Chapter 505: The Sneak Attack
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 505: The Sneak Attack
A terrifying chill still gripped the spacious room.
In the wake of the recent blizzard’s rampage, a thin layer of frost remained clung to the surrounding walls. The pale, chaotic patterns were devoid of any order, resembling the works of some deranged artist.
Because of the cold, the air currents—disrupted by their clashing auras—felt like a freezing wind from hell, biting painfully against the skin.
"Indra King, let us begin the second round."
Celicia pointed her longsword diagonally toward the ground.
She had drawn the blade from her umbrella. It was a rapier, no wider than a finger and devoid of any gaudy ornamentation. Previously, Muen hadn't even been able to tell it was a sword, but now, the cold glint shimmering along the edge made even him feel a slight tremor of apprehension.
The Indra King’s gaze also fell upon the blade.
"The people of the entire continent call the Third Princess of the Leopold Empire the 'Ice Witch.' But it seems that your so-called Divine Blessing is merely a shroud of wind and snow used to hide your true edge. Few are able to see through it."
A hint of admiration appeared in the Indra King’s eyes.
"Proceed."
Faced with the Indra King’s invitation, Celicia did not move immediately.
The cold, biting breeze in the air had stagnated at some point.
Her icy gaze remained fixed on the Indra King as he slowly rose from his prayer mat. She was like an experienced predator, cautiously observing her prey for the slightest opening.
However, this stalemate did not last long.
Celicia flicked her finger against the blade, letting out a soft tap.
A crisp metallic ring echoed through the room.
She didn't shift her gaze, nor did she say a word.
But Muen understood her meaning perfectly.
Strike.
Clang—!
The blade light suddenly flared with blinding intensity.
Power that had been silently accumulating for a long time erupted from Muen’s body once more. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged forward like a hunting leopard, slashing straight at the Indra King.
After half an hour of rest and recovery, both his mana and physical strength were nearly back to their peak.
Therefore, this strike was delivered with everything he had!
Terrifying Stacked Force was contained within that blade energy. Dozens of thunderous cracks erupted simultaneously, like the beating of a thousand war drums, making eardrums throb with pain.
The Indra King’s expression remained placid.
His dull, lifeless eyes reflected the blade light Muen unleashed—a strike that seemed even sharper than the last. He simply raised his hand again. It was, once more... a single palm.
Thud.
Despite the collision of blade light, the sound produced was extremely muffled. Muen felt as if a thick, heavy membrane had appeared in front of him. As his dual daggers struck it, all their sharpness was neutralized by the barrier.
The Indra King reached out and pressed his palm forward slightly.
That heavy membrane instantly transformed into a falling mountain.
Muen immediately felt a force even more terrifying than the one he had just unleashed come crashing back at him.
The blade light was instantly crushed. Under the impact of that colossal force, a muffled groan escaped Muen’s throat, and he uncontrollably coughed up a mouthful of thick blood.
With just one hit, he was severely injured again.
Yet, Muen’s eyes remained bright! The slight curl of his lips carried a hint of savage excitement at facing a powerful foe.
It hurts.
But... is that all?
Her Highness’s knee to the gut packed more of a punch than this!
He suddenly dropped his center of gravity into a horse stance, the veins on his neck bulging. Facing the crushing force, he didn't retreat; instead, he forced himself forward, tanking the hit head-on.
Then, with a twist of his waist, he unleashed another slash.
A crescent arc of blade light, a Moon Arc, flew precisely toward the Indra King’s face.
But of course, this couldn't possibly harm the Indra King.
After gauging Muen’s speed earlier, he had already locked down the space around himself. Muen’s speed could no longer be fully utilized; every step he took felt like wading through deep mud.
Thus, even this unexpected strike from Muen was useless in the Indra King’s eyes.
Though he was only an avatar, and though Muen Campbell had surprised him several times, the gap in their realms was an objective reality.
Muen Campbell was, in the end, only a Third-Tier Martial Artist.
The gap between heaven and earth might have caused him some embarrassment earlier, but in essence, it remained insurmountable.
The Indra King raised his palm once more.
Snap.
A crisp sound rang out. The moment the Indra King’s palm pressed forward, the Moon Arc shattered upon contact.
The Indra King blinked in slight surprise.
This move was even weaker than he had imagined.
While he knew the gap between them was unbridgeable, this attack was significantly weaker than Muen’s previous two moves.
Has he already reached his limit?
The Indra King looked at the bloody, grinning corner of Muen’s mouth.
...No.
This was just a feint!
Even as an avatar, the Indra King possessed vast insight and experience, and he quickly saw through Muen’s intent.
But...
A feint?
If he is the feint, who is the primary attacker?
Who...?
The Indra King’s thoughts raced, but his analysis hit an unsolvable paradox. It was as if a layer of shadow had draped over his consciousness, causing him to suddenly overlook something.
In a life-and-death struggle, everything happens in the blink of an eye; there was no time for him to process the discrepancy. Behind the shattered Moon Arc, a rapier no wider than a finger finally thrust forward.
The sword was thin.
Its momentum was minimal.
It was like a meteor streaking across the night sky—silent and invisible.
But for the first time, a look of gravity appeared on the Indra King’s face.
This sword appeared at the perfect moment, exactly when his palm was extended, leaving him unable to transition into a defense.
Even more terrifying was the formidable sword energy carried by the blade.
"Hmph."
The Indra King reacted swiftly. His body shuddered violently as a terrifying air pressure exploded outward from him.
The entire space seemed to tremble for an instant. The sword energy was slightly deflected, its trajectory shifted.
However, a faint line of blood began to surface on the Indra King’s neck, extending all the way down to his chest.
Blood began to flow, staining his tattered robes.
Simultaneously, a clean fissure opened up from beneath his feet, running across the floor, up the wall behind him, and onto the ceiling above.
The entire outer factory was cleaved in two by the force of that sword light.
Faint light filtered in through the narrow gap, revealing the grey mist covering the sky above.
It was an incredibly fearsome strike. Even Muen’s eyelids twitched at the sight, and he secretly thought it was a good thing Celicia hadn't drawn her sword back when he was courting death earlier.
"Impressive. I underestimated you after all."
The Indra King looked down at the wound on his chest. It wasn't fatal, but for someone to leave such a mark on him was already astonishing.
Even he could only offer praise.
"There's nothing to praise if I didn't kill you outright," Celicia panted softly, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She casually tossed the handle-less parasol aside.
She had thrown it once before, and it was that small action that had deceived the Indra King, preventing him from noticing anything special about the umbrella.
She had used the umbrella’s ability to mask her presence to launch the sneak attack and deliver that strike.
Unfortunately, the Indra King lived up to his name. Even as a mere avatar, he was not so easily slain.
Now that the sneak attack had failed, the Indra King wouldn't give her a second chance. Next... they would likely have to settle this through brute force.
Brute force was never a good option.
Muen raised an eyebrow at her, signaling: You go first this time.
Celicia shot back an icy glare that said: Shut up and move.
Seeing the pair exchanging looks as if he didn't exist, the Indra King’s face darkened. He swept his hands out, and with a surge of invisible energy, a pressure as overwhelming as a tsunami came roaring toward them!