Crossbow bolts zip through the air, their cold, sharp glint keeping me on my toes.
Chilling spells erupt from the ground beneath me, forcing me to constantly shift my position.
A massive greatsword comes swinging straight at my face—and I’ll admit, it does make me waver, just a little.
Several figures stand before me, armed with unshakable resolve and united by a single goal. They’re powerful—honestly, they could pass for the perfect protagonist party straight out of a novel. But they’re nothing more than a scenic viewpoint on my journey. I have to keep moving forward. I must. I must.
The Flowing Wind Sword looks so short and frail compared to that massive greatsword—like it could snap at any moment. But I know a thing or two about yielding without breaking, and I’m not about to let that crisp crack reach my ears.
So, what’s the plan?
I angle the Flowing Wind Sword slightly inward, hoping to guide the greatsword down into the ground and throw Kelan off balance. But things don’t go as I’d hoped. Kelan seems more than capable of handling this kind of situation—even when her target slips away, she maneuvers that massive blade with surprising flexibility, swinging it back and forth with ease.
Is this what they call “becoming one with the blade”? Nah, probably not quite there yet.
I catch a bolt mid-flight and send it right back along its mana trajectory, cutting off the surge of ice that was about to erupt from below. With Mia forced to dodge her own projectile and Xiong Xin constantly backing up Kelan, I don’t have to worry too much about my surroundings. My focus can stay on Kelan.
If that’s the case, maybe I should take things a little more seriously?
With that thought, I start putting in some real effort. The friction between the Flowing Wind Sword and the greatsword grows fiercer. Kelan, sensing something’s off, decides to get serious too—she adds her other hand to the grip. Whoa—!! With just that one strike, I’m suddenly pushing a lot harder than before. It actually forces me to take a sharp breath.
As expected, Kelan is no pushover—that’s only fitting for someone who’s been through what she has.
I leap back quickly, hoping to reset my stance, but Kelan pursues with a follow-up chop. I have no choice but to brace myself in a half-crouch.
“You’re strong,” Kelan says, delivering a line that sounds straight out of a hero’s script. “But this is where it ends.”
And then, something shifts. I can feel an unusual amount of mana gathering around her blade. But it’s not exactly coming from her—it’s more like she’s drawing it from the atmospheric elements around her.
The mana condenses around the greatsword, glowing bright, then bursts into roaring flames. So this is the prototype of “Fiery Joy”? Heh, interesting!
Since you’re using both hands now, I guess I won’t hold back either? My left hand hasn’t been slacking off, you know.
Mana flows from my arm, forming in my palm. At this range, a standard Fireball wouldn’t do much—but that doesn’t mean it’s useless. It can at least buy me some advantage.
I shape the fireball into a solid form, using excess mana as a “handle,” and fuse it together in a flash. This is [Blazing Hammer]—a physical, striking weapon compared to a regular Fireball, and it works great against shield users.
You’re busy dealing with my sword strikes right now, but I bet you didn’t expect a hit from the side, did you?
Once the hammer takes shape, I grip it tight and swing it hard at Kelan’s waist. But she pulls back her greatsword, leaps lightly into the air, spins gracefully a couple of times, and dodges my attack entirely. That’s when it hits me—
The flames on her greatsword never went out. She just carried them up into the air, and after they got plenty of oxygen, well… look at that. A beautiful but deadly flaming vortex.
So this is what they mean by wind “amplifying” fire, huh?
Kelan’s figure looks stunning silhouetted against that fiery cyclone. But behind that image, I can’t help but sense the untold effort she must have poured into her training.
Flame Slash—newbie players might think simple skills like this are no big deal, or even dismiss them as useless. But in the world of AWO, these are the only skills you get.
And the ones you underestimate just might be the ones that take you out in the next second.
I hurl the Blazing Hammer straight at Kelan, who’s already poised mid-air, then quickly dart out of the blast zone—only to run straight into Mia.
She spots me and doesn’t hesitate. Her lips move in a soft murmur while her arms spread naturally to both sides.
I don’t catch whether she’s chanting a spell or not. All I know is I need to dodge—now. I spin around, catch two crossbow bolts midair, and hurl them back in the same direction they came from.
I really hope Xiong Xin realizes that just shooting bolts isn’t going to cut it. He should take a page from Mia’s book… Well, it’s not my place to dictate how others fight. They should trust their own judgment.
Who was it that said judging others’ actions is pure foolishness?
