Lohan Vertigce stared at Eli, his contempt sharpening. "This idiot has no regard for his own body," he thought. Any lingering concern had long been replaced by cruel glee. Though Eli was no easy opponent, Lohan saw him now as nothing but a senseless brute. "How could a handicapped Level 5 possibly defeat me?" When he captured the boy, he'd freeze his blood cell by cell and savor his screams for eternity.
Stepping out of the shattered debris of his Beetle Monarch king-tier armor, Lohan unleashed a terrifying, biting whirlwind from his body. Ice surged in violent spirals, carving deep gashes into the ground, walls, and ceiling as though sliced by invisible blades. The air itself crystallized into a glacial domain, and Lohan sneered, "Today, this king shall show you the immensity of heaven and earth!"
But his wide-eyed triumph faltered.
Eli's gory stump twitched—squirming like a living creature. Flesh elongated at a grotesque, hyper-accelerated rate: tendons snaked, skin regrew, and blood vessels surged with unnatural vitality. In six breaths, Eli's right hand was restored, pristine and whole.
[ 300HP Consumed : Emergency healing]
[ 150/1000HP]
Lohan's confidence cracked. Nanobots? Impossible—unless they were peak-grade, worth over a billion credits. Does this brat have such resources? Who is he? A flicker of crisis prickled his instincts, but Lohan crushed it. No. Even if he heals, he's still Level 5. A persistent cockroach, nothing more.
Steeling himself, Lohan adopted a solemn expression. The whirlwind roared louder, ice shards sharpening into diamond-hard spears. "Regeneration won't save you," he growled. "I'll grind your bones to dust before they can mend."
Yet Eli's playful smirk never wavered. His restored fingers flexed, cracking audibly over the storm's howl.
"Can you do something about my appearance?" he demanded, gesturing to his frostbitten, corpse-like skin.
[500 DBS]
"200," Eli countered flatly.
[-----]
"Okay."
A glacial vapor hissed from Eli's pores, frost crystallizing in the air as his purplish-blue flesh rippled and reformed. Within seconds, his skin regained its healthy pallor, the lethal cold expelled like a forgotten breath. In his hand materialized a sword—obsidian and ivory scales interlaced across its blade, streaked with molten orange veins that pulsed like trapped lightning.
[Item Equipped]
[Name: Crusader]
[Item: Sword]
[Tier: Advanced Tier]
[Rank: nth]
[Attack: +60]
[Passive Skill: Tempest]
[Skill Description: The blade of the sword is made with the scales of the Black Scaled Mamba and can absorb 70% of every strike, causing an internal tempest that strengthens its core]
[Active Skill: Inferno]
[Skill Description: Each perfectly executed strike sends scorching hot energy into the enemy's body. Consecutive continuous strikes will multiply the hot energy tenfold, burning the enemy from within]
[Duration: 15 sec]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
[Active Skill: Speed Blitz]
[Skill Description: Once activated, the speed of the blade is multiplied by 3]
[Duration: 5 sec]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
[Active Skill: Mental Distortion]
[Skill Description: Once activated, a surge of invisible pulse fluctuations causes mental distortion. The wielder of the Crusader remains immune]
[Range: 5 feet]
[Duration: 5 sec]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
Lohan Vertigce watched, unimpressed. Recovering limbs, purging toxins… What's next, resurrecting the dead? He scoffed. Let the boy play god; it only made his eventual victory sweeter. Nanobots this potent would be his once he peeled them from Eli's corpse.
Digging through the rubble of his shattered Beetle Monarch armor, Lohan retrieved a slender purple pen. It glowed ominously before expanding in a burst of amethyst light, morphing into a jagged greatsword crackling with violet energy. The blade hummed, distorting the air like a heat mirage.
"Don't mistake your sword for steel and mine for butter," Lohan Vertigce sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "This ends now."
He lunged, his body spinning into a maelstrom of violet cyclone and razor-edged wind. The ground splintered beneath him, debris atomized by the storm's fury.
[Advanced Art Detected: Ice Fall (C-Rank)]
[Stage: Introductory (Ninth Level)]
[Threat Level: 35%]
[Crimson Paradise – Stage: Initial (3rd Level)]
[Conversion Rate: 2 Arcane Energy = 20 Stat Points]
[Agility: 25 → 45]
Eli's vision splintered into a constellation of crimson markers, each flickering like a dying star. The world slowed. Lohan's cyclone unraveled into a tapestry of flaws under Eli's enhanced perception. He sidestepped the first strike, his scaled sword clashing against Lohan's in a shower of crimson and violet sparks.
Eli had underestimated the Ice Fall Advanced Art. Lohan Vertigce's comprehension had reached the peak of the Introductory Ninth Level—even a B-Rank Advanced Art practitioner would struggle to detect him within the cyclone, doomed to perish swiftly. Only a B-Rank practitioner at the Initial Stage might stand a chance.
Lohan's sword strikes were erratic, unpredictable. The blade nearly tore free from Eli's grip—but it was late afternoon, and everything under the sky cast a defined shadow.
