Chapter 97: A Spar Born from Frustration
"Finally, level 10."
Apollo stared at his character panel, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his face before it was replaced by a familiar scowl. He nodded, but the gesture was tight with irritation.
If it weren't for that detestable, mysterious Descender, he would have been the one to slay the Herrscher of Thunder. He would have claimed the mountain of experience points and the Gem of Conquest for himself, instead of being forced to grind his way here.
To this day, he still had no idea who that person was—player or NPC? If they were a player, how in the world did they achieve that terrifying damage number at the end? Was there really a Descender at this stage of the game capable of dealing a staggering 3500 damage in a single blow?
The thought settled like a lead weight in his gut, casting a shadow of gloom over his ambitions.
"Still nothing?" Apollo's voice was sharp as he addressed the subordinate standing silently beside him. "Any leads on that mysterious Descender?"
"Ah..." The man flinched slightly. "Nagazora City was under the control of the Funahiki Family from the Far East at the time. Their heir, Funahiki Shin, claims to have been completely unaware of the situation."
"A bunch of useless trash!" Apollo spat, his voice dripping with contempt. Not only had they failed to uncover the person's identity, but they had also lost all trace of where the Herrscher of Thunder had been taken.
"However," the subordinate continued quickly, eager to offer something of value, "we discovered that the Funahiki Family originally had two heirs. The previous one was named Funahiki Gyō, and by all accounts, he was even more outstanding than Funahiki Shin."
"But... for reasons unknown, this Funahiki Gyō suddenly vanished without a trace." The man relayed the information he had painstakingly gathered.
"What about the timing?" Apollo's eyes narrowed, a predatory glint in them.
"He disappeared one day after the game's last major update."
"And right after that... the World Instance opened," Apollo finished, his voice a low murmur. The pieces clicked into place with chilling coincidence. He now strongly suspected that Funahiki Gyō was the mysterious Descender.
Funahiki Shin, then, was nothing more than a pawn, a convenient smokescreen pushed forward by the family to divert attention while the true talent, Funahiki Gyō, was hidden away and protected.
'Hmm... it all makes perfect sense,' he thought, a cruel smile touching his lips.
"Find a way to track down Funahiki Gyō," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "And then... neutralize him."
"Yes, Lord Apollo."
It didn't matter if Funahiki Gyō was truly the one or not. In Apollo's world, it was better to eliminate a thousand innocents than to let a single rival escape.
Hmph. If he couldn't be dealt with inside the game, then solving the problem in reality would be just as effective.
At that very moment, locked away in a dark, isolated room, Funahiki Gyō felt a sudden, inexplicable chill crawl down his spine.
"Still not working..." Rovel sighed, a pair of fluffy white fox ears atop his head twitching in mild frustration. He was trying to activate the Xuanyuan Sword, pouring his energy into the ancient blade.
But the legendary weapon remained inert, offering no reaction whatsoever. With another sigh, he set it aside for the time being.
Stepping out of the private training grounds, Rovel nearly collided with a familiar silver-haired girl.
"Rovel! What are you doing here?" Kiana asked, her sapphire eyes wide with curiosity.
"Himeko dragged me here for a spar earlier," Rovel explained with a relaxed smile. "I was just about to go check out the food at the St. Freya cafeteria. Want to come with?"
"Uh..." Kiana instinctively rubbed her stomach, which was completely flat. "I just finished eating. I came here to walk it off..."
Her eyes suddenly lit up with a competitive fire. "Oh, this is perfect timing! Let's have a match! I need to get my revenge for last time!" She planted her feet, blocking his path with a determined look.
"...That might not be the best idea," Rovel cautioned gently. "My martial arts improved quite a bit during the Third Honkai Eruption."
"You're not the only one who's gotten stronger!" she retorted, puffing out her cheeks. "Enough nonsense! Are you going to fight or not? If you're scared, I can let you off the hook, just this once."
Kiana proudly lifted her chin, her neck as elegant as a swan's. She crossed her arms, employing a provocation technique so clumsy it was almost charming.