“By my will—Thunder Spirits!”
Thunder Spirits? Must be a spell name. She mentioned this afternoon that she’d created quite a few unique spells on her own… So she’s treating this fight as a field test, huh? She’s that confident she can win?
In no time, several tiny purple-glowing sparks pop out from Mia’s hands. I expected them to hit the ground, lose their luster, and fade away—but instead, the moment they land, a bolt of lightning descends from the sky. Well, “lightning” is a stretch; it’s more like the lightning element stored in those sparks rapidly releasing upon contact with an object.
But to the naked eye, it looks just like a lightning strike from above—enough to trick the brain into believing it’s the real deal.
Still, I’m seriously impressed. Creating a pseudo-lightning spell like this is no small feat, even if it’s just pure mana release. Wait a minute… those sparks look a little too numerous.
“Hah—ah!” I hear that shout and snap to attention, quickly swinging the Flowing Wind Sword behind me to just barely block the incoming flame strike.
Before I can even catch my breath, another figure appears in front of me. No need to think—just keep my eyes on the blade!
A sharp sting hits me from behind. I can’t hold my ground and drop to one knee, but I’m forced to raise the Flowing Wind Sword again as that greatsword comes swinging down at me once more.
What great coordination! Cough—! Alright then. My blood’s starting to boil!
My eyes lock onto Kelan’s legs planted in front of me. I grit my teeth, no longer caring if I reveal my true strength—I just want to give her a taste of what I’ve got. I thrust the Flowing Wind Sword upward with all my might, shoving the greatsword aside, then lunge forward and grab hold of Kelan’s legs.
I don’t have time to process anything—once my feet find solid ground again, I rise up with my “catch” in tow.
Those legs, of course, can’t keep up with me, so I let go. As for Kelan? She tumbles to the ground with a dazed look, clearly confused about what just happened.
I gather [Willpower] in my palm and suddenly spin around. A tiny spark lands within its trigger range, and with a flash of mesmerizing purple light, the spark is repelled—replaced by several bolts of pure violet lightning that crash down in a line right in front of me.
Clang! A sharp, metallic ring echoes as I lock blades with a pair of hunting knives. Before me stands Xiong Xin’s tall but lean frame. Does he really think he can take me down with close-quarters combat?
“Sorry to break it to you, but you’re aiming at the wrong target. If even Kelan can’t take me down, what makes you think you can?”
Xiong Xin stays silent, seemingly putting all his strength into the struggle. I just shake my head—not in anger, but in anticipation of what he’s got. Come on, let me see the true strength of the [Smiling Assassin] from the [Far Eastern Isles].
Otherwise—
Suddenly, he pulls back one of his hunting knives and thrusts it toward me. Like I’d let him get away with that—I deflect the other knife and leave him wide open.
Since you broke the stalemate yourself, don’t blame me for—?
I sense a scorching whirlwind approaching from the side. I turn to look and see that greatsword blazing with flames once more. Kelan’s eyes are closed, as if she’s convinced this will be the final blow.
Distracted by that sight, I let my guard down around Xiong Xin—until I feel his arms lock around me. That’s when it clicks:
A single fighter can’t match a united team.
“Heh, I guess I lose?” I say with a light laugh, even though I’m lifted off the ground with only my legs kicking. But I haven’t given up yet.
I release my clenched fist, letting out the sea-blue mana I’ve been storing up, shaping it into a spinning disc of light.
With the Force, I hurl it straight at Kelan—honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing her head roll. But I doubt Xiong Xin or Kelan herself would let that slide without reacting.
I snap my fingers, teleporting out of Xiong Xin’s hold and appearing in midair level with him, then land a solid kick that sends him flying to the side.
As for Kelan, who was building up her “ultimate move” behind me, she’s already dodged to the side. She’s probably watching that spinning disc tear through the air and slice into the walls, utterly stunned. Well, that’s just my guess anyway.
I lock onto that greatsword, hurl the Flowing Wind Sword like a javelin, and hit the hilt perfectly—forcing Kelan to release her grip. I dash right up to her and give her a gentle shove.
To my surprise, that little push sends her toppling over. I was just trying to disarm her and get her to back off, honestly.
Ah, right. One more left.
I turn around to look at Mia, who’s witnessed all of this and is now trembling visibly. I can’t help but chuckle. I use the Force to give her a gentle nudge, and she falls as well, before I say without looking back:
“Commander, may I take my leave now? This fight’s over, isn’t it?”
