Pivot of the Sky – Chapter 174, Rulio the Merman

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Translator: adomman

Editor: Snorri

 

A warrior’s fighting style was very different from that of a mage, and with adequate preparation, a warrior was usually no match for a mage of the same level, since the power unleashed by magic arts is incredible beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. However, with a higher level of achievement, the difference would become smaller and smaller, and it was said that there was no difference in power between a ninth level warrior and a ninth level mage. If a mage’s magical defense was broken by a warrior in close proximity, the life of a ninth-ranked mage would also be in danger.

 

This was what people usually thought of as the case, but warriors like Enkidu were the exception. Enkidu was not only a ninth level warrior, but also a supreme warrior who had reached the pinnacle of the realm. Even if there were other supreme warriors in the continent who had achieved the ninth level, they would still not be able to compare with Enkidu. Similarly, there were also differences in strength between different ninth level supreme magicians.

 

Celia had certainly come prepared for a duel with Amon and wouldn’t let him get close to her during the fight. By declaring that she would bring her summoned beast along with her, she had probably figured out how to deal with a supreme warrior. Even if Amon had only just achieved the ninth level, Celia might not be without a chance to win, but it was just tougher than previously expected. While everyone was thinking like that, only Golier smiled silently. He knew Amon’s background, and since Amon had achieved the ninth level, it meant that he was also a ninth level supreme mage as well.

 

Actually, even if Golier didn’t understand Amon’s latest situation, Amon was no longer simply a ninth level mage and warrior at the same time. Now that he had mastered the power of origin, the difference only lies on the extent of cultivation and his innate talent, and there was no difference in the skills and techniques available.

 

……

 

The crowd did not drink much, and after finishing three cups, Celia took the initiative to stand up and said: “Since we still have things to discuss, let’s hurry up and duel.”

 

Amon put down his cup and walked out of the tent, planting his feet in the clearing by the swamp. “Since you are so eager, let’s begin now. I am a warrior, so I will first withdraw fifty paces and allow you to cast your spells in ease.”

 

Celia unfastened her cloak and stepped out into the clearing, standing fifty paces away from Amon. Her servant, Rulio, handed her a white staff with a bow. Amon narrowed his eyes, for he could see that this was a rare bone staff, pure in nature and suitable for performing all kinds of magic arts. Although it was not encrusted with parangons, it was much more useful than the precious staff with seven parangons that he had given to Metatro and Lynk.

 

This item had been in existence for an unknown number of years, and after the magical processing, it looked as good as new, its body white and crystal with an ivory luster, with the end sharpened like a long thorn. It was different from ordinary staffs, as it was very tough and could be used as a weapon. During close combat, it would serve as the equivalent of a sharp short spear. Such a staff was both unique and rare.

 

With Amon’s current skills, he no longer needed a staff to perform magic arts, and when he encountered a powerful enemy, he now needed a weapon that could channel his mana at the same time. This kind of staff provided a good idea though, and his disciples would also need such a weapon. Most of the gods’ emissaries also used similar weapons.

 

The staff in Celia’s hand had a very special origin indeed, coming from the same source as a certain item carried by Amon right now. It was made from the leg bone of the Savage Bull, Kusarikku, that was slain by Mourrin during the battle of the gods. The gods gave it to the shrines in the mortal world, and had been kept by the Kingdom of Hittite for many generations. As a noble who had become a supreme mage, Celia was bestowed with this staff. She usually did not carry it with her, and one could see the importance she placed on this duel by the appearance of the staff.

 

Seeing Celia pick up the staff, Amon smiled and asked: “Where is your summoned beast?”

 

Celia replied: “It will come out when there’s a need for it to make a move, where’s your cat?”

 

Amon sighed. “Do you mean Schrodinger? She has left me to find her freedom. I have brought another assistant today, and when I need it to do something, it will naturally appear.”

 

Celia nodded. “In that case, I will make the first move.” After speaking, she pointed the staff at Amon.

 

Amon had seen many supreme mages’ attacks, but all of them were chanting with their staffs raised high in the battlefield with armies facing each other, casting a wide range of magic  to aid in battle, and this was the first time he had seen such a direct attack since fighting Gilgamesh. The delicate and lovely woman swung her staff, her beautiful face still smiling, but the attack was hardly weak.

 

The bone staff turned into countless shadows, and from within the swamp and trees around the clearing, the sound of thousands of horses galloping appeared. The staff shadows carried with it a roaring impact, like a herd of wild oxen on the grasslands ruthlessly crashing towards Amon. This was not the conventional way of fighting for a supreme mage. Celia used a unique staff to cast such magic, attacking as a form of defense, making it impossible for a warrior to get close. If it had been someone else, they might have panicked in the face of this sight.

