Chaos Order Outpost.
04:51 a.m. 15 th Banem 1092.
[Angel Steps Activated!]
Beautiful white light exploded out of Kashi’s body as he erupted with unfathomable power. The daeben, using the speed boost, quickly slid to his right. He winced as the powerful bolt brushed past him – the roiling winds around the spinning bolt cut his cheeks and drew blood, a testament to the bolt’s overwhelming power. Luckily, the cut was the worst of the danger as the bolt smashed into the earth a microsecond later.
Kashi did not have time to celebrate his escape as the demon appeared in front of him with a rabid vengeance, bringing its fists down to collide with the daeben. Kashi initially wanted to counter with a punch of his own, but alarming bells shot off once again. The daeben’s eyes widened in disbelief when the demon suddenly pulled back its arm and then danced to the side, revealing a massive bolt right behind him.
Once again, Kashi was forced into a desperate dodge. The daeben’s heartbeat accelerated in stunned disbelief as he realized the earlier bolt had not been a mistake. Kashi had shot the arrows with [Homing Arrow] activated, which, when the ki projection shrunk, caused them to miss the target initially. However, because Kashi had shot from bottom to top, the arrows had been able to curve around and turn back to strike their target.
Typically, this would be checkmate.
After all, how difficult was it to block attacks from the back? But this monster demon’s battle instincts were off the charts. Rather than focus on dodging, he acted as bait to draw the arrows towards Kashi.
Having realized the demon’s sinister plot, Kashi strove to distance himself from it, but the centaur stubbornly stuck to Kashi like glue. The daeben grimaced as he darted around the pit with the centaur in tow.
However, Kashi was secretly overjoyed despite his grim expression, evident in his rapidly clenching right fist. The tense standoff forced Kashi to break his limits again and again. He could feel his mind getting clearer and his reactions smoother with every bolt that crashed into the earth.
The duo displayed a strange, synergic dance as they attacked and countered each other while dodging the bolts. The bolts stabbed into the earth around them, soon filling the pit with multiple tiny pillars.
Eventually, only one arrow remained. Kashi accurately predicted its path and preemptively slid to his left.
Pa!
However, this time something changed. The centaur, after dodging, suddenly reached out with his ki projection and grabbed the arrow. Sparks flew as the spinning bolt rebelled against the hand that held it. If it were his bare hand, the demon would most likely have lost more than a pound of flesh, but as long as he supplied the ki projection with his ki, it could be forever ground down by the arrow to no avail.
The ki projection clamped down on the arrow and firmly held it in place. A microsecond later, dark mana poured out of the centaur’s hand, consumed the mithril bolt, then dispersed to reveal a two-meter-long, gleaming black rod with a blade as long as Kashi’s arm. This was the famed weapon of generals, the glaive.
Barely a second had passed between when Kashi had begun to dodge to the glaive’s bath. Kashi was still in the process of avoiding the predicted attack when arcs of black lightning shot out of the glaive.
Kashi’s eyes turned serious. Black Lightning! That was Tier 3 Magic! His Electricity Resistance was currently 175%, which was 75% Tier 2 resistance. As things stood, he had no resistance to Tier 3 Magic. Actually, he was in the red! If that lightning struck, he would suffer an additional 25% damage.
Kashi instantly knew he could no longer hold back. A booming roar shook the heavens and earth as dragon scales formed over the daeben’s skin.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the pit as the lightning struck the drakon and sent it flying across the air.
BAM!
Kashi stifled a groan as his back smashed into the wall. Black lightning sparked off the drakon’s scales revealing they had successfully reflected most of the damage. Kashi did not dare waste a second moment and swiftly kicked off the wall. The daeben’s eyes narrowed as lightning bolts struck the hole he’d been embedded in moments prior.
Kashi was once again forced to dodge as the demon thrust his glaive forward, unleashing a deadly arc of electricity at the daeben.
