Chapter 672: Battle Against Number 17, Lainekel (2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Splatter—

The sound of sharp weapons piercing flesh echoed incessantly as 17’s body was impaled by blades, wedging between bone and flesh. After a brief delay, the blades suddenly burst open, splashing water droplets accompanied by a cloud of blood.

As Ji Chen contemplated delivering the finishing blow, 17’s figure abruptly disappeared from the spot, only to reappear not far away.

Nonetheless, he appeared quite battered. His body was covered in wounds, some of them so deep that they exposed bone, and a dark, putrid blood seeped from these injuries. There wasn’t a single spot on his body that remained undamaged.

In this brief clash with 17, Ji Chen ultimately gained the upper hand.

Within this domain of the sea, Ji Chen was the king. Even though 17’s level was as high as 69, the suppression within the domain had dropped him to nearly level 60. At this level of strength, he was on par with Ji Chen’s overall power.

Ji Chen possessed the power of the ocean, and in a direct confrontation, he was the nemesis of spatial abilities like teleportation and dimensional travel. One could liken the Ocean Lord to a spider weaving its web, and as long as the enemy was within his domain, it was difficult to escape his perception and pursuit.

Furthermore, he possessed various high-grade treasures: the Deep Sea Dragon Scale Robe, the Void Ring, the Sword of Warlords…

Each treasure constituted his strength, each one had the ability to turn the tide of battle.

Ji Chen lowered his gaze at 17, who could barely stand, relying on his sword to remain upright. A hint of pity flashed in his eyes.

In the end, he was originally a hero who fought for humanity and the Orderly faction, but he was captured by demons and brought to the chaotic abyss. After undergoing evil modifications, he became this ghastly figure.

Neither human nor demon, enduring the pain that neither humans nor demons could bear.

The pity in Ji Chen’s eyes quickly turned into determination.

Since that was the case, he would grant this nameless human warrior release from the pain that had persisted for hundreds of thousands of years.

Later, he would slay tens of thousands of demons, offering tribute to this unnamed human hero.

The heroes of the Crown of the Ocean had surrounded them once more, and 17 no longer had any chance of escape or turning the tide. Ji Chen slowly raised the Sword of Warlords, as if he were aiming it at 17, but also at the demons lurking in the shadows.

“Rest in peace.”

He softly uttered these words, about to swing the Sword of Warlords to release its sword energy.

But at this moment, 17, the half-demon with a human semblance, slowly raised his head. His eyes were no longer blood-red; within the pitch-black pupils, a glimmer of vitality appeared.

“You did well.”

A hoarse voice echoed.

The surrounding heroes froze, looking at each other, thinking they had misheard. After exchanging astonished glances with their comrades, they realized something incredible.

This Alchemical Modified being called 17 had actually spoken!

Ji Chen furrowed his brows slightly and lowered the Sword of Warlords.

He scrutinized the situation once more and noticed that the information panel had undergone some changes.

[Number 17: Lainekel Kristiansen]

Struggling to prop himself up with his sword, Lainekel still had black blood trickling from his body. This action made the heroes of the Crown of the Ocean vigilant, their faces adopting a serious battle stance.

“Don’t worry, he has been sent back by your Lord, and he probably won’t come out for some time,” Lainekel managed a weak smile but didn’t make any unnecessary movements.

Ji Chen waved his hand and said, “No problem.”

Hearing this, several heroes hesitated but eventually nodded and relaxed a bit, although their eyes remained fixed on Lainekel.

“How did you, a human, manage to have so many sea creatures under your command?” Lainekel glanced at Anina and the others.

Ji Chen didn’t answer directly but instead asked, “Who is this ‘he’ you mentioned?”

“…It’s the other me, created through demonic alchemy by Balzarna. It’s the one you just saw, Number 17, like a killing machine.”

Ji Chen was taken aback and inquired, “So, if I understand correctly, this half-human, half-demon body harbors two personalities? One is the mindless killing machine that follows orders, and the other retains its previous intelligence but has been suppressed and unable to surface?

My recent attack temporarily pushed the killing personality back, allowing the benevolent one to emerge?”

Lainekel was astonished, his eyes filled with disbelief. He asked, “That’s exactly it! How did you know that so clearly?”

Ji Chen rolled his eyes inwardly. This kind of plot had become so cliche in various movies, TV shows, and animations. It usually involved a once-good character captured and subjected to inhumane modifications by the antagonist, only to regain their benevolent personality after a severe beating from the protagonist.

Seeing this tired trope unfold before him was quite unexpected.

“I just guessed.”

Observing Ji Chen’s nonchalant response, Lainekel shook his head and sighed. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I assume you must be aware of the impending demon invasion. You need to inform the orderly races in the main world so they can prepare for battle quickly.”

As a alchemical-modified individual altered by Balzarna in the chaotic abyss for hundreds of thousands of years, Lainekel naturally knew that the demons had never given up their plans for invasion. They had been plotting and preparing for countless millennia, and their power had grown to terrifying proportions.

If the orderly races of the main world couldn’t unite and defend against this invasion, it would likely result in a catastrophic world-ending disaster..