Chapter 611: The Useful Armor (Bonus for First Place in Monthly Votes)

Lu Mi smiled at Lu Jianuo, then turned his attention to the "Armor of Pride," observing its next reaction.

"What kind of experiment? Testing the armor's effects?" Lu Jianuo asked, uneasy and confused.

The moment he finished speaking, the air on the dark deck—lit only by the crimson moonlight—suddenly solidified.

The next second, Lu Jianuo saw the fully enclosed armor, untouched by any wearer, coalesce into a massive blade of light, its invisible gaze locking onto him.

This… Before Lu Jianuo could react, the silver-white full-body armor took a heavy step forward, charging toward him with the glowing sword poised to strike.

Lu Mi sidestepped, placing himself between Lu Jianuo and the armor; his body swelled violently, stretching his linen shirt and black trousers to the brink of tearing.

Bang!

The enlarged Lu Mi swung a fist, striking the side of the "Dawn Sword" with a metallic clang.

Only then did Lu Jianuo snap back to his senses; though he didn't understand why this unmanned armor was attacking him, he instinctively spun around and bolted away.

After running a distance, the "Armor of Pride" halted, standing still.

The light-formed "Dawn Sword" dissolved into shimmering fragments, scattering the crimson moonlight and filling the dark deck with the feeling of dawn approaching.

That sensation vanished in an instant.

Lu Mi dared not turn his back to the "Armor of Pride"; he angled his body, calculating the distance between the armor and Lu Jianuo.

"Nearly twenty meters… combined with Lu Jianuo's running speed, the detection range is roughly fifteen meters…" Lu Mi swiftly concluded, his body returning to normal, a smile reappearing on his face.

Enough. Fifteen meters of detection range was more than sufficient on a ship!

He retrieved the "Armor of Pride" and called out to Lu Jianuo, who was still sprinting toward the bow:

"The experiment is over."

Huh? Lu Jianuo stopped, turned, and saw his employer had already returned the strange silver-white full-body armor to the magical item disguised as a coin pouch.

He exhaled in relief, ran back, and asked curiously:

"Did the experiment succeed?"

"Very successful," Lu Mi replied with a radiant smile.

Lu Jianuo didn't understand the purpose of such an experiment, but he vaguely guessed his employer might be searching for a way to capture Father Montserrat.

Back in the first-class suite, Lu Mi immediately ordered Lu Jianuo:

"Go find the captain and have him gather all the Path of Earth and Path of Apothecary adepts on board here. I'll return after capturing Father Montserrat—if you don't come, don't worry, bear the risk yourself."

Lu Mi wasn't certain whether Captain Pedro knew every unstable element aboard, or every adept; he planned to keep a closer watch later, to prevent the "Armor of Pride" from eliminating hidden wild adepts—having Pedro go through this process first would significantly ease his burden.

After watching Lu Jianuo leave the suite, Lu Mi spoke to Ludwig, who had resumed his late-night snack:

"Keep an eye out—see if any 'food' sneaks over here."

Ludwig, mouth full of cake, gave a thumbs-up gesture.

While waiting for the captain, Lu Mi carried the "Armor of Pride" and circled the entire top deck, finding no trace of Father Montserrat.

Soon after, Pedro arrived with a man suspected to be the security chief and a passenger with a lowered hat, entering Lu Mi's suite.

Without explanation, Lu Mi pointed to the sofa area:

"Wait here for me."

Before the three could respond, he pressed his golden straw hat, turned, and walked out the door.

In the stairwell, Lu Mi "drew" the silver-white full-body armor, gripping it under the armpits, and slowly "patrolled" each deck.

Whenever he came within fifteen meters of his own suite, he moved with extra caution—but the "Armor of Pride" never suddenly attacked anyone.

"If the distance exceeds five meters and there are multiple obstructions, this armor still won't react?" Lu Mi mused as he descended floor by floor.

Nearly fifteen minutes passed; he entered the lowest cargo hold.

Before he'd even rounded a few stacks of wooden crates, the "Armor of Pride" in his hands suddenly trembled, violently breaking free of his grip.

The silver-white full-body armor coalesced a glowing sword, took two strides, and slashed at the corner crate.

With a metallic clang, the crate split open, revealing several ingots sliding out.

Simultaneously, on the crate's surface, Father Montserrat's clean, youthful face emerged, his body materializing alongside it.

Facing the armor's raised glowing sword once more, the priest's already sturdy frame grew even heavier and larger, as if transforming into a massive brown bear.

