Huh? It can launch a preemptive strike?
Through the Lumine's Sword God, Nolan watched Thunder Manifestation streaking down like a bolt of lightning. He felt a twinge of regret for being a step too slow.
If he had struck first and succeeded in ambushing it, he could have secured a considerable advantage!
Still, it wasn't a big deal. Since it was his Lumine's Sword God fighting on his behalf, losing a bit of an edge didn't matter much.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, the lightning-infused Thunder Manifestation was already upon him!
The Lumine's Sword God's golden shield enveloped its form. The golden longsword in its hand dipped slightly before it unsheathed the blade in a lightning-fast motion, slicing through the void and unleashing a massive wave of sword energy.
The sword energy disappeared into the air, bypassing distance and materializing directly in front of Thunder Manifestation's forehead.
By the time it noticed, it was too late. Even with its lightning-fast reflexes, it couldn't completely evade and ended up with a slash mark on its body.
"Shriek!"
Thunder Manifestation let out a piercing cry.
The sheer force of the sound created visible ripples in the air. Even the golden shield of the Lumine's Sword God wavered under the assault of the soundwave.
Back on the Alcor, even though the ship wasn't yet inside the thunderstorm zone, the crew still heard the shrill sound echoing from the distance.
Beidou, who was teaching Lumine and Paimon how to operate the ship's wheel, paused instinctively. They all turned their gazes toward the thunderstorm zone.
"What a... piercing noise! What's going on over there?" Paimon said, covering her ears after the sound passed.
"It sounded like the cry of some kind of creature. To think it could be heard from so far away!" Lumine said, her amber eyes widening in surprise.
The Alcor was still two to three nautical miles from the edge of the thunderstorm zone.
How powerful must this creature be to pull something like that off? Lumine wondered, her thoughts racing. She glanced at Nolan, who was leaning against the wooden wall of the cabin, and asked:
"Did you attack that Thunder Manifestation?"
"Yep. We weren't doing much anyway, so I figured I'd see if I could drive it away," Nolan said with a smile and a nod.
"You... I knew it!" Lumine sighed, exasperated.
After spending so much time with Nolan, she had come to realize that unless he encountered a creature he clearly couldn't beat, he would always try to mess with it.
And yet, during battle, he would exhibit an unusual degree of caution. Before he had learned the skill to create an avatar resembling herself, he used to drag her and Paimon to a safe distance and launch sneak attacks on enemies from afar using a bow.
Even though his swordsmanship was excellent, he would avoid close combat whenever possible.
Once he acquired that golden avatar skill, he would go to great lengths to avoid direct engagement, delegating tasks and even fights to the avatar.
Since the avatar looked just like her, Lumine couldn't help but feel a strange sense of empathy—like she was the one being ordered around constantly!
Hmph! What an infuriating guy!
The more time Lumine spent with Nolan, the more she felt herself adopting his overly cautious, methodical habits.
Whenever an unavoidable battle loomed, her first thought wasn't about how to defeat the opponent but how to ensure their safety. She was always preparing for the possibility of retreat if the fight turned against them.
While she admitted this mindset had its merits, she also felt it lacked any real ambition or daring.
Sometimes, a battle that could have been won with a little extra effort was missed entirely because of excessive caution.
And more often than not, she only realized this after the fact.
I feel like I'm turning into an idiot too! Lumine's gaze quietly lingered on Nolan.
Nolan, noticing her subtle but focused stare, inexplicably felt a little guilty.
After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "I've already injured the Thunder Manifestation. I should be able to defeat or drive it away soon."
"Oh, what unexpected strength! Well, I'll leave it to you to keep at it. What a shame we can't join you—this would definitely be an exhilarating battle!"
Beidou said with excitement, tinged with a hint of regret.
"As expected of Captain Beidou. I imagine you've encountered quite a few powerful sea creatures before," Nolan replied with a smile.
"Haha! Since you're interested, let me share some stories!" Beidou laughed heartily.
As she continued explaining the finer points of ship maneuvering to Lumine, she also began recounting tales of her battles against sea monsters.
While listening, Nolan devoted most of his attention to controlling the Lumine's Sword God.
By this time, the Thunder Manifestation had finished its screeching attack. Though its sonic waves were formidable, they hadn't managed to break through the golden shield of the Lumine's Sword God.
However, the sword slash on its body had widened into a deep gash.
No blood flowed from the wound—only small, purple specks of lightning-like energy dispersed into the air.
At the same time, the wound was healing rapidly.
After all, the Thunder Manifestation was a being of electro energy, and this thunderstorm zone was brimming with it. Healing its injuries here was a trivial task. Within half a minute, the wound had mostly closed.
Nolan couldn't help but think he lacked a crucial ability—like the bleed effect of Rift Hounds. If he could inflict such a status on the Thunder Manifestation, defeating it would be much easier!
As he mulled over skills related to bleeding, his thoughts turned to Hu Tao and her Secret Spear of Wangsheng.
Though her skill caused herself to bleed to boost her power, rather than making others bleed, it was still worth learning. Even though he didn't use polearms, understanding the technique could help him counter polearm-wielding enemies more effectively.
And, of course, the unique traits could always be integrated into the Lumine's Sword God.
While musing on this, he continued to control his sword avatar, relentlessly attacking the Thunder Manifestation.
Golden sword energy flashed wildly in the sky, occasionally tearing apart the dark clouds to reveal flickering lightning within. However, the clouds would quickly close again.
The Thunder Manifestation seemed to realize how swift and dangerous Nolan's sword energy was.
It began maintaining constant high-speed flight, denying him any clear opportunities to aim.
At the same time, it called down electro energy in relentless barrages against the Lumine's Sword God. With the thunderstorm environment amplifying its abilities, the Thunder Manifestation's power was overwhelming.
Its speed alone far outstripped Nolan's.
Even when he used his mental energy to predict or lock onto its position, the fraction of a second required to unleash a sword strike was enough for the Thunder Manifestation to sense danger and accelerate away.
Moreover, while attacking, it continuously absorbed electro energy from the storm, replenishing its spent reserves.
It felt like it had an infinite energy supply.
Eventually, the Thunder Manifestation even began manipulating the lightning within the clouds, directing bolts toward the Lumine's Sword God.
The golden shield, which had held strong so far, began to waver under the assault, on the verge of collapse.
The Lumine's Sword God's flying speed was no match for the Thunder Manifestation's. Without the shield, it would be left defenseless.
Nolan assessed the situation. Though victory wasn't impossible, relying solely on the Lumine's Sword God wouldn't cut it.
He would need to join the battle himself!
(End of Chapter)
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