Arthur's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword as he infused it with mana. A deep blue glow covered the blade. The air crackled with energy as his mana flowed seamlessly into the weapon.
Across from him, the martial artist smirked, rolling his shoulders as a golden aura flared around his hands.
Neither spoke, they simply vanished from their spot as they lunged at each other.
A deafening boom echoed through the forest as their attacks collided, the shockwave sending leaves and debris flying in all directions. The sheer force of the clash sent Arthur skidding backward, his boots digging deep into the earth as he struggled to maintain his footing. His arms ached from the impact, his sword trembling slightly in his grip.
'He's strong.'
Arthur had faced powerful opponents before, but this man's raw strength was overwhelming. In that first exchange he understood, this wasn't an opponent he could brute force his way through.
The martial artist cracked his knuckles, as the golden aura crackled around his hands. "Not bad," he admitted, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "You are powerful. Most would've been crushed from that alone."
Arthur exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "Don't get too cocky just because you got the upper hand in the first clash." Even though Arthur was not his match, it doesn't mean he would lose at the end.
The martial artist chuckled. "Good. Then try not to break too quickly."
Then he vanished.
Arthur barely had time to react as a fist came hurtling toward him like a cannonball. He twisted his body just in time, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, but the sheer force of the punch sent a shockwave through the air. Trees behind him groaned and snapped from the pressure alone.
The punch was too fast for him to react. If he was even an instant late, he would have been blasted away with heavy injury.
Arthur retaliated, slashing his sword in a wide arc, but the martial artist twisted his body effortlessly, dodging by mere inches before launching a devastating roundhouse kick toward Arthur's ribs.
Arthur barely managed to raise his sword to block, but the impact sent him flying, crashing through trees before rolling to a stop against the forest floor.
Dirt and leaves clung to his uniform as he coughed, forcing himself to his feet. The martial artist was not even using his full power. A martial artist while utilizing Chi can at least double their strength and the man was only using his base strength to fight Arthur.
The martial artist sighed, shaking his head. "I expected more, to be honest. You've got good instincts, but you're still weak."
Arthur wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked. "You talk too much."
With that, he dashed forward, his sword vibrating with mana. He feinted left, then abruptly shifted right, aiming a precise thrust toward the martial artist's side.
But the man saw through it instantly.
He caught Arthur's blade with his bare hand.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly. His sword, enhanced with mana, was being held in place as if it were a mere wooden stick.
"You have got a good weapon but you are too weak to use it," the martial artist muttered before pulling Arthur in and slamming his knee into his stomach.
Arthur's vision blurred as pain exploded through his core. He barely had time to react before the martial artist spun, delivering a brutal backhand that sent him sprawling once more.
Arthur had faced strong enemies before, but what made this worse was that this man wasn't even going all out. He was toying with him.
He forced himself to his feet, his breathing heavy. He stood up as his injuries healed quickly.
'How do I win this?'
His mind raced, but the answer was clear, there was no trick, no strategy that could magically turn the tide in his favour. The only way to win this fight was to force his body to adapt and grow while enduring the beating.
Arthur sighed as he readied himself.
He adjusted his stance, shifting his weight slightly. The martial artist raised an eyebrow. "Still standing? I'll give you credit for that."
Arthur exhaled and shot forward.
Their fight resumed with blinding speed. The forest trembled with each exchange, shockwaves ripping through the trees as fist met blade, power clashing with technique. Arthur was getting pushed back repeatedly, but he wasn't just taking hits.
Little by little, he learned his opponent's movements. His attacks became sharper, his dodges more precise. He started landing glancing blows, but the martial artist's Chi-enhanced body absorbed them effortlessly.
Arthur clicked his tongue in frustration. 'His Chi is acting like armor. I need to break through it.'
But there was one problem, he wasn't strong enough to break through it and he couldn't use Chi.
During a brief lull in the fight, the martial artist frowned. "Why aren't you using your Chi?"
Arthur remained silent.
The man's eyes narrowed. "You're looking down on me, is that it?"
Arthur's brows furrowed. 'What?'
Before he could respond, his opponent's aura flared dangerously.
"If you think you can beat me without taking this fight seriously, you're mistaken."
The martial artist's attacks came faster, and at least two times stronger. Arthur barely managed to block a vicious punch before a follow-up strike sent him reeling. His vision blurred as he staggered, struggling to stay upright.
The martial artist's expression darkened. "You're not even using Chi to reinforce your body. Why?"
Arthur exhaled, shaking off the dizziness. "Because I can't."
The martial artist's movements paused for a fraction of a second. "You… can't?"
Arthur smirked despite the blood on his lips. "Yeah. So quit whining and fight."
For a moment, the man simply stared at him. Then, surprisingly, he let out a low chuckle. "Interesting."
But instead of easing up, his aura flared even brighter.
"Then let's see how far you can go without it."
Arthur readied himself, his grip tightening around his sword. This fight wasn't going to be easy.
…
The fight raged on, shockwaves tearing through the forest as Arthur and the martial artist clashed. The sheer intensity of their battle had reshaped the surroundings, trees had been uprooted, the ground cracked, and dust filled the air.
Arthur was barely keeping up. He had landed a few solid hits, but none had truly hurt his opponent. His strength, though formidable, simply wasn't enough to break through the martial artist's Chi-enhanced defenses.
But he refused to back down.
