Boom!!
The wooden sword and the blood-red spear collided, locking together in a test of strength. The terrifying force caused the floor beneath them to cave in. With a crackling sound, the golden lightning on the wooden sword transformed into a ferocious electric snake, climbing up Dix's body and biting savagely.
"Sss!" Dix gasped. But as a Level 5, he was tough; the pain didn't bring him down. Instead, it triggered his innate ferocity. His already crimson eyes flashed with an eerie light as he tensed every muscle, pouring all his power into the spear.
Crack! The spear tip bit into the wooden sword. A sharp sound echoed as the end of Ryu's Alf's Lumina began to splinter, wood chips flying until the entire sword shattered with a bang.
"I win!" Dix's lips curled up. The blood-red spear didn't slow down, aiming to kill Ryu in one hit. He completely failed to notice Ryu's calm eyes.
In the nick of time, Ryu's petite figure ducked down, bypassing the spear and sliding right in front of Dix. Before his horrified eyes, Ryu's small fist clenched and slammed into his abdomen, sending him flying.
Boom!
Dix's body flew back at high speed, crashing into a load-bearing stone pillar. He was embedded into it in a "star" shape. The impact nearly shattered the pillar. He fell to the ground, lying there like a dead dog, paralyzed. If that punch had hit his heart, it would have killed him; as it was, it hit his lungs, leaving him with a suffocating sense of death.
"You lost," Ryu said flatly. Adventurers often let their guard down when they think victory is certain. It was a battle of who stayed cooler.
"That magic... that was the no-chant lightning magic of the Sprout of Justice! How can you use it?!" Dix glared at Ryu. He had interrupted her chant, only for her to pull out Roy's magic. A no-chant release was the ultimate "dirty trick." Usually, a chant warns the enemy of an incoming strike; a no-chant strike has no warning, catching anyone off guard the first time they face it.
"I have no need to answer you." Ryu returned to her position, picking up the pieces of her broken sword, her eyes showing a trace of pain for the weapon that had been with her for two years.
Roy stepped forward. "Miss Ryu, hard work!"
Astraea, Daphne, and Cassandra followed, helping to pick up the fragments. It was second-tier equipment; the pieces could still be recycled. On the other side, the Ikelos members were in disbelief. Dix had lost! He had leveled to 5 after the Great Feud two years ago; his accumulated stats should have been much higher than a new Level 5. How could he lose?
Roy noticed Ryu's small hand trembling slightly. Dix's final strike had shattered her sword and caused her a significant internal injury. Defeating an adventurer of the same Level is never easy; until now, Roy had only won through stat-crushing. Without that advantage, injuries were inevitable.
"Song of the distant forest, melody of past life. Please grant healing mercy to the one who asks. Noah Heal!" Roy chanted. Green light washed over Ryu.
"What are you doing?!" Ryu stared at Roy, shocked. The second battle was about to start, and since it couldn't be Daphne or Cassandra, it had to be Roy. Why waste mana now?
Roy didn't answer. He wasn't naive enough to think Ikelos would just walk away if they won the duel. Ensuring their best condition was the priority.
Roy stood and walked into the clearing. "Lord Ikelos, I'll take the second round."
Ikelos looked unperturbed. "Little Hans, your turn."
A plain-looking middle-aged man stepped out from the Ikelos crowd. He was expressionless, his muscles a sickly grey, his lips cracked and his eyes hollow—he looked like a zombie.Seeing this middle-aged man, the members of the Ikelos Familia wore expressions of pure malice.
"Astraea, look closely. He is only a Level 3," Ikelos said, handing a copied sheet of paper to Astraea. It was a status sheet. Astraea scanned it quickly; the name was Hans Van Buren, a name she had never heard—certainly not a famous adventurer in Orario.
The skills and magic sections were blacked out by Ikelos, but the Level and basic Ability Points were indeed those of a Level 3. Astraea gave Roy a subtle nod.
Roy nodded back, his heart heavy. He wasn't about to treat the opponent as a fool—especially not when dealing with a god. His reputation as the "Invincible Level 3" had spread throughout the city; for Ikelos to send a Level 3 to fight him meant there was a catch. Anyone would be suspicious.
Roy stared at the middle-aged man, his eyes sharp, not daring to lower his guard.
Swish!
Suddenly, the man in front of him vanished. Roy's pupils dilated as he scanned left and right. He couldn't find a trace of his opponent.
Before he could react, a dark shadow lunged out like a ghost, appearing directly in front of him. The speed was terrifying. A fist slammed toward his chest. Too fast! Roy didn't even have time to activate a spell. He gritted his teeth and crossed his arms to block.
The moment they connected, a terrifying force hit him like a tidal wave. Roy's face paled—this man was absolutely not a Level 3!
Boom!
Roy was sent flying, his back smashing into a stone pillar with such force that the stone snapped in half.
"Pfft!"
Roy coughed up blood, his internal organs rattled. If not for the Goliath vest and the Ghost King's Armor, that single strike would have killed him instantly. Ryu's eyes were fixed on the middle-aged man, her brow furrowed as a memory resurfaced.
"That's a... Spirit Soldier?!"
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Danmachi : Starting with an Elf (378 Chapter – Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────