"Help us!"
Tobias shouted stressfully when he finally suffered the first injury in the battle.
"I'm against it. You attacked an ally first, that's backstabbing."
On the other hand, Daisy refused to join out of principle. Her words also gave Bryce a good reason to decline.
"I'm sorry, Senior Brother, I also think it's inappropriate to backstab an ally."
"YOU ARE THE BACKSTABBER! YOU AGREED TO JOIN!"
"Senior Brother, please don't try to force me to fight by telling lies."
"SHAMELESS!"
Tobias screamed when he realized his friends abandoned him. He already noticed he couldn't win now. Sweat dripped down the pair's brows, their breathing heavy as the relentless exchange of blows continued.
Now that Tobias' right arm had a deep cut, he had to switch hands and fight with his left. Although trained, his prowess decreased.
The flexible sword appeared as a blur of motion as it bounced from side to side, trying to find an open path to an unguarded throat. Ken easily understood the right way to fight in the cramped space. He managed to use the walls to add to his momentum every time.
Adrian lunged forward, his sword aiming for Ken's midsection. With a fluid motion, Ken sidestepped the attack, his flexible sword lashing out in a counterstrike. The blades met, sparks erupting from the collision.
Tobias retaliated, his sword whirling in a deadly arc. Ken deflected the blow with precision, the clash of metal resonating through the room. Sensing an opportunity, he swiftly spun, delivering a sweeping kick that caught Tobias off balance, staggering him momentarily.
'Snake Thrust.'
Adrian came to his friend's aid, trying to block Ken's sword. He could clearly see the sword's complicated path, and he confidently sent a slashing technique to meet with Ken's sword.
Tobias was still out of balance, but he would only need less than half a second to stabilize himself and use a technique of his own using the time Adrian bought him.
"Ah."
Adrian didn't feel any pressure against his sword. Tobias however, felt the air pass through two new holes that appeared in his chest. One punctured the heart while the other left its mark right underneath the first.
Big Success mastery realm – Ken's sword moved so fast and in such a complicated manner it created an illusion. Just like the blades of a fan would seem static because of their rotating speed, Ken's sword course seemed easy to perceive while in truth the enemy didn't see anything.
"NO! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!"
Adrian shouted in a mix of fear, panic, and rage. He threw the caution to the wind and threw himself at Ken, hoping to catch him in surprise and deal a decisive blow.
'Thundering Sword Strike.'
Adrian's sword flashed as he swung it in a fast arc, trying to cut Ken's torso from side to side.
However, Ken was always focused. He jumped in the air when Adrian initiated his technique, his body horizontally moving above the blade as he dodged it. Adrian tried a thrust technique next, but Ken already stepped back.
Now that it was one on one, Ken could simply overpower Adrian brutally instead of starting another bout of sword strikes.
'Snake Thrust.'
Adrian saw the illusion of the sword, but he remembered from his last experience that it wasn't so simple to block. The problem was that too little time passed, and he still didn't know how the sword technique worked.
He did the only option he could think of; trying to block the sword his eyes perceived. It didn't work.
Indifferent to the two dead bodies who were formerly his allies, Ken absorbed the duo's BP from their tokens but didn't get much. Combined, they had only 300 points, as they already spent most of their points on the Terror Talisman and the Bloodlust Boost Pills.
He took their Qi Stones as well as some minerals and herbs from their rings and threw the rest to the other 3. He never took pills or scrolls from others, since he believed his were the best.
"Does anyone have any problem with me killing them?"
"They tried to kill you, it's their fault for dying. We can continue our journey if you want, I will enter first the next room we explore."
Tiara said and stood by Ken's side. She knew that with two allies less, she had to contribute her part. Although she was selfish, she had a high social awareness.
"Agh, let me collect my thoughts first. I've been friends with them for the past 15 years, I can't believe they tried to backstab someone for resources. If I was rich, wouldn't they attack me too?"
Daisy said with a depressed tone and sat down on a clean spot on the stone floor. She just sat there and looked sadly at her dead friends.
"What about you?"
Ken looked toward Bryce. He already judged the man as the cowardly type, and he didn't care whether he planned to participate in the ambush or not. Ken knew that Bryce wouldn't dare attack him in the near future.
"I… Is it ok if I join you?"
"Yes, I don't mind."
Ken assured the man and removed his mask, revealing his beautiful face again.
"I will also come. There's no time to waste on grief."
Daisy stood up and the three headed to the next door. Ken was still thinking about what transpired earlier.
'Daisy has a similar character to Diana. She's kind and friendly, but I don't want to get attached. Besides, her actions show she has a strong moral code, which means we can't get along well.'
It didn't take them long to get to the final room, and the four stood in front of a double door with the tag "Last Door".
After exchanging looks and confirming everyone was ready to go, Ken pushed the door open, ready to face the monster inside. The boss monster was stronger than the normal ones on the next floor.
If the blood monsters on the third floor were equal to a top 1000 disciple of their stage, the boss on the second floor was as strong as a top 500 one.
However, the boss still wasn't strong enough to pose a threat to the team. They charged forward and attacked the boss from different directions, maiming it instantly. Using their numbers, they easily took it down.
"Congratulations on clearing the third floor."
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