NOVEL NEXT Chapter 99 – Combat Test II
[Wind Step Slash activated!]
Crowne stomped his feet, and extremely dense wind wrapped around his body. He moved very fast. Ruth glanced, following Crowne's movement, and he was already prepared to strike. Flames burned in both of his hands, ready to point at Crowne.
"There you are!"
Baaam!
Woosh!
The fire punch shot out extremely fast. However, Crowne already knew this move. He immediately used his skill again. He moved swiftly and managed to dodge. The fire punch hit the wall, creating a small crack on it.
"I am not that easy to fool," Ruth said.
Crowne was already behind him. He performed a spinning slash. Huge flames surrounded Crowne's sword. However, Ruth stomped his foot on the ground. The air around them shook. Once again Crowne's body was pulled downward, making his balance waver, but Crowne learned from his mistake.
He immediately changed his movement. He thrust toward Ruth. It was a very fast thrust. In just a fraction of a second, the tip of the sword was already in front of Ruth's eyes. But Ruth only gave a small smile. He inhaled, and a second later a mana shield surrounded his body.
Trrrring!
The slash was deflected by Ruth effortlessly. He relied only on a mana barrier. A basic level spell, but Ruth's way of using it was very effective.
Crowne quickly retreated, but at the same time Ruth pushed his body forward. He threw a strong and fast punch toward Crowne.
Baam!
Crowne's body was flung back. He managed to block the punch, but his hands trembled. His body hit the wall, and Ruth already appeared in front of his face, ready to strike again. The distance between them was very close. Ruth had already shown a victorious smile.
"You are finished," Ruth said.
But Crowne did not panic. His movements may have been restrained this time, but he had a skill that required no physical movement. He stared seriously at Ruth.
[Eye of Medusa activated!]
At that moment Ruth stopped for one second. Only one second, but it was decisive in a fight this intense. Crowne even had time to stand and block the incoming punch.
BAAAM!
Crowne's body was pushed very hard. The wall behind him shattered, but at the same time Crowne was already standing. He kicked Ruth.
Ruth's body was pushed backward. He felt a slight pain in his lower abdomen. He looked at Crowne again. He smiled because he was satisfied with the fight. This was exactly what he expected. Previously, he thought this would be a short fight.
He was completely wrong. Crowne was not someone he could defeat easily.
"You are impressive, young man. I appreciate it, but the victory is still mine," Ruth said confidently.
**
Crowne and Ruth clashed fists again and again. Their strikes created bursts of impact that made the training arena tremble constantly. The fight left the two staff members stunned. They did not expect Crowne to be able to fight Ruth this fiercely.
"That young man is crazy," one staff member muttered with his mouth wide open.
"He can keep up with Lord Ruth. This is unbelievable," another added.
Ruth's fiery punches collided with Crowne's wind slashes. Crowne's body was almost blown away, but he added fire magic to his slash.
BOOOOM!
A huge explosion shook the entire training room. Hot wind swept across the walls, pushing all three staff members backward. One of them even fell. He sat while clutching his face which burned from the heat earlier.
Thick smoke filled the room. Nothing was visible.
"This..." one staff member swallowed hard, "I think this does not make sense."
Ruth walked out of the smoke with a small laugh. "You are good. Truly good, young man. I admit it," Ruth praised.
Cling! Cling! Cling!
Chains swung from within the smoke. Fast, wild, and without any pattern. Ruth blocked the first swing. Then the second. But the third chain moved unnaturally, as if alive. A dagger at the end of it lunged toward the back of Ruth's neck.
He turned his body, but at the same time Crowne dashed toward him, performing a slash.
"Domain Barrier!"
Ruth spun, and both attacks were repelled. Crowne's hand felt numb from the impact earlier.
But Crowne did not stop. He ran toward Ruth again. He threw his dagger once more, controlling the chain however he wanted. Ruth's eyes kept moving, and he had no choice because if he slipped up, one of the two attacks would hit him.
Tringggg!
Taaaang!
Ruth kept deflecting the attacks. Crowne advanced again. He began performing continuous strikes. The fight was truly intense. Ruth was being pushed by Crowne. It was an unbelievably fierce fight.
