It wasn't even a fight... A fight that didn't last 3 minutes as Socrates was blasted deep into the stream, his body tearing through the air before crashing violently into the rushing waters below.
After the Elder released his aura, he had initiated an attack instantly which Socrates reciprocated in kind, both moving without hesitation as if bound by instinct.
The two closing on each other without hesitation as punches and kicks were being thrown while they dodged everything, their movements sharp and precise, leaving faint distortions in the air with every motion.
Every move they made was being dodged by them both as their speed was so tough that even Merkules and his lackeys couldn't see, their figures flickering from one position to another like afterimages.
'How's he matching with the Elder?' Merkules watched with surprise as the two moved from their location to another location and then to another location as the ground crackled beneath them, fragments of stone lifting and scattering, but funny enough... his eyes couldn't capture what's happening.
Suddenly, he saw the Elder's energy enveloping him like a cloak as it concentrated in his hands and legs, the blue aura condensing tightly around his limbs.
This caused his own speed to accelerate, and for the first time in the fight, he landed a square punch in Socrates' chest, the impact producing a dull explosive sound that sent him flying away, but then extended his hand as an energy palm came out of it, grabbing Socrates' leg and flinging him towards another direction with brutal force.
Socrates' body slammed into a hard rock before shooting back and landing on the ground, cracks spreading along the surface where he hit as dust rose briefly into the air.
The Elder pulled out a sword as killing intent flashed in his eyes, his grip tightening around the hilt. He knew for sure that Socrates wasn't an ordinary foe and he had to end this fight quickly... dragging it might put him at an advantage.
Socrates turned around but at that moment, the Elder had already made his move and landed on the rock that was behind him, his presence closing in like a shadow.
Two energy slashes in the air... Too fast for Socrates to comprehend and slow for him to sense as he turned around to attack the Elder who threw an energy punch.
The energy punch that took the form of a blue translucent fist rushed towards Socrates who initiated his own punch as he attacked punch for punch...
Crackle!!..
The world crackled as it seemed to break due to the ferocity and intensity of the punch when Socrates noticed a smirk on Elder Fotio's face...
It was at that moment he sensed something amiss... Something rushing at him from behind when he turned around instantly as two energy slashes cleaved through his chest in an X shape, the twin arcs of blue light carving across his torso with ruthless precision.
The force of the slash tore his feet out of the earth's surface and caused him skidding backward in an uncontrollable force, loose gravel scattering wildly beneath him, with the energy slash still hitting deep into him as he was thrown over the stream, his body tumbling helplessly through the air.
"That's not all..." Elder Fotio's eyes gleamed with madness as he wanted to bury Socrates here and forever here, his expression darkened with a chilling determination to finish the fight without hesitation.
"Sky Gladiator Slash." He chanted seriously as blue energy coated around his sword, the aura thickening like liquid light as it extended like tendrils before he slashed out instantly...
A large energy blade that could span for 8 feet long and 5 feet wide, slightly curved, rushed towards Socrates at a blinding speed, tearing through the air with a piercing whistle.
Even the storm of water tore away from their position as the energy blade moved with speed and precision, heading towards Socrates' head who was already sinking into the stream, his wounded body barely able to resist the pull of gravity and water.
No doubt, Socrates would die if this attack should connect... There's no saving him...
He could feel death flashing in his face, the cold sensation crawling along his spine, when suddenly his body got wrapped by a golden translucent barrier, the glow appearing from nowhere like a protective cocoon.
The barrier extended into a dome as the energy blade hit the barrier...
Screech....
The sound ricocheted everywhere as sparkles flew above the stream... Lots of sparkling and beautiful fireworks scattered into the air as cracks started appearing on the translucent barrier, thin fractures spreading across its glowing surface.
But then golden energy oozed out of Socrates' pocket and mended the barrier which ate away the energy blade, the luminous light flowing like liquid metal as it reinforced the protective dome.
"It's the golden token." Merkules and his lackeys screamed in unison, their voices filled with shock and disbelief.
The Elder frowned... 'Why is the golden token protecting that boy?'
He watched how the barrier ate away all his attacks, and it also prevented Socrates' body from sinking into the stream or flowing away with the tide, holding him suspended above the rushing waters.
The Elder launched a series of attacks on the barrier but none of them were capable of breaking it, each strike scattering harmlessly into glowing fragments.
Even the combined efforts of Mastrile, Merkules, and Pavlon were nothing...
None of them could break into the barrier...
