Endless Debt Chapter 1095 - 117: Ring of Strife (2)

Beneath the crimson stain, Red Dog’s thundering sword momentum finally began to wane.

Lebius, with a calm counter, seized the opening Geoffrey had carved out. His Bone-breaking Knife, crackling with immense Ether, plunged towards Red Dog’s head.

A death roar surged, yet Red Dog showed no fear. Instead, a surge of extreme excitement pulsed through him. Tidal waves of Ether flooded his being, briefly shattering Tiger Eye’s grip. The Immovable Sword then rose in defense, blocking the incoming strike.

By all indications, this should have been another clash of Ether. However, at the precipice of the blades meeting, Lebius’s arm twisted unnaturally, contorting at an angle defying human anatomy, his armor cracking under the strain.

In that fleeting moment, Lebius’s arm, like a sinuous snake, bypassed Red Dog’s guard with a treacherous maneuver. The Bone-breaking Knife struck deep into Red Dog’s shoulder, instantly rending armor and sending blood flying.

The layered force slammed Red Dog into the ground, shattering the earth beneath him. The Heart-devouring Song faltered momentarily, offering a fleeting respite from the unending agony.

Some remained trapped in lingering pain, while others scrambled to escape the dreadful locale. A few, however, seized the opportunity, advancing with purpose to strike down Red Dog.

Geoffrey was among those who pressed forward, but mere steps into his advance, the melody of the Heart-devouring Song returned, ensnaring his mind once more.

Amidst the guttural song, Geoffrey raised a hand to his ears, channeling Ether into his ear canals, instantly obliterating his hearing. Blood streamed from his ears, and the pain intensified.

Geoffrey had hoped that losing his hearing would sever the Heart-devouring Song’s influence. Yet, upon its loss, the eerie melody resonated directly within his mind, undiminished.

This wasn't merely a song; it was an Ether fluctuation imbued with the Power of Evil and Strange, continuously assailing everyone within its sphere.

From behind the rising dust, Lebius’s usually composed features finally shifted. He gasped for breath, the arm wielding the Bone-breaking Knife hanging limply by his side. Blood seeped from the shattered armor, pooling and dripping from the blade’s tip.

“Cough… cough cough…”

A pained cough echoed from the dust cloud. Red Dog rose unsteadily. Both his and Lebius’s attacks were lethally potent; a direct hit from either likely sealed the battle’s outcome.

“Quite the price you paid, Lebius.”

Blood welled from Red Dog’s injuries, followed by the gleam of Etherealization. He had resided at the Defender tier for so long that his body had undergone extensive Etherealization.

“If killing you is the cost, then it’s worth it.”

Lebius’s dislocated arm began to reset itself, the crunching of bone against bone beneath the armor a sickening sound.

Lebius viewed himself as a Domination Object, binding the gathered Wolf Spirit to his person to manipulate his physical form. Ether forcibly realigned the fractured bones and mended the torn tendons.

Thus, Lebius transcended the physiological limitations of the human form, commanding his body to unleash attacks of unimaginable power. Even with broken bones and a deformed limb, he could still wield that deadly strike.

“Hahaha!” Red Dog bellowed with delight.

Sporadic gunfire erupted, the searing flames illuminating Red Dog’s face.

Geoffrey pulled the trigger. The bullet detonated into a scorching stream of fire upon firing, hurtling towards Red Dog and engulfing him entirely.

While the Dragon Breath Bullet itself couldn’t harm Red Dog, the blazing fireball was sufficient to obscure his vision. Red Dog sensed Lebius’s escalating Ether presence before him.

Without hesitation, Red Dog slammed the ground. With Extreme Realm-level Ethereal Amplification, his speed surpassed the limits of the naked eye. He vanished within the flames instantly, followed by Lebius’s slashes cutting through the fire.

Like a skipped frame in a film, Red Dog had been confronting Lebius one moment, and the next he was gone. Geoffrey felt a gust of wind, and then saw the Immovable Sword rapidly expanding within his vision.

“If I kill you, perhaps he’ll push himself harder?” Red Dog declared with glee.

A chilling premonition of death washed over Geoffrey. He had anticipated death’s sudden arrival, yet its true imminence still caught him off guard.

The ground began to tremble, the solid surface yielding and becoming soft, gripping Geoffrey. Rolling waves lifted his body, pulling him back swiftly.

The Immovable Sword struck the earth, pulverizing vast swathes of land.

Gazing towards the silent Iron Coffin, Bologue gestured, commanding the earth. Beside him stood Geoffrey, who had just been spirited away.

Red Dog exerted all his might, vanishing once more.

Driven by pure instinct, Bologue thrust his arms upwards, commanding the very earth beneath him. A deep, guttural rumble emanated from the planet's core as the ground began to tremble with increasing speed and intensity. Cracks snaked across the surface, exposing the hidden bedrock, and then, like ancient sentinels, solid walls of earth erupted from below, forming an impenetrable defensive barrier. Bologue understood this fortification alone wouldn't deter Red Dog. Therefore, with Aimou's aid, he channeled more Ether, striving to impede their adversary for as long as possible, desperately creating an opening for Lebius.