Erik's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Simone, his foe now reduced to a battered and bloodied figure.
The fight against the Crystal Cross Gang members had exacted a heavy toll on him, evident from the multiple wounds that adorned his body.
Blood seeped from his injuries, creating a chilling contrast against his pale complexion.
Once marked by a cold and composed expression, Simone's face was now contorted with pain and exhaustion, despite his attempt to be as scary as possible.
His bald head was full of sweat and blood, clinging to his forehead in disarray. Deep gashes crisscrossed his arms and chest, evidence of the relentless assault he had endured.
The crimson stains spread across his torn clothing, a vivid testament to the violence of the encounter. Each labored breath seemed to draw out a wince of agony from the man.
He clutched his side, where a particularly deep wound went through his flesh. The blood flowed freely, staining his hands and the ground beneath him.
Weakness emanated from his trembling limbs, a clear indication of the toll the battle had taken on his once formidable physique.
That must have been the work of at least eight people. When he was in the alley, he was able to battle the three thugs easily. For this reason, what he said about them calling for reinforcements had to be true; otherwise, those wounds had no explanation.
Erik recognized that the man's injuries were severe, and the sight of his life force draining away stirred a sense of hope within him.
The awakener's voice gained a hopeful tinge as he looked at Simone, his adversary now wounded and weak. "Are you sure you want to do this, old man?" he asked, his voice calmer by the second.
"Look at you; you are battered and bleeding. It's time to put an end to this senseless fight."
Simone, his face etched with scorn, scoffed at Erik's words. "You think a few wounds will stop me?" he sneered, his voice strained. "I may be injured, but I can still subdue you easily.
Did going to the Red Palace teach you to underestimate your opponents just because of their upbringing?"
Erik observed the wounds on Simone's body again, then on his. "Look, it is not too late; we can go our separate ways and pretend nothing happened," he tried to convince the older man. Despite the state of his opponent, it was clear that the fight would still be difficult for Erik because of his wounds and low mana.
"Your injuries are far worse than mine. Continuing this battle will only lead to mutual destruction." Simone's eyes narrowed, a glimmer of rage shining through his pain.
"MUTUAL DESTRUCTION?!" he growled.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, it really looks like you are becoming mad! I won't let you escape, Erik Romano, not until you tell me how you are able to do what you do, and even after that, you will die for all you caused today!"
Erik shook his head, a mixture of frustration and rage clouding his features. "TSK…" Simone's grip tightened on his weapon, a cold determination in his eyes.
Erik took a step back, pain radiating through his battered body. He left his backpack on the ground, unsheathed his Flyssa, and put his other hand in one of his pockets, where he did hide some seeds from a spare packet he found at Mister Fox's house that he only wanted to use to fight.
He knew that Simone would have probably found him; he was able to do so several times today, and thinking he wouldn't now be just wishful thinking.
Matthew's hunting dog was an expert, and it was clear that, albeit not at the level of the Crystal Cross Gang Assassins, he was good at his job.
As Simone lunged forward, his ice sword gleaming in the moonlight, Erik's weary body strained to respond. His mana reserves were running dangerously low, hampering his ability to channel Nathaniel's power effectively.
Because Erik's mana reserves were dwindling, he struggled to muster enough energy to counter the assault. He focused on evading Simone's strikes, his instincts, experience, and reflexes guiding his every move.
Simone's attacks were swift and calculated, his movements fluid and precise. With each clash of their weapons, Erik could feel the impact reverberate through his arms, threatening to disarm him.
The young man could see the icy determination etched on his opponent's face and the fire of battle burning in his eyes. With lightning speed, Simone performed a diagonal slash at Erik's arms, seeking to incapacitate him.
The young man's instincts kicked in, and he threw himself to the side, narrowly evading the strike.
The blade grazed the fabric of his shirt, leaving a chilling trail in its wake. Adrenaline surged through the awakener's veins as he twisted his body, aiming a retaliatory strike at Simone's exposed flank.
