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Chapter 100 The Nun's Fluttering Heart
Chapter 100 The Nun's Fluttering Heart
As they walked, familiar landmarks came into view: the mound and the flat flower field.
It was here that they encountered the distraught nun, who lit a bonfire nearby and roasted a wild animal that was hard to swallow.
But when they got near the campfire, they didn't see a single person. Only a few charred branches remained in the extinguished fire. Simon went to the fire, bent down, and noticed that the charred branches were arranged in the shape of an arrow, pointing to their northwest.
With his eyes closed, Simon used his enhanced senses to capture more information. He heard heavy footsteps, the rustling of jewelry, and intermittent gunshots.
"Help me with this." Simon handed the glass jar to Pike, his expression grim. "The situation is bad. You guys stay here and try not to leave."
After quickly making arrangements, he leaned forward, pushed off with his left foot, and ran rapidly southwest, his thigh muscles taut like a bowstring.
The petals were swept up by the airflow from both sides, leaving a long, purplish-red trail behind him.
The wind whistled in his ears, and spore light poured down from the dome, stretching his shadow into a blurry black line.
His heart was pumping blood relentlessly, like a roaring internal combustion engine, constantly generating more and more powerful energy. He was running with all his might, the scenery of the flower fields on both sides flashing by. As he ran, he was using his senses to capture information about his companions.
He soon discovered traces of the nun around a large stone forest.
The nun held the holy hammer, but instead of attacking, she was struggling to defend against the enemy's powerful attacks. The enemy's steel body reflected the light of the spores, making it look quite intimidating.
Two rows of bronze spikes were welded onto the shoulder armor, and the breastplate was densely covered with reliefs of prayers, like works of art worthy of being displayed in a church. Small rubies and lapis lazuli were inlaid between the reliefs, shimmering in the spore light like drops of congealed blood.
A string of bone-carved skulls and countless exquisite ornaments hung from his waist, gently clinking and clicking with each step of the armor.
He held a golden ceremonial greatsword in his hand. The blade was extremely wide, with a raised spine and two sharp edges. The blade gleamed coldly in the spore light.
Fanatical Steam Armor.
"Aren't you fanatics the Iron Emperor's most loyal followers? Why are you following that madman who intends to overthrow the Empire?" the nun shouted, swinging her holy hammer again. The hard hammerhead clashed with the enemy's golden greatsword, sparking blinding sparks.
The clash of strength forced the nun to take a half-step back, but the fanatic remained standing.
A hoarse, unpleasant voice emanated from beneath the helmet, a murmur like that of a drowning victim: "The Venerable One's enlightenment has led us to abandon the pursuit of false gods; we will now believe in the true deity!"
The cold weapons clashed again, and the fanatics' strength and speed were not to be underestimated!
As the nun stumbled backward, he suddenly strode forward, smashing through the scattering sparks, and thrust his golden greatsword straight at her head!
The sharp blade pierced her throat, but it couldn't advance even half an inch further. The nun was only stunned for a second before she immediately fled several steps away, escaping the greatsword's attack range.
What's going on? At the moment the greatsword was thrust out, she seemed to hear the warnings from the nuns—a fierce attack powerful enough to pierce her throat and then flip her head off! But why was her enemy no longer advancing, but standing still?
No, her enemy was still moving, his feet, clad in metal boots, constantly churning the soil beneath his feet, yet he still couldn't advance an inch!
She saw a familiar figure, the man named Simon, who was gripping the brass pipes on the back of the steam armor with both hands, preventing the fanatics from advancing!
It's so hot, so heavy!
Simon's hands were rapidly heating up; he could almost smell the roasting aroma. With a final burst of strength, he pulled back and then yanked the harpoon out of the mud. He aimed the sharp, triangular blade at the gap in the armor and, just as the enemy retreated, plunged the blade in!
The blade bounced off! It couldn't be inserted. Simon had intended to take this opportunity to remove a steel plate from his back, but the armor's strength far exceeded his expectations.
"Foolish!" The fanatic, sword in hand, gleamed with cold killing intent in his eyes as he peered through the hole.
With a hoarse roar, the golden greatsword slashed and swept across the flower field, unleashing a storm of attacks!
The clanging and clashing sounds were incessant! Sparks flew as the harpoon was slashed, and hot sparks landed on his skin. Simon gritted his teeth and used the shaft of the harpoon to block. The greatsword's attacks were powerful and heavy. With each strike, he felt as if his internal organs were about to shift, and his body was being forced backward as if facing a hurricane.
Keeping his mind clear, he parried the enemy's attacks while carefully considering countermeasures, making use of every resource he had.
Cut the brass pipe? That's absolutely wishful thinking. Insert an explosive arrow into his peephole and detonate it? That won't work either; the enemy in front of him won't give him that opportunity.
Even though Simon had slain countless fungal corpses and monsters, he couldn't break through the defenses of the steel-like body forged from a special metal, no matter how hard he tried.
All the steam armor is a work of art forged by the Imperial Industry. Before putting on the steam armor, each armored warrior undergoes a special ceremony, including prayers from the Ironwing Church and a series of complex surgeries, to ensure that the armor fits the user perfectly.
Apart from its dazzling reliefs and decorations, the fanatic Awei before them had very average stats, with no outstanding strengths or fatal flaws.
Once again calmly parrying the fanatic's frenzied attack, Simon retreated a few steps and returned to the nun's side.
"Where are Florian and Professor Loris?" he asked.
"I told them to run first—what about you? If it's really too much for him, I'll stay behind to cover your retreat; he won't be able to catch you."
The nun glanced at Simon instinctively, only to find that he was also staring intently at her.
To be precise, his gaze was fixed downwards, fixed on the holy hammer he held in his hands.
A heavy, blunt weapon, if struck repeatedly, could stun an enemy inside the armor.
"Sissi!" Simon called out the nun's name solemnly.
Her silver hair swayed in the turbulent airflow. The nun was slightly startled and tucked a few strands behind her ears.
Simon held out his hand to her: "Lend me the Holy Hammer!"
He didn't know what the Holy Hammer meant. It meant the oath of steel, the commandments of the Iron Emperor, and the nun regarded the Holy Hammer as a comrade-in-arms.
Stroking the hard hammerhead, Sisi lent her "comrade-in-arms" to someone else for the first time in her life.
The moment Simon's fingers slowly and tightly gripped the hammer handle, the nun's body trembled violently. For some reason, she felt a strange tremor, her breathing became heavy, and her skin seemed to become hot.
The weapon that belonged only to her was being controlled by another person. A feeling she had never experienced before welled up from within her. She didn't know what to call this feeling, but she felt her heart rate soaring. She swallowed hard, her fingers lightly touching her heart, gazing at Simon's solid back.
Gripping the heavy hammer tightly, Simon took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the steaming enemy.
A fierce wind swept in, blowing all the grayish-white steam toward him. The scorching grayish-white steam seemed to envelop them like a cage, serving as the arena for this life-or-death struggle.
We will fight to the death!
Disregarding everything else, he let out a beastly roar and snatched the Holy Hammer!