The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

Chapter 585: Arcadia, The First Planet In All Creation (LXII)

’What the hell is going on...’ he thought in confusion.

The Creator’s game was supposed to be straightforward: collect all twelve Trumpets. But now one was gone? Vanished without a trace?

Or had it never been there to begin with?

He didn’t say anything to the women.

Yennefer and Elleonora were still standing close to him, their expressions relaxed after the peaceful moment by the lake.

Telling them now would only create unnecessary worry.

He would figure this out himself first.

"Which one next?" Elleonora asked, her light blue eyes scanning the distant towers.

"The closest one," Aestrea replied calmly, pointing toward the sixth tower.

Yennefer quickly pulled him closer before they shot forward almost like a bullet, reaching the sixth tower after a relatively short journey across the floating islands of Arcadia.

The tower stood tall and imposing, its surface dark and veined with glowing crimson energy.

Strangely, this one clearly radiated killing intent, which meant the challenge would likely be akin to a battle.

Aestrea furrowed his eyebrows as they stopped in front of the entrance.

’Were all the challenges going to end in a battle either way?’

He unsheathed both of his swords, the Heaven Swallowing Sword in his left hand and the Midnight Sword in his right.

The blades gleamed under the strange light of Arcadia, ready for whatever awaited inside.

Yennefer and Elleonora stood on either side of him, their expressions turned slighly tense, but they patiently looked firmly at Aestrea.

They had absolute trust and faith in the man in front of them.

They didn’t need to be told to stay back; they knew this was his fight.

Aestrea stepped forward into the tower.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the world changed.

The interior was a vast, open arena with a stone floor cracked and scarred from countless previous battles. The air was thick with the scent of blood and ozone.

In the center of the arena stood a colossal guardian, a giant knight-like construct made of dark metal and glowing runes.

It was easily twice Aestrea’s height, wielding a massive greatsword in one hand and a heavy shield in the other.

Its helmet had glowing red slits for eyes, and its armor was covered in strange, moving runes.

The guardian raised its greatsword, pointing it directly at Aestrea.

[Prove your strength.]

Looking at this, Aestrea let out a short breath before shooting forward.

Swoop!

The guardian swung its greatsword in a wide, powerful horizontal arc. The blade cut through the air with a low, whistling sound, aiming to bisect Aestrea in one strike.

Aestrea ducked under the swing, feeling the wind rush over his head.

He countered immediately, thrusting the Midnight Sword upward toward the guardian’s exposed side.

Clang!

The blade stabbed deep into a gap in the armor, black sparks flying as it pierced the construct’s core.

The guardian roared and brought its shield down in a crushing blow. Aestrea pulled his sword free and rolled to the side, the shield smashing into the floor.

BOOOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, cracking the stone floor and sending small debris flying.

Aestrea came up fast and slashed with the Heaven Swallowing Sword, aiming for the guardian’s leg joint.

The blade cut deep into the metal with a grinding screech, draining a portion of the construct’s energy.

The guardian staggered slightly, its leg buckling as black sparks flew from the wound.

But the guardian was far from defeated.

It immediately countered with its greatsword, swinging in a fast horizontal arc aimed at Aestrea’s midsection.

CLAAANG!

Aestrea raised the Midnight Sword to parry, the two blades clashing with a loud sound that sent vibrations up his arm.

The force pushed him back a step, but he used the momentum to spin and slash with the Heaven Swallowing Sword, aiming for the guardian’s side.

The guardian anticipated the move. It brought its shield up in a quick block, the Heaven Swallowing Sword bouncing off the reinforced metal.

The construct followed up with a powerful overhead chop from the greatsword.

Aestrea dodged to the left, the blade missing him by inches and smashing into the floor again.

He took the opportunity and countered immediately, thrusting the Midnight Sword toward the guardian’s exposed chest.

The guardian roared and swung its shield in a wide arc, forcing Aestrea to pull his sword back.

The edge of the shield clipped his shoulder, tearing through his clothes and leaving a shallow cut.

Slit!

Blood seeped from the wound, but Aestrea ignored the pain and pressed forward.