 

Amon made a great roar to halt the momentum of the galloping sounds, before stepping forward and throwing a punch. He had no gloves on his bare hands, but his fist was wrapped in a faint layer of golden light. This was the highest level martial technique on earth, the pure explosion of strength and energy. As long as one was strong enough, one could fight against all magic arts!

 

The punch was like a huge boulder smashing into a store warehouse full of jars and vats, and along with a series of shattering sounds, the staff shadows dissipated into nothing. Amon had taken on Celia’s first attack head-on. Celia did not panic, and with a shake of the staff, a cylindrical white light shot out. Like a white rainbow, but also like lightning, it shot toward Amon’s chest in an instant.

 

Amon did not retreat but advanced instead, and his left hand threw another punch to face the white light. The white pillar of light exploded with seven-colored fireworks, these were the chaotic light rays refracted after the condensed energy was blasted away. Although she was fifty paces away, Celia was shaken back two steps with a grunt. As she stepped back, she raised her staff to strike downwards, and light and shadow coalesced above Amon’s head, and a huge illusory form of the bone staff appeared suddenly and smashed down.

 

Amon shouted: “Nice one!” Leaping from where he stood, he threw a punch upwards. The huge illusory form of the bone staff was broken into pieces before it could solidify, and the shadows gradually faded away. With a bang, Amon landed steadily on the ground.

 

The moment Amon landed, Celia swung her staff horizontally, and another sharp whistle was heard. The wind and clouds changed color as if heaven and earth were hanging upside down and the landscape around Amon changed, and the solid ground beneath his feet instantly turned into a swamp, writhing and spinning to trap him. This was the highest level earth elemental technique, Sand Surge, and it contained the illusions of information magic with it, turning the earth into a semi-liquefied state. This was one of the deadliest attacks a warrior could face as it inhibited the use of one’s strength!

 

However, Amon did not fall into it. Even if he was just a supreme warrior, he could also practice the supportive magic arts. The quicksand-like ground caved in and a thin film seemed to open up, just right to support his steps. This was a kind of spatial magic, and it could condense energy using very little for support. It could be used not for attacking directly but for assisting one in battle, it was not very complicated but Amon had used it quite skillfully.

 

Celia reacted quickly upon seeing that Amon had not fallen into the quicksand-like swamp by raising her staff. Golden hieroglyphs appeared on the surface of this glittering bone staff, and bright light burst forth to conceal her figure. Rulio, who had been standing at her side watching the battle, also disappeared in the light. Then the scenery in front of Amon transformed, and a black ocean appeared before him.

 

The swamp and the black earth were transformed into a pulsating state, and their pulsating were mixed with illusory images, the sound of waves crashing onto the shore could be heard from all sides, with no end in sight. On the distant horizon stood a merman, a figure with a human upper body and a tail of a fish below. With the tail swaying in the waves, the merman started playing a piccolo. The sound from the piccolo is not a flute, but an ancient song.

 

In the turbulent and dangerous endless black ocean, this song is so beautiful, with an indescribable power, making all who hear it just want to close their eyes and indulge in it, forgetting all the suffering and sorrow. It was an attack that struck the soul, capable of putting people’s consciousness into a trance and putting them to sleep, while the magic that was casted at the same time was half real and half illusory, causing people to fall into an intertwined world where they couldn’t distinguish the real from the illusory.

 

Celia’s summoned beast had finally struck in such an unexpected way, and he was Rulio.

 

This was the scene which Amon was facing, but all the onlookers could see was the blinding light of Celia’s staff, which engulfed her own and Rulio’s forms. On the other hand, Amon had stopped in his tracks, his eyes seemingly gazing at a far spot beyond where Celia was, while his feet slowly sank into the dirt.

 

As soon as Rulio made his move, he held the powerful ninth level supreme warrior in check, and if it had been in a battlefield, at any moment a priest would wake Amon up and the soldiers would rush over to provide cover, but in a personal battle, this was simply an excellent way to deal with a warrior.

 

Celia naturally wouldn’t miss this perfect opportunity to win. A few translucent flying ropes shot out from the light, this was an air elemental magic technique which conjured ropes out of thin air. The ropes flew towards Amon’s body, looking to bind him solidly!

 

A dull roar came from beneath the semi-liquefied state of the earth, and a giant tail of gold with dark brown spots suddenly broke through the earth. This tail was long and shot out from behind Amon and curled back around into the air, scattering the flying ropes. Then the land began to swell, and a large  Ironback emerged. Amon’s figure was rising as well, and he stood on the back of this Ironback.

