairies; unless it was a Paradise Fairy or Asheling, it was difficult to truly be immune to iron's deadly poison.

In a situation of catching off guard, a mere Lower Fairy, suffering consecutive critical hits to vital points from this Magic Short Dagger, almost could not have any other ending; what awaited it was only a swift and inevitable demise.

Vivian gently bit her lower lip, then looked at the corpse on the ground; her slightly trembling eyelashes could not conceal the anger deep in her eyes, yet she also did not say much.

This fellow's words indeed hit the key point; moreover, even if he chose to act conservatively, that cunning and fierce Wing Fairy probably would not give up easily, most likely would tear off the facade and completely reveal ferocious fangs.

At that time, the predicament their side would face would undoubtedly be even more perilous.

—Tetelot seemed to not lack combat experience, but also only just not lack experience.

—Vivian's own power before striking the bell also fell far short of reaching the height of a Higher Fairy.

Therefore, facing enemies with a numerical advantage, every additional opponent was like a boulder pressing down; danger and pressure rolled larger like a snowball; the slightest carelessness or error in judgment could instantly overturn the whole situation, plunging them into an abyss of no return.

"Next—stay close to me."

Vivian withdrew her disgusted gaze from the corpse on the ground, unhesitatingly reached out, grabbed the youth beside her, and spoke these words in a low voice, her tone containing undeniable determination.

The girl's fingers tightly entwined on the familiar grain of the Selected Staff; as she decisively turned, the surrounding air seemed to sense the surging in her heart, even the temperature seeming to suddenly drop a few degrees.

Like the hard ice of the northern polar region, formless low pressure silently spread through the air.

Anger would not vanish into thin air; she decided to vent it on the upcoming enemies.

Gripping the staff in her hand, that was the only thing she possessed as a Paradise Fairy; it was born in the Star's Inner Sea, a proof of the Grandmother who created the World, given only to Fairies washed ashore on the land.

At this moment, the Selected Staff also trembled slightly—

Unknown if it was responding to its master's anger, or rejecting…… that killing intent that should not exist.

"OK OK, I'll definitely follow……"

Xia Zhi let the girl pull him forward, casually swinging the iron blade in his hand to shake off the blood stains on it.

"Hey! Li Feiyu, don't wave that knife around…… be careful not to hit me." Tetelot quickly pressed close to follow, and after catching sight of his action couldn't help muttering, cautiously pulling open a subtle distance.

It looked like she was worried about accidentally being cut by the iron knife, but also dared not pull too far away, afraid some unexpected situation would occur and she couldn't rescue in time.

"Cough cough, rest assured rest assured, Grand Master, I know what I'm doing." The youth blinked, coughed lightly, while striding forward rapidly, tried to explain the origin of the iron knife in his hand: "This thing, mainly is……"

"I know I know, you brat are quite vigilant……"

The little-girl-like Wing Fairy hehe revealed a smile, as if wanting to show she could also understand a kindred spirit, spoke first: "Anyway good job! If those Humans in the town could be half as capable as you, they wouldn't go missing so often……"

"Cough cough…… this also can't be helped, after all iron weapons are mostly controlled, this short dagger of mine still took some thought to get."

Xia Zhi dry coughed twice; he hadn't expected that before he could explain, Tetelot seemed to have already brain-supplemented the whole thing first.

"It is like that indeed……" Tetelot pouted, but immediately perked up again, "Alright, not saying these anymore, that move of yours just now, was really too cool! I really thought you were fooled by that disgusting fellow……"

In her words, she involuntarily gesticulated, her emotions clearly extremely agitated and excited.

No one could know what kind of violent ups and downs Tetelot's heart depths went through from just now to now; when she saw the youth seem to really believe that ghost talk, be coaxed past that instant, it was simply as if a piano string suddenly snapped, coldness straight to the bottom of her heart.

At that time, she really thought the kindred spirit she had just found was about to lose her life at the hands of that malicious clansman.

Result unexpectedly——

The plot was a complete rapid decline; that ill-intentioned clansman didn't even have time to be complacent before being counter-killed by Xia Zhi with a momentum of thunder leaving no time to cover ears, so clean and neat, leaving not the least suspense.

Facing such a dramatic huge contrast, Tetelot's emotions were simply excited beyond control.

"So-so, Grand Master, I just have a little experience making friends……" Xia Zhi smiled modestly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

Although he could more or less understand Tetelot's mood, her being this happy was still somewhat unexpected.