Kashi gritted his teeth as he dodged this way and that. The daeben felt like he was going to go crazy any moment now. Fighting this blasted monster was like fighting a spearman with a 3o-meter reach. The lightning’s crazy speed made it so by the time the demon stabbed forward, the electricity had reached the other end of the pit.
At that speed, Kashi’s proximity meant nothing. Worse yet, the centaur’s glaive skills were sublime and purposeful despite his madness. None of its strikes were shot at random. Each was meant to guide the daeben to a sure-kill position.
Kashi’s eyes shone red as he found himself cornered between several lightning bolts. The only way out was to jump over the bolts. But Kashi knew that was what the centaur had been aiming for. However, unless he wanted to get zapped, Kashi had no choice but to comply.
CRACKLE!
Just as Kashi expected, immediately he jumped, a giant electric bolt five times thicker than the previous ones lunged at him. ‘Excellent plan,’ Kashi inwardly praised as he drew FPB. ‘Unfortunately, not enough.’
Pa!
Ki exploded beneath Kashi’s feet, sending him flying over the electric arc.
The demon paused, stunned as he watched the daeben vault over the arc. It never suspected the daeben would be capable of dodging that move. Perhaps, as a result of its shock, its follow-up was delayed by a breath.
A breath was all Kashi needed to unleash hell!
The demon’s gaze turned severe as dozens of bolts blasted through the air with the ferocity of stinger missiles. The centaur instantly slid backward to gain some distance and then burst forward. He swung his glaive at the arrows as he charged after the daeben.
Kashi flitted around the pit as he shot the enraged centaur, but the horrific monster’s glaive shattered the majority of his arrows. The rest only managed to disrupt the centaur demon’s ki armor for a moment before dispersing. The daeben gritted his teeth and summoned [Gilgamesh].
The demon paused and glared at the massive portal that appeared above the daeben. Boom! A surge of mana exploded around the centaur and then gathered at the beast’s glaive. Large wind columns gathered around the edge and emitted a shrill cry as they rotated at impossible speeds.
Uncaring of the demon’s preparation, five thousand arrows shot out of the portal with extreme prejudice.
The demon centaur let out a defiant roar as he swung his spear upwards. WHOOOM!!!
What could only be described as a horrific hurricane blasted out of the glaive. The horrendous force either shattered or scattered the thousands of bolts, resulting in a crazy explosion of wind that sent both the demon and Kashi flying backward.
The demon was prepared for this and stabbed the glaive into the ground. Using the staff as a pivot, he spun around and turned the momentum into a forward charge.
Whoosh!
However, the centaur was met by several arrows that slowed its advance.
Kashi, ever the opportunist, unceasingly sniped the centaur despite flying backward. His eyes were grim, but the corner of his lips was curled in a delighted grin. To think this monster could swat away [Gilgamesh] so easily!
This was it!
This was the challenge he had been waiting for this whole time!
Kashi’s blood boiled as he grew hot with excitement. The daeben roared, “Come here!” the moment his feet touched the ground, and like a bullet out of a gun chamber, he shot off toward the centaur. Since he could not gain any significant long-range advantage, it was time to attempt short-range combat.
Kashi’s figure blurred as he burst across the pit in the blink of an eye. The demon, however, sensed his approach and accurately struck down at the daeben with frightening precision.
Kashi, however, grinned as he picked one of the Hunter bolts from the ground. The bolt shone with a black light as Kashi poured his ki till it could hold no more. The daeben then raised the arrow over his head and blocked the incoming glaive.
Boom!
Kashi’s feet sunk into the earth from the tremendous impact. But a grin spread across the daeben’s face as he realized he had successfully blocked the strike.
The demon, enraged at this turn of events, roared and increased its arm strength. In response, Kashi surprisingly loosened his arm as he swiveled to the side. He was using soft to defeat strong. The daeben guided the glaive to strike into the earth and then stomped his left foot on the blade, sinking it even deeper.