 

The onlookers were shocked. It turned out that Amon’s “summoned beast” was actually El Mar the Ironback. It had been lurking under Amon’s feet for a long time, and other than Golier, no one else had discovered it beforehand. Its appearance was even more surprising to Celia, as the Ironback was a creature that lived in swamps and ponds, and the appearance of such a large Ironback under Amon’s feet would greatly reduce the effect of her spell.

 

Cloaked in the blinding light, Celia pressed her staff downwards. The semi-fluid state of the ground around the Iron Beast suddenly became solid, as if it had instantly solidified into layer after layer of rock that imprisoned it firmly in place. El Mar twisted its body in a struggle, and cracking sounds appeared from the surface solidified by earth elemental magic as it constantly broke and reformed.

 

The staff in Celia’s hand trembled lightly. This Ironback was very strong and also naturally good at earth elemental magic. Despite Celia’s best efforts, she could only barely suppress El Mar from breaking out of the earth and was no longer able to launch another attack.

 

It was the first time that El Mar had suffered such a setback. It had never met a monster who had been a match for it in the Charcoal Marsh, but this time, the moment it appeared, it had been subdued by a supreme mage from afar, unable to break out of its restraints.

 

Meanwhile, Amon and Rulio were in the middle of another strange battle. A rock-hard ridge had appeared beneath Amon’s feet, this was the back of El Mar arching out of the ground, but in the black ocean, it had transformed into a small boat. The boat, sailless and oarless, shot forward through the black ocean, while the waves seemed like sticky noodle soup, the stronger the resistance the further forward it went.

 

The mesmerizing sound of the song became closer and clearer, stirring up ripples with the power of rejection, pushing one’s body outward, but there is a magical allure to the song that draws one’s soul to it. It was an illusion of separation of spirit and flesh, and once the soul got ensnared by the song, it would lose control of the body as well.

 

Amon raised his arms, and it was as if they had become much heavier than usual, the bones of his body sore and numb from the song, but it felt so comfortable that one became lazy and reluctant to move.

 

Amon pointed his finger at the merman in the distance and said: “Rulio, I have withstood even the roar of the Lion King, but your song, though magical, cannot shake my heart. This is your innate talent, isn’t it? Not only can it be used to attack, but it’s also a great means of healing and can make one forget pain. Back then, there were nine powerful monsters in the Anunnaki divine clan, what is the relationship between you and the Kulullur?”

 

Rulio was taken aback and replied: “How do you know this legend? Kulullur was a powerful leader of our kind in ancient times. My people built their homes in the sea, and I was an explorer who came to the continent.”

 

So that was how it was. Back then, among those nine monsters, Kulullur was born from some kind of sea demon, activated its spiritual wisdom and started training and made some achievements. After coming to the continent, he accepted the guidance of the Anunnaki divine clan and became an emissary. After the battle of the gods, the merpeople disappeared without a trace, and Rulio, who was also from the same clan, came to the continent to train like Kulullur had done. He became a summoned beast of a supreme mage, probably in order to obtain access to various records and other kinds of assistance.

 

Amon laughed. “Your innate talent is truly remarkable, you are even more powerful than Celia, but you need to learn how to master and use it. Unfortunately, you are still not my match!”

 

Amon had already crossed the strange black ocean and rushed to Rulio’s proximity, though to the onlookers he stood there without moving or speaking. Rulio looked frightened and swam backwards through the sea, transforming his piccolo into a brush. With two strokes to the left and right, he actually drew a majestic mountain on the surface of the sea, blocking Amon’s path.

 

It was a mountain drawn to look real, but Amon did not care if it was real or not. He leaped from the small boat and punched out. It was as if a wall of heaven had collapsed, and the picture of the mountain broke from the middle. He rushed straight to Rulio’s front and said with a smile: “So not only can you sing, you also know how to draw?”

 

The crowd of onlookers let out a low cry, as in one moment, Amon was still standing on the back of the struggling Ironback and gazing into the distance, while in the next moment, he leapt up and punched out. Celia’s figure could not be seen in the bright light, but Amon’s punch had “knocked” a figure out of the light, and it was Rulio.

 

Everyone could hear Amon’s words – “So not only can you sing, you also know how to draw?”

 

Rulio was shocked that Amon had escaped from his innate talent and approached with yet another punch. He drew a long, serrated, finned blade from his waist and sliced towards Amon’s fist. The knife and fist collided with a thud, and Amon retreated two steps back, while Rulio was knocked flying a dozen feet away. Immediately, he steadied himself and attacked with the knife again.

 

This merman was, in fact, a warrior, and if he was measured by the physical achievements in the continent, he should have been an eighth level supreme warrior. As for the unique magical ability he had just performed, it was his innate talent that could grow with his strength. Therefore, even though his innate talent was overcome by Amon, he could still fight in close quarters.

