Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 549: Golden Valkyrie
Realizing the threat, the Arbiter tried to shift its form, to turn intangible. But Lin Mo was already within the range of his [Stellar Domain].
"Stay still."
The domain seemed to pulse, imposing a heavy, orderly gravity on the chaotic storm-being. The Arbiter's shifting form stuttered, solidifying for a brief moment into something resembling condensed vapor.
That was enough.
Lin Mo's spear slammed into the Arbiter's shoulder.
THWACK!
A burst of static sparks exploded as the Arbiter screeched like a sound of pure digital glitching.
The physical impact, amplified by the armor, forced the entity down, smashing it into the stone floor.
However, before Lin Mo could follow up, a cold sensation gripped his spine.
The Nihilist had recovered. It stabbed its sword backward, through its own torso, the blade extending unnaturally to skewer Lin Mo.
It was a suicidal move that only a non-living construct would attempt.
Lin Mo twisted his body as his muscles screamed in protest at the sudden movement.
The void blade grazed his side.
HISS.
The Argentum-III plating on his flank vanished.
The void ate the metal, the Aether, and grazed his skin, leaving a trail of frostbite that felt like the touch of death.
[Warning: Armor Integrity Compromised. Left Flank Breach.]
[Aether Leak Detected. Executing Emergency Repair. Diverting 50% of Aether Energy output.]
Lin Mo rolled away, putting distance between them. "Okay, that sword is definitely a cheat item. If only it were a true weapon, I'd want to get it."
The two entities regrouped. The gray tether between them pulsed, transferring energy.
The dent Lin Mo had put in the Arbiter's shoulder popped back into place, healed by the Nihilist's void energy. In exchange, the Nihilist's movement became faster, boosted by the Arbiter's static.
They were regenerating and buffing each other.
"Boss! I'm ready!"
A shout rang out from behind him. Lin Mo turned to see a figure clad in full silver armor, the helmet's plume replaced by a crackling aura of golden electricity that seemed to be leaking from the joints. Gradually, the silver seemingly adapted a golden hue, as if it were adapting to its bearer's traits.
The Argentum-II Legionary armor, designed for uniformity, was being forcibly rewritten by her Heavenly Physique. The silver plates were turning a brilliant, translucent gold, transforming Liu Xiaoyu into a golden valkyrie.
"Sorry for the wait, Boss," Her voice, muffled slightly by the helmet, sounded like a goddess speaking from a storm cloud. "It's now mine! Soul binding complete. And wow... this thing is hungry. It wants to eat my qi, but I'm feeding it so much it's starting to overheat. It feels... fantastic."
"I told you not to feed it with your qi yet… But looks like it's still working. Nevermind then. Just don't melt it before we win," Lin Mo shouted back before dashing back to her position, "Alright, I'll activate the Aetheric Link, don't reject it."
"Got it, Boss! Link versus link. This will be good. Who do you think will win, Boss?"
"Of course, it'll be us, dummy. Do you not want to go up to the next floor?" Lin Mo wryly smiled. If not for her head hidden by the helm, he'd probably flick it again. "Let's go! Time to show them the power of the Divine Convenience Store's customer service!"
"Hehe. Got it, Boss!"
Lin Mo activated the ability. He located the new signal, a blazing, chaotic sun representing Xiaoyu and extended the link to her.
[Initiating Aetheric Link...]
[Target: Legionary Unit (Designation: Storm)]
[Connection Established.]
[Warning: Linked Unit energy signature is... extremely volatile.]
A beam of pure, coherent light shot from Lin Mo's chest, connecting directly to Liu Xiaoyu's.
Usually, an Aetheric Link was a subtle, invisible network of shared sensory data and energy distribution. But between two cultivators with unique physiques than the intended Argent Covenant inhabitant bearer, subtlety seemed to be thrown out the window.
A tangible, crackling tether of silver and gold energy formed between them.
Lin Mo gasped as the feedback hit him.
