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n478 The Mockery of Fate

nBang!

nThe crimson fireball, unleashed from Lumian’s fingertips, honed in on its target, striking General Philip’s head with deadly precision. The explosion that followed resembled a cannonball’s impact.

nPhilip’s body disintegrated starting from the point of impact, as if a hammer had shattered a mirror reflecting his form.

nAmidst the chaos concealed by the explosion, shards of glass scattered across the wilderness, joining the reflections of those already present.

nLumian’s eyes widened as he observed the unexpected turn of events.

nDoes the Deceased pathway also possess Mirror Substitution?

nOr does General Philip wield a mystical item from the Demoness pathway?

nSuch thoughts raced through Lumian’s mind as he processed the scene. Philip’s black-cloaked figure swiftly reappeared more than ten meters away. His eyes, once frenzied, now regained clarity.

nSimultaneously, Jenna, disguised as a female mercenary, materialized from invisibility behind General Philip. She aimed her revolver at the Deceased, who had narrowly escaped the fatal attack and negative state.

nTo be honest, Jenna found herself in a perplexing and shocking situation.

nThe revelation that General Philip possessed Mirror Substitution didn’t catch her off guard. However, she hadn’t processed the implications before realizing he had “chosen” to position himself right before her, as if anticipating her to backstab him.

nOriginally, Jenna had devised a plan to exploit Lumian’s clash with General Philip. Her intention was to utilize Invisibility, slip away from her hiding spot, and reach the wilderness’s edge. Her goal: to assist Franca, cast a curse if Lumian’s strike fell short, or create a frosty hindrance on the ground. Unexpectedly, General Philip had “escaped” to a location directly in front of her.

nSuch a golden opportunity couldn’t be ignored!

nConfused by the unfolding events, Jenna instinctively raised her right hand, aiming her revolver at the back of General Philip’s head.

nThough unsure of the reasons behind this bizarre turn of events, she suspected it was connected to the lucky gold coin she had received from Will.

nBang!

nJenna squeezed the trigger, and a yellow bullet, wreathed in black flames, shot out from the muzzle, hurtling toward General Philip’s skull.

nMeanwhile, Franca emerged from the radiant Sunrise Gleam, witnessing Anthony Reid overcoming his fear to employ his abilities on General Philip. Lumian had for some reason arrived in the vicinity, appearing mysteriously behind Philip.

nWithout time to dwell on her surprise, Franca swiftly raised her brass classic revolver and fired an iron-black bullet at Gardner Martin, who wielded his broadsword of light.

nHer strategy was clear—unleash her full strength to stall Gardner Martin and deny him the opportunity to save General Philip!

nFranca’s decision to use invisibility wasn’t about tapping into Assassin tactics to backstab her ex-lover. Drawing on her battle experience, she instinctively chose invisibility for a different purpose—to escape Gardner Martin and General Philip’s sight, gaining a brief moment of safety.

nDuring this fleeting period, Franca not only moved with agility but also retrieved the coin bag filled with coins. Wearing the iron-black Ring of Punishment on her left thumb and Beatrice’s Necklace around her neck, she completed her ensemble.

nFinally, she withdrew the Cannon Gun from her underarm holster, clasping it firmly in her palm.

nIn her invisible state, Franca armed herself to the teeth, entering her strongest state before the inevitable reveal.

nBang!

nAs the iron-black bullet sped toward Gardner Martin, Franca’s diamond necklace on her chest emitted a faint glow.

nSimultaneously, Franca’s eyes welled up, and her red lips parted slightly, amplifying the allure of a Demoness of Pleasure.

nGardner Martin’s body suddenly heated up, feeling his blood rush to his nether regions.

nScenes of his past entanglement with Franca flooded his mind, captivated by the Demoness’s uncanny demeanor amidst iron and blood.

nHis eyes reddened, breathing grew labored, and movements visibly slowed.

nLust!

nFrom Beatrice’s Necklace and the lust of the Mother Tree of Desire pathway, coupled with the charm of a Demoness of Pleasure, it had a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.

nMoreover, Gardner Martin wasn’t a stranger to such experiences. He had always agreed with the words in Emperor Roselle’s Secret Chronicles: “The taste of a Demoness ain’t bad.” In this situation, how could he control himself after tasting a Demoness?

nClang! The iron-black bullet struck Gardner Martin’s chest, causing cracks in his silver armor.

nFranca, not surprised that the attack hadn’t worked, realized in her haste, she hadn’t activated the Heavy Strike effect of the Cannon Gun.

