Chapter 81: The Lazy Swordsman

Julia, cloaked in intense lightning, darted around the battlefield, effortlessly dodging every attack aimed at her. Only the two advanced-tier fighters remained on her trail. She was exhausted, and a pill wouldn't help; its effects required a full day to kick in.

Despite her fatigue, Julia should have had the upper hand, but both of her opponents had reached the Expert realm in martial arts. They were catching up to her speed with ease, even though she wasn't moving at her full potential due to her low mana reserves.

The female fighter executed a movement technique, catching Julia off guard with a swift kick to the stomach, sending her crashing to the ground. Julia coughed up blood but quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding a fiery fist.

'Damn, I thought this was going to be easy,' she thought, her staff appearing in her hand. The lightning that once surrounded her shifted into a whirlpool of water.

The female fighter stepped in front of her brother and smirked. "Let's show her," she said confidently.

In response, a Phoenix appeared beside the brother, while a Wind Dragon manifested next to the sister. Both fighters assumed a stance and chanted, "Burning flames!"

Julia, a specialist in long-range combat, smiled as she summoned a sky dragon made of water. Her staff amplified her elemental power tenfold, making her confident that victory was assured.

But she had forgotten one crucial thing—she wasn't fighting Novice realm masters; these were Experts.

Though weaker in raw power, their techniques were far more refined and powerful. With a single punch, their elemental beasts merged into a tornado of flames. It collided with her water dragon, and both forces consumed each other before exploding violently.

BOOOOOOOMMMMMM!

The shockwave from the explosion sent Julia flying backward. As she struggled to regain her footing, she felt a fist slam into her face, knocking her down once more. She quickly recovered, blocking the flurry of blows coming her way.

These attacks weren't even elemental—they were purely physical strikes from the brother.

'He's trying to distract me. I need to move and find out where she is,' Julia thought.

She used her water element to create a barrier, then leaped into the air, landing in a tree. Mid-jump, the sister appeared, ready to unleash an attack. Julia smiled, but it was too a mistake. The sister exhaled, blasting Julia back to the ground, right into her brother's range.

He unleashed a torrent of fire, and when both elements met Julia in the center, it exploded.

BOOOOMMM!

"Is it over?" the sister asked.

"No," the brother replied. "She's the one who defeated Miss Faith. It won't be that easy."

"Good eye," came Julia's voice as the rain began to fall. "Thanks for the help with the wind and fire," she said with a sly smile, as both of her opponents stared at her in shock.

Even so, defeating both of them at once won't be easy, Julia thought as water began swirling around her, intensifying with the rain. I can only use this ability twice per day, and this is the second time. She sighed, glancing over her shoulder.

'I don't think I can take on another King-tier opponent...' Her thoughts turned to her companion.

'You better not die, Adan.'

Meanwhile, far behind her…

Adan dashed through the forest, surprised that Stella remained sound asleep despite the chaos around them. Neither the sounds of battle nor anything else seemed to wake her.

'She's a heavy sleeper,' Adan thought with a smile, but something caught his eye.

In a split second, he had a vision of himself being sliced in half. Jumping instinctively to the side, he narrowly avoided the attack. He felt a presence nearby and fired a shot toward the source, but all he heard was a metallic clink.

TING!

"Impressive. You sensed me and avoided a death blow," a voice said lazily. Matt appeared, his usual bored expression plastered on his face, a sword resting at his waist.

'How the hell did I sense him? ' Adan wondered. 'I can't even feel his mana while looking straight at him.' His thoughts raced. 'Maybe it's my eyes… but that doesn't explain the vision I just had or how I sensed him without detecting any mana.'

Adan's panic grew as Matt, a King-tier master, stood before him, his killing intent subtle but overwhelming.

Matt calmly held his sword. "Please don't resist. Just hand over the girl."

"Are you pitying me?" Adan asked, standing tall, his eyes scanning for any chance of escape.

"Nope. You're just not worth cutting," Matt said dismissively. He let his sword drop and raised his hand, chopping toward Ad not.

In that instant, Adan's eyes lit up, turning sky blue, glowing brilliantly like stars in the night. He controlled all the mana within a five-meter radius, creating a barrier just as Matt's hand slashed down, forming a crescent-shaped arc.

BOOOOMMMM!

The ground cracked beneath the impact, and a massive shockwave rippled through the forest, obliterating everything nearby. Matt, still standing calmly in a tree, smiled. "Maybe you are worth cutting after all."

As the dust settled, Adan knelt on the ground, pale and struggling to breathe, with Stella lying beside him. Blood dripped from his mouth. "Damn it… mana depletion…" he gasped, coughing up more blood.

Matt slowly unsheathed his sword as Adan's body began to fail him. Should I use it? he wondered. Matt moved into a stance, his intent clear.

Adan's glowing blue eyes shone even brighter. I might not survive, but I still have to try.

"Mana…" Adan began, but before he could finish, Matt had already closed the distance, his sword nearing Adan's head.

TING!