CHAPTER 170: THREE WAY BATTLE [3]

Thanks to his high perception stats, Gabriel had sensed danger from miles away.

His scalp tingled and his hair stood on end. The grin alone on Alofonso’s face was a dead giveaway that the High Cardinal had something planned.

The first thing that came to Gabriel’s mind was to use [Burrow Shift] to get away as quickly as he could.

The moment he activated the skill, he vanished underground—right then a clawed shadowy arm lashed at the empty air, failing to tear flesh.

"Darn it!" Alofonso’s expression darkened as he watched his target slip from his grasp.

Appearing some meters away, Gabriel finally had a clearer look at his hidden opponent. It was the Church’s summon.

The monstrous creature glared at him with glowing red eyes.

’Two on one.’ His eyes flashed. He didn’t find this setup wrong and, in fact, welcomed it.

Regardless, he needed to be careful, especially after witnessing what the summon was capable of.

ROOOAR! The beast roared fiercely as it rushed toward him. Gabriel quickly extended a hand and shouted—

"Dark Flame Orb!"

BOOM!

Three overcharged dark flames, each containing at least 200 mana points, slammed into the summon, exploding into a storm of draconic fire that engulfed the monster.

-2000

A part of him had wished to kill the creature with a single attack or at least inflict significant damage. But compared to its vast pool of vitality, he had only made a dent.

Alofonso’s mocking laugh rang out from behind. "Did you think that would work? This summon was crafted by the Holy Pope himself. Even if you burn your mana dry, you’ll barely scratch it!"

The summon let out another roar, shaking off the flames as if they were nothing but sparks. Its body then began knitting back together at an unnatural pace.

Already having seen this, Gabriel wasn’t shocked.

After using [Sapphire Eyes of the Deep] on the monster, he discovered that it was Level 95 with a whopping 30,000 health points.

’Already Level 95?’ His eyes narrowed. From the way Alofonso spoke, this summon was newly created, yet it was already so high-leveled!

He needed to get rid of it quickly, or else it would only grow stronger and become a future disaster.

His earlier attack had already chipped away 2,000 health points, leaving it with 28,000.

Without hesitation, he launched another volley of dark flames.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

-5000 (Critical Hit!)

All three blasts smashed into the same spot, making the monster reel in pain. Its eyes glowed an even darker shade.

The summon had natural, rapid regeneration... but what if he attacked in quick succession? Would it disrupt its recovery?

Back when he had watched the clips, Gabriel had considered this possibility. Now was the time to test it in practice.

The ground cracked under his feet as the creature lunged again, claws large enough to shred steel sweeping toward him.

He vanished into the earth with [Burrow Shift], reappearing behind Alofonso in a split second, slashing downward with his sword.

Fortunately, the High Cardinal reacted instantly. A cross-shaped pendant on his neck emitted a soft glow that spread into a radiant barrier.

CRACK!

When Crimson Judgement slammed into the barrier, ripples spread across its surface, stunning Alofonso, followed by jagged cracks.

’How...?’

Before he could complete his words, the summon’s massive claw erupted from the ground beneath, forcing him to roll aside. The strike missed by inches, carving a trench where he had just stood.

Gabriel was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected the monster to possess a skill that allowed it to burrow underground.

’Investing in Perception earlier was the smartest move I made,’ he thought. ’If my perception was any lower, things would’ve been troublesome back there.’

A murderous gleam flashed in his eyes as he locked onto the summon. He needed to get rid of it first before focusing on the persistent High Cardinal.

Channeling over 100 mana points into his blade, he vanished from his spot and dashed head-on toward the monster instead of retreating.

The spectators in the viewing center gasped in disbelief. Was he really going to fight both at once?

The summon’s claw came down with earth-shattering force—

"[Vicious Pounce]!"

Gabriel’s body accelerated like a beast unleashed, dodging by a hair’s breadth as he slammed his fist into the creature’s chest. The impact thundered through the battlefield, and for the first time, the summon staggered back a step.

He didn’t let it regain its footing. His sword slashed down in a flurry.

-500

-1009

-6000

-8000 (Critical Hit!)

’This bastard—he’s not letting the summon’s regeneration skill kick in!’ The Cardinal grew anxious.

SWOOSH!

The blade carved a crimson arc across the spectral hide. A chunk of its shoulder ripped open—there was no blood, but the beast howled in agony.

