Chapter 408 – Zero Wing’s Black Flame?

As soon as the skinny Swordsman finished speaking, he suddenly flicked his thorn-like longsword.

Before Cross could react, countless streaks of light struck a three-story building over a thousand yards away, reducing it into rubble in the blink of an eye.

So fast!

Desolate Fury, who was desperately defending himself from his attackers, gasped when he saw the attack the skinny Swordsman had just executed. The skinny Swordsman’s attack was fast in not only projectile speed but also attack frequency. The skinny Swordsman had launched so many attacks at a time that it was simply impossible for Tier 4 players to react to all of them. Even with two shields in hand, Desolate Fury did not think he could perfectly defend himself against all those attacks.

“It’s your turn next!” the skinny Swordsman said as he looked at Cross’s bloodied figure, his voice filled with contempt. However, before the skinny Swordsman could brandish his thorn-like longsword, a crimson streak of light suddenly appeared behind him.

“Boss!”

The players attacking Desolate Fury’s group panicked.

The attack had appeared silently and suddenly, and it did not cause any fluctuations in space. They wouldn’t have even sensed its existence if they hadn’t seen the crimson streak of light!

Amazing!?

When Cross saw the crimson streak of light, even he couldn’t help but be awed by it.

The crimson streak of light was a crimson arrow launched by Leroja. The attack’s name was Blood Arrow, and it was what had earned Leroja the title of Empress Blood Arrow. None of the opponents she had used this attack against thus far had managed to defend against it.

Seeing the attack now, Cross had to tip his hat to Leroja. If he were on the receiving end of Leroja’s Blood Arrow, he highly doubted he could block it, even if he was mentally prepared for it.

“You dare to launch a sneak attack with such low standards?”

While everyone’s attention was concentrated on Leroja’s attack, a cold voice entered their ears. Upon hearing this voice, both Leroja and Cross felt their hearts shuddering.

The skinny Swordsman was unscathed!

Contrary to what everyone thought, Leroja’s Blood Arrow did not hit the skinny Swordsman. Instead, it had harmlessly passed through the Swordsman, utterly failing to hit the Swordsman’s actual body.

“You’re…a fifth-floor expert!”

Leroja looked at the sneering Swordsman in disbelief.

A fifth-floor expert!

This was the only possibility Leroja could think of to explain how the skinny Swordsman had managed to evade her attack with no warning whatsoever.

“Why would an expert like you appear here?”

Cross similarly realized what had just happened, despair filling his eyes as he looked at the skinny Swordsman.

After reaching the fifth-floor standard, experts could already consistently predict threats toward them. Unless there was a significant gap in Basic Attributes, any attacks launched by a non-fifth-floor expert against a fifth-floor expert would be useless. Under the same tier, a fifth-floor expert could defeat non-fifth-floor experts in a one-on-one situation without taking a single point of damage.

However, this was a fifth-floor expert they were talking about. There were hardly any Tier 6 experts at this standard in the Starlight Realm, let alone Tier 4 experts. So, Cross found it flabbergasting that he would meet a fifth-floor expert in this place.

“What? Falling into despair already?”

The contempt in the skinny Swordsman’s eyes grew when he saw that Cross’s will to fight had disappeared.

“Serves you right for not letting us kill you sooner! Now, you people will get a taste of despair!”

“That’s why I say that people from the Starlight Realm are trash. Even though you know you aren’t a match for us, you still insist on resisting. In the end, all you managed to do was make a fool of yourselves.”

“I’m really starting to wonder what has gotten into the Seven Luminaries Alliance. Why would the Alliance put someone who had merely defeated two pieces of trash onto the Luminous Glory List? Some shady dealings must be going on behind the scenes.”

“I’m guessing that the Seven Luminaries Alliance must have lowered its standards out of consideration for the Starlight Realm’s players growing weaker and weaker with every passing generation. Otherwise, nobody from the Starlight Realm’s current generation can get onto any of the Seven Luminaries Lists.”

“That might very well be the case. Ever since the Madwoman’s generation, the Starlight Realm has not produced even one capable fighter until now.”

When the surrounding players saw the despair on Cross’s and Leroja’s faces, they started snickering and talking among themselves.

According to insider information, their leader, Ghost Hand the Star Sword, was originally slated to debut on the Luminous Glory List in the ranking list’s latest revision. However, because of the sudden appearance of a player named Black Flame, Ghost Hand was pushed to the 1,001st rank and deprived of his debut on the Luminous Glory List…

This turn of events had infuriated Ghost Hand, and he vowed to kill any Starlight Realm player he came across.

“Die, you pieces of trash from the Starlight Realm!” Ghost Hand shouted as he raised his longsword to execute another Star Rain.

It’s over…

Leroja sighed when she saw that Ghost Hand was about to launch another attack. The gap between fourth- and fifth-floor experts was simply too massive. Out of all the Starlight Realm players who had entered the Holy Realm, only the top few players could hope to match Ghost Hand. Everyone else could, at most, survive two moves against him.

However, just as Ghost Hand was about to attack with his thorn-like longsword, a deep voice suddenly came from afar. Although the voice was soft, the words spoken by this voice loudly echoed in everyone’s minds.

“You dare to launch a sneak attack with such low standards?”

Every word spoken by this voice was the same as what Ghost Hand had previously said. Even the tone used by this voice was the same contemptuous tone Ghost Hand had previously used.

“Who’s there?!”

Ghost Hand snapped his head toward the source of the voice and executed Star Rain in that direction without hesitation. Immediately, countless swords rained down on the remnants of the three-story building that Ghost Hand had previously demolished.

This time, the sword rain had lasted for a full three seconds before stopping. It was obvious that Ghost Hand was incensed by the provocation and had no intentions of holding back.

However, just when everyone thought it was over, they saw a person walking out of the dust and debris. Moreover, to their surprise, this person had seemingly come out of Ghost Hand’s attack unscathed as he walked steadily and leisurely.

“Who are you?” Ghost Hand couldn’t help himself from asking as he looked at the person walking out of the settling dust.

Star Rain was Ghost Hand’s trademark move. It was also the combat technique he was most proud of. With the aid of this combat technique, rarely would he come across a worthy opponent among those of the same generation. Although some experts could block his Star Rain, they’d usually end up battered and nearly dead like Cross after doing so.

Out of all the opponents Ghost Hand had fought thus far, the only ones who had managed to come out of his Star Rain unscathed were old monsters. However, based on the appearance and voice of the person in front of him, it was obvious the other party was a young man.

“Who am I?” The figure amidst the dust chuckled. “Someone who’s stronger than you!”

“You!” Ghost Hand flew into a rage when he heard the other party’s words.

Just when Ghost Hand was about to execute another attack, the dust finally settled, revealing the figure it previously shrouded. Meanwhile, upon seeing this figure, whether it was Ghost Hand, Cross, Leroja, or Desolate Fury, all of them couldn’t help but widen their eyes in shock.

“Black Flame?”

“You’re Black Flame? The Asura Sword Emperor?”

“How are you here, Brother Black Flame?”