"Alright, then. Let's do it."
Since she had put it that way, he supposed he had no choice but to let her experience the gap in their strength firsthand.
"Wait!" she suddenly exclaimed, holding up a hand. "You're not allowed to use that... that Dissipating Force thing!"
Kiana shuddered at the memory. "That last fight was so boring! Everything was all soft and mushy, it was so frustrating!"
"Is it even a spar at that point?" Rovel gave her a deadpan look. This paramecium really had no filter.
"I don't care, I don't care!" Kiana bounced on the balls of her feet, her voice taking on a wheedling tone. "Anyway, you're not allowed to use it!" She pointed a finger at him, her lips jutting out in a pout.
"...Fine," Rovel found himself agreeing before he could even think, a hand instinctively clutching at his chest.
'What was that just now?'he wondered.'Why did it feel like my heart just got tugged?'
Was Kiana's pouting really that powerful? There weren't even any damage numbers popping up over his head.
"Heehee, that's more like it!" Kiana beamed, her victory secured. Then, without another word of warning, she launched herself forward, her leg scything through the air towards him.
Rovel remained completely unfazed. He simply raised a hand, shifted his weight into a solid stance, and activated his Clear Mirror Sword Intent. In his mind's eye, the world slowed, and he could see the precise trajectory and point of force in Kiana's attack.
He met her kick with a light block from his forearm, effortlessly deflecting the blow and sending her stumbling to the side.
Kiana pressed her assault, a flurry of kicks and punches, while Rovel remained on the defensive. Yet every single time, he was able to pinpoint the nexus of her attack, meeting her force with perfect precision. She could connect with his guard, but she couldn't break through his defense.
[New Skill Learned: Basic Fighting: Perfect Block]
[Basic Fighting: Perfect Block: When using the body to perfectly block an attack, negate all damage from that attack. Has a chance to expose the enemy's weakness. The duration of the weakness depends on the difference in strength between you and the enemy. Note: If the strength gap is too large, Perfect Block cannot be triggered, but a normal Block can.]
He had unexpectedly learned a derivative skill. It was similar to a standard block but required precise timing and was only effective when the strength difference wasn't overwhelming.
"Are you looking down on me?!" Kiana demanded, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. Seeing Rovel only defend without launching a single counterattack made her feel like he was toying with her.
"If that's what you think..." Rovel's eyes sharpened. "Cloud Mist!"
His passive stance vanished. In a blur of motion, Rovel's fist shot out, brushing past the very tip of Kiana's nose with a whisper of displaced air.
"Now that's more like it!" A grin spread across Kiana's face. She spun, raising her leg in a powerful kick aimed straight for his abdomen.
Rovel mirrored the movement, his own leg rising to meet hers in another perfect block.
He brought his elbow down in a sharp chop, intending to knock her leg away, but Kiana was ready. Using his downward force as a springboard, she flipped into a nimble somersault, landing perfectly seated on his shoulders.
Her fists rained down on his head, but for someone in the state of Clear Mirror Sword Intent, every one of her movements was utterly transparent.
Rovel grabbed her wrist and, with a powerful twist of his torso, flung her off. But Kiana was more resourceful than he anticipated. She used the momentum of the throw to her advantage, gripping his hand in return and using it as a pivot to swing her body around, planting a solid kick square in his chest that forced him back several steps.
"Hmph! I told you, you're not the only one who's gotten stronger!" Kiana declared triumphantly. She launched herself into the air, twisting her body into a flying kick aimed directly at him.
Rovel concentrated his power into his hand, easily catching the blow. In the next instant, he pushed forward, striking with an open palm that landed squarely on her chest.
A surprisingly soft sensation registered for a split second before his power surged through her. Kiana was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
She crashed hard into the padded wall of the training grounds, tumbling over completely before sliding to the floor in a heap.
"You... you guy..." Kiana staggered to her feet, clutching her chest. A deep blush colored her face, and it was impossible to tell if it was from the exertion or pure embarrassment.
Even though contact was unavoidable in a spar, Kiana still felt like she had lost out big time.
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