Kashi quickly nocked the giant arrow onto FPB and shot. Boom! The bolt launched with an explosive roar, aimed at the crystal in the centaur’s chest. Kashi’s eyes beamed as he awaited the expected blood splatter.
Pa!
Kashi’s eyes went wide as the centaur let go of the glaive and caught the bolt. Thankfully, the impact sent the centaur skidding several meters backward at least or the daeben would have screamed foul. Kashi, however, was far from finished. The daeben kicked the glaive into the air, caught it, and then flung it at the skidding demon in one swift motion. Kashi then dashed forward, behind the glaive, with the intent of taking advantage when the centaur was put into a disadvantageous position.
The centaur’s eyes narrowed as the glaive shot at him with the speed of a bullet. The monster once again showcased its superior agility and battle instincts as it channeled ki into the bolt in its hand and then struck the glaive’s blade skyward with a heavy blow.
As the glave spun in the air, the centaur flung the bolt back at Kashi, who rotated in place, grabbed the arrow’s shaft, and then guided it back to the centaur with double the force.
By this time, however, the centaur had already grabbed his glaive’s handle, which he used to smash the bolt back into the ground.
Kashi continued his charge unperturbed. He jumped onto the downed bolt, then booted off it, so he flew over the centaur. The centaur’s eyes gleamed as it rapidly stabbed at the daeben, leaving several afterimages as a testament to the attack’s speed.
Kashi grinned as he retaliated with several shots that shattered the centaur’s glaive’s momentum. As the daeben descended, his real purpose was revealed. He had somehow calculated the centaur’s future position as it skidded backward and jumped in such a way that he would land on its back.
Kashi’s reasoning was clear. A centaur’s weakest spot was their back, as once someone sat on it, the centaur’s arms would be unable to reach, thereby allowing the attacker to deal as much damage as possible before they were bucked off.
However, just as Kashi was about to land, his hairs stood on end. The daeben quickly kicked off the air and launched himself further back. Just in time, it appeared, as a fist made of ki suddenly shot out of the demon’s back and grabbed at the daeben’s leg.
‘This damned demon!’ Kashi cursed as he realized the demon had tricked him again. The centaur’s ki projection’s proper form was shapeless, which allowed it to manifest any body part he required from anywhere. This alone was proof of the monster’s proficiency. Even Kashi’s ki control had not yet reached that level.
This revelation, however, only excited him more.
Seeing its initial attack had failed, the centaur dug its rear hooves into the earth, spun around, and then swiped at the descending Kashi with the ki-coated glaive.
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Kashi’s gaze turned severe as he summoned an arrow with which to parry the incoming strike. However, the daeben was stunned when nothing appeared in his hand. He became pale as he realized that he had run out of arrows. To the panicked daeben’s eyes, the glaive seemed to grow in size as it approached, carrying within it an omen of death.
[Ferulic’s Spirit Activated!]
Boom!
Kashi gritted his teeth and decided to risk it all. The daeben’s fist glowed with a green light as he utilized [Gaia], a skill that imbued his fist with earth energy. The daeben had never really used this skill as it did not add much power to his blows, but he did not have a choice right now.
Kashi needed to squeeze out everything he had!
Kacha!
Something seemed to break within Kashi’s soul, and his fist suddenly burst with glorious, blinding light.
Light clashed against all-consuming darkness as the daeben’s fist struck the glaive!
BOOOOM!!!
Kashi and the centaur flew in opposite directions, launched by a deafening explosion that rocked the earth. Kashi groaned as he crashed into the ground and then pushed himself into a low crouch. The daeben clutched his right hand, wincing in pain as the shattered bones screamed in protest.
Luckily, between Kashi’s dragon bloodline, Ferulic’s Spirit Technique, and Yggdrasil’s potent healing aura, the bones had already begun a quick recovery. Assured that the hand was not out of commission, Kashi looked over at the centaur.
