Chapter 180 : Chapter 180
Chapter : 180
The sudden turn of events happened in an instant. Yuchir, who clearly could have dodged, saw Yan Yunqing's strike and, instead of avoiding it, moved forward to meet it. Without any defensive action, he let his heart crash directly onto Yan Yunqing's dagger.
Yan Yunqing: ???
In the nick of time, Yan Yunqing tilted the angle of his dagger slightly, but it was useless because they were too close. Even with Yan Yunqing's quick reaction, he couldn't withdraw his attack immediately.
With a swish, the sharp weapon pierced flesh.
The dagger sank into Yuchir's chest.
Because Yan Yunqing was too shocked, he couldn't hold back his forward momentum and fell into Yuchir's embrace following the direction of the dagger.
Strong arms wrapped around him, and Yuchir's chin rested on his shoulder. Warm breath landed on the side of his neck, causing a tingling sensation, but a low call made Yan Yunqing's pupils quake.
He said: "My King."
...
At that moment, Yan Yunqing's mind went blank. Meeting those black eyes revealing a hint of blue, his eyes widened.
Many names flashed through his mind, and finally, one name blurted out: "Berus?"
However, the person embracing him had already closed his eyes, seemingly losing consciousness due to the blow just now, but the arms holding him showed no sign of relaxing.
What... was the situation?
"Hey—" Yan Yunqing realized what had happened and hurriedly covered the dagger in Yuchir's chest with his hands. "Wait, what's wrong with you? Wake up!"
Yuchir had no reaction.
Yan Yunqing panicked a little. His mind was still chaotic, unable to figure out why Yuchir would use his chest to catch the dagger. If Yuchir really was Berus, then this sudden meeting gift was too much of a 'surprise'.
So surprised that he was a bit flustered, instinctively wanting to use the few life-saving healing skills Silf left for him.
Merlin, who rushed over upon hearing the news, let out a scream, only to have his spellcasting interrupted by a punch from Isabel.
It was this scream that brought Yan Yunqing back to his senses. Instead of immediately throwing out the healing skills left by Silf, he turned his head and met Merlin and Isabel, whom he had been unable to contact.
"Merlin? Isabel?"
Merlin ran over, looking shocked at Yan Yunqing who was tightly held by Yuchir. "I sent you a message saying Berus was here. Seeing you hadn't come for so long, I thought you weren't planning to come. Why did you stab Berus as soon as you arrived?"
Yan Yunqing: ???
"Is he really Berus?"
Merlin spread his hands: "Who else could it be besides Berus? The only half-beastman who can fight back and forth with Isabel is that little wolf pup from back then. Didn't you see the magic patterns on his chest?"
Yan Yunqing turned his head and found that the dagger had pierced Yuchir's chest and also torn his clothes. The damaged fabric at the chest revealed complex and slightly eerie, yet beautiful magic patterns.
Yan Yunqing tore open Yuchir's clothes, immediately exposing very standard pectoral muscles and eight-pack abs. However, Yan Yunqing had no time to appreciate these muscles that would make any normal person envious; he stared at the magic patterns on them.
The magic patterns spread from the chest to the lower abdomen, hidden further down by the waistband, but Yan Yunqing recognized them clearly. These were indeed Berus's magic patterns.
If appearance could be disguised and identity could be faked, the magic patterns on Berus's body could absolutely never be forged.
Berus, a mixed-blood half-beastman born from the union of a beastman and a succubus, should have been short-lived and weak. He couldn't even transform from beast to human form until he was a teenager, nearly dying several times from bloodline conflicts.
It was the Demon King's contract that stabilized the two incompatible bloodlines in Berus's body and successfully solved the problems of his short lifespan and inability to take human form.
Correspondingly, this contract fused with the magic patterns of the succubus bloodline itself, forming unique magic patterns on Berus's body. These patterns were a mark exclusive to Berus, impossible for anyone to replicate.
As the Demon King himself, Yan Yunqing naturally recognized Berus's magic patterns.
Upon identifying that Yuchir was indeed Berus, Yan Yunqing couldn't help but curse, "He recognized who I was, yet he attacked without a word and deliberately ran into my dagger?"
Yan Yunqing couldn't figure it out; he really couldn't.
How did that obedient puppy—oh no, obedient little wolf pup—who loved cuddles and hugs and would proactively warm his feet and bed, turn into such a battle maniac?
Fighting anyone he saw was one thing, but what the hell was using his own chest to hit a dagger? Did he have a death wish?
Oh... he almost forgot. Berus, with succubus blood, didn't have his heart in the usual place for humans. Even getting stabbed many times was a minor issue. As long as the center of the succubus magic pattern, which was at the lower abdomen, wasn't stabbed, a succubus wouldn't receive fatal injuries.
Berus, possessing succubus blood, also inherited this trait.
But Yan Yunqing still wanted to curse someone.
...No, curse the wolf pup.
Yan Yunqing struggled to get out of Berus's embrace, but for some reason, the unconscious Berus held him tightly with both arms, giving Yan Yunqing no chance to escape.
Merlin looked at Yan Yunqing with an expression saying "You master and servant really know how to play," and let out a meaningful sound: "Tsk tsk."
Yan Yunqing wanted to hit someone again, even though he knew he couldn't beat Merlin right now.
Damn it, why couldn't he beat anyone? He needed to level up more diligently!
Sooner or later, he would pin these people to the ground and beat them!