nThe brass revolver, a mystical item purchased from the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, wasn’t particularly potent or mystical; it had two simple abilities. The first, a normal shot, equivalent to a rifle, and the second, a Heavy Strike, akin to a small cannonball or a sniper rifle.

nFranca always carried it to compensate for a Demoness’s lack of offensive capabilities when she couldn’t use a curse. The Cannon Gun’s negative effects were minimal—if all six rounds were not fired in a day or maintained every other week, rare situations like chamber explosions or misfires could occur.

nObserving Gardner Martin’s infatuated gaze behind the visor, Franca hesitated before using her right thumb to pull back the Cannon Gun’s hammer, signaling the activation of the Heavy Strike effect.

nBang!

nAs Franca moved, she pulled the trigger at Gardner Martin, who lunged at her as if seeking a mate.

nThe iron-black bullet collided with him, accompanied by blazing flames.

nAlmost simultaneously, Franca sensed an anomaly in the Primordial Demoness figurine casually stuffed into her pocket.

nNot only did it turn cold again, like ice, but it also trembled slightly.

nDammit! Why is it you again? Are you done!? Franca, feeling both angry and cautious, pulled the trigger and threw the palm-sized bone figurine far away.

nSimultaneously, on the other side, Jenna’s bullet, fired from an ordinary revolver, pierced the back of General Philip’s head with black flames. Unsurprisingly, the Deceased shattered like a mirror, his figure outlined at the edge of the Sunrise Gleam created by Gardner Martin.

nAt that moment, as Franca hurled the Primordial Demoness’s bone figurine, General Philip’s body froze.

nBlack flames erupted, silently igniting his Spirit Body. Cold frost swiftly condensed, enveloping him.

nBlood seeped from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, emitting a series of cracking sounds.

nThe mirror he carried appeared to have shattered.

nHe was clearly in a daze, as if he had been cursed.

nWithout hesitation, Lumian employed Spirit World Traversal once more, emerging from behind General Philip.

nMeanwhile, Anthony Reid had stood up, his expression no longer filled with fear but focused hatred.

nAs Philip was not far from him, on the edge of the clear Sunrise Gleam, he ran towards the general—his mortal enemy.

nPhilip’s figure reflected in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile.

nHis pupils turned vertical, tinged with a faint golden hue.

nThis time, he refrained from employing Frenzy, fearing it might cause General Philip to lose control and transform, giving Gardner Martin an opportunity to kill his team.

nHe chose Awe, also known as Dragon Might!

nGeneral Philip trembled.

nUnder normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have succumbed to such a severe Awe. At most, he would have experienced temporary fear. However, he was in a dire state, influenced by an unknown force, betrayed by an item on him. Consequently, his entire being fell into a blank state.

nObserving this, Lumian refrained from using the Spell of Harrumph. His right hand took the shape of a revolver again, aimed at the back of General Philip’s head, and fired a crimson fireball that was nearly white from his fingertips.

nPhilip was jolted awake by a tangible premonition of danger, only to witness his impending demise.

nA wave of indignation washed over him.

nDespite being stronger, possessing lethal strikes, and an array of mystical abilities, he suffered a relentless beating without a chance to retaliate. He didn’t even have an opportunity to fight back before Death knocked on his door.

nIn his eyes, countless fates interwove into a net, constantly changing, as if mocking him.

nThis made him feel like a clown.

nBang!

nGeneral Philip’s head exploded from Lumian’s crimson, nearly white fireball. Numerous skull fragments splattered with charred marks, red blood, and milky-white brain matter.

nThe Deceased’s lifeless body thudded to the ground, and an item rolled out of the hidden pocket of the black cloak.

nIt was a pitch-black figurine, palm-sized and resembling a beautiful woman. Long snake-like hair cascaded to its feet, and it had eyes of various forms at the top.

nWh— Lumian’s gaze instinctively shifted to the Primordial Demoness figurine that Franca had thrown out.

nSimilar to the one on General Philip, one was pure white, while the other was pitch-black.

nSuddenly, Lumian grasped why General Philip had Mirror Substitution and why he had appeared directly in front of Jenna, who was invisible.

nWith the special Primordial Demoness figurine, he naturally converged with Demonesses!

nSubsequently, Franca’s official Primordial Demoness figurine resonated with the pitch-black one, causing an abnormality that led to General Philip being “cursed” by the item at a critical moment.

nThe pitch-black Primordial Demoness figurine was likely the item Gardner Martin had smuggled into Trier through “Rat” Christo’s smuggling caravan!

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