He could feel Xiaoyu's energy and her state of being. The boundless, thrumming excitement. The infinite reservoir of lightning boiling in her veins. She felt less like a partner and more like a captured hurricane he was trying to hold on a leash.
"Whoa! Boss! I sense your energy flowing into me. It feels so... calm. It's like drinking ice water!" Liu Xiaoyu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Focus, Xiaoyu. The link distributes the impact. If I get hit, you feel it. If you get hit, I feel it. Our strength is also elevated a bit. We're now as strong as a peak Core Formation Stage expert, I think. We are one unit. You are the spearhead and I am the core."
"Got it! Spearhead coming through!"
As if she couldn't wait to try their newly-augmented strength, Liu Xiaoyu kicked off the ground. With the link active, her [Legionary Set] roared, the Aether Shard in her chest glowing white-hot as it struggled to convert her massive output. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
She became a golden comet, streaking across the arena towards the
[Void-Star Nihilist].
The Nihilist, sensing the incoming threat, raised its void-greatsword. It held the blade out, turning the edge into a vertical event horizon. Anything that touched it would be unmade.
"You think a hole in the air can stop me?!" Xiaoyu yelled.
Instead of trying to dodge or parry, she punched the air in front of her.
"Nine Heavens Storm: Pressure Cannon!"
A condensed sphere of air and lightning shot from her fist, hitting the void blade before she did.
ZWOOM.
The sphere was swallowed instantly, erased from existence without a sound. But the act of erasing such a dense packet of energy caused the void blade to flicker. It had a digestion limit.
That millisecond of flicker was all she needed.
Liu Xiaoyu twisted her body as her armored greaves slammed into the flat of the greatsword, knocking it aside. She landed inside the Nihilist's guard, her fists becoming a blur.
"Eat this! And this! And this! Ora ora ora!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Every punch created a sound like a heavy artillery shell. Her fists, wrapped in Aether-forged alloy, her own gauntlets and infused with chaotic storm qi, slammed into the Nihilist's armor of black holes.
The creature staggered.
Its trait of [Domain Devourer] tried to activate, tried to suck in her energy to heal itself.
But that trait was ineffective on her attacks. It's not a domain and it cannot feed on it. And the Nihilist fed on order, on structure, on starlight. A direct counter to Lin Mo. But Xiaoyu's energy was an unadulterated chaos. It was a storm.
When the Nihilist tried to absorb the lightning from her punches, its black armor rippled violently. It was like trying to swallow a live grenade.
The creature let out a distorted, garbled shriek as internal explosions rocked its form. It couldn't digest her.
"Hah! It's choking, Boss! It hates the spicy golden lightning flavor!"
Meanwhile, Lin Mo moved to intercept the [Static-Storm Arbiter].
The Arbiter, seeing its partner under siege, tried to fire a beam of white noise at Xiaoyu's back to disrupt her rhythm.
"Eyes on me," Lin Mo commanded.
He used [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps], but with the Aetheric Link activated, the technique had also been augmented.
He left solid afterimages made of hard light, fueled by the excess energy bleeding off Xiaoyu through the link.
Three silver Lin Mos charged the Arbiter from different angles.
The Arbiter shrieked, unleashing an omnidirectional wave of [Frequency Disruption].
The stone floor vibrated into dust. The air rippled.
Two of the silver phantoms shattered like glass.
But the real Lin Mo slid underneath the soundwave, his armor's [Aetheric Bulwark] flaring to dampen the residual vibration.
And then, he was right in front of the storm-cloud entity.
"It's about time we finish this, no?" He muttered with a smirk even though he knew it wouldn't be able to understand him at all. This time, with the Starfall Judgement Revolver in his hand, he chucked it right against the Arbiter's chest.
He didn't need to charge it again. It still had bullets in its chamber. He just needed to compress his [Stellar Domain] and use it to activate its second ability.
[Stellar Flare]!
BANG!
