Chapter 288: The Soup is Salty (2)
Chapter 288: The Soup is Salty (2)
“Have you lost your mind?”
The courtesy and respect vanished from the voice of the vampire who had introduced himself as Edward.
The other three also watched Patrick with expressions that radiated a bone-chilling coldness.
Regardless, Patrick remained in his stance. To them, he looked…
Sigh, this is just absurd…
He’s so insignificant it’s actually baffling.
…….
Beyond mere unpleasantness, they found the situation utterly ridiculous.
They were the subordinates of Kalaron, the familiars of the Four Calamities. Each of them possessed power that far surpassed what humans called a 7-Star swordsman. They were powerful enough to carve out and rule their own territories even within the harsh Great Forest.
And yet, this human was provoking them?
“Human. If you apologize even now, we might let this—Gah!”
Thwack!
Edward’s head snapped back as he was sent reeling.
Patrick had closed the distance in an instant, driving his knee straight into the vampire’s face. And then…
Swish!
A cross-shaped slash tore through the air.
With his posture broken, Edward couldn't dodge it—at least, not if he were an ordinary human.
Poof!
Edward activated his vampire Authority, transforming his body into mist. He retreated to a safe distance before reforming, his eyes flashing with a bloody light.
“Patrick Schneideeeeer!”
“Hey.”
“…!”
Edward’s rage froze instantly at the sound of Patrick’s voice right next to him. It felt as if his cold vampire blood had turned to solid ice.
When did he…
Before he knew it, Patrick had closed the gap again, pointing his sword at Edward’s throat. The vivid Aura Blade coating the steel emitted a sharp energy that even Edward couldn't ignore.
In that position, Patrick spoke in a frigid tone.
“Don’t talk so much when you’re fighting.”
“Urgh…”
Flushed with shame and rage, Edward hurriedly swung his hand to swat away the sword at his throat.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted, a sound hard to believe came from a collision between a sword and a bare hand—especially since Patrick’s sword was wreathed in an Aura Blade.
Looking closer, a red energy was swirling around Edward’s hand as well. It wasn't mana, nor was it aura.
It was…
What is that? It feels similar to the Fighting Spirit Tan naturally emits.
However, while Tutan’s Fighting Spirit was an instinctive eruption, this felt like it had been perfectly refined into a technique.
“I’ll kill you!”
“Try it if you can.”
Edward’s enraged hands collided head-on with Patrick’s twin swords.
Craaaaash!
The result?
“Ugh…”
“…….”
It was a stalemate. Their strength was nearly equal, and both were forced back a large step, unable to fully withstand the aftershocks of the impact.
However, the difference became apparent immediately after.
The moment Patrick’s trailing foot touched the ground, his body vanished, reappearing right in front of Edward.
He’s fast.
Edward was startled by Patrick’s speed, but he was a warrior with centuries of accumulated combat experience. He swung his right hand, saturated with red energy, intending to tear Patrick to shreds.
Five long claws of red energy sliced through Patrick’s body, seemingly carving him apart. However…
“Hmm.”
Despite his body being sliced into pieces, not a single drop of blood fell from Patrick. In that instant, Edward realized.
A f-f—
Wham!
“Gah!”
It happened then. Having deceived his enemy with the Afterimage Step, Patrick had already slipped in from the lower right. He delivered a diagonal upward kick that slammed into Edward’s jaw.
As Edward was launched into the air, he felt…
No.
A terrifying sense of dread.
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Third Form
Apex: Flash Dragon Strike
A high-speed attack that was impossible to dodge while suspended in mid-air. Edward immediately turned his body into mist. No matter how powerful the attack, if he became mist, he could avoid—
“I knew you’d do that.”
A chilling voice.
Patrick halted the Flash Dragon Strike mid-execution and withdrew the technique. He was bleeding slightly from the corner of his mouth, likely from the internal rebound of canceling such a powerful move, but his cold smile made Edward’s skin crawl.
“How many times are you going to use the same trick?”
No!
Edward wanted to scream, but he currently had no mouth to scream with. Patrick’s following attack was a fatal blow to the mist-formed Edward.
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Fifth Form
Dragon Scale Whirlwind (Modified)
Twin Dragons’ Ascension
The original Dragon Scale Whirlwind was a defensive technique that wrapped a vortex of sword qi around the user for protection.
But this…
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Two massive pillars of wind, like waterspouts, surged violently toward the sky. They rotated in opposite directions, locked in a fierce struggle of power.
The sight of the two dragons ascending while grappling with each other left the onlookers agape.
Th-That is…?
How can a human do that?
…Is it true? Is that human truly the Man of Prophecy?
They knew he was strong. But they hadn't imagined he was this powerful—enough to overwhelm Edward Philion, a lord of the vampire race.
“Cough… Hack… Blegh…”
When the two vortices finally dissipated, Edward Philion was revealed, coughing up blood and looking like a complete wreck. Patrick looked down at him with an arrogant gaze.
“Want more?”
At Patrick’s single question, Edward painfully shook his head.
“N-No…”
He knew. He hadn't survived because he had endured Patrick’s technique.
That monster went easy on me.
The moment Edward, who had been struggling to keep his form from scattering while trapped between the two counter-rotating vortices, reached his limit, the technique had stopped. If Patrick had maintained it just a moment longer, Edward would not be alive right now.
Patrick then turned his gaze toward the other three.
“Who’s next?”
As if waiting for the cue, one person stepped forward.
Clang!
It was a Dark Elf woman wielding short scimitars in both hands.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself.”
Patrick’s twin swords met her twin blades in a contest of strength. She leaned in close, her face almost touching his.
“I am Luna, a warrior of the Dark Elves.”
“I am Patrick Schneider of the Schneider Duchy. Nice to meet—ya!”
Boom!
