The wind was no longer just wind; it howled. The waters of the Bach Dang River surged in violent torrents—not following any natural law, nor the rhythm of the tides, but as if churned by an invisible hand from the deepest abyss.
Behind the Red-Eyed Black Dragon, the pitch-black battleship had completely breached the surface.
Its massive hull stretched wide, coated in a cold, dark hue like scorched metal, with crimson veins pulsing along its surface like living blood vessels.
Upon the deck, rows of silhouettes stood frozen. Motionless. Breathless. Carrying nothing but glowing crimson eyes.
"…This is…" Bao Uyen retreated a step, clutching her collar tightly. "…Is this his army…?"
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon stood tall, spreading both of his arms wide.
Van Thien clenched his fists. For the very first time, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.
"..."
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon laughed smugly.
"Do you see it now…?"
"This… is the true power of my battleship."
Van Thien glared at him, his expression dripping with utter disdain.
"Your battleship… looks like nothing more than a pile of scrap metal."
Hearing this, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon didn't flare in anger. He merely curled his lip into a cold smirk.
"It seems you fail to comprehend its grandeur." He placed a hand over his face. "What a pity… what a tragic pity."
Then, his gaze flicked sharply toward him.
"But no matter… for you will soon be buried alongside it right in this very place."
Van Thien laughed out loud.
"Bury me?"
"With that pile of scrap metal of yours?"
Hearing those words, the Dragon laughed maniacally with pure amusement.
"If you possess such confidence…"
"Then…"
"Cut them down!"
He flipped his hand. The soldiers upon the battleship lunged down simultaneously, charging straight toward him.
"KILLLLLL!!"
Van Thien stood his ground, tightening his fists as a helix of cyan and pink light erupted violently around his body.
"…Then…" His voice dropped into a low rumble. "…bring it on."
One step. He charged.
BOOM!!
The first punch slammed directly into a soldier who had just leapt onto the bank.
THUD!!
The enemy's body exploded into black smoke. But—
SWISH!!
Another materialized behind him, followed by another, and then countless more.
"…There are too many of them…!"
He gritted his teeth, unleashing a relentless barrage of strikes.
BOOM! THUD! CLANG!!
Every single blow obliterated an enemy, yet behind them, three more surged forward. Relentless. Never-ending.
They kept crashing in like unstoppable tidal waves.
"…Not good…"
Van Thien retreated one step, then another. Not because he was weak, but because the sheer numbers overwhelmed the space.
In the distance, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon stood motionless, observing the chaos.
"…That's it…" He smirked coldly. "…Keep retreating…"
"…Let me see… just how long you can hold your ground…"
Van Thien gritted his teeth, fighting tooth and nail to hold the line. Suddenly, the necklace around his neck began to vibrate. Faintly at first, then growing increasingly violent.
"…!!"
He froze for a split second, sensing a surge of raw power erupting from the artifact. It enveloped both of his arms, and his eyes flared with a deep, brilliant emerald-green light. He breathed in heavy, measured rhythms.
A soldier lunged forward.
SWISH!!
Spinning on his heel, Van Thien locked his fist and unleashed a brutal, cyan-infused punch directly into the enemy's abdomen.
BOOM!!
The massive shockwave blasted the soldier backward. Three more soldiers ambushed him simultaneously, each striking from a different angle. Locking his eyes onto them, Van Thien dropped into a low defensive stance. He spun, his glowing green eyes slicing through the wind, and then—
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The three soldiers were kicked flying into the air. Yet, ten more immediately charged him in unison.
Seeing the incoming horde, he faintly whispered:
"…5%"
His body erupted with a brilliant green radiance. Torrents of green light surged evenly from his arms down to his wrists, pooling into his open palms, glowing much deeper than before.
As the ten soldiers closed in, the green aura around his body detonated outward. The massive pressure blasted the entire horde backward, causing the surrounding space to warp ever so slightly.
Behind him, Bao Uyen gripped her necklace tightly, her own artifact radiating a soft, gentle pink glow.
On the front lines, Van Thien had wiped out nearly every enemy that had made landfall. He stood there, his breath ragged and heavy.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon flicked his gaze toward him.
"It seems… I have underestimated you."
"In that case… I shall play with you… for a brief moment."
The moment the words left his mouth, he charged.
FLASH
With blinding speed, he materialized right behind him. Caught off guard, Van Thien took a devastating kick straight to his ribs, sending his body flying through the air and crashing violently into the stone dike.
"Brother Thien!"
From amidst the shattered debris, Van Thien struggled to force himself up, blood trickling down his chin as he locked his eyes onto his opponent. Then—
FLASH!
He vanished, reappearing right behind the Dragon to unleash a spinning kick. Yet, it was effortlessly blocked.
"Fast," the Dragon mocked. "But… still far too slow."
He yanked Van Thien close, burying a brutal punch deep into his stomach.
BOOM!
"Agh…!"
Grabbing Van Thien by the leg, the Dragon slammed him mercilessly into the earth.
BOOM!
"Cough!"
He slammed him repeatedly against the ground before hurling his body far into the distance.
CRASH!
Seeing the horror, Bao Uyen attempted to rush forward, but—
CRACKLE
A bolt of lightning struck the earth dead ahead of her feet, forcing her to the ground. The necklace around her neck flared with light, but this time she couldn't harness it, as if the river itself was actively rejecting her. She looked up, realizing the strike had come from the Red-Eyed Black Dragon.
He glared down at her.
"Your turn will come soon enough."
"Just stay there and be a good girl."
Turning away, his gaze locked onto the pile of ruins where Van Thien had been thrown.
From within the shattered stone, Van Thien desperately forced himself back to his feet. His body was covered in severe wounds, his breathing growing more agonizing by the second, and the green aura around him began to flicker and fade.
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
"Your endurance… is quite remarkable…"
Standing amidst the dust, Van Thien whispered under his breath:
"…8%"
Instantly, his body burst into a blinding radiance. The cyan light enveloped him once more, burning far deeper this time. The surrounding air visibly warped, twisting under the raw pressure. He locked his piercing gaze onto the Dragon. Then—
FLASH
He materialized right behind him, catching the Dragon completely off guard, and unleashed a devastating spinning heel-kick straight into his left flank.
BOOM!
The impact blasted the Dragon backward, causing him to slide across the ground. Yet, the Dragon swiftly spun, planting his hand against the earth to vault back to his feet. He laughed thoroughly with pure delight.
"Fascinating! Truly fascinating!"
The two locked eyes, and then—
FLASH!
Both lunged forward, charging face-to-face. At the exact split second their forces collided, the riverbed behind them fractured completely.