To Kashi’s surprise, the centaur was staring at the spear with disbelief, shock, and a hint of fear in its eyes. The daeben looked at the spear and soon understood the source of the centaur’s strange disposition.
The ki which previously surrounded the blade had been destroyed, eaten up by a strange green aura. It took the centaur a few tries before his ki successfully eliminated the aura and shielded the blade once again.
Kashi looked at his fist in shock. Was [Gaia] always that powerful? The daeben recalled using [Gaia] when he first got it. It did indeed boost his attack by a few points and had an additional bonus earth damage, but it had never been the type of ultimate attack move it just displayed.
Furthermore, [Gaia] seemed to have an attribute that countered the demon’s ki. Kashi did not understand why this happened, so to soothe his curiosity, he clenched his fists, activated [Gaia], and then closely monitored his body.
Usually, when Kashi activated [Gaia], his fists would draw energy from the earth to increase its strength. However, to Kashi’s surprise, when he enabled [Gaia] this time, power was drawn from his heart. Upon closer inspection, Kashi realized the aura was actually pulled from Yggdrasil.
Kashi was understandably shocked by the revelation. Yggdrasil had never given him the impression it could be weaponized. Until now, it had only shown restorative and healing abilities. Which, when considering its status as the ‘Tree of Life,’ made perfect sense. However, this new development went against all of that.
Kashi shook his head and looked at the pensive centaur. Further tests were necessary to confirm or deny his conjecture. There was only one way to verify either way. Kashi drew in a deep breath and then raised his fists as he slowly breathed out.
The centaur, as if sensing the change in the daeben, adjusted his grip on the glaive. Mana and ki pulsed around the demon as he gradually accumulated his momentum.
Boom!
The ground quaked as pressure from the warriors’ overwhelming aura clashed between them. As if by tacit agreement, the warriors charged at each other at the same time.
The centaur roared as he swung his glaive at the daeben with enough power to crush the earth. In response, Kashi defiantly threw a punch at the incoming blade, his aura stubborn and unrelenting. The daeben’s eyes gleamed as the aura obliterated the ki surrounding the blade.
Boom!
Blade met fist in an explosive clash that stumbled man and demon. However, both men only took a step back before regaining their balance and launching another attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Kashi and the demon exchanged hundreds of blows while darting around the pit. The centaur’s strikes were fast and accurate, often aiming for the daeben’s heart or head for instant kills. Quick and nimble feet displayed footwork that should have been impossible for a creature with a horse’s body.
Kashi, in return, responded with an unceasing flurry of punches and kicks. His dragon scales, which were as tough as any weapon, allowed him to face the dangerous glaive in direct combat, and the [Gaia] ’s aura served to bypass the demon’s ki.
No clear winner emerged between the duo as they both only managed to land superficial hits on each other. Even worse, with their regenerative abilities, those niggling injuries healed up as quickly as they came.
Despite the seeming stalemate, it was Kashi whose brows furrowed as the desperate battle waged on. Unlike the demon, Kashi did not just have to worry about his health and mana. He also had to worry about his Stamina. Even though he could still fight for much longer, the daeben had no way of guaranteeing the demon’s stamina level.
If, by chance, the demon’s stamina was much higher than his, then he would be the ultimate loser when he eventually tired out. No matter how strong his healing abilities were, Kashi highly doubted, he would be able to survive a killing blow to his heart.
Kashi never stopped attacking, even while deep in thought. Finally, his opportunity came. Whoosh! Kashi ducked below the centaur’s swing and then dashed forward. The daeben delivered a crunching blow to the centaur’s midriff.
The demon coughed up black blood and inadvertently let go of the glaive as he was sent sliding backward. Kashi did not lose this chance. He quickly chased after the centaur and struck the demon’s midriff with another punishing blow. However, alarm bells rang out in Kashi’s mind just as the fist connected.
Squelch!
