BXBX NOVEL Chapter 114 - A Stand Off
The places he wished to visit were all fraught with danger, and the things he wants to obtain are all in dangerous areas. That\'s why he wanted this shield: to be able to walk into places and survive long enough to steal their treasures.
There was also the fact he aspired to rule over the dead. It was known to all that for mages, close-range attacks were the most effective. That\'s why if he had this shield, he would cover his weaknesses.
Absolute Shield is what made that man known as The Invincible because no one could ever break it, but the condition the skill had was so consuming that most thought of it as an ill investment.
The condition was money.
As Nikolai looked at the barrier which survived Lex\'s most destructive attack, he realized that it must belong to the skill itself. As much helplessness he felt, there were also expectations.
"This is impossible," Lex removed her helmet to get a better look at the barrier. "It didn\'t even shake, and there were no disturbances; Just what kind of place is this?"
\'A manifestation of absoluteness,\' Nikolai knew better than anyone. However, he couldn\'t stay in awe for long because he had to find a way to break the barrier. \'Bringer of Chaos might be enough.\'
He wanted Lex to attack first because there was no match to weapons in physical damage and destructiveness. However, it might be better if he used his darkness because it was the bane of elements.
"Lex, go to the core room and fly us straight into the barrier," as he said as much, Nikolai\'s weapons appeared in his hands.
"Straight into the barrier?" Lex was surprised, and so were the other two. "Have you seen how strong that barrier is? We will simply crash into it, and the ship won\'t survive!"
"Trust me," as he asked for trust, the black lotus bloomed on his hand. "I have confidence, but I just need momentum."
"Just jump down from above. Gravity will be your momentum." Lex shook her head. Nikolai understood her worry, but there was no way his speed would be the same falling as it is with Alias.
The core that the dwarves gave them was one of the best, and it was usually used on bigger ships. Coupled with Alias\'s small size, his vessel might be one of the fastest out there.
"I trust Boss," Sergio said to the Gunmaster. "If he says that he can do it, then he can."
"I don\'t care about your bromance," she scowled. "I\'m not risking my life only to pay for his overconfidence."
Yuxi seemed to have a similar mind, and Nikolai nodded in understanding. If they wanted to be like that, then he would just drop them off.
"I guess it\'s time to split," Nikolai told the group. "Let\'s descend for you to get off."
"In the middle of the wilderness?" Lex squinted her eyes, and her gun was pointing at Nikolai before he could answer. "I think the fuck not."
"It seems you have revealed your true face," Nikolai grinned. "Are you trying to take over my ship?"
"We are in a godforsaken place, and you want to leave us here, so I don\'t think it\'s your ship anymore," The Gunmaster was resolute. "You are making me choose either possible death or certain death."
"Then it\'s better to go with possible death, no?" Nikolai grinned as he pointed his weapons at her. "You\'ve seen what the art you gave me can do, and this is the price of your selfishness."
The tension rose as the two glared at each other. The other two didn\'t know what to do, and the deck was quiet until Sergio walked to step in between them.
"You are both acting unreasonably," Sergio shook his head as he stood in the middle of the deck. "Do you think boss can give up what he traveled half a month for?" he asked the Gunmaster.
"Yes, if it means that I get to survive," Lex didn\'t flatter.
"And Boss, you can\'t ask them to board off in the middle of nowhere. That\'s the same as telling them to wait for their deaths," Sergio said to Nikolai.
"You forget something, Sergio," Nikolai grinned. "I don\'t care if these two died or not. If they want to go against me, then I don\'t even mind killing them myself."
Nikolai had to obtain this skill, no matter the cost. All of his plans depended on him acquiring this legendary skill, and he would gladly kill these two as a price.
"You two are unbelievable," Sergio shook his head as he sighed. "Two assholes who are at each other throats simply because they can. What happened to diplomacy and discussions?"
"You will change your mind about those in a few years because people can never compromise," Nikolai said with a smile. "I didn\'t wish to harm you because you\'re a good person," Nikolai told the Gunmaster. "But maybe that\'s the reason I have to do so."
"Save it, villain," Lex\'s eye gave a glowing golden and divine light as she aimed her gun. "You did nothing but harm since the first time we met."
Nikolai frowned because this dumb asshole didn\'t understand that he knew the future. He has saved those dwarves from imminent death, and he gave her the inheritance because it would save a lot more people.
If she only knew what he knew, she might thank him. However, even if she looked back years from now, she will only look at the good things as a side-effect of his unexplained villainy.
"I guess it\'s better that you die," Nikolai\'s darkness exploded, and petals filled the deck, floating gently beside the group. "If you think that you can beat me, then you better back away and retain your life."
"Both of you are un-FUCKING-believable," Sergio opened his pouch and poured out a dozen or so explosive potions into the deck. "Put away your guns and help me pack these into a bomb."
It was one of the few times they saw the alchemist angry, and Nikolai glanced at Lex, and the latter did the same. Then, finally, they placed their weapons away because there was indeed no harm in trying.
"We\'ll line these potions together and drop them from the sky into the barrier. I created quite a few earlier, and give me a few hours to use the rest of the materials and create more."
Sergio acted swiftly and found them a bag of supplies to fill it up with these explosive potions. These bombs were one of a kind, and Sergio was the only alchemist genius enough to create them.
The tension defused, and Lex went down to have the ship rise higher. However, the mana currents threatened to rip Alias apart, so they had to stop.
\'The ship will be caught in the explosion,\' Yuxi looked down and gestured to them.
"I\'ll protect it," Nikolai said as he looked at his friend working in the cabinet. "He was always the wiser of us two," he said as memories surfaced.
There were times were Nikolai left Lilith\'s fortress to spy on other Lords. At those time, he would go with Sergio to foreign lands because of his \'alchemy.\'
Sergio would be one of the most desires retainers of Lords because of his countless bizarre and valuable potions. That\'s why he received numerous commissions from powerful people despite them being wary of outsiders.
Nikolai would accompany the alchemist as his assistant, which was the source of his shallow knowledge of alchemy. Unfortunately, at some times, they would find themselves either in a pinch or at the hands of an unreasonable Lord.
When Nikolai suggested creating chaos and massacres to cause a diversion, Sergio would either woo the Lord\'s wife or charm the guards for them to escape.
Hours went by as they waited for the alchemist. Finally, after a few hours, there was an explosion in the cabinet, and Nikolai rushed in to find smoke and frost filling the room.
The alchemist was coughing on the ground with his hands bleeding again. Nikolai rushed toward him and used his Blood Energy to heal him.
"What happened?" Nikolai asked with worry, and the alchemist simply waved his hand.
"I overstepped my limits, sorry," Sergio said with a smile before standing up. "Get out, Boss. I can\'t focus with you around."
Nikolai looked at his friend, who resumed his work. He could tell that the materials on the table were stronger than the ones he usually used, and it was enough for him to make a guess.
\'He is trying to create a stronger potion for me.\'
Sergio knew how important this skill was for Nikolai, and he was willing to get hurt to help him. However, this realization left Nikolai at a loss, and a dark thought surfaced in his mind.
\'Am I being manipulated?\' he hated himself for even thinking this, but this was the mindset that Lilith carved into his very bones. A cynical, twisted, and untrusting mindset.