Bang! He slammed his palm, knocking the "Dawn Sword" off course, sending it crashing into the cargo crates behind.

That strength rivaled a real bear's!

As Father Montserrat blocked the "Armor of Pride"'s attack, a figure emerged swiftly beside a pile of crates—Lu Mi, dressed in a linen shirt and black vest, wearing his golden straw hat.

"Hng!"

Two beams of white light shot from Lu Mi's nostrils, striking Father Montserrat before he could even turn his body.

Father Montserrat's gaze instantly lost focus; he collapsed, unconscious.

With this change, his life force surged violently, like a steam engine firing to full power.

This intense life force transformed into extraordinary self-healing, rapidly mending Father Montserrat's spirit.

The essence of "Hengha Technique" closely resembled "Spirit Piercing"—both targeted the spirit, hard to defend against. The latter inflicted unbearable pain, trapping the target in agony; "Hengha Technique" imposed a state of sleep or unconsciousness upon the spirit, itself a form of spiritual damage.

Since it was damage, it could be healed.

Thanks to the self-healing fueled by his surging life force, Father Montserrat's closed eyelids twitched slightly, his eyeballs shifting beneath.

Before he fully collapsed, he was beginning to awaken!

But for Lu Mi, "Hengha Technique" only needed to control his opponent for one second.

Considering Father Montserrat might also be a product of human transmutation, some abilities might not work, Lu Mi lunged forward and extended his right hand.

In his loosely clenched palm, crimson-white flames spiraled, compressing layer upon layer into a dense, solid sphere.

On the other side, the "Armor of Pride" raised the "Dawn Sword" once more.

Father Montserrat opened his eyes, instinctively steadying his balance—his peripheral vision caught Louis Berry's emerald eyes, the crimson-white dangerous fireball, and the glowing sword descending toward his head.

He barely managed to roll sideways, avoiding the sword, as Lu Mi slammed the dense crimson-white fireball directly onto his body.

Boom!

With a massive explosion, Father Montserrat was flung backward.

From his right shoulder to his abdomen, flesh and muscle shattered, bones snapped, exposing still-wriggling internal organs.

His right arm dangled precariously, nearly severed.

Father Montserrat's surging life force had not vanished; at the massive wound, flesh writhed and began healing itself.

Thud!

Father Montserrat crashed onto the floor, greeted by the heavy pounding of the "Armor of Pride" charging toward him and the descending glowing sword.

He pointed a finger—blood and flesh fragments torn loose by the explosion instantly gained life, rushing together, elongating into blurred, thin crimson silhouettes.

The crimson figures surged over the silver-white armor, enveloping it, seeping inward.

Points of dawnlight flared suddenly, filling the cargo hold; the crimson figures dissolved, fading rapidly.

The dawnlight was gentle, not forcing Father Montserrat to blink—his eyes reflected dozens of crimson-white flame crows.

Dozens of these fire crows circled Lu Mi, who stood with one hand in his pocket, tracking different paths as they flew toward Father Montserrat.

They aimed to tear open his body, ignite every scrap of flesh, ensuring even his powerful self-healing could not restore him.

When every fragment of flesh is separated by twenty or thirty centimeters, how can he "crawl" them back together to reassemble?

This isn't flesh magic!

Father Montserrat's pupils dilated; his mouth opened involuntarily, emitting a sinister yet strangely comforting sound.

With that sound, thick darkness descended; tall grasses sprouted, laden with grain, swallowing every trace of dawnlight in the cargo hold.

Some of the crimson-white fire crows lost direction in the darkness, unable to cross the too-"distant" space, fading away; others landed successfully on Father Montserrat's body.

Amid continuous explosions, Father Montserrat's figure turned translucent; in his place, a vast, illusory oak tree sprouted.

Unaffected by the blasts and flames, the still-mangled Father Montserrat appeared atop a branch thick with mistletoe, arms curled as if embracing an invisible infant.

He gazed at Lu Mi, smiling with genuine warmth.

So you're not a demi-god…

"Waa!"

Lu Mi heard the phantom, hollow cry of the infant for the first time.

"Waa waa waa!"

As the crying continued, Lu Mi felt his life force draining steadily; he grew weaker, his mind beginning to blur.

The draining life force flowed toward the invisible infant in Father Montserrat's arms, becoming its nourishment.

PS: Bonus chapter delivered. Beginning of the month—please support with monthly votes~

(End of Chapter)