There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 470

Chapter 470: Chapter 463. Fragment of Fallen Star (1)

People said they could see fragments of their past when they were at the door of death, as if the film of their life became the curtain welcoming them to the afterlife.

Ron was always skeptical about this.

How did people know? Wouldn’t the people who experienced it were already dead? If someone didn’t die after looking at those fragments of their past, then that was simply a delusion their mind created to distract themselves from pain, and not the sign of someone who was about to die.

But let’s say that saying was true--in the split second when Ron stared at the giant spear hurled at him, he did not see his life flash by. Did that mean he wouldn’t die? Or those saying was false in the first place?

He had no idea, as the spear struck him in the chest.

And his body dispersed, like scattering smoke.

The impact as the scout’s body and the spear collided created a wave of vibration that reached the other squad members. They flinched and turned around, only to see the scout’s body explode into a scattering shadow, and a huge spear that had lost an obstacle in its way continued on its path, toward the unsuspecting crowds.

Kei widened her eyes in dread, but the first thing she said came from years of training and experience. "SHIELD!!"

The shout shook the whole troop, but in reflex, magic shields and barriers cast on top of each other in the direction of the spear--just in time for the spear to strike. The shield and barrier, which was hastily cast, couldn’t deflect the spear’s rush, although they did slow it down.

The delay of two seconds gave the defenders time to rush and place their physical shields in the spear’s trajectory. Mana rushed into the arms of the defenders as the spear broke the last layer of barrier and struck the shield with a deafening scratching sound. It drove them back with a single strike, leaving deep and long marks beneath their feet.

They didn’t even have the time to curse, as everything happened in seconds. Banner gritted his teeth as he poured more and more mana into his arms that held the mithril shield, wondering what kind of spear hit harder than Bassena’s giant serpent. Within his narrow vision, he could see countless beasts filling the other side of the field, probably all the way to the city ruin. But he couldn’t care less about that with this accursed spear in front of him, which refused to stop--

No--it stopped?

To be exact, something held the shaft of the spear; a wisp of shadow.

Gradually, the shadow--which had never left the field after the spear attack--materialized into a pair of hands holding the shaft tightly, and soon an arm, a shoulder, a scowling face, a torso, and tensed legs buried on the ground as an anchor.

"Good job".

Another scattering of darkness materialized beside the re-emerging scout, and Bassena grabbed the spear too. Even through his gloves, he could feel the sizzle of corrosion, as the poison latched on the shaft eating away at the material. Swiftly, with clenched jaws, Bassena and Ron pulled the spear sideways, filling the field with a screeching sound as the spear scrapped the metal shields. When the spear finally steered to the side, they let go of the shaft, and the huge spear shot toward a cliff on the far left.

With a loud sound that rang through the field and marsh, a chunk of the cliffside exploded; the shockwave could be felt by the surprised humans.

Everything happened in less than ten seconds; from Ron discovering the illusion barrier, to the spear destroying the cliff. Some of them hadn’t even realized what happened yet.

Swiftly, Bassena grabbed the scout and teleported back to the rank. "Maintain the Shield! All barriers up! It’s Code Red--I repeat, it’s Code Red--all personnel in defense formation!"

Code Red; an emergence of Specter-level entities while they are not prepared. A fatal ambush.

Dheera understood that much, but she didn’t understand why Ron was lying on the ground there, groaning with melted palms.

"Do you need painkillers?" Han Shin asked while holding the scout’s arms, sending healing magic into the half-mangle hands.

"No," Ron replied with bated breath. "Need...to be alert..."

"You can’t fight again anyway," Zein frowned at the scout while placing his palm on the burning forehead.

He knew Ron’s skillset--while the other guides didn’t see it, he saw the moment Ron materialized. It was the ability the scout had that could only be triggered by a mortal attack. The skill turned the scout into an immaterial shadow, giving him one second of invincibility against any physical attack. But it also used up all of his mana, which means he wouldn’t be able to participate in the upcoming fight.

"You have no mana, so even if we use serum--"

"Still have my eyes," Ron chuckled weakly, but his face no longer grimacing in pain. "Good thing it’s a physical attack, huh? I’d be a goner if it was magic."

"Shut up!" Zein clasped his hand on the scout’s mouth. Rather an uncommon way of guiding, but he didn’t want to think about what he should say to Agni if something happened to Ron.

"But damn..." Han Shin, who was unusually serious, stared at the troops on the other side of the field, just two hundred meters or so from them. "We’re falling into a trap, huh?"