The centaur was sent flying, but Kashi barely had time to adjust his position before the glaive ran him through from behind. The blade narrowly missed his heart by a few inches but absolutely skewered his left lung. The glaive’s destructive ki subsequently rampaged within his veins.
“ARGH!” Kashi coughed up blood as he dropped to his knees. Luckily, Yggdrasil’s aura quickly destroyed the demonic ki, but the damage had already been done.
Kashi gritted his teeth as he palmed the blade, sending it out through his back. The glaive clattered to the ground, and the daeben stumbled out of its path, bloodied red eyes gleaming with appreciation as he watched the glaive return to the demon’s hand. Ah, this centaur subscribed to the same battle moral as he did. Always have at least one trump card hidden at all times. This was the most effective way to win every encounter.
The centaur’s trump card was his ability to summon the glaive back to him. From the demon’s demonstration, he seemed only to have the ability to call it back to him and not full telekinetic control. This was why he had willingly opened himself up to those two life-threatening blows. Kashi could not dodge in the middle of attacking, and thus would be in the way of the spear returning to the centaur’s hand.
It was a perfect strategy that would have resulted in an instant K.O were it not for Kashi’s abnormal instincts. Instead, as it stood, both warriors had sustained severe damage. Yggdrasil’s aura was especially damaging to the centaur and had caused just as much damage to the demon’s internal organs.
Kashi brushed the blood off his lips as he stumbled to his feet. He knew that the smart thing to do would be to hang back and wait until his injuries recovered. But, that would also allow the demon time to heal.
Well, honestly, that was just an excuse.
Retreat just wasn’t Kashi’s style. He preferred to face adversity head-on.
However, it was true that in his current condition, Kashi’s previous method was foolishly suicidal. He was not beyond adapting to the situation within his ideal paradigm.
Kashi gently swayed on his feet as he once again raised his fists with a determined glint in his eyes. Only the daeben knew if the swaying was a result of the injuries or a personal choice. The daeben exposed a mocking grin as he extended his left hand and rudely beckoned the demon.
Although the demon still possessed most of its battle instincts, its corrupted mind was easily angered into action. The centaur, provoked by the daeben’s mannerisms, let out an angry roar and then charged at the daeben with the glaive held in front of him.
Kashi drew a deep breath and then slowly let it out. The daeben held his ground as the charging beast arrived before him in the blink of an eye. Then, just as the blade was inches away from his face, Kashi gently tapped the flat side of the edge with the back of his left hand. The daeben bent his neck to the right, allowing the glaive to fly by without a scratch.
However, the centaur expected this. He bent the blade so its edge faced Kashi’s neck and then added more force to redirect the glaive to behead Kashi.
Like a reed blowing in the wind, Kashi swayed down and below the glaive. Lightning sparked in the daeben’s eyes as he drove his right fist toward the centaur. Unfortunately, as if held by a bungee cord, the demon inexplicably halted in his tracks and then jumped back, leaving the range of the daeben’s fist.
However, Kashi grinned as he instantaneously channeled ninety percent of his remaining mana and ki into his right arm, causing lightning to spark around it. With a roar, he punched out a lightning-coated green dragon.
The demon saw the approaching mana-construct and dug its heels into the ground. The centaur brandished the glaive as he came to a hard stop and then thrust the weapon forward. Black lightning shot out of the blade toward the dragon.
However, the demon was left staring in disbelief as the dragon curled around the lightning stream at the last moment and continued its approach.
Kashi, struck by the black lightning, was sent flying, his health dangerously low.
The demon roared as it channeled all of its ki and shot it out in the form of a centaur general that closely resembled it. The ki general charged head-on at the dragon, glaive in hand. It fearlessly challenged the dragon. If the dragon chose to dodge, it would go on to slay the defenseless daeben.
Strangely, this time, the dragon happily clashed against the general. Boom! The demon centaur looked on, stunned as the dragon obliterated the general. The centaur’s expression hardened as he channeled what mana he had left into his glaive.