The martial artist smirked as he parried Arthur's sword with his forearm, his golden aura flaring around him like a shield. "You're persistent, I'll give you that." He stepped forward, launching a devastating palm strike. Arthur barely had time to twist his body, avoiding a direct hit, but the shockwave still sent him skidding backward.
Just as Arthur was about to lunge forward again…
He felt a powerful and overwhelming presence approaching.
Arthur tensed. The martial artist, who had been fully focused on the fight, suddenly stiffened. His instincts flared, and he immediately leapt back several meters, turning his gaze toward the new arrival.
From the shadows of the dense forest, a woman emerged.
She moved without hurry, her graceful steps barely making a sound on the leaf-covered ground. Her long dark purple hair cascaded down her back, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. A black dress, embroidered with silver, hugged her figure, flowing gently as she walked.
Arthur recognized her instantly; it was the mysterious woman he met in the Drakmire continent.
'Why is she here?'
The martial artist's wariness was immediate. His body instinctively tensed, and his Chi flared ever so slightly in response to the unknown threat. He had faced countless strong warriors before, but something about this woman made the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
She stopped a few meters away, her gaze flickering toward Arthur, ignoring the martial artist entirely.
Arthur, still catching his breath, was the first to speak. "…What are you doing here?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the question herself. "I had some questions for you. But I see you're… occupied. Are you training here?"
Arthur sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Not exactly training. Someone wants me dead, so they sent this guy after me."
The woman blinked once. Then she turned her gaze toward the martial artist for the first time.
"Oh…"
That was all she said.
But in that instant, the martial artist felt a cold dread settle in his stomach.
The moment her eyes locked onto him, every fiber of his being screamed danger. His instincts, honed through years of battle, were telling him one thing, to run.
But he knew it was already too late. Still, he tried.
The martial artist seeing the woman and Arthur knew each other forced himself to remain calm, he clasped his hands together in a respectful greeting, bowing his head slightly. "Senior," he spoke carefully, his voice steady but laced with caution. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow at the sudden shift in attitude. A few moments ago, this man had been confident, and cocky. But now he was acting like he was before his king.
The woman, however, didn't even acknowledge his words. She simply raised her slender hand.
And snapped her fingers.
A thin red lightning bolt streaked through the air impossibly fast.
The martial artist reacted instantly, his instincts kicking in. He poured every ounce of Chi into his defenses, forming the strongest barrier he could muster, while simultaneously leaping backward with all his might.
But…It was useless.
The moment the red lightning touched his Chi barrier, it shattered like fragile glass. The attack didn't explode, didn't cause any grand destruction, it simply pierced straight through his chest.
A clean, precise hole appeared where the attack hit.
The martial artist staggered, his breath hitching. His hands trembled as they clutched at his chest, as if trying to hold in the life that was rapidly escaping. Blood spilled between his fingers, staining his dark armor.
Arthur watched, still in shock at how effortlessly the fight had ended.
The martial artist tried to speak, his lips moving but no words coming out. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his body twitching as he struggled to breathe. His eyes darted toward Arthur, filled with frustration, regret… and fear.
If he had killed Arthur immediately and left, he might have survived today.
His vision blurred, and in his final moments, he regretted his decision to toy with Arthur.
The forest was silent once more.
Arthur stared at the body for a long moment before exhaling, sheathing his sword. The woman turned back toward Arthur, her expression unreadable. "You're still too weak," she commented casually.
Arthur glanced at the corpse. "I know."
She gestured with her hand. "Come here."
Arthur hesitated. He still wasn't sure what she was to him. A benefactor, or was she just an observer?
Still, she had just tried to save his life, even if he didn't necessarily ask for it.
With a resigned sigh, he first took the corpse of the martial artist and asked the Guardian to retrieve his memories and stepped toward her.
Last time the assassins had some kind of restrictions in their memories so he couldn't find out the identity of the mastermind behind the attacks, he just hoped this time he would find something noteworthy.
She didn't ask him why he took the corpse and just waved her hand as a magic circle appeared under both of them. A wave of spatial distortion engulfed them, and in an instant, the forest vanished from around him.
…
The Castle on the Hill
The moment Arthur regained his vision, he found himself standing inside a grand chamber.
The air was filled with the faint scent of lavender, and the walls were lined with bookshelves, each packed with tomes that looked far older than anything he had ever seen. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, its crystals reflecting the light in dazzling patterns.
He was back in her castle.
Arthur sighed, rubbing his temple. "You really need to warn me before you teleport me somewhere."
The woman, standing a few feet away, simply smiled. "Where's the fun in that?"
Arthur let out an exasperated chuckle before asking, "Alright," he said, crossing his arms. "I'm guessing it's important if you went out of your way to find me."
Her golden eyes studied him carefully as she took a step closer. "The mark I gave you also lets me feel your location and…Yesterday night you suddenly disappeared. Do you know what that means?"
Arthur's mind raced. The mark, right, the one she had left on him the first time they met. He didn't know it also tracked his location.
"Wait… so that's how you found me?" he asked, realization dawned on him.
The woman ignored his question. "That mark only disappears when the bearer dies."
Arthur stiffened slightly.
Her voice was calm, but there was a clear undercurrent of curiosity.
"I thought you died," she said, watching him closely. "So, I went to check. But I found no signs of battle, it's like you suddenly disappeared. And then… you came back."
Arthur exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
She tilted her head. "So? Care to explain?"
***
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