 

Amon struck out with another punch with great power, a faint golden light shimmering like a wrap around the fist, while employing the technique of Duc. Amon had used such a punch to kill Prince Snek, but if he didn’t want to cause harm, he could also shatter the opponent’s power causing paralysis throughout the body and temporarily losing the ability to resist.

 

The fist and the long knife exchanged blows for a second time in a very short period of time, but the sound it made was strange, like something sticky rubbing together. The power of Amon’s punch actually produced a strange twisting and turning, as if it had hit something slippery, and the earth beneath his feet and the distant swamp were scattered with muddy water.

 

Surprisingly, Rulio was also able to use his innate talent to assist in close combat, and did not let Amon’s punch knock him down. His body was knocked flying away, but he spun several times in the air to stabilize himself, and the earth beneath his feet also swirled in a vortex. Amon, however, paid no further attention to him, immediately turning and throwing another punch towards the center of the bright light not far away, where Celia was.

 

El Mar roared angrily and finally emerged from the ground, and it raised its claws and long tail to pounce on Rulio. Amon switched opponents, leaving the disengaged El Mar to deal with the summoned beast.

 

The blinding light was an invisible barrier, and as Amon’s form rushed into the light, he saw Celia flying backwards to reveal herself. She waved her staff forward as she retreated, and the light suddenly contracted into a transparent light that imprisoned Amon.

 

She was truly a brilliant supreme mage, using all sorts of techniques extremely rationally, and when Amon was about to shatter her magical shield, she decisively retreated and cast the air elemental spell Entrapment instead of Air Shield which offered the best protection.

 

The air around Amon instantly became viscous and condensed into a giant cocoon to envelop him, all movements were greatly restricted, the faster the speed, the more resistance he would invariably encounter.

 

Under normal circumstances, a supreme mage who cast this magic could make two choices: one was to fly away from the sky so quickly that the warrior could not catch up; the other was to use other magic to attack the warrior who had difficulty moving, or to have an ally warrior nearby perform a counterattack. But this was a duel, and if Celia flew away, she would have lost. Rulio could have taken this opportunity to counterattack, but he was fighting with El Mar by the swamp and couldn’t spare the time to do so.

 

Celia stopped thirty paces away, and with a wave of her staff, countless staff shadows emerged once again, mixed with harsh white light, and layers upon layers of counterattack approached Amon from everywhere.

 

It was unwise for Amon to stay here and face her attacks directly, but Entrapment was the most difficult to deal with in a pinch, because it was like a sticky and resilient giant net, even if a sword cut open a gap, if it couldn’t completely break the magic, it would then mend the gap, giving the mage ample time and space to perform a powerful attack. Celia was indeed not easy to deal with, and was an outstanding eighth level supreme mage.

 

The moment Amon was wrapped by the spell, a bitter grin appeared on his lips. He took out an object resembling a spike, which was the fang of Humbaba. The fang sliced forward with a sharp roar, and with strength and speed he sliced open a gaping hole and dashed out in a flash.

 

The shadows of the staff disappeared in the roaring impact, and Rulio, who was battling with El Mar, was swept into the swamp by El Mar’s tail as he was distracted. At the moment of danger, Rulio waved his knife and drew two strokes, and a rocky mountain appeared in front of Celia, with shrubs growing in front of it.

 

The roar of the fang in Amon’s hand scattered the shadows of the staff in the sky, and he hit the mountain with the fang head-on, crushing it with his brute strength. Only a brief moment had passed, and Celia had just swung her staff when Amon arrived in front of her with the fang in his hand.

 

This supreme mage gritted her teeth, and used her staff like a sword, stabbing at Amon. She had been a keen student of swordsmanship since childhood, but became a mage later. Still, how could she possibly compare to Amon in close combat? As soon as the staff was thrust out, she felt a numbness in her wrist, and the staff had been snatched away by Amon.

 

Celia realized that she had lost, as it was rare for a supreme mage to lose one’s staff during a fight, and she stood there with her face reddened.

 

Rulio was swept into the water, but El Mar felt its tail slipping as if it had no power. Rulio rolled in the muddy water, and he swiftly grabbed its tail, swung El Mar’s huge body into the air before smashing it into the swamp with a loud crash.

 

El Mar was dazed by the attack and twisted its body about to lash back, but it felt the space around him tighten. Next, he heard Golier’s voice shouting: “Stop, the duel is over!”

 

Rulio’s hand that had been holding onto El Mar’s long tail had loosened, and the Ironback shook its large, dizzy head, turned around in the mud and looked up, only to see Amon standing beside Rulio while holding a white, crystal staff to his neck.

 

At the sound of Golier’s voice, Amon smiled slightly and with a twist of his wrist held the staff up with both hands. “Keep this for your master.”

 

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