Under the release of "Secret Energy," Norm's strength and speed increased significantly, with the chains in his hands like iron whips, emitting a clear and resounding sound.
Blood splattered down, what was coming wasn't a sword, it was a Demon thrown by Bologue.
This unlucky creature was lashed by the chains, flesh mangled, and shortly after, a sharp whistling cut through the air as several flying knives skimmed past the Demon, hitting Norm's body.
The wounds varied in depth, but under the enhancement of "Secret Energy," they were merely surface wounds. Norm struggled to quell his anger; he needed to stay calm—there was still hope for victory, as long as he could hit Bologue, even if just once...
He removed the flying knife from his body, stained with his blood.
Suddenly, Norm snapped out of the battle's rage, recalling something crucial, far more important than the ongoing fight.
Scanning his surroundings, he found the suitcase, which had been knocked over beside the Demon's corpse from Bologue's impact on the ground.
Norm immediately swung the chains, trying to hook the suitcase over, but several flying knives skimmed by, knocking down the chains.
Without hesitation, he got up and ran toward the suitcase. Just then, a hook shot out from the darkness, accurately hitting the suitcase, and quickly reeled it back.
Following the direction from which the suitcase was being retrieved, Norm saw Bologue standing in the dark, one hand holding the hook gun and the other holding the suitcase.
"This thing looks quite important."
He said, still wearing the Demon's visage on his face, with blue ghostly flames flickering in the gaps of his eyes.
"You'll know once you open it."
Norm remained calm, plotting something unknown in his heart.
"Oh?"
Bologue seemed intrigued. He released the hook gun, letting it fall to the ground, but just as he was about to open the suitcase, his actions halted, looking mockingly at Norm.
"It must be full of Philosopher's Stones, not very interesting."
He said, tossing the suitcase aside, once again gripping the folding knife and Shock Hammer in his hands.
The two faced each other like knights of old dueling, astride their steeds, lances held high.
Norm gripped the chains and flying knives tightly, stained with his blood, the blood simmering on the metal's surface like a potent acid, yet all this was obscured by the pervasive dust, invisible to Bologue.
Bologue's hands hung low, a relaxed demeanor, as if from the start, he knew the outcome of the battle, now just savoring the villain's last struggles before death.
One second, two seconds...
At a moment no longer able to suppress the tension, they acted, galloping forward, thrusting their lances.
Bologue strode forward without any deceit, rushing Norm head-on, while Norm swung out flying knives and chains using every means to block Bologue.
The chains turned into wildly dancing Silver Snake, whipping the ground and walls, and the corpses in its path were lashed into bloody mist and shredded flesh, yet it could never touch Bologue's figure, who moved like a true specter through it all.
Raising the folding knife, it scraped against the chains, sparking a brilliant trail of sparks, like riding on a meteor.
Yet within this wild dance of the Silver Snake, the deadly flying knives advanced silently. Bologue noticed these knives' presence, but like Norm, Bologue paid them little mind.
He possessed the "Blessing"—that terrifying "Resurrection."
This formidable healing ability was enough for Bologue to deal with most non-lethal injuries, and here lay the corpses of Demons, the blue Soul Shards providing him with endless power.
Bologue dodged most of the flying knives, but just as he neared Norm, finally, one knife silently grazed, slicing Bologue's index finger.
One could clearly observe something starting to spread along the wound, the fine blood vessels turning from bright red to pitch black, losing all sensation soon after.
As if by instinct, Bologue turned and shifted, abandoning the attack on Norm altogether, while his folding knife severed the finger before it turned entirely black, quickly dodging out, with bloodied Silver Snake trailing after him until Bologue retreated back into the darkness.
Thus ended their clash, with Bologue and Norm maintaining a safe distance, precisely at the chains' maximum reach.
He thrust the folding knife into the ground, raised his hand, and examined where the finger was severed, the blood bright red, untainted.
"Is this your 'Secret Energy'?"
