Episode 110: A Strange Visitor (2)
The forest was slowly being swallowed by darkness.
In its depths, Damian stood facing off against the Sword Queen.
“Miss…”
“David, there’s no need to worry. This will be over quickly.”
David looked at the Sword Queen with concern etched on his face. In stark contrast, her expression was one of unwavering confidence.
“Quickly, she says. How arrogant.”
This was the problem with geniuses like Michael Ryanbloom. Their arrogance knew no bounds.
“They should learn to be humble, like me.”
Even someone as talented as Damian never let his guard down when facing an opponent. The Sword Queen’s overconfidence could become a liability.
It wasn’t hard to understand why she was like this. She had probably known nothing but victory her entire life.
If that’s all you’ve experienced, it’s only natural to become bored like Michael or arrogant like the Sword Queen.
“Let me show you just how vast the world truly is.”
As Damian stood still, the Sword Queen urged him on.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to get ready?”
“If you mean preparation, I’m already done.”
The Sword Queen frowned at Damian’s words.
“You’re unarmed.”
“That’s why I’m ready.”
Damian raised his empty hands, and the Sword Queen’s forehead creased with irritation.
“Are you mocking me? You’re a swordsman!”
“There’s no rule saying a swordsman can’t fight barehanded, is there?”
In truth, Damian was well-versed in martial arts. In his past life, he had absorbed the skills and techniques of many masters, including martial artists.
Moreover, he had accepted this duel to test a new technique, one that could only be used barehanded.
“Stop joking around and pick up a weapon.”
“Why? Are you worried you’ll lose to someone unarmed?”
Fighting barehanded was also a good way to curb the Sword Queen’s arrogance. She had likely never been underestimated like this before.
“Fine. Let’s see if you can still say that after this.”
With a face full of anger, the Sword Queen drew her sword from her waist. It was a rapier, with a short hilt and a narrow blade, designed more for thrusting than slashing.
Originally, rapiers were created for self-defense in urban settings, not for combat. But in the Sword Queen’s hands, it was a different story.
The air around her seemed to promise a swift end to anyone who dared approach.
“This is your last chance. Draw your sword.”
Damian simply opened and closed his hands in response, provoking the Sword Queen’s fury.
“Don’t blame me if you regret it after losing a hand!”
The Sword Queen pointed her rapier at Damian. As the tip aligned with him, she lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant, like an arrow in human form.
“Ha!”
With a shout, she thrust the rapier, aiming straight for Damian’s forehead.
“Impressive.”
The way she closed the distance, the thrust of the rapier, the flow of magic supporting it all—everything was perfect. Most mid-level fighters would struggle to even block, let alone dodge.
But this was Damian she was up against.
He had already read her movements and tilted his head aside. The rapier pierced through empty air.
“You’re quick!”
The Sword Queen swiftly retracted her extended arm, returning to her initial stance.
“Whoo.”
She took a deep breath, and then the rapier seemed to vanish. Over twenty attacks were unleashed in rapid succession, so fast it seemed as if the rapier had multiplied.
Despite the overwhelming speed, Damian saw it all clearly. He sidestepped each thrust with ease.
“Tch.”
When her attacks failed, the Sword Queen switched tactics, swinging the rapier instead of thrusting. Its light weight allowed for rapid slashes, as if she were painting lines in the air.
Damian evaded these just as effortlessly. Then, the Sword Queen herself disappeared.
Suddenly, slashes came from all directions. Though she was unseen, her attacks were relentless.
“Young as she is, the Sword Queen lives up to her name.”
Her swordsmanship could be summed up with the word “speed.” She moved with extreme swiftness, closing the shortest distance to her target and striking with precision.
Anyone with mediocre skills wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of her.
Her speed was dazzling, almost blinding.
But in the end, a blade is still just one.
Damian matched the rapier’s movements with his palm. As the rapier slashed diagonally, he deflected it with a flick of his hand.
“What…?”
The unexpected turn of events left the Sword Queen bewildered.
Damian seized the opportunity. He stepped forward, twisting his body, and swung his back leg to strike the side of her head.
It was a clean, powerful attack. But just before his heel connected, something strange happened.
A golden aura gathered on the Sword Queen’s skin, spreading out to form a barrier.
When his heel collided with the barrier, a harsh sound echoed, and the Sword Queen was pushed sideways.
“Well, well.”
Damian lowered his leg, a curious smile playing on his lips.
“I didn’t expect you to use a defensive technique at a mid-level.”
