"You have provoked Skyfeather, the Arrow Saint. Rage Progress +10%."
"At 100% Rage Progress, Skyfeather's soul will awaken."
"Once awakened, she will ignore all taunt skills and lock onto you until your death."
Orson frowned at the notification but soon broke into a wicked smile.
This woman was arrogant and sharp-tongued. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if her true self emerged.
"I am Orgod, the Chaos Overlord. I don't waste my time fighting women. Send your Emperor to fight me instead!" Orson taunted.
Skyfeather responded with a thunderous assault, her bronze bow unleashing a rapid sequence of seven twangs.
Orson's expression shifted as seven bolts of black lightning shot out from the tower, darkening the skies.
Orson nearly burst out laughing. Fortunately, he had prepared for this.
The Crimson Lizard King had already retreated a full kilometer away, and the black bolts lost control and plummeted to the ground as they reached their maximum range.
Seven massive craters, each over a hundred meters wide, appeared on the ground below. Orson's face turned pale. If he had been hit by one of those bolts, he'd have been splattered into a mix of blue and black bruises.
"You have provoked Skyfeather, the Arrow Saint. Rage Progress +10%."
A furious roar echoed from the tower, and the soul flames around Skyfeather surged violently.
"She's so easily provoked. What a simple woman," Orson muttered, shaking his head.
"I don't like being shot at, so I usually do the shooting," he quipped, though something about his words felt off.
No matter—he stood just outside Skyfeather's maximum range and cast The Flame Dragon. A massive dragon-shaped construct of fire surged into the white tower.
Skyfeather remained stoic, pulling her bowstring with an air of icy disdain. With a single arrow, she shattered The Flame Dragon, reducing it to a flurry of chaotic fireballs that rained toward her.
True to her pride as an Arrow Saint, Skyfeather didn't even flinch as the flames consumed her.
Skyfeather launched another attack, but Orson, now over two kilometers away, gave her no opportunity to land a hit.
"This is ridiculous," Orson muttered, finding her behavior comically rigid. Despite being an echo of her former self, her combat style was like that of a stubborn novice.
Even as Orson's passive attacks chipped away at her health, she refused to leave the tower.
"Wait… she can't leave the tower?"
Orson suddenly laughed. He had been worried she might have flying abilities and was preparing for a drawn-out battle. But if she couldn't leave the tower, it was like she was handing him a free win.
Smiling, Orson activated Whisper of the Wind, boosting his attack speed to 2.4. He unleashed a flurry of fireballs, interspersed with Chaos Magic Ball and Explosive Fireball spells, achieving a near 5.0 attack speed through skillful casting techniques.
In just one minute, he dealt over a million damage, raising Skyfeather's Rage Progress to 70%.
"She's so tanky for someone with such a perfect figure!" Orson quipped, continuing his mechanical assault.
Despite his relentless attacks, the Arrow Saint's 20 million HP was absurd. Against an ordinary boss, this level of output would have been lethal, but here it barely scratched the surface.
To Skyfeather, Orson was an annoying insect. But this "insect" was as irritating as a dragon's bite, dealing small but constant damage that insulted her pride.
She retaliated with over ten powerful arrows, each packing terrifying power, but they couldn't even graze Orson.
The Arrow Saint, a legend of the Light Dragon Empire and the undisputed master of long-range combat, had never suffered such humiliation.
However, her intelligence as a remnant spirit was limited. She remained rooted at the tower, continuing her futile attacks.
"Skyfeather's Rage Progress is nearing 100%. She will regain a portion of her peak strength for a limited time!"
"Caution: Avoid her attacks!"
Orson's brief satisfaction vanished as red warnings filled his screen. He hesitated, then started stacking Solar Shields while maintaining his attacks.
He couldn't be certain that his meager 10,000 HP, bolstered by nine Solar Shields, would withstand Skyfeather's onslaught. The crater-riddled ground beneath the tower was a grim reminder of her power.
"Speak my true name, and grant the heretical invaders the harshest judgment!"
Skyfeather's HP dropped by two million, pushing her Rage Progress to 100%. Her soft voice carried a dangerous weight, as if summoning something ancient.
A golden light flashed atop the tower, descending into Skyfeather's body.
Her vacant eyes gained clarity. Her translucent figure became solid. Her soul had awakened.
Orson's pupils contracted. Even from nearly two kilometers away, he felt the weight of her transformation. It was as if a divine projection had descended upon the mortal world.
A peerless woman, holding a bronze divine bow, appeared in the vision of his mind. With one arrow, she pierced the heavens, raining blood from the skies as dark dragons exploded, their remains obliterated.
"Dragon Slayer Arrow."
Skyfeather whispered, her soul fire calming as her movements became graceful yet commanding. From her quiver, she drew a single bone arrow.
If Orson had been closer, he would have been horrified. The arrow was carved from dragon teeth—a sacred artifact.
Skyfeather nocked the arrow, pulling her bowstring into a perfect arc. The air trembled as a two-meter-wide black aura engulfed the arrow before collapsing into a single point of dark light.
She caressed her bow as the arrow shot forth, her voice soft yet chilling:
A bronze mirror appeared in her hand, transforming into an eye-like object that tore through space.
Orson watched as the black dot approached, its speed deceptively slow—resembling the leisurely pace of a level-one archer's arrow.
Looking up, Orson saw the space above him fracture. A massive magical eye floated there, locking onto him. The eye seemed to reflect an image—his own.
"Run!!" Orson yelled at the Crimson Lizard King, his voice tinged with panic.
Sensing the danger, the Lizard King activated its speed boost and bolted. Even it seemed to realize that its master was in grave danger.
As they fled hundreds of meters, Orson glanced back. The magical eye was still locked onto him, the reflection unwavering.
The Dragon Slayer Arrow advanced, its leisurely pace betraying its destructive power. Another magical eye appeared, and the black light passed through it, reappearing in another location with a sudden burst of speed.
There was no time to react.
"Tool #1, you're up. I can't take this hit," Orson muttered grimly.
The Crimson Lizard King let out a mournful roar, but their contract left it no choice. Spreading its wings, it positioned itself between Orson and the arrow.
The impact was devastating.
In an instant, the Lizard King's legs were obliterated.
The damage escalated rapidly. No blood spilled; the black light devoured the Lizard King's flesh, leaving behind only void-like darkness.
A Dragon Slayer debuff appeared on the Lizard King:
"Effect: Consumes flesh as sustenance. Indestructible unless fully devoured. Duration: 10 seconds."
"This is getting interesting. I'm finally feeling a challenge," Orson muttered, his nerves taut.
His emergency-use Immortal Spirit Relic was still on cooldown. If the Lizard King was fully consumed, Orson would fall from the sky to his death.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Orson made his decision.
"Beast Summon: Battle Space!"