[Inferno Activated]
[Skill Description: Each perfectly executed strike sends scorching hot energy into the enemy's body. Consecutive continuous strikes will multiply the hot energy tenfold, burning the enemy from within]
[Duration: 15 sec]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
Eli defended every strike with a bored expression, which caused Lohan to pause at the 55th strike. It was all the opening Eli needed. He darted in complex circles, weaving feints and strange footwork to herd Lohan into the perfect position. Sparks and blood flew as Eli carved deep cuts, overwhelming Lohan's defenses. In 15 seconds, Eli landed thirty strikes, careful to avoid fatal wounds.
[–20 HP]
[–11 HP]
[–15 HP]
….....
....
....
[–33 HP]
[–17 HP]
Lohan Vertigce's skin glowed fiery red, scorching heat melting his insides. "ARRRGGGGHHH!"
He screamed, collapsing to his knees, his glare a mix of rage and terror. A mere 15-second lapse had reduced him to this state.
Lohan Vertigce concluded that Eli's Advanced Art was S-Rank—an insurmountable force. There was no winning.
Frost surged violently into his body through the gashes, his skin paling as the white arcane core within him began to throb with an intense, pulsing light. As it did, a taint of gold began to swirl through his core, an unstable mix of power that churned and cracked, threatening to consume him from within.
"This kid's trying to break through to Level 7 with a berserk skill!" Eli frowned.
A shimmering silver force field materialized around Lohan Vertigce, exuding an extremely cold raw energy. Eli's instincts screamed at him, warning that even a mere touch would freeze him solid—his very blood would turn to ice.
Lohan Vertigce pointed the purple sword at Eli and grinned, showing his bloody teeth. "Behold the Fall of Icarus." The purple sword trembled violently, and ice swords that resembled the purple sword began to appear in the sky, looming over Eli with killing intent.
"Resonance weapon!" Eli gasped in shock. A resonance weapon had the ability to unleash skills. Resonance weapons were rare, and an offensive one was even rarer. Eli quickly counted the ice swords—36 in total. Thirty of them exuded the aura of low-rank Advanced tier, while six exuded the aura of mid-rank Advanced tier. Eli's eyebrows twitched. "King Tier Resonance weapon."
An offensive King Tier Resonance weapon would go for 50-60 million credits, but Lohan Vertigce had a King Tier Resonance weapon and a King Tier armor. His heritage was like that of a legacy disciple. Even legacy disciples only had one King Tier weapon, though some had two, but few possessed a King Tier Resonance weapon.
After Lohan Vertigce used the skill, his weak aura became even weaker, and his arcane core showed signs of collapsing. Blood streamed from his mouth as he trembled. Lohan Vertigce swung his sword down, and all the ice swords shot down towards Eli.
"SWISH!
SWISH!
SWISH!"
Eli felt the aura of death and gave up any thoughts of resistance or defense.
[5 stat points added to Agility.]
[Agility 25(+20) = 30(+20).]
Lohan Vertigce retreated after executing the skill. It was obvious he was trying to buy time, but when he saw Eli looking at the falling ice swords with a solemn expression, he relaxed. "No matter how outstanding you are, you will die. And even if you survive, you will be severely injured. Just you wait, I will make you go through the worst torture."
Eli pushed his speed to the limit and ran toward Lohan Vertigce. The ice swords were descending with unimaginable cold energy, freezing Eli's mirage as he left countless speed mirages. Lohan Vertigce stared in shock, unable to detect Eli. All he could see was a blur contracting in strange angles to dodge the ice blades. It was only for a fleeting moment. The reason Lohan Vertigce used this skill was because, although the energy drain was immense, he was sure Eli's ability had something to do with strength. He was certain this would be a sure kill.
Lohan Vertigce twisted the purple sword, and the six mid-rank Advanced tier ice swords shot toward Eli, spinning in six different directions but converging on the same point. Eli could not dodge it.
[Phantom Step activated.]
[–10 Energy]
[Phantom Step deactivated.]
[–55HP]
[45/1000HP]
Eli spat out a mouthful of blood as cold energy seeped into his body. When he tried to use Phantom Step to phase through, the cold energy from the ice swords forcefully froze a region of space, deactivating the Phantom Step and entered into his body. Eli's face paled, but he had already left the sword bombardment and stood in front of Lohan Vertigce.
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BOOM!"
The ice swords impacted the ground, causing the building and barriers to shake violently.
"Crack!" A sound akin to broken glass resounded, and countless cracks appeared all around, as if they were in a mirror. The barrier flickered erratically with light.
Lohan Vertigce grinned. "It's over. You're too late."
"Are you sure?" Eli asked dispassionately.
"Your arcane core is almost completely golden," Eli said with a smirk, his voice dripping with quiet confidence. "I suppose that gives you the right to be arrogant."
Eli raised the Crusader, its blade gleaming with an otherworldly light, and pointed it directly at Lohan Vertigce. Lohan chuckled, his lips curling into a disdainful smile. "You're still going to attack? How predictable. Even ants thrash about when faced with certain death. But you… you're just delaying the inevitable."
