Chapter 110: Survival in a Desperate Situation
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets clanged off the Stone Man's body with a series of sharp metallic sounds. At the same time, a set of notifications popped up on Zhou Ning's interface.
[You have entered combat.]
[Based on your level, you have obtained the following information.]
————
Name: Alva Roskin
Total Level: 42
Class: Esper (Stone Affinity)
Attributes: Strength 72 (102), Agility 21, Stamina ??, Willpower 27, Spirit ??, Charisma 58
HP: ?
Status: Healthy
[Remaining Information: Unknown]
Skills: Petrification (Advanced), Boulder Spikes (Advanced), Boulder Toss (Advanced), Demonization (Basic), [Remaining Unknown]
Just based on his stats, his level was lower than Zhou Ning had expected. Besides his class countering Zhou Ning's abilities and overwhelming strength, he didn't seem unbeatable in a one-on-one. Unfortunately, there was also the boss-level Harrison Rivers standing by.
Even worse, after more than a dozen shots, the curse effect still hadn't triggered. Moments later, the Stone Man suddenly leapt into the air, both arms wrapped in rock as he raised them high, then slammed down with brutal force.
Terrifying strength!
Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat. He immediately activated his grappling hook. His body sprang up like a coil, soaring ten meters into the air—just enough to escape the Stone Man's attack zone.
And just as he shot upward, the Stone Man crashed down like a cannonball.
BOOM!
Dust exploded outward. Shards of stone flew in all directions. A row of jagged stone spikes erupted from the ground like spears, stretching outward just above the floor. Sofas and luxury furniture were lifted and shattered into pieces, flung skyward. The ceiling was punctured with a massive hole. Even two medium-sized mechanical constructs were launched into the air and slammed hard into the ground—one instantly falling apart, the other left with just a sliver of health.
Zhou Ning didn't panic. He curled his legs up and swung along the grappling hook, letting the spikes rush beneath him. One of the spikes even toppled a whale oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, plunging the room into darkness.
Seizing the moment, he fired his grappling hook again. It twisted like a serpent and latched onto a shelf ahead. With his incredible agility, Zhou Ning crossed nearly fifteen meters in a matter of seconds.
But just then, a gust of wind slashed toward him, aiming to sever his grappling hook midair.
Zhou Ning reacted instantly, releasing his grip and landing softly on the ground before rolling sideways.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Where he had just stood—and where he was headed—was instantly sliced into deep gashes by streaks of black wind blades.
Harrison Rivers, who had been standing to the side, ready to stop Zhou Ning from escaping, now gave chase. Zhou Ning raised his gun, ready to land a headshot with Lethal Precision, but then he caught a flicker of darkness in Harrison's eyes.
Zhou Ning, experienced by now, immediately dove into a roll, narrowly avoiding the attack. Behind him, a black ripple rapidly expanded outward along the ground.
Harrison Rivers closed the distance again, chanting:
"All things are forged by will!"
Zhou Ning turned his head just in time to see a massive blaze of light ignite around Harrison's body.
A familiar sense of pressure surged toward him. His body stiffened involuntarily.
Zhou Ning felt a sinking dread. Every time he tried to escape using the grappling hook from his Phoenix Battle Suit, Harrison had blocked his path with uncanny precision. It was only now that he truly joined the battle himself.
Less than half a second later, Harrison pointed a finger at Zhou Ning and coldly uttered two ancient Falric runes:
"Imprison!"
Suddenly, Zhou Ning felt his entire body freeze, as if bound by countless invisible threads. He couldn't move.
[You have been subjected to Harrison Rivers' Willpower Judgment!
Your Willpower: 35
Judgment failed.
You are now Imprisoned for 30 seconds.]
In the darkness, lines of text began to appear on a nearby opera script—Act 3, Scene 7.
---
(Line) Harrison Rivers (coldly): Imprison!