But the thug was quick to parry, his ice sword deflecting Erik's blow easily. The clash of steel and ice echoed through the air, each resounding impact sending shivers down Erik's spine as he could feel the frigid chill of the ice sword as it came dangerously close to his face.
He knew he couldn't match Simone's strength head-on, so he focused on agility and defensive maneuvers.
Erik wanted to use his plant power to throw logs at the thug at the right time, but the man wasn't leaving him with any opportunity.
Besides, he only had one chance to do that. But he was confident that if he could prevent the Crystal Cross Gang assassins from reaching him during the hunting trip with the Red Palace, the thug had no chance against that move.
Simone pressed the advantage, launching a series of rapid thrusts and slashes. Erik's heart raced as he dodged, ducked, and weaved, his body a blur of motion. His senses were heightened, and his mind was fully immersed in the deadly dance, but he was having much more trouble than before.
<Fuck! I can't do shit!> the young man thought in frustration.
Erik's movements were fueled by desperation at that point, with the will to survive pulsating through him. He sidestepped a vertical slash, feeling the gust of wind as the blade whistled past his ear.
With a quick pivot, he countered with a swing of his blade aimed at Simone's leg, hoping to disrupt his balance momentarily.
The thug anticipated the move, expertly shifting his weight and parrying Erik's attack with the flat side of his sword. The impact jarred Erik's arm, sending a jolt of pain up his wounded shoulder. He winced but quickly regained his footing, his focus unyielding.
Attack after attack, Erik found himself constantly on the defensive. Simone unleashed a barrage of strikes, each one calculated and unrelenting.
He was right; under normal circumstances, the thug would have won. But the young man still had some tricks up his sleeves, and due to this, the game was still open. Erik's heart pounded in his chest as he deflected, parried, and narrowly avoided the crippling blows.
A diagonal slash came dangerously close to Erik's face, the tip of the ice sword grazing his cheek, leaving a shallow cut. Blood trickled down his face, mingling with the sweat coming from his brow.
The sting of the wound only fueled his determination to escape. Erik's movements became more fluid as he got accustomed to the man's fighting style, his body responding with instinctive grace.
He sidestepped a thrust aimed at his chest, feeling the rush of air as the blade sailed past him and the chilling frost decreased the temperature. With a deft twist of his wrist, he managed to disarm Simone temporarily, sending the ice sword clattering to the ground.
But Simone took another dagger from his waist and immediately created another sword.
"Nice try, kiddo!" Simone said with a smirk.
He lunged forward, his sword still in hand. Erik's eyes widened as Simone closed the distance, aiming a powerful slash at his leg. The young man backstepped, but Simone gave chase.
Each clash, each near-miss, pushed Erik to his limits. His body ached, wounds burned, and mana dwindled, but his spirit remained unbroken.
Simone kept attacking but started resorting to feints since his wounds prevented him from fighting in top shape, and he had problems moving.
He attacked again, but Erik managed to evade Simone's last strike, creating a split-second opening. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly grabbed a handful of seeds from his pocket, his hands instinctively finding their grip.
Time seemed to slow as Erik hurled the seeds toward Simone and channeled his mana at max capacity; he couldn't afford to spare even an ounce of it, so he poured everything he had into that attack. At least 200 heavy logs traveled through the air and hurtled toward the unsuspecting thug. Simone, momentarily caught off guard, could not react in time to avoid the incoming barrage.
"WHAT THE F-"
The logs crashed into Simone, and he tried to avoid the heavy projectiles, his eyes widening in surprise. However, soon the logs crashed down on him and buried the man under their weight; the force of the blow left him in a bloody pulp.
[HOSTILE HUMAN KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]
[0%...1%....5%...30%...70%...100%]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED, STARTING CONVERTING PROCEDURE.]
[3...2...1...0]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED INTO EXPERIENCE. 3898 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]
[LEVEL UP.]
"Ah…ah…ah… I did it… I did it…"
Erik managed to take Simone by surprise, and the logs killed him. He even gained an additional level from him. However, despite the system telling him the man was dead, Erik wanted to make sure he was really dead, so he approached the logs.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