Chapter 70 - Testing The Limits

Ishida Waited patiently as the countdown continued in front of him in the screen.

And soon enough, the 1st countdown of 25 seconds came to an end, as Ishida's surrounding turned completely dark and the only thing he could see in his vision was the endless darkness around him.

As the darkness faded, Ishida found himself standing in a vast snow-covered landscape. The cold wind whipped around him, snowflakes dancing in the air as far as he could see. The temperature had dropped significantly, but thanks to his high vitality, it didn't affect him much.

"So this is what they meant by changing location," Ishida muttered, his breath visible in the frigid air. His feet crunched in the ankle-deep snow as he took a few steps forward, scanning the white expanse before him.

[Location Changed: Frozen Tundra]

[3rd Opponent Will Be Deployed In: 5 Seconds]

Ishida gripped his sword tighter, his eyes narrowing as he focused his enhanced senses to detect any movement in the snowy terrain. With his heightened Sense, he could feel subtle changes in the environment even through the howling wind.

The countdown reached zero, and immediately the snowfall intensified. The wind picked up dramatically, creating a miniature blizzard around him. Through the whirling snow, Ishida caught glimpses of something forming - ice crystals coming together, taking shape into a humanoid figure.

[3rd Opponent Deployed]

[Demon Name: Yukione (Level: 45)]

[Type: Ice Demon]

The demon materialized completely - a beautiful but deadly creature with skin like pale blue ice and long white hair that seemed to move with the snowfall. Her eyes were a piercing arctic blue, and frost formed with each breath she took.

"A human in my domain?" Yukione's voice was as cold as the environment around them. "How interesting. Though I must say, you're different from the others I've faced. There's something about you that reminds me of **** ******."

Ishida's eyes narrowed at the familiar censoring of words. "You too, huh? Just who is this person everyone keeps referencing?"

Yukione smiled, ice crystals forming around her like floating daggers. "You'll find out soon enough. But first, let's see if you're as special as they say." She raised her hand, and the ice daggers shot toward Ishida with incredible speed.

Ishida's agility served him well as he dodged the initial barrage, his movements precise despite the difficult terrain. "Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy!" He spun his blade in a circular motion, creating a vortex that deflected the remaining ice projectiles.

"Oh?" Yukione's eyes widened slightly. "Perhaps this will be more entertaining than I thought."

The snow beneath Ishida's feet began to shift, and he jumped back just as ice spikes erupted from the ground.

Yukione waved her hand, creating a massive wave of ice that surged toward Ishida. He smirked, not even bothering to dodge as he slashed through it with his sword, shattering it into glittering fragments.

"Is that all?" Ishida taunted, his breath visible in the frigid air.

[Fatigue: 27/100]

[HP: 1400/1400]

The ice demon's beautiful features twisted with anger. "Don't mock me!" She thrust both hands forward, creating hundreds of ice spears that shot towards him from all directions.

Ishida's movements were fluid and graceful as he weaved between the spears. "Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit!" His blade danced through the air, not just deflecting the ice spears but sending them right back at Yukione.

She barely managed to create an ice shield in time, her eyes wide with disbelief. "How... how are you this strong?"

"You know," Ishida said, casually walking forward through the snow, "I'm getting tired of demons underestimating me." In a flash, he closed the distance between them. His sword glowed with an ethereal light as he prepared his next form.

[Fatigue: 30/100]

Yukione desperately created a thick wall of ice between them, but Ishida just smiled. "Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon!" His blade cut through the ice like it was paper, continuing through to slash across Yukione's chest.

The demon stumbled backward, clutching her wound. "This power... it's just like **** said..."

"Again with the mystery person," Ishida sighed. "Well, whoever they are, they should've warned you better." He raised his sword for the final blow. "Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!"

The attack was devastating in its simplicity - a single, perfect slash that separated Yukione's head from her shoulders. As her body crumbled into ice crystals, she whispered, "He... was right about you..."

[3rd Opponent Defeated]

[EXP Gained: 100,000]

[Fatigue: 30/100]

The snowy landscape began to fade, darkness creeping in at the edges of Ishida's vision. "Three down," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Four to go. Bring it on."

The world around him turned black once again, preparing for his next challenge. Despite having fought three opponents already, Ishida felt barely winded. His power had grown far beyond what these demons could handle, and he was curious about what - or who - would face him next.

[Transportation to Next Location Will Begin in: 20 Seconds]

The darkness faded, revealing a dense bamboo forest at dusk. Ancient trees towered overhead, their shadows stretching long across the ground. The air was thick with moisture, and a light mist curled between the stalks of bamboo.

"Another change of scenery," Ishida muttered, his hand resting on his sword hilt. The setting sun cast an eerie red glow through the forest, making the mist appear almost blood-like.

[Location Changed: Twilight Bamboo Forest]

[4th Opponent Will Be Deployed In: 5 Seconds]

The bamboo around him began to creak and sway, despite there being no wind. The mist grew thicker, and Ishida could sense something moving within it - something that seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once.

A soft, melodic humming drifted through the forest. It was beautiful, yet somehow wrong, like a lullaby twisted into something sinister. The mist started swirling, concentrating in one spot about twenty feet ahead of Ishida.

[4th Opponent Deployed]

[Name: Kasumi]

[Type: Mist Demon] [Level : 50]

Before the demon fully materialized, dozens of bamboo stalks suddenly bent and snapped, launching like spears toward Ishida from multiple directions. The attack was coordinated and precise, aiming to pin him down.

Without even flinching, Ishida's blade flashed in the dying sunlight. "Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!" His sword became a blur, cutting through each projectile with perfect precision.

Through the falling bamboo fragments, a figure emerged from the mist - a demon with flowing dark hair and traditional clothing that seemed to blend with the mist itself. Its eyes gleamed with an unnatural intelligence.

"Impressive reflexes," the demon's voice was soft but clear, like wind through chimes. "But tell me, can you be the one to survive this level passing me ?" The demon sneered vanishing of sight, his presence spreading throughout the forest. "After all, **** ***** was quite specific about testing your limits..."

[To Be Continued...]