He feinted a thrust with the Heaven Swallowing Sword, then suddenly slashed low with the Midnight Sword, targeting the guardian’s knee.

The blade cut deep into the joint, causing the guardian’s leg to buckle again, giving Aestrea an opening.

He drove both swords forward in a double thrust, the Midnight Sword piercing the guardian’s chest while the Heaven Swallowing Sword stabbed into its side.

He twisted both blades before pulling them free, black energy sparking wildly from the wounds.

The guardian staggered back, its movements slowing as the Heaven Swallowing Sword drained more of its power.

But suddenly, it lunged forward with surprising speed, using its shield to bash Aestrea’s Midnight Sword aside and thrusting the greatsword straight at his stomach.

Aestrea barely managed to twist his body in time. The blade grazed his side, tearing a deeper cut across his ribs.

Blood flowed freely as he hissed in pain.

The guardian pressed the advantage, swinging the greatsword in a series of fast, powerful strikes.

Aestrea was forced to stay on the defensive, parrying and dodging as best he could.

CLANG!

CLANG!

The impacts rang out loudly, each one jarring his arms.

The guardian feinted a high overhead strike, then suddenly swept low with the greatsword, trying to take Aestrea’s legs out from under him.

Aestrea jumped over the sweep and countered with a spinning slash from both swords, cutting deep gashes across the guardian’s chest and arm.

Black energy sparked from the wounds.

The guardian roared and brought its shield down in another crushing blow. Aestrea rolled away, but the edge of the shield clipped his leg, sending a sharp pain up his thigh.

He came up fast and attacked again, thrusting the Heaven Swallowing Sword into the guardian’s thigh while slashing across with the Midnight Sword.

The guardian blocked the slash with its shield but took the thrust to the leg, staggering as more power was drained.

’...Fucking hell. This guardian has more battle experience than anyone I have fought until today!’ Aestrea complained inwardly.

’Does this little shit have input read or something?!’ he groaned.

No matter what kind of attack or feint he did, the guardian was simply... getting "used" to his movements.

The construct’s six red eyes glowed brighter as it adjusted its stance. Its movements, which had been slightly mechanical at the start, were becoming smoother, more adaptive.

’Is he learning my fighting style?!’

Aestrea quickly noticed this.

That little robotic crap was analyzing his combat patterns with every exchange and countering them more effectively.

Swish!

Aestrea slashed low with the Midnight Sword, aiming for the guardian’s knee joint again.

The blade cut deep into the metal with a grinding screech, but the guardian anticipated the follow-up.

It brought its shield down in a fast, crushing block, forcing Aestrea to pull back before he could capitalize on the wound.

The guardian countered immediately, swinging its greatsword in a wide horizontal arc.

Aestrea ducked under it, but the guardian had already predicted the dodge.

It followed up with a quick thrust from the spear in its middle left arm, the tip grazing Aestrea’s shoulder and drawing blood.

"Tsk..."

Aestrea hissed in pain but didn’t slow down.

He spun and slashed with both swords in a double attack, the Midnight Sword cutting toward the guardian’s torso while the Heaven Swallowing Sword aimed for its side.

The guardian parried the Midnight Sword with its shield and blocked the Heaven Swallowing Sword with the jagged sword in its lower right arm.

"Fucking hell!"

The guardian was clearly getting stronger.

Its reactions were faster now, its counters more precise.

Then, Aestrea tried a feint, a quick thrust with the Heaven Swallowing Sword toward the guardian’s face, then suddenly slashing low with the Midnight Sword.

The guardian didn’t fall for it. It blocked the feint with its shield and stepped back just enough to avoid the low slash, then countered with a powerful overhead chop from the greatsword.

Aestrea barely managed to roll away.

The greatsword smashed into the floor with a heavy boom, cracking the stone and sending debris flying.

The guardian followed up with a series of fast strikes, its six arms moving in complex patterns that were becoming harder to predict.

Aestrea parried the axe with the Midnight Sword, the impact jarring his arm.

He countered with a thrust from the Heaven Swallowing Sword, but the guardian twisted its body, letting the blade graze its side instead of hitting a vital spot.

It then swung the mace in a fast horizontal strike, forcing Aestrea to jump back.