Chapter 183: Clash of Lords: Snow Princess vs. Bluebeard

Under the cloak of night, the Snow Princess and the man calling himself Bluebeard stood in quiet confrontation.

After a few seconds, the Snow Princess made the first move.

Raising her sword high, an icy, biting wind immediately began to howl, coalescing frost and snowflakes within its currents.

Bluebeard suddenly found the Snow Princess’s form blurring before his eyes. The world around him rapidly turned a stark white with the intensifying blizzard.

In the blink of an eye, a fierce snowstorm erupted within a hundred-meter radius, centered around the Snow Princess.

Element Lord, Calamity Summon!

When an Element Lord invoked their elemental domain using their favored element, they could, in this manner, conjure a localized natural disaster.

The temperature plummeted instantly, and a thick layer of frost rapidly coated the ground.

Bluebeard felt the warmth being rapidly stripped from his entire body. Within such a hostile domain, severe frostbite would set in after mere seconds; prolonging exposure even slightly would lead to complete freezing.

Clutching his sword, Bluebeard suddenly radiated a brilliant light. A translucent, light-forged armor materialized upon him, accompanied by scorching white flames that coiled around the armor, dispelling the surrounding wind, snow, and bitter cold. The fiery glow illuminated his surroundings, allowing him to discern the Snow Princess’s form once more.

Sixth-Tier ‘Silver Guard,’ Divine Sanctuary: Sacred Armor!

Fifth-Tier ‘Blazing Sun Knight,’ Judgment of Heavenly Fire!

He had almost immediately taken the most appropriate action to counter his opponent’s move.

The Snow Princess narrowed her eyes. This Bluebeard was, astonishingly, a Paladin!

Clad in Sacred Armor and wreathed in Heavenly Fire, Bluebeard suddenly charged at the Snow Princess.

He understood that proximity was key to this battle; in close combat, a Paladin’s defensive advantage would render them invincible.

The Paladin class held a distinct advantage over the Mage class.

The Snow Princess, discerning his intent, pointed her sword directly at Bluebeard.

Sixth-Tier ‘Elementalist,’ Gravity Field!

The earth suddenly groaned with a mournful tremor, and a deep crater formed around Bluebeard. The solid rock ground cracked, as if a giant had swung a massive hammer down upon that very spot.

The immense gravity forced Bluebeard to his knees. Fortunately, he managed to brace himself by thrusting his longsword into the ground.

The Snow Princess frowned. A Gravity Field cast by a Fourth-Tier ‘Element Lord’ possessed enough power to instantly crush every bone in a person’s body. Yet, Bluebeard seemed to endure it. Not only that, but after adapting to the crushing gravity, he rose again, resuming his heavy advance towards her!

The ‘Paladin’ class’s Tenacity Enhancement ability could be used to reinforce weapons or clothing. However, at higher tiers, this ability also had a direct application: to strengthen the blessed individual themselves, temporarily granting their body resilience and strength beyond steel.

Seeing this, the Snow Princess simply abandoned maintaining the Gravity Field. She raised her left hand, and a lightning spear immediately manifested within her grasp.

Consecutively using the Elemental Forging ability twice, especially for a high-tier phenomenon like lightning, was no small drain on the Snow Princess. However, she could no longer hold back, for she realized that this Paladin’s power was likely on par with her own!

This time, Bluebeard astonishingly spread his arms wide.

The Snow Princess’s eyes widened slightly, then she understood his meaning.

The ‘Mage’ class’s abilities focused on offense, while the ‘Paladin’ class emphasized defense.

Bluebeard’s message was simple: ‘Come, let your strongest spear strike my strongest shield. Let us determine who is superior!’

The Snow Princess could not refuse such a challenge.

Only those who trampled other strong individuals underfoot could stand at the pinnacle of the world!

She continuously infused power into the lightning spear, causing the electricity in her hand to grow increasingly radiant.

Concurrently, a tall, winged, glowing figure flickered into existence behind Bluebeard.

Paladin Fourth-Tier ‘Radiant Lord,’ Guardian Angel!

The Guardian Angel folded its wings, enveloping Bluebeard within them.

The Snow Princess hurled her fully charged lightning spear.

At that moment, Bluebeard summoned a surge of Holy Light. The light, like a rising sun, illuminated the entire wilderness, its brilliance visible even from the city gates.

The lightning spear struck the Guardian Angel’s wings, erupting in a blinding flash and a thunderous roar that intensified the light even further.

The dazzling glare forced the Snow Princess to close her eyes. She reacted a beat too late, calling forth earth elements, and a wall of earth immediately rose before her to block the light.

The light flared and vanished, plunging the surroundings into an even deeper darkness.

The Snow Princess commanded the earth wall to part, then looked towards Bluebeard’s position. She needed to confirm if the lightning spear had pierced through his defenses and severely wounded him, which might explain why the Holy Light had extinguished so quickly.

The Guardian Angel still stood in place, now dim and its wings tattered, but its form remained.

Bluebeard, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s over.”

A voice from her side caused the Snow Princess to turn her head slightly.

Bluebeard had used the preceding flash to move approximately five paces to her side, his sword pointed skyward.

Hovering directly above the Snow Princess, a glowing Angelic Halo appeared.

Angelic Halo: Judgment of Heavenly Fire.

With a mere thought from Bluebeard, Heavenly Fire would surge from that halo, engulfing the Snow Princess. While the Snow Princess could naturally use her most proficient ice to forge an ice wall or even a small iceberg above to defend, if she were to make such a strenuous defense, Bluebeard, who had already closed the distance, could easily charge forward and pierce her body with his enhanced sword.

The outcome was decided.

“I’ve lost, and I accept it wholeheartedly,” the Snow Princess said, her voice still calm, as if oblivious to her life being in his hands.

At the same Fourth-Tier, there wasn’t a significant power gap between a Mage’s ‘Element Lord’ and a Paladin’s ‘Radiant Lord.’ However, the tactical awareness and proficiency in using their abilities were worlds apart.

“Then leave here and head in that direction.” Bluebeard raised his sword, pointing in a direction completely different from where Alice and her companions were. “Do not hinder us further.”

“You won’t kill me?” the Snow Princess asked.

“There’s no need; you are not our target,” Bluebeard replied. “Nor do we wish to provoke trouble with the Dragon’s Ridge Kingdom.”

“Who exactly are you? There aren’t many ‘Radiant Lord’-level Paladins in this world,” the Snow Princess inquired.

“A loser has no right to ask questions,” Bluebeard stated.

The Snow Princess said no more. She sheathed her sword, turned, and departed. Losing to an opponent and being spared by them was humiliating, but the matter was settled. Even if she couldn’t fully accept it, she had no choice. As the future Snow Princess, she could not die in such a place.

After watching the Snow Princess’s figure disappear, Bluebeard exhaled slowly through his nose and turned towards the city. Just as he took a step, a voice called from behind him: “Please wait, sir.”

He immediately spun around.

A peculiar man stood there, wearing a top hat and a mask, just like Bluebeard. He tipped his hat in greeting: “Would you care to chat for a moment?”

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