Through multiple encounters, Bologue finally tested out Norm's trump card, whispering.
"Blood and poison..."
Norm saw this and calmly admitted it. He withdrew the chain, sheathed the short knife at his waist, and with his blood-stained palm, he caressed the chain, letting his blood evenly soak into every corner of the chain.
"In legends, Dragon Blood can make one strong, but it also carries deadly poison."
Norm said casually, as the "Alchemy Matrix" on his body also erupted with splendor. The blood smeared on the chain seemed to boil, with tiny bubbles emerging and bursting on it.
Secret Energy - Dragon Blood.
This was Norm's "Secret Energy," his blood would transform into the toxic "Dragon Blood," and enhancing physical strength was merely part of the power of "Dragon Blood."
The chain seemed as if it had been poisoned, and Bologue was highly aware of the fatal toxin. Just at the moment of being scratched, his index finger already showed signs of death.
"So... is that it?"
Bologue asked with a hint of disappointment.
He freed his left hand and bit down on the folding knife like a wolf gripping a blade.
His right hand fell, gripping the Shock Hammer, his entire body crouched.
Bologue could see the blue shards swirling around him. As they merged into his body, Bologue's strength increased segment by segment.
Soul determines the flesh.
As the Soul Shards filled him, it was as if he could temporarily enhance himself, amplifying his strength.
Breaking the shadow.
Norm saw only a streak of blue coming at him. He swung the chain with effort, the poisonous Silver Snake biting at Bologue. If it struck him, the poison would spread throughout Bologue's body via the wound. As long as he landed a hit, Norm could claim victory.
The Silver Snake drew a curved trajectory, flying towards Bologue from one side, but his speed suddenly increased, and the coiling Silver Snake bit into a patch of empty air. It turned its head and pounced at Bologue again, tangling heavily together.
The clattering chain surrounded Bologue, leaving no space to evade, nor did he need to evade. Bologue extended his left hand, clamped the chain, and then tightened it, strangling the frenzied Silver Snake.
It hit the mark!
Joy flashed in Norm's eyes. Bologue was ultimately a mere mortal. The chain's whipping and friction easily scraped the skin, the poison instantly flooded into the palm.
Within seconds, Bologue could no longer feel his left hand, as if it had turned into a heavy lead weight. In truth, it was so, the color drained from his palm, replaced by a bizarre gray-black, yet it still tightly grasped the chain, rendering the poisonous Silver Snake useless.
Norm's only long-range attack method was restricted, he knew this, but he also knew the poison would soon spread from Bologue's palm to his arm, even throughout his body.
"Dragon Blood" can paralyze nerves, it's also why Norm had the ability to restrain those Demons, they were paralyzed by "Dragon Blood," becoming lambs awaiting slaughter, soon Bologue would be among them.
The sound of flesh tearing was heard.
Norm's eyes were dull, unable to believe the scene before him.
Bologue had sacrificed his left hand to restrain the chain's agitation, causing the affected area to be only the left hand, while advancing toward Norm, he bit down the folding knife and slashed towards the blackened left hand.
The palm severed, along with the chain regaining freedom, Bologue thus cut off the poison's spread. Meanwhile, he leapt high, swinging the Shock Hammer, the dark shadow enveloping Norm.
Decisively, resolutely, without any hesitation, as if Bologue was not cutting off his own hand, merely some burden hindering his enemy-killing.
In the blazing blue eyes, there was only the deathly silence of a winter day.
"Time to pronounce judgment, Norm!"
Bologue shouted.
Norm roared, drawing out the short knife, swinging the chain, making a final counter attack, but he knew in his heart, he lost, Bologue was too close, the earth-shattering Iron Hammer had already been raised high.
The sound of anger resounded through the darkness.
"Punishment for the punished! Judgment for the judged!"
Like a divine punishment descending, the gavel falling during the judge's conviction.
Smashing the chain, shattering the short knife, grinding flesh into pulp, tearing bones into countless fragments.
A decisive blow.