The explosion greatly reduced both Jack and Spring Crown's HP. But Jack was protected by both the Lightning God Suit and Gold Scale Armor, plus his HP was exceptionally high. Spring Crown had no such advantage, his HP was completely depleted.
However, Spring Crown's HP stopped at 1. Jack had expected it, though. These Heavenly Enforcers often carried a sacrificial dummy.
Jack gave Spring Crown a quick attack that took out that remaining 1 HP. Unfortunately, the Lightning God Suit's Paralyze effect didn't hit at that last second. Before the last attack hit, Spring Crown expertly exchanged his pendant for an amulet of rebirth. The fellow was even smiling when Jack's killing blow landed.
It was a pity, Jack thought, but at least he forced this guy to waste his amulet of rebirth. Spring Crown would need more coins to pay for the next one.
Long had rushed over once he saw Jack and Spring Crown tussled. He never expected that Jack could take out Spring Crown in such a short time, though.
"Hmph, number one gamer. Ptui!" Long spat.
Even though it seemed that Jack had taken out Spring Crown with ease, he had sacrificed his spirit weapon, his second divine skill, and his own HP for a forceful move. He couldn't have killed Spring Crown so quickly otherwise. The reason he did so was that he was in a hurry. Not only because he wanted to join his army, but because his beast form would come to an end soon.
Long had only activated his beast form not long ago. If Jack's beast form ended while Long still had his, it would be an even harder fight. Hence, Jack tried to take an opponent off the board first to let him focus his attention on Long.
Uiqey, Spring Crown's companion, retreated once Spring Crown died. Jack figured Spring Crown must have told his companion to abandon the battle once he lost.
Jack didn't chase after Uiqey. It would be a great blow for Spring Crown if his companion died. A native's death was permanent. But it took time to kill a high-HP native, and Jack didn't have that luxury at the moment.
On the other side, Therras was still fighting against three opponents. Abasi, Delgado, and the sky wyrm. Delgado didn't flee despite her companion's unknown fate. Jack's copy who jumped down the cliff had looked for Ronald around the place the gunslinger fell, but he found no trace of Ronald.
Therras was in its sovereign mode. Jack had used the skill a while ago when Therras was still fighting Long. Therras was winning despite facing three opponents, but its sovereign mode would be ending soon as well. Jack had Therras use his ultimate weapon before that mode ended.
Therras took to the sky. The sky wyrm and Abasi, who had a wings tool, chased after Therras into the air. Delgado had no means to fly and had few ranged capabilities, so she could only watch from the ground.
While fending its two opponents in the sky, Therras gathered earth mana in its mouth, forming the earth core bomb.
While Therras was doing that, Jack forcefully approached Long. He tanked through Long's flurry of punches and kicks. It was not an easy feat as Long's every attack was fueled by powerful mana manipulation.
Jack Gold Scale Armor had ended, but his Lightning God Suit was still active. his HP had also been replenished again by Peniel's Group Fast Heal, so he could endure the punishments.
Long glanced at the sky where Therras was. He uttered, "You are trying to repeat what you did to Spring Crown on me? Dream on!"
Long used Infinite Lightning Punches. The way Long used this skill was not like the common players. Even though the skill gave him superhuman punching speed, he could still control every punch at a frightening accuracy. Jack had a problem blocking all those punches despite him using his sword art's burst attack.
"You will not escape!" Jack shouted. He used Time Realm then.
Long found his movement becoming slow. He also remembered this time realm had a barrier on its edge, he won't escape without spending time dealing with the barrier. A time that he didn't have because Therras fired his earth core bomb then.
Long stopped his Infinite Lightning Punches and turned away from Jack. When Jack thought it was a chance to grab Long from behind, he felt a strong impact on his stomach.
It was Long's back kick. Despite the time slow from his time realm, the kick was still so fast that Jack failed to sense it.
'Shadowless kick…,' Jack thought. The kick was very powerful. Jack was forced backward. But he didn't mind, Long won't be able to escape the earth core bomb's large AOE.
Long, however, didn't show any sign of running away. He knew that with his reduced speed, he won't be able to make it. His skin turned golden. It was the evolved skill from battle monk's steel body, golden body.
But that would still not save Long from surviving Therras' earth core bomb. When Jack thought Long had used that defensive skill as a last resort, he saw the air around Long shimmer.
Jack thought at first there was something wrong with his eyes. Then the shimmering intensified until the air burned. Nine little suns materialized around Long. Long then thrust his fist up, toward the incoming earth core bomb.
The nine suns shot toward where his fist was pointing. They collided with one another and become one big sun. These combined suns followed Long's fist and clashed with the Earth Core Bomb. The resulting explosion engulfed both Long and Jack.
When the explosion subsided, Long was on the ground but he was still alive. The attack had blocked most of the Earth Core Bomb's damage. Only the residual damage eclipsing three times the damage produced by Long's attack managed to hit Long.
"I'm not aware of a skill like that...," Peniel said, referring to Long's move just now.
"It's not a skill…," Jack said. He could sense it from the way the mana was utilized when Long performed the attack. The move just now was a martial art. A martial art that was almost as powerful as a top-tiered game skill.
Jack's beast form and Lightning God Suit ended then, but Long's HP was also low already.
Jack was about to dash forward to finish Long, but he suddenly sensed an ambush from behind. Due to the effect of Time Realm, he managed to dodge in time when Delgado appeared behind him using Phase Strike. Delgado couldn't chase after Therras in the air, so he went for Jack instead after using Vanish to turn invisible. The time realm blocked enemies from leaving the area but didn't prevent enemies from entering.
When Jack thought he had dodged the ambush, he sensed another one coming. This second attack was extremely fast, even with the slow effect of Time Realm. Jack only managed to catch a glimpse of someone in fully red armor. A shadow of a demon's head appeared the instant this attacker showed up. The demon's head crashed into him.
Jack had also suffered the splash damage from the earth core bomb earlier. This sudden strike took out Jack's remaining HP.
Before his vision turned grey, Jack saw the face of his ambusher. "Cl… Cleo…?"
Long, who was watching from a distance, grinned. "Heh, took you long enough, martial sister," he said.
