Deja vu

Clink—!

Stepping out of the barrier to fight off Astin, Andrew's head snapped toward the left side, where he saw the tip of a cold blade heading for his eyes.

Reacting almost out of instinct, his figure blurred, allowing him to once again exist simultaneously in two states: visible and invisible.

Drip-

However, it was too late. The tip of Astin's blade managed to scrap his cheek, and a drop of his blood was soon absorbed by the darkness.

What unfolded next was a one-sided battle as black mana seeped into his wound, the veins of his face turning black.

The world turned blurry before Andrew's eyes as two powerful manas fought against each other in his body, and a black lamp of disgusting matter oozed out of his wound.

'It's similar to what happened back then.' Andrew gasped. He stiffened, feeling his limps growing cold.