CHAPTER 229: THE WICKED DON’T DIE YOUNG [PART 1]

The attacks of a Rank 5 Demon Worshiper Elder and a Rank 2 Oathkeeper—heavily buffed by an Oath recognized by the world—clashed at the center, resulting in a deafening impact.

Shield Charge had always been one of Alex’s foolproof main offensive attacks, and it had served him well before.

Unfortunately, he was up against someone who was more than double his rank. Even with buffs, the difference in stats was staggering. At most, his current strength was that of a Rank 3 Oathkeeper.

As such, the exchange between the two ended in Alex being sent flying backward, crashing through several trees.

A glance was enough to tell who had the upper hand now. However, a groan escaped Willow’s lips, for she wasn’t left completely unscathed by that collision.

Alex’s Oathbound Armor Set had one special feature—it reflected any physical damage that he received from his opponent.

As a complete set, it gave Alex a passive 30% Damage Reflection.

But it didn’t end there.

After Everguard’s reforge, it retained its original skills, one of which was called Aegis Riposte.

———

Everguard (Reforged)

"You hold it not because you are unafraid—but because someone has to be brave."

Aegis Riposte

— Upon blocking a melee attack, Everguard reflects a small portion of the damage back at the attacker.

— Reflects 5% melee damage for each successful block.

— When the Oathkeeper enters a seriously injured state, Aegis Riposte will get an upgrade, and reflect 50% melee damage for each successful block.

Note: It is more than a shield. It is the promise that the new Oathkeeper made, and the weight he will bear until the end.

———

Alex knew he was no match for his opponent, but so what?

As long as he had Everguard, he was willing to trade blows with his enemy.

After all, sure, he’d get hurt, but he would certainly not be the only one.

Not to mention, if he was hit by a blow strong enough to seriously injure him, the reflection damage he dealt would jump drastically to 80%.

The young man, who had been blown away by such a powerful attack, propped himself up from the ground.

His left arm hung limply by his side.

Even moving it slightly brought him extreme pain. It affirmed his suspicion that the bones on his left arm were broken.

’Her Deathscythe might be a Super Rare or Unique Weapon,’ Alex thought. ’As expected of a Mini Boss. She lives up to her reputation.’

Even right at the start, he had no real shot at winning. But Alex hadn’t come to this hopeless battle unprepared.

In fact, he was overprepared for this possibility.

Taking out a purple vial from his storage ring, the young man chugged the potion like a sports drink.

This potion alone cost him five thousand academy points, which was quite expensive.

However, it wasn’t an ordinary healing potion.

It was a Greater Rejuvenation Potion, which activated fast regeneration of the body’s cells.

It could heal even broken bones, although not instantly. It would still need some time to take full effect.

But that was fine.

Alex didn’t want his injury to be healed completely since he wanted to keep his reflection damage at 80%.

All he wanted was a major boost in passive healing, so even after receiving the other party’s beating, his body would still be healed, albeit slowly.

After consuming the potion, the young man gritted his teeth and forced himself to take a step forward.

He was in so much pain that he wanted his opponent to feel the same!

Everguard disappeared from his left arm as he transferred it to his right.

Raising his shield in front of him, Alex charged towards Willow, who thought that the pain she felt earlier was merely a result of the skill that her opponent had used against her.

"Shield Charge!"

Some of the students who were watching the battle, especially the girls, covered their eyes, not wanting to see the outcome of the young man’s desperate struggle.

Still, the majority watched as Alex put his life on the line to fight against a Demon Worshiper who had invaded their academy. They couldn’t bring themselves to look away as Alex valiantly took his last stance.

Disdain and contempt flashed across Willow’s face as black flames covered her deathscythe.

"Courting Death," Willow sneered as she unleashed one of her strongest attacks that would put an end to this farce. "By shadow’s toll, I claim your soul!"

"Eternal Culling!"

An attack that threatened to split the young man in half descended upon him with fury.

But Alex didn’t back down and faced it head-on.

The moment they clashed again, a powerful shockwave exploded outwards, uprooting all trees around them for hundreds of meters.

At the same time, two screams of pain reverberated through the surroundings as both Alex and Willow were thrown back by the force of their attacks.

The young man crashed through the trees, leaving a line of destruction in his wake.

The same could be said for Willow, who felt as if her very soul had been sliced in half.

It was a pain she had never experienced before. Despite being a battle-hardened warrior who was more powerful than Alex, the pain brought her to tears.

Alex coughed out mouthfuls of blood. His right arm was bent into a strange angle.

That attack could have instantly killed him, but the Oathbound Armor Set had some powerful passive abilities that guaranteed that he wouldn’t be insta-killed even if he were to face the strongest attack in the world of Arcana.

———

Final Vow – Heart Unbroken

— If Alex receives fatal damage, he instead survives with 1 HP and becomes invulnerable for 10 seconds. This passive skill has a cooldown of 48 hours.

— Reflects incoming physical damage by 10%

———

Final Vow.

That was Alex’s life-saving skill that prevented him from dying.

Even when he was crashing through the trees, this skill protected him, keeping him alive due to his Invulnerable State.

But that wasn’t all. It also reflected 10% of the damage he received from physical attacks, boosting his reflection ability to 90%

A 90% damage reflection was almost the same as getting hit by the full attack that Willow had unleashed against him.

Alex was no longer able to move, with blood seeping from nearly every pore of his body.

But even from where he was, he could hear Willow’s screams. Shrill as they were, they sounded like music in his ears.

This was the only thing that kept Alex awake despite the overwhelming pain that washed over his body.

A moment later, a little white bun appeared beside his head, holding a white potion in its hands.

Dim Dim carefully poured the potion into the young man’s mouth as Alex could no longer move a muscle.

This potion cost ten thousand academy points, and Alex had handed it to the little bun as an insurance for the worst-case scenario.

Lapiz, whom Dim Dim had accompanied after leaving Alex’s side, looked at the young man with a conflicted expression.

She had watched as Alex fought against the Demon Worshiper possessing Vaan’s body.

Dim Dim had explained everything to her and asked for her help.

After Alex finished drinking the potion, Lapiz knelt beside him and pressed her hands on his chest.

She then used the power of nature to speed up his recovery.

However, the injuries he received were not only physical. His soul also received some damage.