As he finished his sentence, Patrick shoved her back. Instead of resisting, she yielded to the force and retreated. Patrick nodded as he watched her graceful movement as she performed a large backflip.
Ho… Nice body—I mean, nice movements.
Then again, she clearly wasn't the type to fight with brute strength.
Patrick delivered a powerful strike. The Dark Elf blocked it by crossing her small blades. Though she was pushed back quite a distance, her small swords were now shrouded in a vivid violet energy.
Having regained her footing, she curled her lip into a smirk.
“You’re strong. And fast…”
“Ahem!”
“…….”
Her face soured for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
“But that doesn't always lead to victory.”
“What kind of bullsh—huh?”
It happened then. Luna’s form melted into the darkness and vanished. Immediately after, a sharp, piercing energy lunged for Patrick’s chest.
Clang!
Patrick swung his sword quickly, parrying the strike. Luna’s voice echoed from the empty air.
“You have good instincts.”
“Hmm… So you know a few parlor tricks, do you?”
He could hear her voice, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she had perfectly merged with the shadows.
Interesting.
It didn't seem like a martial art. It felt different from magic, too. It was as if she were simply manifesting her natural ability.
But what was most surprising was…
So you’ve got some bite, huh?
The power. His Aura Blade, infused with 5-Star internal energy, had been chipped, even though he hadn't been going all out. His wrist felt numb from the parry. She looked like a slender dancer, but she was capable of delivering incredibly heavy slashes.
Stealth that hides her presence and attack power that’s far higher than expected. Plus, a killer body…
“A good combination. You’re quite a refined warrior.”
The last part didn't really matter, did it?
“But it’s a pity. You’re a bad match for me.”
“…Men who bluff aren't very charming.”
“Then why don't you test it?”
The moment Patrick finished speaking, a sharp attack flew toward him. Sensing something terrifying hurtling his way despite seeing nothing, Patrick moved his sword. And then…
Clang! Bang! Boom!
Intense shockwaves and thunderous reports echoed in the air as Patrick’s sword repeatedly struck something unseen. Patrick’s ability to perfectly block the enemy’s attacks without a single lapse in composure began to fluster his opponent.
H-How?
One might be able to block or dodge once or twice based on vague intuition or sound. But she never imagined he could block a continuous assault with such precision. It was as if he could see her perfectly. That was when…
“……!”
Luna was stunned when she saw Patrick’s face. Patrick was swinging his sword with his eyes tightly shut.
Luna faltered, caught off guard by the unexpected sight. Sensing her hesitation, Patrick began to press forward.
Clash, clash, clash!
“Your rhythm is off.”
“Urgh…”
Luna was forced onto the defensive by Patrick’s relentless and lethal assault, which struck like a vicious serpent. His swords were accurately reading her posture and aiming for her vitals.
“H-How can you see me?”
“Tsk, tsk. For someone of my level, the Mind’s Eye is a basic feature.”
The "Mind’s Eye" sounded grand, but it was essentially observational skills honed by experience and intuition. However, for a master of Patrick’s caliber, it became so accurate it could be called a sixth sense.
The disturbance in the air.
The movement of qi.
The direction of the exchange.
Even with his eyes closed, Patrick could perceive and observe everything about Luna.
Man, that body really is…
Truly, everything…
“Grrr…”
Luna swung her scimitars wildly, but she couldn't even graze a single hair on Patrick’s head. Patrick wasn't about to miss the opening created by her crumbling composure and desperation.
Clink!
The sword in Patrick’s left hand entangled Luna’s weapons in mid-air and pressed them downward. And then…
Thud!
“Ngh…”
For a moment, Luna felt as if a massive boulder had been placed on top of her weapons. She felt like she would lose her grip on her swords if she didn't push her internal Force to its absolute limit.
“Your wrists are going to snap if you keep trying to force it.”
Patrick spoke casually, pressing down on Luna’s weapons with one hand. His relaxed demeanor stung Luna’s pride.
Grit.
“Haaaaah!”
She summoned every ounce of her strength and thrust her twin blades upward. In that instant…
Whish!
With a faint, sharp sound of slicing wind, her scimitars went flying into the air. The moment she exerted her full strength upward, Patrick had reversed the direction of his force, using her own power against her.
It was the pinnacle of Grafting Flowers to Trees.
“Uh…? Huh…?”
Caught by a technique she had never seen before, she stood there, bewildered and lost. Patrick pointed his sword at her and spoke.
“You’re unarmed. Do you want to continue?”
“…I lost.”
The difference in skill was undeniable. Rather than feeling bitter, she wore a relieved smile. She thought to herself:
Losing to such a powerhouse is nothing for a warrior to be ashamed of.
However, that thought…
Smack!
“Kyaaa!”
…Changed instantly.
The moment she admitted defeat, Patrick grabbed her by the waist, lifted her up, and smacked her backside with his scabbard.
“Wh-What are you—Kyaaa!”
Smack!
Patrick struck her again with the scabbard, speaking in a solemn voice.
“I am exercising the rights of the victor.”
“How is this a vict—Kyaak!”
“I won, didn't I?”
“What does that have to—Ack! Stop hitting me! Let go!”
“In the world of warriors, the word of the strong is law. Therefore, since I won, I am right. Is that not so?”
“…….”
For a split second, she wondered, Is it?
“What did I even do wrong… Kyaaa!”
She didn't seem to understand her "sin." But there was one thing she didn't know.
“A young lady like you! Showing off your belly button, showing off your thighs, showing off your cleavage like that! Hmph!”
Whack! Whack! Smack!
“Kyaaa! It hurts! I said it hurts! Aaaack!”
“I should break those legs into thirty-six pieces! Honestly!”
“Aaaaaah!”
Her opponent was a total martial world stickler, straight out of the Central Plains.