Chapter 150: One Move

Not answering immediately, Vilyric simply countered with a question.

“Soul, over the past ten days, you should have a deeper understanding of this [Artificial Flight Wing]. Tell me, where are its advantages and disadvantages?”

“…?”

Looking up, surprised at the calm White Fox Girl in front of him and the tall, silent Golden-armored Warrior behind her, he glanced over at the silvery metal wings behind him. After a moment of thought, the Gray-clothed Swordsman quickly spoke up.

“Miss Xī, the craftsmanship of this item is truly remarkable. If I were to name its advantages, it would be difficult to summarize them in one word. It’s easy to operate, has strong endurance, does not require any magical aptitude from the user, and with a bit of training, most humanoid intelligent beings should be able to use it smoothly. Its flying speed and agility become exceptional once mastered.”

“If it could be mass-produced and available on the market, it would surely cause a massive upheaval worldwide, affecting civilian life, the military, and even extreme fields.”

After finishing his praise, the Soul paused for a moment, seeing that Miss White Fox was quietly listening and seemed not to have any intention of interrupting or questioning him. He then continued with his evaluation.

“As for the disadvantages… if I had to mention some, although it is made of special metals, the wings themselves, especially at certain joint locations, cannot be called robust. If subjected to strong external force or accidentally embedding small stones or other hard objects, it may cause overall malfunction, preventing flight—and in severe cases, it could even lead to fatal accidents.”

“And the most critical point is…”

The young man detached the flight wings he was carrying and skillfully felt around on them, soon finding a hidden compartment where a certain Spirit Girl had deliberately concealed the power source—two high-purity Light Element Crystals. Taking out the translucent golden crystals that glowed faintly even in daylight, he displayed them in front of Vilyric.

“Miss Xī, these two Light Element Magic Crystals are likely quite valuable, aren’t they? If we were to assess the overall cost of this flight wing, disregarding technical issues, just these would account for over ninety percent of the cost of all other structural parts. It would take at least a million Holy Light Coins to acquire them, and even then, they may not always be available.”

“Judging by their texture and aura, they resemble the [Radiant Source Crystals] that suddenly appeared in the disaster-stricken area of the Abyss during the recent Abyssal Disaster in the Extreme South. They are high-quality tier 5 Light Attribute Magic Crystals.”

“However, since the Bolt Kingdom was destroyed in the Abyssal disaster, that area has since been occupied by the neighboring Nobos Ironblood Empire, which has sealed off and managed that forest to restrict outsiders from mining there. As a result, the number of [Radiant Source Crystals] circulating on the market has significantly decreased, and their prices have soared.”

“I have heard from the master that our Lingyin Merchant Association once acquired several batches of similar goods, and each time they were put up for sale, they would be quickly auctioned off at extremely high prices. So Miss Xī should understand what such treasures represent in the Holy Empire…”

After pondering for a moment, the Soul finally gave his final assessment and judgment.

“To be frank, this flight wing is indeed an epoch-making creation and a work of art, but relying on such treasures for power means it will ultimately remain a luxury that only a select few can use. It would be better to rely on magic scrolls or flying magical beasts for aerial movement… although these are less convenient, slower, and less agile than the former, they are far more affordable. That’s about the situation.”

“Mm…”

After hearing the detailed and honest evaluation from the Gray-clothed Swordsman, Miss White Fox simply rested her chin on her hand, seeming to contemplate something. Just as the Soul thought his remarks might have been too sharp, causing displeasure for the noble girl, she suddenly nodded.

“Well said. Leaving aside everything else, just the point about being prone to malfunction from sand and stones is indeed a flaw that I overlooked. It’s clear that practical experience is necessary… but needing high-quality Light Element Magic Crystals to operate is not a flaw; instead, it’s a very important, even critical advantage… ahem, you don’t need to worry about that. Let’s get back to the main topic.”

With a wave of her hand dismissing previous content, the girl pointed at the towering Golden-armored Warrior behind her and straightforwardly asked.

“Regarding the task I gave you earlier—[Hold on for 15 minutes against him]—do you have confidence that you can accomplish it in three days?”

“This…”

Hesitating for a moment, seemingly assessing and calculating something in his mind, the Soul could only shake his head with a hint of embarrassment.

“Sorry… I’m afraid it’s a bit difficult. No, it should be said that it’s completely impossible. The strength of this elder in golden armor is among the strongest beings I’ve ever seen, towering like a mountain, the flow of the West Sea… just as Miss Xī said, to this day, I haven’t even been able to block any of his attacks, only managing to dodge using the speed of the flight wing.”

“Having the guidance of this elder has indeed benefited me greatly these days, but to last a full fifteen minutes? That would likely require at least over a month of constant practice before there’s even a slight chance…”

“Mm.”

As expected.

After all, the flight wings made by Iriush are merely external objects; no matter how exquisite they are, and regardless of how unique the Soul’s talents and attributes may be, mastering them to the point where he can evade for even a moment against a semi-divine opponent like Lucas cannot be achieved in a day. It requires years of diligent practice.

After all, the difference in levels and attributes is simply too vast. Even if Lucas has gone easy on him, it’s not something that can be easily compensated for.

But in the end, the so-called 15-minute trial was simply Vilyric throwing out random words to test the limits of this flight wing, not a requirement for him to hold out for any specific duration.

Moreover, continuously battling strong opponents is beneficial for the boy; despite being beaten badly every day, the fact that the Soul shows no complaints but rather relishes it implies he’s also realized this.

So…

“It’s alright. Now I will slightly adjust the assessment content.”

Seeing the Soul’s face light up and focus, Miss White Fox raised her hand and pointed at herself.

“Let’s face it, you want to learn from me, right? It’s a bit unreasonable to expect others to do everything for you. Here’s the deal: I’ll give you one day to prepare, and then you have to take one of my moves. If you can catch it, you pass. How about that?”

“…? Are you sure about this?”

Seeing that the Soul didn’t seem frightened or scared but rather showed surprise similar to “Did a pie fall from the sky?” Miss White Fox’s voice from behind the mask couldn’t help but carry a hint of teasing.

“Wow, it seems like you’re very confident! You genuinely believe you can easily catch one of my moves?”

“Uh, no, no, no… I certainly don’t mean to underestimate Miss Xī! It’s just that, to be honest, the victory conditions are quite…”

The Soul quickly shook his head in denial, seemingly wanting to explain something, but Vilyric gently raised her hand, interrupting him.

“No need to explain. Whatever your trump cards or confidence are, that’s your ability. Since you agreed, let’s finalize it. Remember, I’ll only use one move. How you deal with it is up to you; as long as you can catch it, you pass.”

“This… Alright, alright.”

Nodding his head, the White Fox Girl threw a few boxes of rations that Leila had given her to the Soul and then turned to leave.

“You have one day to prepare. Bring out any tricks you have; if you’re too complacent… you really might die.”

   

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