Very obviously, she seemed to have not the least pity for that dead clansman, but instead was completely immersed in sincere joy at Xia Zhi's successful counter-kill.

Obviously, the relationship between her and her peers was probably very bad, and she also seemed to not have too much feeling for her own Clan.

Thinking of the previous striking up conversation in front of the clothing store, Tetelot's seemingly conditioned-reflex irritable reaction, Xia Zhi at that time keenly captured a certain subtle emotion; now contrasting with Tetelot's performance, he naturally could infer more things.

This Thread Fairy obviously could not integrate into the Clan's core circle, as if rejected, isolated, existing on the fringe of the group.

However she did not therefore show shrinking or compromise; facing forces within the clan trying to bully her, she would counterattack in an even more intense way, like a little hedgehog covered in spikes, not retreating a step.

This way, it probably formed a Vicious Cycle——

The Clan members' impression of her worsened further, while her emotional ties and sense of belonging to the Clan also grew increasingly thin.

But this was obviously all good things; after all the more so, the more Tetelot was suitable to recruit into the team.

Xia Zhi thought many things in an instant, and just at this time, ahead came bursts of clamor and sounds of killing, thick blood smell accompanied by violent fluctuations of magical power, that kind of tragic battlefield aura directly rushing into the face.

His gaze crossed past the Golden Hair girl ahead, directly landing on the Front Line currently engaged in battle.

…………

…………

At the end of the vision, the Town's Boundary prominently appeared.

And those Fairies who chose to break out from this direction had already engaged in fierce confrontation with Moss.

Compared to those who immediately fall into despair when facing predicaments, becoming Moss's peers, and the scum who take advantage of chaos to kill, burn, and rampage, these Fairies who can accurately judge the best breakout path and act decisively obviously possess stronger action ability and realization.

They are ruthless to others, and ruthless to themselves, able to stake their lives to fight for vitality.

A portion of Humans were assembled as vanguard, driven to impact Moss's solid defense line; the Fang Clan Fairies followed close behind, like the sharpest spearhead, vowing to pierce the enemy formation; the remaining Fairies of various Clans then followed tightly, forming a solid rear support.

The scene although still very chaotic, could also be seen to have a few points of order.

After all, Moss as a Calamity existence entangled since the Fairy Kingdom's creation, after such vast years, even if unable to completely eradicate its source, Fairies must have also evolved a set of tactics specifically targeting this kind of Calamity.

This is like regularly held disaster drills; perhaps in outsiders' eyes merely formalistic surface work, yet not entirely ineffective. When true disaster arrives, at least people can clarify their own action direction and measures.

The current battle situation is precisely such a portrayal——

Since Mors's contagion could only produce an assimilation effect on Fairies, yet was unable to affect Humans, Human soldiers were deployed at the very forefront of the Battlefield...

As an existence with top-tier combat power in the Fairy Kingdom, and possessing relatively stronger anti-Mors qualities, the Fang Clan naturally undertook the core role of breaking through enemy lines; they were like a sharp dagger, their mission to tear at the critical points of the Mors Blockade.

As for the Fairies of other Clans, they were arranged at the rear defense line. Such a deployment was also the most suitable; after all, if they were forcibly placed on the front lines, it would only accelerate their reduction to targets of Mors assimilation, instead swelling the enemy's strength.

"Grand Master, you shouldn't rush in right now..."

Xia Zhi also decisively made a temporary adjustment to the roster of his three-person team.

"You all fall back to the rear, Vivian, you too... don't speak yet, listen to me! At least I'm Human; in the face of Mors, I can withstand higher pressure than you."

He arranged this in a tone that brooked no argument, conveying a suggestive look to Vivian.

The Golden Hair Girl slightly furrowed her brows, but immediately comprehended; obviously Tetelot definitely could not resist Morsification, and although she herself did not fear this threat all that much, her true identity as a Paradise Fairy definitely could not be easily exposed.

"Don't hesitate, quickly catch up to the main force, take this chance to break out..."

Xia Zhi did not drag his feet at all, giving them no time to hesitate, taking the lead in quickening his pace to catch up with the main force ahead.

Although this side's defense line appeared weak, the surging Mors were still astonishing in Mors Quantity, like a pitch-black tide, bringing weird Entities of distorted Curse surging forth. Although the Fairies on the front lines were breaking out with their lives on the line, helplessly people kept falling one after another.

Facing such a perilous situation, only by closely following the main force's steps could they possibly find a sliver of survival.

Otherwise, what awaited them was only the fate of being mercilessly devoured by that black torrent.

