[101] Your Mind is in Chaos

"This guy, after smashing the stone tiles, doesn't even feel numb in his hands?"

Eiji's gaze sharpened. His forward-moving feet came to an abrupt halt, then he twisted his steps and retreated sideways, narrowly avoiding the attack once again.

His control over distance was exquisite. Every time it seemed like he was about to be hit, he managed to dodge at the last moment, escaping danger by a hair's breadth.

In comparison, Xiong Li's physical strength was even more troublesome for him.

An ordinary person smashing stone tiles would at least be affected by the recoil, with their arms going numb at best or suffering serious injuries at worst. This would have given Eiji an opportunity to finish off his opponent with a single strike.

But an Lv.2 adventurer was beyond common sense.

With a single swing of his mace, Xiong Li shattered the stone tiles—though they weren't particularly hard—without showing any sign of recoil, immediately launching a second attack.

This wasn't just a matter of arm strength; it was also a testament to his physical endurance.

In terms of arm strength, Xiong Li was only on par with Kuraudo Kurashiki, but his endurance far surpassed Kurashiki's. Specifically, his muscles were more compact, and his defense was more robust.

"Ha! Hah!"

Xiong Li swung his heavy weapon, relentlessly pressing the attack against Eiji.

The spiked mace swept through the air, creating gusts of wind. Just looking at its power, a single strike was enough to split someone's skull.

Eiji continuously dodged, showing no intention of engaging in a direct clash.

Whenever Xiong Li swung wildly and missed, Eiji would seize the opportunity to thrust his sharp sword from a blind spot, aiming for vital areas like the throat or heart, forcing Xiong Li to abandon his aggressive stance and retreat multiple times.

Each retreat meant losing momentum, and Xiong Li had to launch another aggressive attack to regain control. But it also meant that his previous efforts were wasted, as his opponent had neutralized the danger.

With his exceptional swordsmanship, Eiji kept Xiong Li in a cycle of retreating and charging, maintaining a delicate balance between the two.

"This is amazing! Is this really an Lv.1 battle?"

"This Xiong Li is so strong. He feels way stronger than Hawks, doesn't he?"

"Something feels off. Is this really how a Lv.1 performs?"

"In comparison, this human is truly extraordinary. His skills are beyond imagination!"

Dwarf Hawks: "..."

As the battle continued, the spectators in the audience gradually began to understand.

Under the relentless assault of the overwhelmingly strong Xiong Li, Eiji was still able to hold his own. It wasn't due to superficial factors like strength or speed, but rather his dazzling, profound combat skills!

His swordsmanship was so advanced that, as an ordinary human, he could instantly defeat top-tier Lv.1 adventurers like the dwarf Hawks. Even against an Lv.2 adventurer, he wasn't completely defenseless, and his evasion skills bordered on being untouchable.

This level of skill was so high that it sent chills down people's spines, leaving them trembling with excitement.

It even inspired a sense of awe.

"Go for it!"

"This is the first time I've seen such an incredible swordsman. Can the legendary 'Sword Princess' even compare to him?"

"Who knows? When the Sword Princess was an ordinary human, she didn't have any records of defeating adventurers."

He was truly beyond imagination.

Even Shakti couldn't help but feel her heart racing.

From Eiji's perspective, she knew she couldn't achieve what he was doing.

In other words, in terms of combat skills, Eiji was above her. At the very least, she couldn't rely solely on swordsmanship to face an Lv.2 adventurer. Even as a Lv.5 adventurer, she had to admit defeat in this aspect.

"I want him even more now..."

On the stage.

"What's going on?"

"How can I, a Lv.2 high-rank adventurer, fail to take down a mere ordinary human for so long?"

Xiong Li's mind was in turmoil.

He was an Lv.2 high-rank adventurer, with strength that surpassed Lv.1 adventurers by several times in every aspect. How could he fail to defeat an ordinary human for so long?

What kind of fantasy was this?

Using pure skill to counter a Lv.2 adventurer? He had never heard of such a thing!

"What kind of look is that?"

His eyes met the boy's across from him.

Those were eyes as calm as a lake, seemingly undisturbed. But within them was a penetrating power that seemed to see through all illusions, instantly detecting countless flaws.

It was those eyes that analyzed and dissected all his movements, leaving none of his actions hidden. His two-minute-long aggressive assault had turned into a joke.

Whoosh!

The air was split.

The tip of the katana transformed into a sharp bird's beak, deftly slipping past his spiked mace like a needle through a fishing net, thrusting straight toward his chest.

Here it comes again!

Xiong Li's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly retreated.

Although his endurance was impressive, he couldn't withstand a direct hit from a blade. If he were stabbed, it would at least result in serious injuries. To avoid harm, he had no choice but to abandon the advantage he had built up through his aggressive attacks and retreat.

What a joke!

I'm a high-rank adventurer! Why am I being forced to retreat repeatedly by a mere ordinary human?

From the depths of his heart, more anger surged. He was furious that as a powerful adventurer, he was being controlled by an ordinary human. In the past, it had always been him controlling others!

"Damn it!!"

His eyes almost spat fire, and he involuntarily increased the strength in his arms.

At that moment.

He noticed a flicker in those dark eyes, which then sharpened like a hawk's.

"Your mind is in chaos."

The moment his eyes met Eiji's, Xiong Li felt as if his heart had missed a beat.

A sense of fear welled up within him.

"Hum—!"

But now, it was no longer up to him.

Eiji raised his sword.

He took a deep breath, using the ancient breathing technique he had learned from the God of War to instantly push his stamina to its limit, charging toward Xiong Li with full force.

"...Ahh!"

Xiong Li's eyes widened as he swung his mace downward with all his might.

In this strike, he used every ounce of his strength.

A full-powered strike was bound to be devastating.

But correspondingly, such a strike required a wide swing of the arm, inevitably exposing the biggest opening yet.

Boom!

The mace hit the ground first, shattering several nearby stone tiles.

Eiji's figure came to an abrupt stop in front of him, causing Xiong Li's swing to miss entirely.

The charge had been a feint, but Xiong Li, with his mind in chaos, had fallen for it.

Before Xiong Li could react, Eiji had already lowered his stance and slashed diagonally downward at Xiong Li's forward-left leg.

Slash—!

"Argh!!"

The blade missed nothing.

Xiong Li let out a piercing scream.

A deep, bone-exposing wound appeared about an inch below his left knee.

Thud!

With his knee tendon severed, Xiong Li could no longer hold his ground and collapsed to his knees.

At the same time.

The gleaming tip of a sword appeared before his eyes, pointing directly at his eyeball. With just a slight push forward, it could not only pierce his eye but also scramble his brain.

The one holding the sword was the ordinary human boy he had looked down upon.

***

[T/N: I have exams in the next few weeks, so there will be fewer chapters (most probably 7-9 chapters a week) till mid May. From then on, back to regular schedule.]