Chapter 226: The Second Prey
At this moment, Zhou Ning finally recalled who this Niam in front of him actually was. Wasn't he the very same black-robed priest who had been bitten to death by the wandering Nightingale Marien when Zhou Ning had just crossed into this world? The scene of his death back then had been so grotesque that Zhou Ning remembered it vividly to this day.
Struck by the sudden and fierce blow, Niam let out a sharp, piercing scream. Just as Zhou Ning was about to move in and deliver the final strike, an image flashed in his mind: the seemingly gravely wounded Niam suddenly lifted his head, and a black halo erupted from his body.
Zhou Ning's lips curved into a smile, trusting in the power of his Observation Haki to foresee the future, and immediately prepared to activate the Traveler's Ring.
In the next instant, Niam jerked his head up, and his extraordinary power erupted in full, turning into a black halo that swept outward.
A gloomy wind howled, and the yellow-green grass instantly withered. Brynd Morton, who was attacking Niam, was blown away by the black halo, his body showing clear signs of decay before he vanished into the air. A moment later, he reappeared at the base of the statue, now bearing obvious wounds.
The moment the black halo reached him, Zhou Ning suddenly activated the Traveler's Ring, blinking forward just enough to perfectly pass through the halo's range, reappearing at Niam's rear flank.
Under the white moonlight, Zhou Ning's black trench coat flared. He raised his right hand, gripping White Ivory, and aimed the white barrel at the priest Niam.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the deafening gunfire, three bullets shot out of White Ivory's barrel in quick succession, striking the priest at point-blank range. They pierced his skull effortlessly, leaving wounds that smoked black while faint golden ripples of energy spread from them.
-563! -465! -612!
The chain of lethal hits made Niam's body freeze in place. Yet his vitality was still tenacious — the holes in his head writhed as if trying to close — but then he felt a cold metal barrel pressing against the back of his skull.
"Goodbye," Zhou Ning said with a smile.
Bang!
Another golden bullet pierced Niam's skull at point-blank range. This time, his health bar emptied completely, and he fell heavily to the ground.
[You have slain Priest Niam (Lv57 Elite), damage contribution 100%. You gain 112,000 XP!]
Zhou Ning tipped his hat and gave a polite bow. This was his first prey of the day.
"Damn, that was cool!" From outside the fence, Qingbai Wild Sake and Haicheng had a clear view of the fight and had witnessed the entire battle.
Blinking, summoning, fluid combat… Although they had long grown accustomed to the protagonist's strength, they were still stunned by his ever-changing techniques. If they weren't mistaken, had he just revived a statue to fight for him? Their hearts raced, and their imaginations ran wild. Could this… be the true power of a Wandering Gunslinger?
By now, the guards inside had already noticed the intruder. Footsteps echoed chaotically throughout the manor. Many players who had joined the Cursed God Cult, following orders from Priest Gaskell, rushed over as well. Upon seeing Zhou Ning, they howled alongside the NPCs and charged.
Zhou Ning had no intention of humoring these Cursed God Cult players — in fact, he didn't mind helping them cure their gaming addiction. He also remembered that most of these players had been brainwashed and couldn't betray their faction.
In the blink of an eye, an invisible wave radiated out from him in all directions.
Where the wave passed, the charging players collapsed to the ground. Most instantly turned into white light and were dead, leaving a sudden swath of empty space in the packed road. The approaching sect members met the same fate — though they had slightly more health than the players, they too were stunned as Zhou Ning walked past, falling one after another as if lining the road to welcome him.
His game log began scrolling wildly.
[Your Conqueror's Haki deals 479 damage to Cursed God Cult Cultist, Mental Difference 75 (130-55). Cultist is stunned. You have slain Cursed God Cult Cultist. You gain 1,389 XP.]
[Your Conqueror's Haki deals 463 damage to Cursed God Cult Cultist, Mental Difference 66 (130-64). Cultist is knocked unconscious.]
[Your Conqueror's Haki deals 529 damage to Cursed God Cult Cultist, Mental Difference 77 (130-53). Cultist is stunned. You have slain Cursed God Cult Cultist. You gain 1,425 XP.]
To be fair, these Cursed God Cult members had some combat ability — with the revival of supernatural powers, most could wield some form of black magic. Unfortunately for them, they had encountered Zhou Ning. Their health was too low, their spirit too weak; the result could only be being cleared out like common mobs.
Zhou Ning strolled through the trail of fallen enemies. As he passed the statue of Ivan Rivers, he snapped his fingers. With a rumble, the lion-headed, man-bodied figure in golden cross-engraved armor leaped down from the base, wielding a massive greatsword.
From the inscription on the base, this statue was called The Great Battle Faith. Although definitely weaker than the original, it was still much stronger than Brynd Morton had been.
Summoning both Ivan Rivers and Brynd Morton had originally just been a test, but perhaps due to the luck boost from the Lucky Clover, both attempts had succeeded on the first try.
Having summoned two figures unrelated to him, Zhou Ning felt a slight dizziness, but it was still within tolerable limits. According to the quest hints, Harrison Rivers should also be somewhere in this manor. Zhou Ning now wanted to give him a little surprise.
He wondered what expression Harrison would have upon seeing his ancestor manifest before him.
Leisurely, Zhou Ning entered the manor interior. His Observation Haki sensed a powerful presence rushing toward him ahead, and farther away, two even stronger presences were moving rapidly from underground toward this location.
"Charge ahead."
At his command, the lion-headed Ivan Rivers thundered forward, his muscles suddenly swelling as he brought his greatsword down in a heavy slash against the newly arrived Priest Gaskell.
-495!
Ivan Rivers's strike dealt Gaskell a heavy blow, making him stagger back. "Nice one!" Zhou Ning praised, raising his right hand and pulling the trigger at Gaskell's retreating position.
Bang! White Ivory's barrel kicked back slightly, firing a sapphire-blue bullet. It happened to trigger the special freezing effect, shooting straight into Gaskell's body before he could dodge, locking him in visible stiffness.
Seizing the moment, Zhou Ning aimed both Ebony and White Ivory at Gaskell and pulled the triggers in rapid succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The three shots landed, damage soaring off the charts, instantly depleting Gaskell's remaining health.
[You have slain Priest Gaskell (Lv58 Elite), damage contribution 100%. You gain 124,000 XP.]
This was his second prey of the day.
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