Chapter 8: 8000 Xi!
Like a meteor crashing into the ground, the Extreme Flame Meteor blasted from Will’s hand fiercely struck the designated ice crystal slab. It left a long tunnel within the one-meter-thick stone slab before finally stopping at the edge. Will estimated from the side that it almost broke through, missing by about two centimeters!
“Good!”
Rounded up, that’s approximately 8000 Xi!
The scene was so dazzling that the onlookers were stunned into silence. They only dared to breathe again at the moment the meteor stopped. It was the same for Will—
“Hoo… hoo… hoo…”
Regaining his senses, Will panted heavily. He hadn’t expected the burden to be so great; the moment the Extreme Flame Meteor struck, he felt as if half his soul had been ripped out. How absurd, how did the witch in the original work manage to use this as a basic attack?
—And he actually took that seriously, incorporating it into the witch’s basic attack module. That kind of strength control would surely be protested by players.
“What was that just now…?”
“How much did it hit for?! It seems like it was just a little short?”
“This is 8000 Xi! How is that possible?! A magic of 8000 Xi? And from a kid who hasn’t even enrolled yet?!”
“I say, the small fire dragon on the tenth floor of the dungeon before, its particularly difficult breath attack, how much was that?”
“I’ve read it, it was only 1000 Xi…”
Will thought, ‘Stop spectating and theorizing, everyone. This is just damage from a spell without any additional buffs, only an attack multiplier.’
Hmm…
If he remembered correctly, the multiplier for the Extreme Flame Meteor in his settings was 1600…
His attack power, it couldn’t be only 5… could it?
Impossible… Slimes have a base attack power of 20.
The only explanation is that he’s too weak, and perhaps the catalyst and medium weren’t up to the witch’s level—which is why the full multiplier wasn’t achieved, so it can only be considered a pseudo-Extreme Flame Meteor. The witch he’s going to meet later… should be stronger than this move.
“That kid is unusual.”
“But why is he doing this experiment? This kind of thing should be used in actual combat!”
“Maybe he did something to cheat, just showboating!”
…
“Young Master! Young Master! Are you alright?”
Amidst the discussion, only Iaar cared, supporting him as he gasped for air while leaning on the table.
“I’m fine, fine, this is just data measurement.”
Will wiped away his cold sweat. His strength and growth weren’t important; what mattered was Iaar. The future Iaar had to rise against the flames of Fire Dragon Al; she couldn’t fall to the mere basic attack of a witch. This was just the first step. But… it was a crucial step towards her blackening and becoming the yandere who could torment the protagonist!
“Iaar, it’s your turn. Stand by the stone slab.”
Will took out a second coin and poured the last bit of catalyst remaining in the small bottle.
“Okay. Next… is it Iaar’s turn?”
“Yes, to test your results. Moreover, in this experiment, try to see the trajectory of this thing—although it travels in a straight line, it’s very bright and fast. It requires experience and skill… perhaps even a little courage to block it. It’s alright, I’ve calculated it. If it’s less than 8000 Xi, you’ll definitely be fine.”
Will spoke with a hint of exhaustion, taking a few more breaths. He had decided to hit the designated slab first instead of directly having Iaar take the hit. It was because he wanted to ensure Iaar’s safety. If this move truly exceeded Iaar’s tolerance, he would cancel her practical training. Ah… even he hadn’t expected that deep down, he genuinely wished for Iaar to grow stronger healthily.
“Okay. Iaar trusts the Young Master. If the Young Master believes Iaar can do it, Iaar can do it.”
Iaar trotted over, her tail and earsswaying. She stepped onto the chalk line Will had drawn in her low-heeled crisscross strap leather shoes.
“A madman?! Is he planning to use this move on his own maid?”
“I knew people from the Hysterm Family always had something wrong with their brains, with a bit of dark humor here and there.”
“What, is this young master trying to perform a human immolation?”