[Mental Distortion Activated]
[Skill Description: Once activated, a surge of invisible pulse fluctuations causes mental distortion. The wielder of the Crusader remains immune.]
[Range: 5 feet]
[Duration: 5 seconds]
[Cooldown: 1 minute]
Lohan's mocking grin faltered. His body stiffened as if struck by an unseen force. Veins, thick and pulsing with red and blue energy, erupted across his skin like cracks in shattered glass. The silver force field surrounding him trembled violently before disintegrating into nothingness. Even his Arcane core, a swirling vortex of golden and icy energy, began to convulse uncontrollably, unleashing a chaotic storm of frost and wind.
"What… what have you done to me?!" Lohan's voice was a guttural roar, his eyes bulging grotesquely. Blood began to seep from his seven orifices, cascading down his face and staining his once-pristine attire. His body bloated unnaturally, his skin stretching taut like an overinflated balloon. He looked less like a man and more like a grotesque caricature of one.
Eli's gaze locked onto the unstable Arcane core. If it detonated, the explosion would obliterate everything within miles. After a frantic mental exchange with the system—and the painful loss of nearly all his DBS coins—Eli received a single directive: Retrieve the core. Trusting the system implicitly, he lunged forward, his hand piercing through Lohan's chest with a sickening crunch. The Arcane core vanished into his grasp.
Lohan's eyes widened, not with fear, but with unbridled fury. "You… you insect! I AM A KING—"
"And kings," Eli interrupted coldly, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade, "bleed just like roaches."
Eli retreated swiftly, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the doomed man. He watched as Lohan thrashed wildly, his body writhing in agony. For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
"BANG!
Lohan Vertigce exploded in a catastrophic burst of blood, flesh, and bone. The shockwave obliterated the remaining barriers and reduced the building to rubble. Fortunately, most of the onlookers had fled when the barriers first cracked, minimizing the casualties. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid smell of destruction.
Eli exhaled deeply, his crimson aura flickering before fading entirely. The scaled sword in his hand dissolved into shimmering motes of light. He turned to face Vulcan Tanheln, Anvil Abott, and the three remaining survivors, who stood frozen in a mix of awe and terror.
"I think you should clean up," Eli said casually, nodding at Vulcan before striding into the crowded streets. Spectators whispered and pointed, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and admiration. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, allowing Eli to slip away unnoticed.
The police officers at the scene made no move to stop him. They had been warned about the potential clash between The Old Man's boys, but nothing could have prepared them for this level of devastation. It was as if two Level Six ability user had clashed in a death match, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake.
Vulcan's men erupted into hushed whispers, their voices trembling with a mix of fear and reverence.
"Did you see that? He just pointed the sword, and Lohan exploded!"
"The fight was completely one-sided. young master Eli didn't even break a sweat."
"I can't believe we almost got into a fight with him earlier. The boss wouldn't have stood a chance."
They watched Eli limp away, their admiration bordering on worship.
"What do you think happened to his leg?"
"Probably from another battle. Young Master Eli is a total badass."
"That other guy, Lohan Vertigce, was a monster too. But young master Eli made him look like a joke."
"I wish I could just point a sword and make people explode."
Their reverie was shattered by a deafening shout.
"HOW DARE YOU DESTROY THIS MISTRESS'S PROPERTY!"
The crowd scattered like leaves in a storm, fleeing the scene as if a demon had been unleashed. Vulcan Tanheln turned to face the source of the voice—a middle-aged woman who had clearly been a great beauty in her youth. She wore an elegant green gown, her hair intricately pinned, but her expression was anything but graceful. Her eyes burned with fury, and her presence was as terrifying as a storm.
"Miss Priscilla," Vulcan Tanheln began, his tone ingratiating, "this one works for the Old Man."
"The Old Man?" Miss Priscilla hesitated for a fraction of a second, but her anger quickly returned. "I don't care who you work for! You're not leaving until I've had my say!"
She snorted, muttering something incomprehensible under her breath.
"I'll cover the cost of the building and compensation," Vulcan Tanheln offered quickly, hoping to placate her.
"Compensation?" Miss Priscilla's smile was anything but reassuring. "Oh, don't worry. You'll pay—in more ways than one. Prepare yourself for some serious hemorrhage."
Her words sent a chill down the spines of Vulcan and his men, Vulcan Tanheln eyebrows twitched.
[You have gained skill: Fall of Icarus]
[Modification successful]
[Skill Modified successfully: Crimson Fall (Level 3)]
Eli stared at the notification, a thoughtful expression on his face. "So I get the skill and their comprehension… Interesting."
[You have leveled up]
[Level 7]
[Hidden quest completed: Defeat a stronger opponent]
[Quest reward: 30,000 DBS]
[Hidden Quest Activated: "Monarch's Vengeance"]
[Objective: Survive the Retribution of House Vertigce]
[Reward: ???]