Chapter 979
Fallen Heavenly Envoy Mechanics
Bone severed.
Flesh torn.
A Fallen Heavenly Envoy that had completed its corporealization was no longer an ethereal energy body, but possessed a genuine physical form.
Therefore, it was only natural that its limbs could also be separated.
“Ughhhhhhhh—”
The unfamiliar, agonizing pain caused the Fallen Heavenly Envoy to emit bestial roars and snarls.
Furious, chaotic, pitch-black power erupted from within him, flinging the surrounding Helchin and Siegfried away!
This was not an attack—otherwise, the two of them would not have merely been “flung away.”
Despite his mana being completely depleted after unleashing Paradise Lost, and being unable to even escape Siegfried’s entanglement… it was precisely because of this that he had one arm severed by these two.
When his mana was sufficiently abundant, he could even influence the entire world through ritualistic spells; one punch could shatter an Apostle, a casual strike could leave the physically strongest and most resilient individual in the group, “Main Tank” Lixia, on the verge of death, and even shatter Divine Artifacts bestowed by the Candlemaster and Heavenly Candlemaster Envoy…
If the Fallen Heavenly Envoy still possessed any excess power, he would never have found himself in such a predicament!
“…It’s just losing an arm.”
The Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s roars were so filled with pain that even the Grand Guardian couldn’t help but frown and retort.
He himself had been torn to pieces by over a dozen energy orbs!
Those weren’t even spells, merely the release of Power. Almost any Mage could use such an ability… it was merely derived from “Elemental Affinity” in their Path Trait!
Third Tier Storm Affinity allowed one to assimilate with the atmosphere and break the sound barrier at will without generating a sonic boom; Third Tier Lightning Affinity could summon the might of lightning with a mere gesture—this was knowledge the Grand Guardian possessed. However, the energy orbs that had attacked him earlier were at least Sixth Tier “Affinity”!
Elemental Affinity alone, when pushed to its limits, could be this powerful!
The Grand Guardian’s pride-worthy physique, capable of withstanding a dragon’s charge head-on, proved so fragile before that purest manifestation of Power. He was no better off than an Ordinary Person dancing in a lightning field. His fractured body could be covered entirely by a single towel.
He didn’t even need a white sheet.
—Even so, he hadn’t let out a single shriek or groan.
He hadn’t been knocked unconscious… his consciousness was clear, and he had faced death with utmost clarity.
It was simply that he hadn’t deployed Paradise Lost at the time, and the “live broadcast” hadn’t ended yet—he didn’t want others to witness his defeat and be induced with fear and despair. Nor did he want his teammates to worry about him, thereby exposing any weaknesses.
So, he endured.
Even as he lost consciousness completely, his gaze, fixed upon the sky, remained steady and unwavering, devoid of any fear!
Yet the Fallen Heavenly Envoy now, merely by losing an arm, was screaming so loudly…
“No, that’s not right.”
Eivass’s voice cut through the air.
Flapping his six white wings, Eivass flew to their side.
His expression was solemn. “Retire, Mr. George—the ensuing battle is beyond your participation. Please escort Cardinal Fafnir, Cardinal Galatea, and Master Amber away.”
“…Understood.”
Without any pleasantries or hesitation.
Despite his heart churning with unwillingness, the Grand Guardian accepted the order without hesitation and immediately began to execute it.
“I’ll stay here.”
Cardinal Galatea stated, looking up seriously.
Eivass didn’t ask “why,” but simply nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
He continued to stare intently at the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, who was howling in agony and continuously leaking terrifying power.
It was a decadent aura that even Helchin could not withstand—
Undoubtedly.
It was Power that surpassed the “World’s Limit.”
“—That is the Heavenly Envoy’s Lawful Power, the reason why Heavenly Envoys are called Heavenly Envoys…”
Saint Joan spoke softly. “The ‘Authority to Command the Heavens’… to be harmed by a mortal without divinity, it likely no longer acknowledges the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. Or rather, the Heavenly Envoy Fragment itself, belonging to a Transcendent Path, has chosen to ‘transcend.’
“—It has begun to lose control.”
The power of the “Fallen” law sought to possess the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s body; however, it was a power that should not exist in the current world, and the Wall of Balance of the Hourglass continuously suppressed it. The more it struggled, the more the Fallen Heavenly Envoy suffered.
