Chapter 675: The Fifth Node
Leon met the first descending strike with his sword angled to carry it past his shoulder.
The weapons touched, and the force drove his boots through the surface of the floor.
He released the parry before it could pin him. A short spatial fold carried him toward the construct's left side, where he drove a compressed frost lance beneath its raised arm.
The lance struck deeply enough to crack the plate.
Then the construct turned into the attack and brought the lower end of its weapon across his ribs.
His armor hardened before impact. He still felt something break.
Leon landed several paces away, coughing, and moved again before the blade reached him. It cut a groove through the stone where his head had been.
Fine. No trading blows until I know what I'm trading with.
Life gathered beneath his damaged ribs. He could feel the repair taking hold while he evaded the next attack, but he needed an opening to finish it without taking another hit.
