Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World

Chapter 323: Absolute Suppression

The moment Riven’s body skidded across the cracked ground and came to a halt, he coughed up a mouthful of blood that stained the broken stone beneath him. In that instant, something in the air shifted, a heavy pressure that wasn’t just about raw power but also intent, a presence that had finally stopped holding back.

When Valeria took a slow step forward, the ground beneath her foot cracked with a dry sound. It wasn’t because she exerted more force; everything around her was already strained to its limit from their earlier clash.

Her crimson aura no longer flickered or surged wildly; instead, it settled thick and dense around her like a second skin, quiet yet suffocating.

The faint glow cast a red tint over the ruined battlefield as she regarded Riven with an emotionless expression, the wound on her abdomen still bleeding slightly but seemingly ignored.

Riven pushed himself up slowly, one knee on the ground. His breathing was heavier now, chest rising and falling unevenly as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

His gaze never left Valeria for even a second; for the first time since their fight began, there was no grin on his face, only a tight line of focus as he steadied himself.

He felt that last hit clearly: how it cut through his guard with weight and precision, marking a distinct shift in her presence, the difference between the Valeria he had been fighting before and this new version standing before him now. Still, he didn’t step back or retreat; instead, he let out a slow breath and tightened his grip on his sword, forcing himself upright as he took another step forward to meet her again, even as pain spread through his chest with each movement.

Valeria didn’t wait.

The moment he moved, she vanished.

One instant she was standing there; in the next moment, she was right in front of him. Her blade sliced toward his shoulder in a clean line that carried far greater speed than before.

Riven’s body reacted instinctively as he raised his sword to block just in time, the impact ringing sharply with a CLANG that sent shockwaves through his arm and made his footing slip slightly under the force.

He barely had time to recover when her second strike came: her blade reversed direction mid-motion and sliced toward his side. He twisted sharply to avoid taking it fully but felt the edge graze against his armor, carving a shallow line across it as he stepped back to create space.

But Valeria didn’t give him that space.

She stepped in immediately, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next without pause or hesitation, her attacks were relentless and unyielding like they were part of one continuous motion.

Riven gritted his teeth as he raised his sword to meet hers once more, blocking one strike after another. He shifted his body constantly, trying to keep pace with her, but it was clear that she had upped her game.

Her speed was faster, her precision sharper, and her attacks felt heavier even if they didn’t seem to carry more force. Each clash pushed him back another step, his boots scraping against the broken ground as he fought to maintain his position.

He attempted a counterattack. After deflecting one of her downward cuts, he twisted his wrist and swung his blade toward her neck in a quick arc, hoping to catch her in the brief opening between strikes.

But she was already moving; tilting her head just enough for his blade to miss harmlessly as she reached out with her free hand, grabbing his wrist for a split second before twisting it outward.

The shift in balance was just enough for her knee to drive hard into his ribs. The impact was dull yet heavy, forcing a sharp breath from him as he bent slightly from the force. Before he could recover, she brought her elbow down toward his shoulder with precise control, pushing his arm lower.

Riven reacted quickly; instead of resisting the impact, he shifted with it and swept low toward her support foot in an attempt to trip her. Valeria stepped over it effortlessly, moving smoothly as she used the moment to push off the ground and create just enough distance to bring her sword back into play.

Her blade flashed forward again in a straight thrust aimed at his chest. He barely managed to raise his own sword in time to deflect it; the impact sent another jolt through his already strained arm as he was forced back again, now struggling for stable footing.

The difference in control was unmistakable: Valeria wasn’t merely reacting anymore, she was dictating everything about their fight. Each movement she made forced him into a response; every strike narrowed down his options further.

Her attacks weren’t just meant to hit—they were designed to corner him, limit him, suppress him entirely. Riven sensed the shift in power dynamics; he was being pushed into a position where every choice led him deeper into disadvantage.

Desperate to break the rhythm, he stepped in aggressively and launched a series of quick strikes intended to overwhelm her. But she met them head-on; each of her movements displayed precise timing as she intercepted each attack at just the right angle, redirecting its force rather than stopping it outright, her body shifting slightly with each motion while remaining balanced and ready.

Their blades clashed once more, the sound of metal grinding against metal echoing in the tense air between them. Riven seized the moment, his shoulder thrusting forward in a close-range strike aimed at breaking Valeria’s guard.

But instead of retreating, she stepped into his attack, twisting her body as her elbow shot upward into his jaw. The brutal counter jolted his head back, and before he could recover, her foot lashed out with a low kick to his knee that made him falter for just an instant.

That was all she needed.

Her sword sliced through the air, a swift, clean cut across his side that pierced through armor and flesh alike, drawing fresh blood as he staggered back.

His breathing became labored; each movement slowed as the pain began to accumulate. Struggling to regain his footing, he raised his sword defensively, but Valeria was already upon him. Her blade came down with such force that he had no choice but to block it, the impact pushing him further back until cracks formed in the ground beneath him.

In a desperate attempt to create some space, Riven swung his sword upward again. But Valeria anticipated this; she stepped inside the arc of his attack and seized the front of his armor. With a swift motion, she drove her knee into his abdomen.

The blow forced another spurt of blood from his mouth as he doubled over slightly from the impact. Before he could react or recover, she released him and spun around, delivering a controlled kick that connected hard with his side and sent him hurtling several meters across the debris-strewn ground.

He crashed through a pile of rubble before finally coming to rest.

For a brief moment, everything fell silent.

Dust hung in the air as Riven lay there, chest rising and falling heavily. Blood stained his clothes; though still gripping his sword tightly, it felt heavier now, his body clearly struggling under the toll of battle.

Slowly, he pushed himself up with one hand on the ground and forced himself back onto unsteady feet. His movements were sluggish; breathing unevenly, he lifted his eyes to meet hers again.

Valeria remained still.

She stood where she was, sword lowered slightly at her side, her crimson aura unwavering and her expression unchanged. She watched him intently without uttering a word or showing any hint of satisfaction or anger; only cold focus radiated from her presence, a stark reminder of how far apart they truly were.

Riven’s body trembled slightly as he straightened up again; despite the pain coursing through him, he tightened his grip on the sword and locked eyes with her once more.

Yet now, there was no denying it, the gap between them had grown insurmountable.

He was losing.