CHAPTER 267: CHAPTER 267: THREATENING JOHNNIE, SEVENFOLD SEVERANCE

Pitiless’s strength was far beyond what Johnnie had imagined. With just a casual strike, Nalorin Sylvia was badly hurt and spat blood.

The two of them were no match for her.

Now their power was suppressed, and The Map of Heaven and Earth couldn’t be used. Johnnie couldn’t even run.

He had thought the mutated Seven Sword could threaten a The Core God.

Now it seemed he was thinking too much.

"Interesting." A pretty smile curved at Pitiless’s lips. She looked at Johnnie with a teasing gaze and said calmly, "Aren’t you here to save Cecilia? I’ll give you a choice."

She lifted her hand and made a grasping motion in the air. Space rippled, and a figure appeared.

"Cecilia!" Johnnie’s eyes lit up. It was her.

She looked worn out, but not injured.

"Johnnie!" Cecilia was overjoyed, but she was bound and couldn’t break free.

She shouted, "Wicked woman, let me and Johnnie go!"

"Heh." Pitiless chuckled, then raised her hand again. The badly injured Nalorin Sylvia was pulled over.

She looked at Johnnie and smiled. "Human, I’ll give you a chance. You can only save one of these two women. Who will it be?"

She was smiling, but her face showed no emotion. It sent a deep chill through Johnnie.

Neigh!

The unicorn let out a cry, as if mocking Johnnie.

"Master, save Mistress first. I don’t believe she dares to kill me," Nalorin Sylvia said coldly, glaring at Pitiless without fear.

"Oh? Really?"

Pitiless snapped her fingers. Two ice spikes formed and hung over the two women’s heads, sinking down little by little.

She said,"These two ice spikes carry soul attacks. If they fall, both women will die. You have the time of one stick of incense to decide."

With a flick of her sleeve, an incense stick appeared, stuck into the ground in front of Johnnie, and lit itself.

The wind was bitter cold. The incense burned.

Johnnie’s eye twitched. He stared coldly at Pitiless, but a deep helplessness rose in his heart.

"Evil woman, is your heart made of stone? I helped you so much, and you still want to hurt us!" Cecilia said through clenched teeth.

"You’re right," Pitiless said lightly, even a bit proud. "I cultivate The Unfeeling Way. I cut off all love and ties. I’m also helping you see this human’s true face. This man isn’t worth your sacrifice."

Johnnie frowned. It seemed Cecilia and this woman had made some deal that required her to sacrifice herself to save him.

"Master, don’t hesitate. Save Mistress first. The Ancestor of the Nalorin Family is also a The Core God. She won’t dare hurt me." Nalorin Sylvia glanced at the slowly falling ice spike above her head, unafraid.

"Nalorin Family’s Nadir Arcus? Hmph. He’s nothing to me," Pitiless snorted, full of disdain.

She truly didn’t take the Nalorin Family’s Ancestor seriously.

Nalorin Sylvia’s brows drew together, anger flaring in her eyes. No one had ever dared insult the Nalorin Family’s Ancestor like this.

"Master?" Cecilia looked at Nalorin Sylvia with curiosity.

Though Nalorin Sylvia’s face was covered by a thin veil, hiding her features, Cecilia could feel she was also a stunning beauty.

She snorted in annoyance, but still said, "Johnnie, save her first. I’m still useful to Pitiless—she won’t kill me."

Johnnie shook his head and said coldly, "She’s just playing me. No matter what I choose, she won’t let us go."

"Smart!" Pitiless didn’t deny it. Her smile only grew. "But do you have any other choice? Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I really will let the one you choose go. I want to see which of these two women matters more to you."

Hum!

The ice spikes hummed and sank lower again.

Pitiless went on, "You don’t have much time. Choose, or they both die."

Damn it!

Johnnie clenched his fists, cursing inside, and rushed to think of a plan.

His power was sealed. All skills—techniques, Domain, Forbidden Spells—were unusable.

Even if he could use them, they wouldn’t threaten this woman.

Wait—there was one skill that wasn’t sealed!

Johnnie’s eyes lit up.

He could use Sevenfold Severance. It was a skill tied to the Seven Sword and couldn’t be sealed.

But he felt uneasy. He’d rather use heavenly tribulation than use Sevenfold Severance.

This skill could cost him his life.

"Johnnie, my patience is limited. Fine, I’ll give you one more choice. If you abandon both of them, you can walk away," Pitiless said with a playful smile.

"Devil!"

Johnnie cursed. Watching the ice spikes drop, he made his decision.

He said coldly, "Maybe I have a third option—kill you!"

He stopped hesitating. A strange power burst from his body.

Crack!

With a soft snap, the frozen Seven Sword shattered its ice and flew back into Johnnie’s hand. The seven flying swords merged.