-7000!

Alofonso’s lips twitched, his smugness cracking. He pointed a finger and chanted a buff spell.

The summon roared as intense energy flooded its body. Its speed doubled instantly, covering ten meters in a single bound.

Its red eyes glowed with desperation. Its health had plummeted to 6,491.

Tightening his grip on Crimson Judgement, Gabriel struck forward, targeting its neck. The blade generated a shockwave that even disrupted the battles around him as it landed squarely on the beast.

-1000

His relentless strikes allowed no breathing room. Blow after blow, he forced its HP bar down like a collapsing mountain.

-2500

-1001 (Critical!)

[HP: 1/30,000]

Alofonso’s cocky expression vanished, replaced by sheer horror. His face went pale as paper when he realized the summon entrusted to him by the Church was about to be destroyed.

BOOOOOM!!

Crimson Judgement came crashing down in a final, devastating strike, chipping away the last sliver of HP. The summon disintegrated into black particles, scattering to the wind.

Immediately after witnessing the scene, the viewing centers exploded like a stadium after a winning goal.

"HE DID IT!! SIR BROKEN KILLED THE SUMMON!!!"

"OH MY GOD, HE TOOK OUT THE CHURCH’S SECRET WEAPON!!"

The forums went berserk:

Endgame0522: HOLY F*** HE ACTUALLY KILLED IT!!!

Xavier_Gaulman: RIP my bet money, but damn that was EPIC!

Denis_Bouhier: You guys don’t get it... this was YEARS of Church resources gone in a puff. The Pope is gonna go insane.

...

In the studio—

Doodle almost fell out of his chair, screaming into his mic. "HAHAHAHAHA!! SIR BROKEN JUST ERASED THE SUMMON!! There you have it! The debate has finally ended!"

"This... changes everything," Noel’s calm voice slid in. "The Holy Church has lost their trump card. Now it’s down to pure strength between Alofonso and Gabriel."

...

Back in the game, Alofonso’s eyes went wide with disbelief. His face twisted hideously, his entire body shaking with fury. "You—you bastard!! Do you have any idea how many years the Church spent creating that summon?! How many resources were poured into it?!"

Gabriel didn’t bother replying. Instead, he pointed his greatsword at the High Cardinal and gestured for him to come. "Are you going to keep barking, or show some bite?"

Veins bulged on Alofonso’s temple at the taunt.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!" he roared, stomping the ground. Radiant shockwaves burst outward, knocking adventurers off their feet. His aura was suffocating, like a collapsing mountain pressing down on everyone.

Suddenly, a blinding radiance engulfed the clearing—as if a star had detonated.

Both men froze, confusion flashing in their eyes. Gabriel turned toward the source.

It was Aria. Every jewel adorning her body glowed with cold, glittering light, combining into an overwhelming flash.

Adventurer Guild members and Holy Church knights alike dropped their weapons, clutching at their eyes.

"Ahhh! My eyes—!"

"My vision—damn it, it’s gone!!"

"System interface is... blurry...!!"

"W-What the hell?!"

While confusion spread, a green screen flashed before Gabriel’s eyes:

[Ding! Your Intelligence stat exceeds the caster’s threshold.

You are unaffected by [Blinding Radiance].

Due to your high Perception, incoming visual impairment is reduced by 70%.]

After seeing the system message, he understood immediately. Those blinded were simply weaker in Intelligence compared to the jewel-adorned woman.

Alofonso also went pale—it seemed he had received the same notification.

Scarlet and Jack’s clash paused briefly. Thanks to her superior Intelligence stats, the Vice-Leader withstood Aria’s skill, but she could see that nearly everyone else had been temporarily blinded.

What was worse—the true instigator of everything had finally moved.

Without mercy, Aria began eliminating players one by one. Her left hand flicked, and a razor-thin beam of light shot out from a sapphire ring—ZING! The beam pierced through the chest of a nearby player before he could even cry out. His body glowed and shattered into fragments of data, eliminated on the spot.

"Finally decided to use it," Jack chuckled. "Scarlet, it’s not too late. Hand over your points peacefully, and we’ll end this."

***

Thanks to all those that support Extraction Talent with their valuable Golden tickets and power stones I really appreciate! It motivates me to write more. Also, today is the exam so there would be only one Chapter.