Two powers far beyond the Material Realm formed a grinding mill between heaven and earth… the pain was enough to shatter one’s sanity. Lucifer in the past had a gentle disposition, was far less fierce and strong than the Wing Heavenly Envoy, and unlike the Wing Heavenly Envoy, had not experienced life-and-death battles against powerful enemies… this caused the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s consciousness to gradually become damaged and fragmented.
And this also signified something else…
—The Fallen Heavenly Envoy had entered its final stage.
Although the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s displayed power was far higher than Eivass had anticipated… so far, its skill set had remained within Eivass’s predictions.
In the game, the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s first stage was a spellcaster form clad in golden armor.
It would cycle through attacks like a purple lightning sweep covering half the map, a purple laser descending from the sky like a space-based weapon, spreading outwards from the center, and a purple sphere descending slowly from the heavens. Up to this point, these were considered normal “field day mechanics,” and simply running around would suffice.
The Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s signature mechanic was the periodic application of “Mark of Sin.”
It would activate every thirty seconds, targeting one person for eight seconds in the order of highest current attack, highest damage taken, and highest healing amount. The targeted individual would lose all control. If killed by any of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s other skills, they would become an enemy and needed to be killed and revived again to rejoin the party.
If both healers with resurrection abilities were “fallen,” the attempt would be declared a failure.
When the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s health dropped to half, it would unleash “Meteor Sun” and switch forms.
This was a “player check.”
This skill could not be dodged and required concentration and the use of eight area-of-effect damage reduction skills to withstand—and in the game “Ouroboros Ring,” each player could only equip one stackable area-of-effect damage reduction skill.
Therefore, losing even one person meant a total party wipe.
“Liberated Form: Fallen Heavenly Envoy” was the second stage, also known as the “King of Fists.”
With the “laser” and “falling sphere” mechanics persisting and accelerating, it would teleport to the nearest player every three seconds and deliver a punch, repelling them to the edge of the map.
If the first punch failed to repel the target for any reason, or if the target remained within attack range after being repelled, the Fallen Heavenly Envoy would immediately deliver two more punches to that target. Each punch dealt about eighty percent of a normal class’s health, and about thirty to forty percent of a tank’s health; and these punches followed an eight-punch cycle, with the “eighth punch” being an instant-kill mechanism for non-tank classes, requiring tanks to use a single-target damage reduction skill to survive with a sliver of health.
As long as the Fallen Heavenly Envoy was approached by two or more players simultaneously, it would immediately use an ability similar to “Resurrection,” blasting everyone around it to the edge of the map. This ability had a cooldown of only fifteen seconds.
For a first-time party, it was sheer hell. People rained from the sky, chaos ensued.
—This mechanic was also known as “Sports Teacher Teaches Math.” One wrong count on the eighth punch, and you’d be smashed to death.
However, according to a guide video posted by a Bilibili UP host, the movement patterns of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy in this stage were actually controllable—without melee professions, everyone simply needed to stand on one side to avoid other mechanics, while the two tanks stood on opposite sides of the other end. After being repelled, they would immediately run forward.
When health dropped to 20%, it would revert to the “Mark of Sin” mechanic, targeting two people at once, and reducing the lock cooldown to fifteen seconds. Since players immobilized in place would disrupt the distance, forcing them into a corner, they would no longer move. The other tank would inevitably be cornered and repeatedly hammered to death… after which, one would need to act according to the situation.
By this stage, even the most coordinated parties would begin to slowly crumble.
But fortunately, this stage only required one to persevere—when the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s health dropped to 10%, it would trigger a transition and enter the third stage. There would be ample transition time to revive teammates and heal. As long as at least one healer remained, it wouldn’t be a total wipe.
After the transition, the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s name would no longer be “Sealed Form: Fallen Heavenly Envoy” or “Liberated Form: Fallen Heavenly Envoy.”
Instead, it would have a two-character name.
—【The Fallen】.
Just like the Fallen Heavenly Envoy before them.
Some believed this was the most difficult stage, while others considered it the easiest. However, regardless of the argument, the Fallen Heavenly Envoy in this stage could not tolerate anyone with a “weak will” to approach.
The Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s roar gradually subsided, and it ceased its struggles.
Its recently severed left arm grew back—or rather, it reformed from pure dark energy into a terrifying and monstrous demonic hand.
