Chapter 1310: Eight Blades and One Heart
The spectators of this battle did not hear any joyful exclamations from the victor.
Despite Adam’s confident victory using the Dual Demon Sword, he expended no less energy than Ureyn. This was obvious to anyone with a keen eye.
Adam and Ureyn, the winner and the loser, both remained alive and fell into a deep sleep.
One of them became stronger and the other weaker, but it was up to each of them to decide how the results of this battle would affect them.
Perhaps, despite the heavy defeat and loss of his strength, this battle was much more important for Ureyn.
Adam received the Connected Heart and took another step on his path, but before the Sting Duel, Ureyn had no idea that he was on the wrong road.
If he has the necessary desire, he will definitely be able to return to his previous level, because now his aura does not even reach the Lesser Elder stage.
After Ureyn wakes up, he will be puzzled that even defeating a simple Black Threat Monster will be a serious trial for him.
Well, if something like that could stop him, he would never have been an opponent for Adam in the String Duel. The strings simply would not have directed Adam to someone like that.
Norax, who had been watching the battle from the closest spot since the beginning, grinned widely, satisfied with what had happened.
“Hehehe, Adam Vinter, you showed up just in time. I wonder what else you’ll manage to do in these lands before moving on. The Tarnished Lands are a dangerous place, but full of possibilities.”
“Ureyn!” Nollura exclaimed from the side as she ran up to him in worry.
Norax waved his hand.
“Don’t shout like that, young Arachne. He’ll be fine, not right away, but I think Ureyn will return to his former self pretty quickly.”
“But…” Her voice trembled. “How long will it take him? His aura has become so weak! It will take years for him to regain his strength!”
Tap.
Norax’s hand fell on Nollura’s shoulder, causing her to turn and meet his purple eyes.
“Stop shouting. Ureyn has become stronger than he was, deep down inside. If you can’t see that, then you’re just as foolish as the monsters from the Gray Needle, like Draug, who did this to Ureyn in the first place.”
Nollura gulped. Receiving such a warning from Norax was frightening for a weak monster like her.
However, despite her fear and his authority weighing on her like a mountain, she gathered her courage to ask one more question:
“You… You’re the head of the Black Cut, right?”
Norax’s lips curved upward; he already knew what would come next.
“Of course I am. I am the only one entitled to this position, and no one else. Everyone knows that, even a little spider like you.”
“Then.” She bit her lip. “What decision have you made? Will you accept Ureyn into the Black Cut?”
It seemed like the answer should be simple.
Ureyn had demonstrated that with his wind, he was capable of devastating cuts. Moreover, he possessed talent and great strength, especially for a monster of his level.
Norax had no reason to deny Ureyn his desire to join the Black Cut. Not to mention that he essentially had no other choice if he wanted to keep Ureyn alive.
If Ureyn remained without a faction, Draug would kill him for treason, and only Norax could prevent that with one simple decision.
“Hmm… You know, I haven’t actually made a final decision yet.” Norax touched his chin thoughtfully, looking ahead, but Nollura could clearly see a mocking glint in his eyes.
“You…” She gritted her teeth in anger. “You know what will happen to Ureyn if he doesn’t become one of the Black Cut!”
“And?”
His question hung in the air.
“What are you going to do? Force me to make this decision?”
He waved his hand, taking a step back.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I could crush you as easily as a random bug. However… What if we raise the stakes?”
Nollura’s eyes widened as Norax spread his arms wide. His aura billowed around him like a purple flame, frightening Nollura with his mere presence.
“Maybe you have talent, too? Maybe I should accept you into the Black Cut, too? All or nothing, young Arachne. Either you both get a chance, or you both lose everything.”
“What… What should I do?” Nollura asked in a trembling voice, a chill running down her spine.
Norax smirked.
“Isn’t it obvious? The same as Ureyn, show me if you can cut.”
She didn’t know if Norax was serious or just mocking her. It was impossible to understand what motivated him, except for Nollura, who trembled in fear just from his aura.
Despite her fear, Nollura rose as her eight spider blades fluttered, ready to show the best she was capable of.
“Agh… Agh… Agh…”
She was breathing heavily. If this was entertainment for Norax, for Nollura it was a matter of life and death, and not hers but Ureyn’s, which only made the situation more complicated.
“Fine, you always look down on monsters like me, but… I’m capable of something too!”
Step. Step. Step.
Rushing forward, after a few quick jumps, Nollura found herself right in front of Norax as a green glow ran across her blades.
All eight blades moved simultaneously, bringing down several cleaves on Norax, which became one vertical cut.
Tap.
Faster than her eyes could process, Norax’s hand shot forward, stopping all of her blades with the tip of her little finger.
Nollura’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched a piece of skin fall from Norax’s finger, but there was no cut, let alone a bloody wound.
“Not bad.”
The strange response, given the situation, puzzled Nollura. She couldn’t tell if it was a joke or if she had actually managed to impress Norax.
“But I can’t accept some Arachne in the Black Cut. We need to fix this, right now.”
His voice dropped sharply.
“Agh?” Nollura’s eyes widened as Norax stepped forward, thrusting his palm into her chest.
His hand clenched around her heart, while it beat actively.
“It will hurt, very much, but when you come to, you will thank me.”
Norax’s gaze remained calm as energy ran through his hand straight to Nollura’s heart.
Soon, her face contorted in wild pain that would cause her to change and gain access to previously impossible power.