Yan Yunqing shot a death glare at Merlin. Merlin looked innocent, but Isabel couldn't stand it anymore and gave Merlin another affectionate punch. "Alright, hurry up and rescue Nolan. Take out the dagger from Berus quickly."
Saying this, Isabel frowned. "Nolan, where did you get this dagger? Why do I feel it's absorbing Berus's vitality?"
Yan Yunqing: ?
Yan Yunqing was startled. Looking down, the dagger stuck in Berus's chest indeed seemed faintly wrong, but he couldn't see more.
Yan Yunqing frowned tightly. "I don't remember where this dagger came from either. Maybe someone gave it to me before."
He didn't need Merlin's help. Activating his role-playing skill directly, he turned into a little black cat. His size shrank instantly, allowing him to slip out of Berus's embrace smoothly. He only deactivated the skill and returned to his original form after jumping to an open space.
He squatted in front of the unconscious Berus, looking solemnly at the dagger stuck in Berus's chest.
[Nameless Blade]
Description: A nameless blade. It was once given as a gift to someone; it was his most cherished possession. 50% chance to ignore defense and deal true damage.
This was found in his backpack when he first transmigrated and was still in the cage of the auction house warehouse. Because there was no equipment level restriction, plus the 50% defense break chance, he took it out to hack at the cage and protect himself.
Later, he got used to it. Moreover, the weapon's bonus was on the defense break chance, so the base stats could be ignored. Even after leveling up to 74, Yan Yunqing never thought of specifically finding a high-level dagger to use.
After all, his main attack methods were heavy swords, longswords, and magic staffs. Close combat with daggers was rare, so there was no need.
Taking out this dagger today was purely out of habit.
Unexpectedly, it had a different effect when stabbed into Berus. Although Yan Yunqing didn't see it himself, he trusted Isabel's judgment.
Merlin also leaned over to take a look, raising an eyebrow. "Eh, this material..."
He reached out and touched it. Ignoring that the dagger was still in Berus's chest, he pulled it out with force. Blood splattered immediately; a drop landed at the corner of Yan Yunqing's eye, slowly sliding down like a streak of exquisite rouge.
Yan Yunqing glared at Merlin. "You just pulled it out like that?"
Merlin looked innocent: "Eh, your dagger doesn't have a blood groove, and Berus's vital spot isn't in his chest. What's wrong with pulling it out? With Berus's healing ability, in the time you took to yell at me, his wound would have healed."
This was pure exaggeration, but Merlin was right about one thing: Berus's healing ability was indeed powerful. Perhaps the strange bloodline combination of succubus and beastman was taking effect. The bloody hole poked by Yan Yunqing's dagger in his chest was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
It probably wouldn't take ten minutes for his wound to completely heal.
Yan Yunqing gritted his teeth but had nothing to say, unable to refute Merlin.
Merlin looked at Yan Yunqing again with that punchable gaze. Yan Yunqing didn't even want to interpret the meaning revealed in that look.
This guy.
Merlin also knew when to stop. Mainly because if he didn't stop and continued to provoke Nolan, he would be sanctioned by Nolan's loyal kin, friend, and his dear wife Isabel.
Before Isabel's fist of justice could fall, Merlin returned to normal. He examined the dagger in his hand, turning it over and over. "This material is a bit special. I seem to have never seen it... Strange, is there actually something I haven't seen?"
Yan Yunqing took out a Small Red Potion from his backpack and poured it on Berus's wound. Although it was useless for a powerhouse of Berus's level, it could promote healing somewhat, mainly serving a psychological effect.
Hearing this, he asked, "What do you mean? You're saying this dagger has an extraordinary origin? Can you deduce where it comes from?"
Isabel also leaned in. Merlin handed her the dagger. She took it, looked carefully twice, and shook her head: "I haven't seen this material either."
Merlin got interested: "Interesting. Even if you haven't seen it. It seems this material is indeed special."
He stroked his chin. "Special material, but extremely rough and crude forging craftsmanship. It definitely can't compare to Master Blacksmith Torin... It shouldn't be made by dwarves either, as the forging of this dagger is too crude, like something made by a beginner."
Dwarves were born master weapon smiths; forging was their innate talent. Even a dwarf forging a weapon for the first time wouldn't create such a crude dagger.
"Many forging techniques can endow weapons with special skills, but with such poor craftsmanship on your dagger, the ability to absorb vitality shouldn't be due to the forging technique. Then it can only be the material—"
Merlin pondered. "Hmm, this is really hard to judge. Maybe I need some time."
Yan Yunqing wasn't in a hurry. This dagger had existed in his backpack for a long time, and he wasn't desperate to know its origin right now. He nodded to Merlin: "As you wish. Keep the dagger for now, and tell me when you figure something out."
Merlin naturally put the dagger away. "Sure, I'll do my best."
Yan Yunqing looked at the still unconscious Berus with some worry. He didn't know the situation with Berus's inexplicable coma. After all, his dagger strike barely caused any damage; logically, Berus shouldn't have fallen into a coma.
Could the special nature of that dagger have caused Berus's current unconsciousness?
A trace of worry rose in Yan Yunqing's heart, but he forcibly suppressed it because there were more important things to do now.
"I got some news from the Sixth Prince of Bartovita, whom Berus abducted, in the dungeon just now. They are preparing to..."
Yan Yunqing informed Merlin and Isabel about Fitch's plan to turn the entire population of Slanlipa City into undead to strike at Romunik. Immediately, both their expressions turned grim.