And the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s eyes turned into two pure black holes, within which flickered black lightning.
“Snake…”
The Fallen Heavenly Envoy stared intently at Eivass, its expression gradually calming.
It spoke with a blank expression, as if in a trance, “I want to see you…”
Its hands hung limply, seemingly offering no resistance.
—Yet they couldn’t even take a single step closer.
The tidal wave of decadent aura now radiating from it was no longer the “purple” of before, but had gradually transformed into a pure, despairing, unadulterated black.
The “Fallen Heavenly Envoy” lifted off the ground, its entire body slowly floating upwards.
Its palms were upturned, spread wide naturally.
And above its head, a dark sun rose—
It appeared like a phantom crown, or perhaps a halo suspended behind its head.
It pulsed like a heart—with each beat, it emitted an invisible, unavoidable light of decadence, and its volume increased by a circle.
The howling, surging pure power of decadence made it impossible to approach—like a person with extreme acrophobia stepping onto a narrow bridge over a cliff. The body instinctively resisted moving forward, unable to budge no matter what.
With the slightest step forward, a myriad of malicious thoughts would surface in one’s mind.
Even Helchin, the King of the Wild Hunt, had his eyes faintly turn blood-red. The aura of malice seeped out, his whole body froze, and he was on the verge of transforming into a vengeful spirit once more—
The intangible aura of decadence spread outwards in all directions, centered on “The Fallen”!
One could not look directly, nor approach. Merely sensing its presence ahead, merely conceiving the “prototype” of this “Fallen” in one’s consciousness, would birth malicious intent that should not have existed in the first place!
“—Everyone, get behind me!”
Eivass commanded without hesitation.
He spread his six white wings, shielding everyone.
While moving forward was impossible, moving backward was not—people came to their senses and stumbled backward.
As soon as even one person stood in front, their minds would immediately clear.
With the next dark halo expanding—the malice boiling within Eivass caused his pupils to turn red at a rapid pace.
Although Eivass had realized during the previous “second stage” that the dungeon’s difficulty in the game had certainly been lowered by more than a little… now, truly confronting 【The Fallen】, Eivass felt it was utterly preposterous—
He knew that the BOSS in this stage would charge up an unconditional, full-screen instant-kill skill with a long casting bar. Concurrently, it would periodically release a low-damage decadent air wave outwards, repelling everyone. This wave could be blocked by the player at the forefront. At the same time, it would maintain the previous “laser” and “falling sphere” mechanics, but this time, one absolutely could not be hit.
Whether it was the decadent aura or other mechanics… any damage taken would stack one layer of decadent aura. One would randomly acquire one of eight negative statuses such as “stagger,” “madness,” “silence,” “weakness,” or “slowness.”
Only by simultaneously possessing any three negative status effects could one deal full damage to “The Fallen”; otherwise, only one-third of the damage would be dealt. However, if one simultaneously possessed eight stacks of “decadence,” they would directly “fall” and transform into a demon—meaning that control could not be removed through resurrection.
Therefore, this mechanic actually only required one to dodge the two basic mechanics while continuously swapping players to block the waves. If each person blocked once without any mistakes, it would likely be over around the fifth stack for each person.
—Five is the Sacred Number of Equilibrium.
Alternatively, after stacking three layers, one could sacrifice two healers to block at the front and simply not change anyone… anyway, healers were no longer needed in this stage. And the demons that healers transformed into didn’t possess much attack power. Two demon healers wouldn’t be able to kill a tank that had just been fully healed. If the healers were all sacrificed and the fight wasn’t over, tanks could be sacrificed next.
…But looking at it now, how could one possibly need to accumulate eight stacks of status to make someone fall?!
Eivass, after enduring only the first wave of “decadence,” felt darkness intermittently clouding his vision. His sight was deprived, and infinite desires—hatred, rage, sloth, lust, and other decadent urges surged from within his heart. His body could remain stiff and immobile, rather than attempting any uncontrolled actions, precisely because so many voices were ringing in his mind, pulling him in different directions, thus creating a balance.
It felt as if numerous voices were chattering in his brain, like a “brainwashing song” endlessly echoing, compulsively replaying… but a hundred, a thousand times stronger! To the point where even normal “thinking” was instinctively expelled by the brain…
“—I’ll do it.”
Saint Joan’s gentle yet resolute voice rang out.
(End of Chapter)