(Narration) Harrison Rivers used Willpower Judgment to imprison Wayne Sturwell. With his level of control, he could easily hold Wayne for 30 seconds. At that moment, Wayne's willpower was reduced to its limit by Harrison's power, and he began to despair. He knew he couldn't possibly contend with two high-level professionals. Not at all!
The book seemed to be getting excited as it switched lines and continued writing rapidly:
(Narration) And then came the climax of this act. As a devout follower of the Evil God, Alva Roskin felt no pity for anyone or anything. He was a beast, a true beast from the operatic section of Bohemian Rhapsody—savage, wild, and eccentric. With unstoppable ferocity, he charged at Wayne Sturwell. The curtain on this act was about to fall…
Zhou Ning wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of experience—he knew it stemmed from the Rivers family's bloodline ability. But for some reason, this time he felt a deep, helpless frustration.
His Observation Haki's danger sense showed him a vision of Alva Roskin piercing through his chest, being completely immobilized without even a chance to fight back.
Then suddenly, a calm voice echoed in his mind:
"Relax your mind. I can fight for you—for 30 seconds only."
Startled, Zhou Ning followed the voice's instructions. The moment Molly took control of his body, a white flame flared up in the void, burning away the threads binding him. His paralyzed body regained movement in an instant.
Next, a divine pillar of flame appeared above Alva Roskin, scorching his body and producing a sizzling plume of black smoke. His charge halted abruptly. He curled into himself and howled in agony as nearly half of his HP dropped in an instant.
Meanwhile, a buff appeared on Zhou Ning—+200 Armor for 1 minute.
In the dark, the book's text paused, as if unsure how to proceed. After a moment, the final sentence—"The curtain on this act was about to fall…"—was crossed out with a black line. Then it continued:
(Narration) Wayne Sturwell's sudden burst of power momentarily halted Alva Roskin's assault. But this outburst couldn't last. Harrison Rivers was far stronger than Wayne Sturwell. The outcome remained unchanged…
Harrison's eyes narrowed. He pointed at Zhou Ning again and shouted:
"Come—here!"
Another prompt appeared.
[You have been subjected to Harrison Rivers' Willpower Judgment!
Your Willpower: 35 (95)
Judgment successful. You are immune to the effect.]
Zhou Ning froze briefly before realizing the number in parentheses—95—represented Molly's willpower. Damn, this old lady is fierce.
Why didn't the Willpower Judgment work?! Harrison stared in disbelief.
Zhou Ning took the opportunity to pull back 20 yards. As he felt his body returning to his control, he guessed that Molly's 30-second combat time had ended.
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Ning whispered,
"Knowledge is power."
His pupils lit up with flashes of lightning as he quickly analyzed the battlefield.
In a corner, a medium-sized mechanical construct lay prone, clutching a cursed flintlock—barely alive with just a sliver of health. There might still be a chance for a sneak attack.
There was no denying Harrison Rivers' strength. Even if the cursed gun could reduce him to a skeleton, thirty seconds wouldn't be enough to kill him.
But Alva Roskin… he was vulnerable.
A daring, even crazy plan emerged in Zhou Ning's mind. Not only would he survive—he'd attempt a counter-kill.
Using the distance he'd just gained, Zhou Ning raised his gun and fired at Harrison. Bang! A bullet infused with both Conqueror's and Armament Haki pierced into Harrison's torso. Using the recoil, Zhou Ning sprinted to the left, rolled into a tight ball, and hurled himself toward Alva Roskin.
Now over three meters tall in his stone giant form, Alva had just recovered from the burning pain and saw Zhou Ning rolling toward him. He raised his massive arm and brought it crashing down.
But Zhou Ning's training had enhanced his Observation Haki to the point of near-future sight. In his mind, he clearly saw a vision—a field of stone spikes erupting from the floor.
He didn't hesitate. Zhou Ning fired at the ground beneath him.
Just as Alva slammed the ground and a forest of deadly spikes shot upward, Zhou Ning soared with his Aerial Shot skill—rising just above the spike field. In mid-air, he stepped on one of the rising spikes to launch himself again, then aimed his gun straight at Alva's head and pulled the trigger.
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