CHAPTER 1547: CHAPTER 333 DESPERATE BATTLE

"Dancing with the Grimreaper was hardly an experience to lift one’s spirits, although thrills and excitement were often essential spices in life. Yet excessive thrills might only bring stress and pain. Pannis was now under such pressure; every dodge, block, and parry exhausted his wits, his brain functioning like a high-speed machine, making a plethora of judgments in the blink of an eye, helping him evade the next life-threatening danger. However, no one could maintain this extremity for too long—prolonged stress inevitably led to mistakes, causing the scales of war to tilt. This rule was unbreakable, be they mortal or Deity; Pannis was no exception, strong as he was. Hence, it was no surprise when he erred and paid a grievous price."

If the plane where the Bone Throne initially sat was considered the horizon, Pannis was running at an inclined angle towards the sky. Nellie, who had initiated the Charge of Fearlessness, was closing in with lightning speed along the same trajectory, the whistle of her lance tearing through the air behind him. Without turning his head, Pannis suddenly veered downwards, as if flipping off a cliff, sprinting down the sheer drop. As he felt the lance graze the top of his head, he thrust the Hunting Arrow backward with force.

Nellie was several meters behind Pannis, and theoretically, his strike seemed destined for the void. But relying on precise calculations of the speed difference and familiarity with Nellie’s capabilities, Pannis chose the perfect moment. A second later, just as Pannis’s thrust reached its apex of force, Nellie, having accelerated during the Charge, was right on his tail at the precise moment, as if she had practiced it many times before, colliding as if by her own volition.

In Pannis’s plan, this was a turning point. According to Nellie’s combat habits, after having her pursuit disrupted, she would temporarily slow down to avoid prolonged high-velocity combat and prevent her opponent from adapting to her pace. It was the perfect chance for him to temporarily break free from extreme stress and provide his brain a short respite. As for physical fatigue, it was manageable, and he could hold on for a while longer.

His plan was sound, and Nellie’s instincts indeed aligned with his anticipation. Without any mishap, Pannis would secure several precious seconds to catch his breath, dragging out the fight. Unfortunately, an unexpected turn scuppered his plan. Pannis had considered almost everything, not just Nellie’s habits and experience but even the properties of the Divine Kingdom. Yet, he overlooked a minor detail, which landed him in trouble.

Pannis failed to recognize that this place wasn’t the Yarran World or an ordinary Divine Kingdom. This was Nellie’s world, or at least a world under her stewardship. Everything here morphed according to her will, including the terrain and the creation of mountains and rivers. Though Nellie was temporarily controlled by instinct and unable to command her world, she would never lack weapons, which were trivial to manifest. Anytime she reached out, any weapon she needed would appear in her hand. Thus when Pannis thought he had avoided Nellie’s weapon and could disrupt her pursuit with a backward thrust, he failed to notice that Nellie, having missed with her lance, had already released its handle. In that instant, another identical lance appeared in her hand, silently thrusting at Pannis’s body again. Meanwhile, Pannis continued his rearward strike, utterly unaware.

However, Pannis after all was Pannis, truly deserving of possessing the sharpest perception among mortals. Although Nellie’s second attack came silently, when the lance was about to pierce Pannis’s body, he, even through his clothes, felt a slight change in temperature caused by the chilling sharpness of the lance. Unable to look back or understand what had changed, the wealth of his experience still led him to twist his body subconsciously.

It was a minute movement, but it successfully saved his life. The lance, which should have pierced his heart, only went through his left upper arm due to his timely twist, resulting in a non-fatal wound.

Yet this was no cause for celebration. Pannis had no ability to confront the current Nellie head-on. The brief moments of the fight had been him employing high-speed movements to navigate and battle, doing his best to dodge Nellie’s attacks. But with his arm impaled, as if nailed to the lance, he had lost his mobility. Nellie only needed to add one more attack to deal him a devastating blow.

A mere miscalculation shifted the situation dramatically, and once again, the contest between life and death was laid before him. However, faced with absolutely dire circumstances, Pannis’s expression remained unchanged. He did not twist with the pain of his pierced arm, nor did he get disheartened by the failed calculation, nor did he panic as failure loomed; his gaze was even unnaturally calm, making a decision the moment he saw his left arm, bones and all, being run through.

The Hunting Arrow in his left hand, at some point, had been clenched between his teeth. Pannis’s right hand, which held a one-handed sword, whirled, and amidst a mist of blood, an arm was severed from his body. Propelled by the force of the lance, it continued to fly forward, while its former owner spun rapidly in place several times, not only negating the forward momentum but also brushing past the charging Nellie, reclaiming the space to maneuver. Even Nellie, controlled by instinct, had failed to anticipate Pannis’s resolute decision. Every one of his movements had been timed to the millisecond. Meaning, he didn’t even hesitate, as naturally as tossing a piece of trash into a bin, severing the arm that restricted his movements, and also making sure to keep the Hunting Arrow under control. Unanticipated, therefore miscalculated, so when Nellie brushed past Pannis, she couldn’t make any attack in time, wasting this prime opportunity.

Catching a glimpse of Pannis staggering back while clutching his wound, Nellie continued her charge to widen the distance, intending to reset her combat rhythm to usual habits. However, as soon as she turned around, she saw Pannis, who should have been tending his wound at a distance, already in front of her with his bleeding injury, stabbing the Hunting Arrow straight toward her eyes.