The centaur let out a massive roar as he swiped down with the blade. A mandala appeared in front of him, from which an enormous hurricane burst out and slammed into the dragon.
The dragon stubbornly fought against the violent winds as it attempted to force its way through. It was like it knew that failure here would result in its master’s death, and as such, would not tolerate failure. It let out a reluctant roar as it began to slow down, almost defeated by the wind.
However, at that moment when all hope seemed lost—when the demon’s eyes gleamed with exultation—the airborne daeben suddenly flipped in the air, drew FPB, and placed his finger on the bowstring. The demon’s eyes went wide as the bowstring suddenly erupted with light as the daeben’s ki mixed with Yggdrassil’s aura to form a gigantic, green arrow of light.
With a sly grin, Kashi released the arrow and said, “[Dimension Break!]”
BOOM!
The demon coughed up blood as an arrow suddenly smashed against the exposed crystal. The explosive impact generated a massive crack in the crystal that messed up the demon’s mana control.
The mandala producing the hurricane instantly died down, and the dragon, with a loud, triumphant roar, burst forward and drilled into the black crystal!
Roooaaar!
The centaur cried and shouted out in pain as the dragon rampaged within the crystal, Yggdrassil’s aura smashing and breaking apart the evil ki from within. The crystal was tied to the demon’s nervous system, so it felt like his brain was being destroyed by the dragon.
Violent mana and ki energy repeatedly burst out of the crystal as it fought against the dragon while its cracks slowly but gradually increased.
Eventually, the demon could no longer stand the torment and passed out, its brain irrevocably damaged by the torture.
Kashi coughed up blood as he dropped to his knees. ‘Hehe, in a fight, there must indeed always be a trump card.’ Kashi had been working towards moment this the entire fight. He knew that the key to defeating this monster was the crystal in his chest.
However, the demon always had protection in the form of his ki armor. The second Kashi directed an attack on the crystal and failed to destroy it, the centaur would double or triple its protection. Hence, he had to create a scenario where the centaur would have no choice but to push away all its ki armor, leaving the crystal exposed.
It had been a dangerous gamble, and that final black lightning almost killed him, but in Kashi’s eyes, hiding the fact that FPB could shoot mana and ki arrows and saving [Dimension Break] for that one moment had been worth all the hassle.
Kashi struggled to his feet and then trudged over to the fallen centaur. As expected, the beast was still alive. However, Kashi frowned when he inspected the crystal. It seemed the dragon was not enough to finish the job, as, despite the massive cracks in the crystal, it had slowly begun to overpower the rampaging mana construct and heal itself.
Kashi looked at the crystal, and then at the demon, as a crazy plan began to take form. The daeben considered for a moment then attempted to call Shadow. However, when the assassin did not respond, the daeben, assuming he was in the middle of a fight, sent him a message through his friend’s list.
Following that, Kashi sat down for a few minutes to meditate and allow his health, mana, and ki to return to regenerate. Unfortunately, even with his healing, the giant hole in his chest was too grievous for his natural healing capabilities. As a result, he was only able to regain about 50% of his total health.
This much, however, was good enough for the daeben’s intention.
Kashi revealed a greedy smile as he rose to his feet and placed a hand on the centaur. “Minor god, get!” said the daeben as a white light spread from his hand and enveloped the demon. Moments later, the centaur disappeared, leaving only the daeben with a stupid grin on his face.
Kashi dusted himself off, and then, with a massive boost, dashed onto the walls. The daeben’s feet dug into the walls, and he ran up the cliff face until he jumped out at the top.
At the top, Kashi’s brow rose when he saw the unconscious, tied-up druid and Larsial worriedly looking over the passed out Shadow. The daeben raised his hand and was about to greet her, but then let out a heart-rending scream and then collapsed, his body spasming uncontrollably.