Miserable Cries drifting in the Wind intertwined with the thick Blood Smell, like a catalyst stimulating the rise of a certain brutal Emotion deep within Xia Zhi's Inner Heart. He took a deep Breath, mobilizing that not-yet-abundant yet incomparably eager Magecraft within his body.

This vessel is actually really not bad.

At least, it verified that Vivian's statement at the time was not empty talk; she indeed considered Doll Magic very simple.

Xia Zhi did not know—

Vivian's counterpart in Pan-Human History was able to analyze Spirit Particle Transfer Technology involving parallel worlds, Time Travel and other fields in a single night;

As for the Vivian of this world herself, she was a genius Magician who directly mastered the Divine Realm's Rhongomyniad as Magecraft.

Her Aptitude in the field of Magecraft had long surpassed the comprehension range of Mortals.

Even without having found a true master to guide her yet, self-studying on one hand while digesting the other self's Intelligence on the other, her growth speed was still ridiculously fast. Plus she was genuinely dedicated, spending most of a month specifically conquering Doll Magic...

Not saying she could directly reach a certain Crown Mage Doll Master's attainment...

But.

Merely manufacturing a doll capable of passing for the real thing was already enough to satisfy the Threshold Condition.

The body Xia Zhi currently relies on is, in essence, a doll body; it near-perfectly simulates the real him, using his blueprint as a baseline, meticulously carved into a bionic body almost indistinguishable from a real person.

Manipulating such a body, the experience is excellent, zero delay, movements smooth and natural, almost making one feel none of the sluggishness of controlling something different from one's original flesh. Aside from the "login" and "logout" operations being a bit troublesome, it has virtually no flaws.

He gently hooked his foot, flicking up a long spear beside a corpse on the ground, gripping it in hand.

The spear tip seemed forged from some special metal, anyway not iron. The shaft was some hardwood material, who knows if it's a Fairy Kingdom unique tree species; anyway Xia Zhi couldn't identify it at the moment.

How to put it, quite a shabby weapon...

But can't be picky either; an inch longer, an inch stronger; at a juncture like this, it's still better than that Magic Short Dagger.

That thing only has special effectiveness against Fairies; in other aspects it's not as good as this long spear.

"You know how to use this too?" Vivian was on guard behind, casually using the Selected Staff to call forth a few Magecraft, repelling the Mors surging up beside her, simultaneously asking with slight doubt, does this fellow really know everything?

"Know a thing or two..."

Xia Zhi didn't turn his head, saying quite modestly; after all Vivian was also clear on his situation, so he wouldn't talk nonsense about "my dad taught me in Hawaii".

He brandished the long spear in hand, quickly familiarizing himself with this weapon's length, weight and other parameters; although this body likewise had no muscle memory, under the support of vast Memory experience, this was completely no difficulty.

Perhaps it's one of the wonderful uses brought by Magecraft.

Xia Zhi previously discovered certain changes in himself when recalling culinary arts.

Because although his accumulated experience was extremely vast, those were all information on the Cognition and Memory level; the body didn't retain a shred of muscle memory or action Habit; to truly manifest that experience, he needed to re-master the "feel".

But now—

He discovered it seemed not to need too many tedious steps, nor repeated practice many times; the "feel" could naturally return.

Estimated it should be the change brought by Magecraft, letting his Physical Quality undergo a slow yet firm comprehensive improvement, naturally bringing more sufficient strength, speed, dexterity and control, allowing him to do better.

He felt it was just this; this time also seriously recalling, simultaneously mobilizing internal Magecraft to rapidly roam the whole body, according to his will and thoughts, permeating every muscle, every nerve, assisting his body's movement and exertion...

Like Breath and blood, just as natural.

Countless Memory fragments surfaced in his mind; those were his experiences using various long spears, Long Spears, even long-handled weapons and other weapons, simultaneously flowing from Memory into the physical level of his four limbs and hundred bones.

————

————

On that Distant Boundary Record beyond the World's outer side.

A large amount of High Concentration information was continuously Flowing, rapidly transcribing and engraving massive data—

... Search Start...

... Search Complete...

... Start Vessel Suitability Operation...

... Spirit Origin Transcription Complete...

... Start Inserting Special Skill Insertion...

... Suitability Operation Complete...

... All Engineering End...

————

(PS: Vivian was probably also granted the Selected Staff at the start; the healing staff for allies turned into a long spear for defeating enemies, transforming from the original "Object for Saving Fairies" into "Object for Defeating Fairies", is the story of her later thorough Despair... so I modified this Detail)

(Chapter End)