Battle Between Trancendents Part 1

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Once me and Umbra were in position, I was getting ready to start my plan. Using the Ignis sigil, I would create an explosion on the other side of the camp, which would serve as just enough of a distraction for me to get inside the camp unnoticed.

Snapping my fingers, I started the first part of my plan.

"Boom!"

A loud mushroom cloud rose; it was so hectic, the heat could be felt even from where I was standing.

"Intruders! Get ready! Start the Mana Cannons. Warriors and Mages at the front; the rest defend the camp!"

Several noises and shouts could be heard throughout the camp. Thousands of combatants immediately got ready to meet whatever enemy found them.

Most of the Rank 2 experts also went out to meet the enemy. Alongside them, I saw hundreds of Rank 1 experts.

I could also feel they had two entire aerial fleets, most likely either stolen or purchased through illegal means.

In the middle of the night, the various Ignis runes I placed were exploding one by one, taking a few dozen lives here and there.

This was my first time killing real, living human beings, yet my mind was completely calm, and my heartbeat was perfectly stable. Beneath all this, though, remained only the cold, calculating, mechanical thought process.

"Let's move out, Umbra. It's our time to set the next stage." I looked at Umbra and instructed him once again on what he was going to do.

Though the dragon nodded at all my words by bobbing its little head, I knew that once it showed itself, I would instill the fear of God into these infidels—or maybe in this case, the Dragon God.

Anyways, after departing from Umbra, I went silently near the main compound of the camp, where I could feel the strongest presence.

I knew it. This was Garreck. The other transcendent was also outside trying to figure out what was happening.

Like a slippery snake, I appeared inside the room Garreck was in.

The man was tall, around 7 ft, with purple hair and brown eyes, with a face that said, "I'll kill you before you can blink."

From his past records, I knew this man was an Aura Knight—an extremely strong profession. It's an evolution of the Warrior Class. Aura Knights, instead of possessing Mana Cores, possess Aura Cores.

"Hmm, I expected as much, but to think that the attacker would be so young—that's surprising," Garreck spoke calmly. I wasn't surprised he knew of my presence. After all, Aura Knights are all just that good.

"Very well, let's do this. But before that, who are you?" Garreck asked with a glare.

Heh... I had a perfect line prepared just for this.

"I'm your downfall and your death. Your story ends here, Garreck Ardslow. You had your screen time. It's time to clear the board."

I said with a neutral, ice-cold tone. Damn, that line was delivered with perfection, if I say so myself. Hah... always wanted to say that.

"The last person who said something like that—do you know what happened to him? Haha, well, I skinned him alive and fed him to the wolves alive, screaming for mercy," Garreck threatened with a cold tone.

"The last person who yapped so much... wanna know what I did to him? Well, you can't, 'cause I fucking erased him from this plane of existence!"

As I said this, I got ready. Already, multiple Fire Lances and Steel Lances were ready all around me and Garreck, each one amplified even further with runes of power and precision, further enhanced by concepts of Absolute Pierce and Soul Damage.

Swooosh!

All of the projectiles shot at the speed of lightning toward Garreck.

However, they all quickly shattered by an unseen force field around Garreck. Even then, I could spot drops of blood near his mouth—that attack cost him.

Oh, so he's gonna use his strongest move already now.

As I said this, an invisible pressure invaded the area I was in. I could feel it—this was full spiritual manifestation and the will of a Transcendent Aura Knight.

Then suddenly, at a tenth of a second, the entire compound was shattered and destroyed. Garreck's Aura completely obliterated the building we were in, and even the nearby buildings around 100 meters also crumbled to dust.

The very space shuddered as the full might of a Transcendent was unleashed.

I also moved. We both moved extremely fast, like phantoms in the middle of the night.

Each and every spell of mine created destruction like nothing I've ever witnessed. In less than five seconds since our battle began, the entire bandit camp was gone. In its place, only devastation remained. Other than a few lucky peak Rank 2 beings who were able to protect themselves, everyone else perished.

Not even their bodies remained. The only thing that proved their existence was the red, sticky paste plastered all over the area.

Garreck, not even caring about the death of his followers, moved with practiced lethality.

Every strike aimed to end me and targeted my vitals. Each strike left behind shockwaves and generated absurdly strong force. Entire areas of the forest were vanishing as if reality itself was glitching.

"Prepare yourself, and don't die too quickly," warned Garreck.

Damn, he still has moves. With another soundless explosion, the Aura around Garreck exploded, his form becoming even more impeccable.

So this was the full might of a peak Transcendent Aura Knight.

This was truly something else.

He created a bunch of telekinetic hands, each as large as a small apartment.

Like a machine gun, he launched all of them toward me.

I agilely evaded all of them. The ones I couldn't evade were absorbed by the barrier I newly modified.

I had a surprise for him—a very nasty one.

Every punch packed enough power to easily demolish hundreds of meters of land. The devastation was apocalyptic.

The inner part of the forest, peaceful for thousands of years, was getting obliterated like it was nothing.

Soundless and lightless explosions upon explosions rocked the earth.

I saw an opening and instantly took advantage of it. I released the kinetic forces I absorbed from him.

Released all in my fist.

"Dragon Fist!"

My punch landed squarely on him, but his instincts saved him. My punch was blocked by his sword enhanced by Aura.

The force behind my punch wasn't weak.

Like a ragdoll with its strings cut, Garreck flew straight and true, crashed between two large hills, completely vaporizing them, and finally got lodged in the ground, creating a shockwave that completely annihilated all lifeforms around for miles.

This time, the sound my attack made was different than Garreck's soundless Aura.

It was deafening, as if a volcano erupted.

However, Garreck was still alive. Though he lost one of his hands and looked extremely haggard with multiple bruises and broken bones.

I myself wasn't too good. I was already cut in a hundred different places.

One of my fingers was also gone, which I only realized now. Much of my armor was gone, and beneath it, my skin had multiple deep cuts and gashes.

The battle was not over. It was still on. A peak Transcendent—no, he's almost at the halfway threshold of crossing Rank 4.

I can't let him reach that; otherwise, I would have no choice but to run.

The level of difference between the 3rd and 4th rank was greater than the difference between the 1st rank and the 3rd.

I have to finish this quickly.

With that thought done, barely a few seconds had passed. Till now, our battle has only lasted for about 2 minutes. I can't let that go on anymore.

To be continued....