…
Will ignored their words, focusing on the data from the experiment. 8000 Xi shouldn’t be the witch’s true strength. However, Iaar wasn’t at her original level either. A mere 8000 Xi could be blocked with her little finger. He was starting to look forward to the day the real witch and the grown Iaar met. Will’s entertainer mentality surged. Who could refuse a power level showdown? The Iaar he personally raised would definitely defeat the witch assassin, wouldn’t she? Thinking this, even the fatigue from earlier lessened considerably. He evenly smeared the catalyst onto the coin and placed it on the crystal lamp again.
“Hoo… We who seek the ultimate fireworks…”
Iaar saw Will raise his staff and, on her palms and arms, activated Ice Armor Infusion. The bystanders’ words, audible even to Will, were naturally heard by her with her better hearing, her erect brown wolf ears taking them all in. Her young master’s previous attack was very powerful. Although Iaar didn’t understand the intricacies, she knew her young master hadn’t done it to prove how strong the attack was. He had called her over and told her it was to “test the results”—that undoubtedly meant it was to prove his own strength! And as long as she proved she was strong enough to withstand the Extreme Flame Meteor, it would prove that her young master wasn’t toying with her! It would prove that her young master, who possessed a dog like her, was strong!
Good! Iaar was satisfied with her clear line of reasoning and took a deep breath, staring intently at the fire cloud of the Extreme Flame Meteor. If so… she would let her young master and everyone else see her results!
“This is the Extreme Flame Meteor—”
The Extreme Flame Meteor, which had just pierced through the one-meter-thick designated slab, was hurtling towards her. Even from ten meters away, Iaar could only see a white glare. Although it was the second time the Extreme Flame Meteor was being used, its power was no less than the first. It was incredibly fast, tearing through the air, trailing a scorching tail, once again drawing a dazzling meteor in the desolate wasteland in broad daylight. It moved with a speed and force that seemed capable of burning away everything in its path, hurtling towards Iaar.
But…
Iaar stretched out her hand towards the white glare. She couldn’t actually see anything; it was too blinding. She could only roughly gauge the direction. And then… the imposing Extreme Flame Meteor, which ignited the air and pierced the crystal… vanished the instant it hit her fingertip. If not for the burning fiery tail of the Extreme Flame Meteor, and the embers that fell and scorched the grass along the way, the ferocious magic would have been as if it had never appeared for the second time.
No white light, no flames, no meteor.
It simply didn’t exist. There wasn’t even a physical impact sensation as it collided with Iaar’s fingertip; it vanished into thin air at that instant. The coin inside, used as a medium, seemed to have turned to ash due to the high temperature, so it was also gone.
Even Iaar froze in place. She looked at her palm. *Huh? That’s it?* Was she too strong? Or was that magic too weak?
Even the onlookers were silent. The amount of information from this event was too overwhelming for everyone to speak.
“Young Master, I… I succeeded?”
Iaar’s brain hadn’t caught up yet. Will had already rushed to her, grabbing her right hand, the one that had made contact with the Extreme Flame Meteor.
“Hoo… while… while I’m still conscious… hoo… hoo… let me check…”
“As expected, it hit the middle finger, with a slight trace of burning damage…” He even took out a ruler to measure it. “Will it break the Ice Armor Infusion cycle? But this bit is just superficial damage at best. As expected… the current Iaar is very strong. She can completely block it!”
Iaar hadn’t even felt her Ice Armor being worn down, yet Will saw it at a glance. As expected of the Young Master; as the Master, he understood her better than a dog!
“Very valuable data… hoo… Unfortunately, I can’t last for a third time. Iaar, I have one last mission for you.”
Suddenly, Will leaned his entire body against Iaar. As if utterly drained, his head drooped onto her shoulder.
“Radius 2.38 centimeters, depth 3 millimeters…”
“Mm? Yo-yo-young Master…”
Iaar’s earlobes flushed red as she heard Will speaking in a low voice near her ear.
“Remember these numbers, and… later, please help carry me and the designated slab back… thank you…”
Having said this, Will completely collapsed in Iaar’s arms, losing consciousness.
“Wait, wait, wait?! Young Master… Eh?!????”
