[Third Person POV],
"You're not considering fleeing, are you?"
Seeing as the elf's body shook violently when she heard his words, Ace figured that his thoughts were right and immediately wasted no time and moved towards her.
For one, ever since she shot the arrow at him, Ace had already considered the elf an enemy.
At first, he just wanted to subdue her and after getting information from her mouth, he'll decide what else to do to her but now that she almost took his life, Ace was considering killing her immediately to avoid future trouble.
Who knows if letting her leave now will affect him in the future especially if one was to consider the fact that he was alone and the elf had a whole race behind her.
She basically spelt trouble so Ace figured it was best to just dispose of her but even though he appeared to be in an advantageous situation right now, Ace knew he even had to be more careful.
For one, the elf could have any hidden weapon to throw at him again and inflict him with that lethal poison of before and he was not about to rely on some unknown bloodline ability to help him again.
Speaking of bloodline, it wasn't as if the actions it took did not also affect him because Ace felt physically exhausted and drained after his bloodline devoured the poison in him which went to show that the ability was not without cost but that was not on Ace mind at the moment as he concentrated on the battle that was about to begin between the unarmed him and the seemingly unarmed elf as well on top of the tree branch they were standing on.
Although he was currently weaker than his weak, he believed that he could be able to put up a fight after seeing the elf level.
[Rank 1 Elf Archer Level 38],
'How did she get strong so fast', Ace thought as he wondered how many days had passed since stage two started.
Ace approached the elf cautiously, his eyes locked onto hers as he tried to read any signs of movement or attack. The elf, on the other hand, remained still, her eyes focused on Ace but her body language betrayed a certain tension. Ace could see the elf's fingers twitching slightly, and he knew that she was probably preparing some sort of attack.
As Ace got closer, the elf suddenly lunged forward, her hands outstretched towards him. Ace sidestepped her attack and countered with a punch to her stomach. The elf doubled over in pain but quickly recovered and kicked Ace in the shin, causing him to stumble.
Ace regained his balance quickly and landed a hard punch to the elf's face. She stumbled back but then retaliated with a series of kicks and punches of her own. Ace managed to dodge most of her attacks, but a few landed on his arms and chest, causing him to wince in pain.
Ace knew that he couldn't afford to take too many hits from the elf. He needed to end the fight quickly before she could wear him down. He decided to take a more aggressive approach and charged towards the elf, his fists clenched tightly.
The elf, sensing Ace's intent, backed away and tried to dodge his attacks. But Ace was relentless, his punches and kicks coming at the elf from all directions. The elf struggled to keep up with Ace's speed and power and soon found herself backed up against the trunk of the tree.
Ace saw his chance and went in for the kill, but the elf suddenly disappeared from view, leaving Ace momentarily confused. He heard a rustling sound behind him and spun around just in time to block the elf's incoming attack.
The two of them exchanged blows once more, their bodies moving with fluid grace on the thin tree branch. Ace was slowly gaining the upper hand, his experience in close combat giving him an edge over the elf's archery skills.
The battle continued like this for several minutes, with both Ace and the elf trading blows and trying to gain the upper hand. Ace's experience in hand-to-hand combat was evident as he managed to block most of the elf's attacks, but the elf's agility and quick reflexes made her a formidable opponent.
Despite the intensity of the fight, Ace was also aware of his surroundings. The tree branch they were standing on was getting thinner and he knew that if they continued to fight like this, it wouldn't be long before the branch gave way.
As the battle dragged on, Ace started to feel the strain of the fight.
The elf, on the other hand, seemed to be holding up well, despite the fact that she was taking a beating
The fight continued on the narrow tree branch as both Ace and the elf exchanged blows. Ace tried to stay on the defensive, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, while the elf was relentless in her attacks, using her speed and agility to her advantage.
Suddenly, the tree branch underneath them creaked and groaned, causing both Ace and the elf to lose their footing. They grabbed onto each other to try and maintain their balance, but it was no use. The branch snapped under their weight, and they both tumbled down towards the forest floor.
Ace managed to twist his body mid-air and landed on his feet, but the elf wasn't as lucky. She hit the ground hard and let out a groan of pain. Ace approached her cautiously, ready to finish the job if necessary, but then he noticed something strange.
The elf wasn't moving, and her eyes were closed. Ace checked her pulse and found that she was still alive, but barely.
Seeing as the fight suddenly ended in a strange manner, Ace turned to observe his surroundings before retuning his gaze to look at the elf in front of him wondering what to do.
'Now what?'
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