So they had no choice but to leave, their frustration evident as they retreated from the streamside battlefield.
It took three days for Socrates to heal as his body submerged into the stream, the cold rushing water flowing steadily around him while the golden barrier hovered protectively above the surface.
Three days of unconsciousness before his body healed up the wounds on his chest, the deep X-shaped scars slowly closing as the golden energy continued to nourish his battered frame.
He looked around and discovered that he's floating above the stream surrounded by a golden barrier, the translucent dome shimmering faintly as sunlight reflected across its smooth surface.
He then pulled out the golden token and then stared at it, his ocean-blue eyes narrowing slightly as he examined the glowing object with renewed appreciation.
"You saved my life.." He said to it as he hugged the token tightly showing his appreciation. If it wasn't for the golden token, Socrates' legend would have ended in this very chapter, his grip tightening instinctively around the warm metallic surface.
'Fool. How can your life be saved by an inanimate object?' Socrates' ear bled instantly as his eyes perked up, a sharp pain shooting through his head like a needle piercing into his mind.
Someone had spoken to him... Not the golden token...
A feminine voice he had only heard once but sounded extremely familiar, echoing clearly within his consciousness.
'The Goddess of Death...' Socrates' heart pounded in his chest... 'How am I hearing her voice? Is this stream her space also?' His breathing became slightly uneven as uncertainty crept into his thoughts.
Without hesitation, Socrates lifted his body and bowed... "This Junior greets Senior Achillia." His posture lowered respectfully despite the lingering weakness still present in his limbs.
'You've a good Paramount, boy... I love that... Just know you owe me one for triggering the defensive mechanisms of the golden token... It's not something a broken Cultivator or an Energy Condensation Realm Cultivator could do. Well... I've talked much... I want to go back to sleep.' The voice continued before going silent, its tone calm yet authoritative, carrying the weight of an existence far older than Socrates could comprehend.
Socrates raised his head up, and after much concentration, he found out that the voice had come from the two golden bracelets on his wrists, the faint shimmer around them barely noticeable unless carefully observed.
These bracelets were purely made out of the strongest metal and their weight rivaled half of a boulder... Four of such metals were locked on Socrates' wrists and legs, causing a heavy weight to befall him, their dull golden surface reflecting faint streaks of light from the barrier surrounding him.
This weight combined, it was like two boulders pressing on him, a burden that had constantly strained his muscles since the day he first wore them.
Before, Socrates had always complained about the bracelets but today he was very happy he had them because they contained the consciousness of the Gladiator's King Achillia, the same legendary figure whose name carried fear and reverence across many lands.
"I thought she was dead already.. I wondered how I'm able to connect with her consciousness." Socrates muttered softly, his brows slightly furrowed as he stared down at the heavy metal restraints.
'I've a mission for you...' The voice returned suddenly, calm yet commanding.
"What?" Socrates flinched, his shoulders stiffening slightly as he wasn't expecting the voice to speak again so quickly.
'You asked why you could connect with my consciousness and I'm telling you..'
'She could read my mind.. How on earth did I miss that?' Socrates almost bit his lips, irritation and caution mixing within his thoughts.
"Which mission?"
'You don't need to know... But for now, just know I won't let you die until I find someone capable of carrying out the mission for me.'
Socrates frowned at those words, his brows knitting together as unease settled faintly in his chest. 'What does she mean capable? Is she seeing me unfit? Why?' His thoughts churned restlessly, irritation rising beneath the surface.
'The answer is simple, dummy... You're not a Cultivator... I can't entrust my life to a fool who can't cultivate but never listens... Goes about making enemies...' The voice echoed coldly inside his mind, each word striking with blunt certainty.
"That's enough.." Socrates' face flushed with redness, a faint heat rising across his cheeks as frustration broke through his earlier restraint.
"I never told you to follow me... It was your decision." His tone sharpened slightly, though his voice remained controlled.
'If it isn't because of circumstances, why would I latch with a broken and weak fellow like you?' The voice fired back instantly, carrying a harsh, cutting bluntness that left no room for pride.
Socrates didn't know what to say... He didn't know what Lady Achillia was capable of... So he just kept quiet as he tried to cloud his mind with other thoughts, forcing his breathing to steady while the golden barrier shimmered faintly around him.
The stream beneath him continued to rush endlessly, its steady roar filling the silence left behind after the voice faded once more, leaving Socrates alone with his thoughts and the growing weight of what he had just learned.