Finally, blood dripped from Ruth's left cheek. He touched the scratch on his cheek. He looked at Crowne.
"That chain technique..." Ruth narrowed his eyes. "This is not a rank C fighting style. And you are very skilled with it. Just by watching, I can tell this is a difficult technique. That means you are quite the genius."
"Thank you for the compliment, but this is not over," Crowne said.
Crowne swung the chain behind him and pulled it strongly. The dagger at the end flew back into his hand. He gripped it and lowered his body slightly, adjusting his stance. This was the fight he truly anticipated. Crowne enjoyed this battle as well.
Ruth grinned. "Good. Now I am really starting to enjoy this fight. If so, I will do the same."
He bent his knees. Mana flowed violently. The floor shook. It even cracked. A training floor that should withstand strong attacks cracked. That meant Ruth would use his full power. Crowne really pushed him.
"Then I will raise the level. Let us see who wins," Ruth said.
Boom!
In one stomp, Ruth vanished. His movement was extremely fast. Crowne's eyes widened. He is so fast! Faster than before! Crowne could barely see Ruth's movement.
[Eye of Medusa activated!]
Ruth's movement halted for a second. Only then could Crowne see him. Ruth appeared right in front of Crowne, too close to dodge.
"Take this!"
Baaam!
Crowne was lifted from the ground like a doll. His body was thrown far, hitting the wall again, but he managed to block the punch with his crossed arms. Crowne's hands trembled from the pain.
Crowne stood again. He quickly took a stance. He charged forward and continued fighting, but after only a few movements, he suddenly vomited blood. His vision blurred. His head spun.
Ruth was getting closer. Crowne took a breath and nodded afterward. He then used all of his elements. Dozens of spears of water, fire, and wind appeared in the air. With one movement from Crowne, they all shot forward.
Ruth, incredibly fast, dodged all the attacks. He also deflected several of them. After that, he stomped his foot.
"Domain Barrier!"
Dozens of attacks were repelled. He immediately ran toward Crowne. In just one second, Ruth already appeared in front of Crowne. Ten water spears attacked him from behind, but Ruth did not worry. He struck his elbow backward. The ten spears shattered.
At the same time, he punched forward. "Dragon's Palm Technique!"
Paaaam!
A dragon silhouette appeared as Ruth punched. The air around them shook, the floor shattered, and dust flew everywhere. The dragon rushed toward Crowne.
At the same moment, Crowne used all three of his elements, forming six layers of walls, but every wall shattered one by one.
He activated Eye of Medusa again, but nothing changed. Crowne was left with almost no options. He took a deep breath and nodded, preparing to use the skill he had created a few days ago.
"Need my help, master?" Sylvara whispered.
Crowne shook his head. "No. I can do it by myself."
[Mountain Cleaving Arc activated!]
At the same time, Crowne raised his sword. He gathered his mana into the sword, his hands, and his legs. The floor beneath him cracked. The air vibrated and collided with the shock waves from Ruth's strike, creating intense sparks.
"I will bet everything on this!" Crowne said.
Both attacks collided. And a super powerful explosion occurred.
BOOOM!
**
The explosion did not only shake the training arena, but also made the entire adventurers guild tremble. Dust filled the battlefield. Nobody could see the result of the clash.
The three staff members were thrown away. They vomited blood, their bodies covered in injuries. They were seriously wounded. One of them even lost consciousness. The remaining two were still awake, but their bodies trembled. Even standing was difficult.
One of them managed to stand, but his legs shook. His eyes kept staring at the dust that kept swirling in the middle of the arena.
"Sir Crowne, are you alright?" Ronan asked.
He kept waiting until the arena became visible, but after five minutes, he still could not see anything. Even so, he continued waiting. He walked forward, but his colleague stopped him. His colleague shook his head.
"Just wait! If you go too far, you could die. We do not know what will happen next," his colleague said.
Ronan stayed still, waiting again. He was exhausted and eventually fell, supporting himself with both knees. He continued staring ahead as the dust finally began to fall to the ground. What was in front of him gradually became visible, and he saw someone standing behind the remaining dust.
Ronan's eyes widened. His heartbeat doubled, then he smiled.
He was relieved.
"Sir, you have won," Ronan said proudly.