The Seven Sword was long, black as ink, and gave off a dark, eerie aura.

Hum!

The Intent of the Sword buzzed. A sharp killing intent burst out from Johnnie.

"Sevenfold Severance!" he growled, gripping the sword with both hands and slashing hard at Pitiless.

Once Sevenfold Severance starts, it can’t be interrupted or stopped. He must swing seven times, and each strike permanently consumes 10%–20% of his Health points. If his life hits zero, he dies.

Whoosh!

Space shook as a biting cold arc howled toward Pitiless.

That first slash cost Johnnie 10% of his Health points.

"Interesting!" Pitiless saw the incoming sword light and didn’t dodge. Her smile deepened.

Pfft!

-41,557,000

With one slash and tenfold damage, Johnnie dealt over forty million true damage.

Whoosh!

The wind roared. It wasn’t over. The second strike came down fast.

This time, Johnnie burned 15% of his Health points.

Boom!

-446,450,100

The damage jumped tenfold again, dealing over 400 million.

"Sevenfold Severance!" Pitiless’s smile vanished, her brows knitting slightly. She said calmly, "Human, you really do shock me. You actually mastered the Seven Sword’s Sevenfold Severance. Too bad this weapon doesn’t suit you."

"Hmph. Say that if you’re still alive," Johnnie sneered. The third slash fell, and this time he burned 20% of his Health points.

His face grew tense. At this rate, he was as good as dead.

Splat!

Blood sprayed. With the third strike, Pitiless lost more than four billion Health points.

She was injured now.

"Human, you’ve completely enraged me!" Her eyes turned cold. She struck back, a surge of icy power sweeping out to freeze Johnnie on the spot.

But once Sevenfold Severance starts, it can’t be interrupted or stopped. He must swing all seven strikes.

Crack!

With a sharp snap, the ice around Johnnie shattered, and the fourth slash came down unhindered.

Hum!

The sword light grew even stronger, carrying a force that could destroy anything. Johnnie lost another 15% of his Health points.

"Damn it!" Pitiless cursed, her expression shifting. She didn’t dare take it head-on.

"Ice Domain!" she called softly. The cold deepened. The snowy world turned into a land of ice sculptures.

A massive ice shield rose before her.

Boom!

The sword light crashed down with a roar. The shield trembled, but it blocked Johnnie’s strike with ease.

She didn’t have time to breathe before Johnnie’s fifth sword fell, costing him another 15% of his Health points.

Boom!

The whole Ice Domain quivered. Cracks spread across the ice shield in front of Pitiless.

The fifth sword had a hundred-thousand-fold damage boost. Johnnie’s damage was terrifying—right at the limit of what her Domain could take.

Hum!

Space shuddered. The sixth sword fell again.

Another 15% of his Health points gone.

It’s over.

Johnnie glanced at his remaining Health points and felt despair.

He had only 10% left. One last slash would cost at least 10%. He would die for sure.

What a pity.

He was unwilling. In this second life, he had hoped to help players grow fast, strong enough to protect Earth.

He took a deep breath, his eyes calm. Oddly, he felt a bit relieved.

At least he wouldn’t have to struggle so hard anymore. And if he could save Cecilia, he would have no regrets.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, the Ice Domain collapsed. Endless sword light howled, tearing space itself.

Pitiless grew even paler. A thin line of bright red blood slid from the corner of her mouth.

The sixth sword had wounded her.

"The seventh sword—die!" Johnnie’s cold voice echoed as the seventh slash came down without hesitation.

"Human, I’ve come to admire you a little. But you still can’t kill me!" Pitiless’s cold voice echoed. Her face turned serious as she raised her arm and waved. Afterimages flashed, and ripples spread through the air.

"Undying Frost!" Her clear voice rang out. Ice crystals covered her body, turning her icy blue.

The seventh slash fell.

Hum!

Space ripped open, but the final sword light stopped in front of Pitiless. Endless hard ice blocked it. It shook and hummed, but couldn’t push forward at all.

Did it fail?

Johnnie stared, unwilling to accept it, and the light in his eyes began to fade.

He didn’t know how many Health points that last slash burned. In the end, his Health points were empty. He could clearly feel death closing in.

Crack!

A sharp shatter rang out. The ice around Pitiless broke apart. It couldn’t hold back the slash after all. The sword light howled down.

Pfft...

Blood sprayed, and Pitiless’s weakened body was sent flying.

The corner of Johnnie’s mouth lifted. He let out a breath of relief.

He could feel Pitiless was badly hurt. Even if she wasn’t dying, Cecilia and Nalorin Sylvia would be able to escape.

Johnnie’s eyelids grew heavy. His mind was fading.

So tired. I can finally rest...

That was his last thought. His body gave out, and he went limp, collapsing to the ground.