Without warning, the ant propelled itself into the air, its movement so swift that Raith barely had time to react. In the blink of an eye, the ant closed the distance between them, it's intent clear and menacing.
As the first slash descended upon Raith, his instincts kicked in, prompting him to execute a quick backstep, narrowly evading the lethal strike. The anticipation of an immediate counterattack surged within him, but before his sword could even rise, the ant's hand was already descending upon him once more. The astonishing speed at which the ant moved left Raith bewildered, questioning the limits of its physical capabilities.
Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!
Raith's agile form weaved through the air, his body a blur of motion as he deftly evaded the onslaught of slashing attacks. His keen eyes scanned the battlefield, anticipating the next move of his formidable opponent. Each cut aimed in his direction was met with a calculated evasion, his movements guided by perfect analysis of [Multiple Cognitive Resonance], starting from [Metavision] that accurately takes in information in their best form, processing the best possible action that can be taken based on the body composition and the actions taken over time, to [Ultra Instincts] smelling the primitive monster's amazing sense of battle which by the way is a big difficulty for Raith and [Thought Acceleration] finally makes all these happen in less than a second.
No matter the angle from which the ant attacked, Raith's reactions were lightning-fast. His body twisted, ducked, and sidestepped with remarkable precision, evading each slashing motion by a hair's breadth. The air crackled with the sound of metal slicing through space as Raith defied the odds, narrowly escaping certain death time and time again.
Whish!! Whish! Wham!
As the exchange continued, something began to change– Raith's mind raced, analyzing the ant's patterns and searching for weaknesses in its seemingly impenetrable defense.
Of course, this was the overall skill description of [Multiple Cognitive Resonance] but something was different this time as the skill was pushed to its limit because of the ant's king's vast physical capabilities.
Each dodge provided a fleeting opportunity, a momentary gap in the ant's relentless assault. With every narrow escape, Raith's determination grew, his focus sharpening, and his resolve to overcome this seemingly insurmountable opponent solidifying.
[Congratulations]
[Skill Progression has increased]
['Multiple Cognitive Resonance' has gained one level]
[All subskills have gained ten levels]
Not minding the message that appeared in front of his eyes, Raith continued to move but his movements became better, sharper, faster, he could feel himself pushing farther and better than he was already. With a fluidity that bordered on artistry, Raith moved like water. His anticipation senses transcended from just his eyes to his whole body, it was as though his whole body had eyes on them that were on the lookout for the ant's attack.
Raith never had a difficult time dodging the ant from the beginning, it was as easy as snapping his fingers, but what he did have an issue with was the ant's speedy movement, however, now it had become easy– just too easy.
The ant had been unable to land any clean strike on Raith not to say the annoying look of pity that Raith gave him as he weaved his way through its attacks.
Raith's dodges had now reached a harmonious rhythm with the ant's movement and thus that calm expression just found its way to his face.
The ant's movement once blinding quick now seemed to unfold in slow motion before Raith's quick eyes and all that happened without him needing to increase his speed stat.
His eyes had gotten very better, he could even see the minuscule adjustment in its stance that signaled its intent, making each dodge a mere formality, an effortless shift of his body to evade the ant's desperate attempts to land a blow.
A subtle smile curled on his lips as he saw and seized the perfect moment, a moment that he had seen way before it began the ant began to play it out, his muscles coiled like a predator about to strike as Raith in a swift pivot launched a counter-attack of his own.
Raith's sword surged forward, letting off a faint white gleaming streak as the black steel aimed unerringly at the ant's exposed flank. The force behind his strike was formidable and was a true testament to his mastery over the momentum of battle.
CLANG!!
The clash of steel reverberated through the air as his blade met the ant's exoskeleton and bounced out due to the ant's extraordinary skin, but both their hands shook with tremors from the force of the attack.
The ant, caught off guard by Raith's sudden reversal, faltered for a split second but immediately recomposed itself.
"It seems to me..." the ant king hissed, his voice dripping with disdain, "...that I have underestimated your abilities."
Raith met the ant king's gaze with an icy stare, his facial expression shrouded in darkness.
His voice resonated with a chilling intensity, "Underestimation is a common mistake, one that leads to downfall. You will be wise to remember that."
The ant king's lips curled in amusement, "How interesting, you are different from the humans I have met. Tell me human? What drives you? Why do you fight? I have eaten many human brains and I have been blessed with their memories, definition of reason. Normally I don't hold conversations like this but you have proven yourself worthy, hence I shall grant you the chance of a sensible conversation with me. Do you perhaps fight for justice? like the lie, many tell themselves or is it a misguided belief in the worthiness of your cause?"
Raith smirked, his lips curling with a hint of derision.
"Justice? Worthiness? Such concepts are feeble attempts to impose order upon chaos. I fight for myself, for the power that courses through my veins, for failure, and for the love of death. I fight for the satisfaction of knowing I am not above the trivialities of morality as defined by human society."
"You are a fool, I expected more of you but in the end, you are just like the others I have eaten. A slave to your selfish desires, blind to the potential for greatness that lies beyond humanity. You choose to wallow in the shadows, ignorant of the light that could elevate you beyond your pitiful existence."
Raith chuckled, "Light? More than anyone, I have seen the flickering flames of hope and witnessed their inevitable snuffing. Greatness beyond humanity? Sure I will admit that, but a great such as that is merely an illusion, what use is holding unto a false glimmer that blinds one to his insignificance? I choose not to be shackled by such delusions. I am content with myself. Nothing more, nothing less..."
The ant king's laughter filled the air, a chilling sound that sent shivers down Raith's spine.
"Your cynicism is a defense mechanism. But mark my words, human darkness may provide power, but it will ultimately consume you. It is a path that leads to ruin. Choose the light, embrace the light as I have, with the light you can touch that which you define as an illusion. You can be much more– you can be sacrificial, and not self-conceited, you can fight for the good of the world.
Raith was already getting irritated by the conversion, 'What does a monster know about light?' He furrowed his brow in an irritated glare, as he raised his sword both of them came together in the blink of an eye with a defeating metallic sound as Raith's sword clashed with the ant's extraordinary claws.
"I am the definition of ruined and so it does not matter anymore to me. Power is my currency, all I care about and I will wield it in reckless abandon, not that I expect a godforsaken monster to understand that. Why I am having this kind of conversation with you in the first place."
Raith's scowl deepened as he and the ant were sent flying back, their clash of weapons generating a storm of sparks. Without missing a beat, they darted towards each other once more, locked in a battle that transcended words.
As their weapons clashed again, the ant king frowned a sinister expression that sent chills down Raith's spine.
"In your pursuit for power, you fail to see the greater tapestry that the light can bring. You pursue power within the confines of humanity when you should embrace the more, it is why you cannot but have a shallow grip on the darkness which you exalt so much."
Raith didn't reply and just unleashed several series of swift and calculated blows aimed at exploiting the ant's vulnerabilities. His sword whirled through the air, a blur of lethal grace, as he sought to dismantle his adversary's defenses
"I sense you are a human blinded by arrogance, unable to comprehend the depth and richness of the world that exists beyond your self-centered ambitions. Power may be your currency, but your grip on it is so shallow and you don't even know it. Accept the light!" The ant king jumped back as it parried Raith's strikes.
Raith paused and looked at the ant cocking his head, "Hey, are you mad? did you come here to fight or to talk?"
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