Chapter 62: The Apocalypse belongs to the Elders

Chapter 62: The Apocalypse belongs to the Elders

The fight had started well. [Battle riddle] gave Sphinx an early advantage, and if her prediction came true, the lion would be severely wounded.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Earl was briefly stunned by the skill, Sphinx had drawn first blood by biting the Earl's neck. Unfortunately, this woke him up, and he retaliated violently.

Sphinx then realized she had a problem. For the first time in her short life, she wasn't the one with the most attributes. Worse, while their physiques were roughly equivalent, the Earl had far more experience.

Sphinx had spent the next five minutes absorbing the Earl's techniques like a sponge. She'd managed to hold her own, but the lion was no fool. He had noticed that his opponent was analyzing his fighting style and had stopped holding back. From then on, the fight had taken a wrong turn, and Sphinx had received several serious wounds.

Faced with the lion's rage, she finally decided to use a technique Priam had taught her. The Hit and Run.

Sphinx was now leaping from branch to branch, preparing her riposte. A complex riddle, which Priam had taught her. It was the only way she could gain a decisive advantage. Just as the Earl was about to catch up, she declared.

"What has roots as nobody sees,

Is taller than trees,

Up, up it goes,

And yet never grows?

You have thirty seconds."

Her skills immobilized the lion, and he squinted.

"A good skill. It's time to end this fight. Lie down when you're ready to surrender."

Sphinx didn't reply, and the two adversaries waited for the time to run out. After thirty seconds, the lion's left forepaw trembled and twisted like a wrung-out rag. The muscles must have torn, and the Earl winced in pain.

Sphinx was ready to leap back. It was not yet time to finish the fight. But the Earl took her by surprise by staying put. Rather than pursue her, he muttered an incomprehensible word. Instantly, Sphinx felt the wind pick up. Strong gusts, carrying with them dead leaves, wrapped around the lion. Is he manipulating the wind? The air?

The air currents reached the Earl's ears before swirling around. Sphinx growled. She was pretty sure the lion could no longer hear her. The Earl's domain also prevented her from mentally communicating with him.

"How can I ask him riddles now..." No way was she marrying that big tomcat. She hated bad sport.

Priam's lips stretched into a smile at Blueberry's words. He, too, had a problem with Tribulation. Tribulations.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

He turned back to Spring. The description of the System was synthetic - certainly the fault of the common rank of his [Identification] - but the most important thing was noted. The liquid had a regenerative power, potent enough to interest an Earl. Priam looked away quickly, not wishing to alert the bear. He considered the pond his already, but his Tribulations were still hours away. Until then, the lion would be an excellent guardian.

Looking in the direction of the canopy, Priam asked. "Who could give an Earl such a hard time?"

The bear sighed. "A woman. A lioness. Well, a bit of both," Blueberry hesitated.

"What do you mean, a bit of both..." Priam suspended his sentence. [Eidetic Memory] and his Vivacity instantly brought him the answer.

"A sphinx?"

Blueberry looked up, surprised. "Yes. How do you know?"

The sequoia tree trembled again under the intensity of the fight and Priam swallowed. Should I reveal my relationship with Sphinx? She's fighting the lion, which makes us his enemies.

Priam hesitated for half a second before clenching his fist. Sphinx was his friend, there to help him after he'd asked for her help. A friendship was precious, and that was why he had hated Claire's betrayal. Moreover, with Sphinx's help, Priam was confident they could defeat the Earl's court. All he had to do was get Sphinx to deal with the Earl.

With his mind made up, Priam summoned his spear and pointed it at Blueberry. The bear looked at him in silence.

"She's my friend. If any of the Viscounts ever try to attack Sphinx, we'll find out together if there's a [Butchery] skill."

The green roof shook for a few moments before calming down. But Blueberry's laughter continued for a few seconds longer. Priam remained silent, jabbing into the void to increase his kinetic charges.

Blueberry finally calmed down and replied, "Nobody's going to fight the Sphinx but the Earl. She challenged him to a duel, after all. If any of us intervene, it'll be the Earl himself who rips us to shreds. He values his honor," said the bear.

The tree shook again, and a deafening roar sounded. Priam's vision blurred. He regained his senses a few seconds later, out of breath. Another tremor made him open his eyes again, and Priam concentrated on his surroundings. His eardrums were perforated. Again.

Suddenly his mist caught a familiar presence, and Priam looked behind him. Sphinx, both wings torn off, was standing there. Her mouth was full of red blood and mane hair. Priam's stomach knotted as he watched her body lacerated in too many places to count. She's seriously hurt.

Despite everything, the young sphinx had fought back valiantly. She looked behind Priam, and the young Viscount turned.

Behind him stood a majestic lion. Titanic, at least the size of Blueberry, he gave off a terrifying aura. Priam was confident of facing Blueberry or any other Viscount. However, the Earl opposite him was in a different league. Priam's instincts told him he had little chance of escaping the Earl alive, let alone facing him.

"Get some sleep, and then we'll talk."

Claire forced herself to speak. She hated to lose.

"Who... Who?"

"Sleep," Alain replied.

A hand rested on his head.

"[K.O]."

A dark veil covered Claire's vision.

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 148

Constitution 258

Agility 158

Vitality 284

Perception 295

MENTAL:

Vivacity 175

Dexterity 178

Memory 40

Willpower 274

Charisma 146

META:

Meta-affinity 141

Meta-focus 98

Meta-endurance 90

Meta-perception 32

Meta-chance 114

Potential: 1343

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 13 hours 19 min 12s

[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.

Time: 17 hours 39 minutes 6 seconds.