Knights could use magic to shield themselves from attacks, focusing energy on the point of impact to minimize damage.
The defensive technique was an advanced form of this, creating a protective barrier with aura. It was highly effective but difficult to master, typically requiring high-level skills.
Yet the Sword Queen was using it at a mid-level.
Though it lacked the strength and precision of a high-level technique, and was slower to manifest, the fact that she could use it at all was impressive. Her talent was truly exceptional.
“I’m not thrilled to hear that from you.”
The Sword Queen’s face was set in anger.
“You not only dodged all my attacks but also found an opening to strike back.”
If Damian felt surprise, the Sword Queen felt shock. She had never been so thoroughly outmatched.
“I thought this would be over quickly… Seems I need to get serious.”
A golden aura enveloped her body.
Instead of manifesting the defensive technique momentarily, she was using it continuously to protect herself.
“Impressive. Truly impressive.”
The aura’s power came with the drawback of high energy consumption. Yet the Sword Queen was covering her entire body with it, indicating not just a large reserve of energy but also skillful control.
“A defensive technique, huh… Perfect for testing my new skill.”
Damian activated his technique, “Berserk Light.”
His body temperature soared, and his energy surged, heightening his physical abilities and senses to the extreme.
Normally, Damian wouldn’t push beyond this point.
“Berserk Light” was powerful but dangerous, risking permanent damage if overused.
But now, he had a way to counteract its side effects.
“Hidden Needle Technique.”
This was a mana technique Damian had acquired at an underground auction.
The “Hidden Needle Technique” allowed him to manipulate the flow of energy through his body’s channels, strengthening or expanding them as needed. It could also be used to disrupt or damage an opponent’s energy flow.
Damian used it to fortify his energy channels, significantly reducing the strain on his body.
“Now I can push even further.”
He pushed his physical and sensory limits even higher with “Berserk Light.”
The strain on his energy channels increased, but thanks to the “Hidden Needle Technique,” they held firm.
“What are you doing…?”
The Sword Queen’s face hardened.
She instinctively sensed that something extraordinary was happening within Damian.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I won’t just stand by.”
The aura around her intensified, as if she were bracing for an unknown attack.
“Smart move.”
Damian grinned and launched himself forward.
Something exploded from within him. With a simple step, the ground shattered, propelling him forward with incredible force.
This was beyond anything he had achieved with “Berserk Light” before.
When the world snapped back into focus, Damian was already within the Sword Queen’s range.
“What…?”
She realized too late. The master of speed had lost track of her opponent’s movements.
“This can’t be…”
She tried to retreat, but Damian was faster. He struck her abdomen with his palm.
As her defensive aura moved to block the blow, Damian released his energy.
His energy spread through her body, simultaneously sealing her energy channels.
With her channels blocked, she could no longer maintain her defense.
Damian’s palm strike drove into her abdomen.
“Gah…!”
A gasp escaped from the Sword Queen’s lips, as if she were on the brink of losing consciousness.
This time, she couldn’t withstand the force and was sent flying backward. She crashed into a tree trunk and slumped down, her head drooping lifelessly.
“There’s still room for improvement, but it’s a decent technique,” thought Damian.
The move Damian had just used was a technique that combined the art of acupuncture with an attack, simultaneously sealing the opponent’s pressure points. He had developed it with the idea that, if executed correctly, it could easily subdue an enemy.
“It can even pierce through defensive techniques like the Guardian Shield,” he mused.
The Guardian Shield was a formidable skill, but it wasn’t invincible. It couldn’t defend against the internal damage caused by injecting magical energy directly into the opponent’s body.
That’s why the Sword Queen couldn’t block the magic Damian had channeled into her.
“My lady!”
At that moment, David rushed over to support the Sword Queen, who had lost consciousness.
He turned to Damian, protesting, “Isn’t this too much? How could you strike someone as delicate as her so mercilessly?”
Delicate?
Damian’s expression was one of disbelief. To call someone like the Sword Queen delicate was absurd.
“You’re overreacting. You should know better. Despite appearances, she’s not seriously hurt.”
When Damian struck her abdomen, he had pulled back his strength. As a result, the Sword Queen hadn’t suffered a severe impact.
“How am I supposed to know that?”
“If a Master Class like you doesn’t know, then who would?”
David’s body stiffened at Damian’s words, his face going blank.
“How long have you known?” David muttered, his voice tense.
“From the very beginning,” Damian replied nonchalantly.