Absolute Craft-Chapter 47: Superbia (4)

Chapter 47: Superbia (4)

Thunder rumbled deep within Kyria. To every onlooker, the sound carried different meanings—some believed it echoed his heartbeat, others that an unrestrained power was awakening, and still more had their own interpretations.

Blake caught a glimpse of his former self in Kyria. He was convinced the beast inside this man had been stirred by the unique rush of Ashen World Online. With the impossible suddenly in reach, who wouldn’t be excited?

Soon, crimson sparks crackled around Kyria. His eyes glowed red, and his military hat flew upward, as though knocked off by the lightning, revealing his purple hair tied in a bun.

"I’ll kick that so-called victorious attitude right out of you," Kyria said, vanishing in an instant to close the gap between them.

His speed far surpassed Blake’s. He reappeared in front of Blake with a punch already barreling toward Blake’s mask.

Blake had anticipated that kind of velocity for one simple reason—his calculations during Sheathed Pride had been wrong. That meant Kyria (or perhaps his right hand) must have different core stats than they appeared to have.

He had a hunch about what those stats might be and stayed on guard for any surprises.

The first punch missed, prompting Blake to raise his left forearm to block the follow-up—a kick. Kyria didn’t slow down, contorting his body almost like rubber to launch another kick from a different angle, hounding Blake with a barrage of blows.

He shifted his stance fluidly, maintaining perfect balance as he used a lightning dash to reposition and maximize his momentum.

Moreover, his attacks weren’t purely physical; they had a magical aspect as well, which could catch many players off guard. Even so, Blake’s armor allowed him to keep his health high, thanks to its Perfect Steel Passive.

Still, Kyria’s biggest advantage lay in how he stayed right on top of Blake, never giving him a moment to create distance. Each time Blake tried to back off for a quick draw, Kyria sped up and mixed in feints to keep him off-balance.

With no other choice, Blake used Prideful Step to retreat.

Yet Kyria was there in an instant, unleashing a spinning kick that smashed into Blake’s stomach and sent him hurtling into a tombstone. He moved with such speed that it wouldn’t be surprising if he’d used a special skill for that strike.

The tombstone halted Blake’s flight but cracked under the impact, scattering debris over him. Two white hands broke through the earth, grabbing his arms and pinning him down.

He looked ahead to see Kyria once more, leg raised, bringing it down with even more speed and force. Lightning sparked around him, and thunder boomed like the roar of a beast.

The ground split into a web of fractures before erupting. Debris billowed as though a cave had opened. From below, an ice zombie emerged, leaning its full weight on Blake and trying to drag him down into Hell.

Heat flooded Blake’s chest; a sharp pang ignited in his heart.

Those sensations came from his companions. Each wanted to fight Kyria themselves.

But Blake didn’t feel the same. His adrenaline soared, and euphoria coursed through every pore.

The harder the challenge, the sweeter the victory.

Though he was getting knocked around, he relished each new hurdle and vowed to crush them all by any means necessary.

His devotion to the katana excited him, yet he had more tools at his disposal—Sol’s power, Beatrix’s abilities, and even that ice zombie weighing him down. All were potential resources he could wield.

An electric surge of inspiration shot through him. Ideas flowed into his mind, reminiscent of what he experienced while drawing or crafting. The alternate path he’d chosen since the game’s official release was finally bearing fruit. He genuinely wanted to nurture his pride alongside the pride of those he cared about.

Those inner feelings soothed Sol and Beatrix.

Kyria, on the other hand, had no way of knowing what Blake felt. He continued looming over Blake, pouring every ounce of strength and weight into his next attack.

Before it landed, Blake jerked the ice zombie’s head to the side with a snap. The monster’s power faded, letting Blake hoist the creature onto himself as a makeshift shield, softening Kyria’s blow.

BANG!

Kyria’s heel slammed into the ice zombie’s body. Thanks to Perfect Steel, Blake took minimal damage, preserving both his stamina and health points.

Tossing the lifeless monster aside, Blake wrenched himself free from his improvised prison and surged forward. He sheathed his katana in preparation for a quick draw, catching Kyria’s full attention. Capitalizing on that distraction, Blake shifted into an advantageous position.

It was now his turn to bombard Kyria with attacks. His slashes struck their mark, but Kyria’s gear was sturdy, absorbing much of the damage.

When Blake attempted a thrust, Kyria slipped past it and closed in again. This time, he calmly pressed his palm against Blake’s chest and activated a new skill—Crimson Shock (Epic).

Red lightning jolted through Blake’s body, draining more than a third of his health and stunning him for six seconds.

’He can load lightning into me and then release it all at once!’ Blake thought. Immobile, he could only watch as Kyria prepared another attack.

Lightning flared around Kyria’s fist, glowing like a cluster of crackling sparklers—only far deadlier. And it struck with terrifying force.

[-743 HP!]

<Your Pride’s Second Coming Chest Armor has lost 102 durability!>

Chunks of Blake’s demon-black armor fell away from his abdomen. His skin there was charred and blistered, causing severe bleeding that drained precious health points.

That single blow—and everything leading up to it—was masterfully executed.

’He’s on cooldown now,’ Blake told himself. ’Our turn.’

Reading Blake’s intentions, Kyria backed off. Blake seized the opening, using Prideful Step to close the distance and thrust forward. He wasn’t aiming for massive damage but rather to stall Kyria, which worked.

He followed up with several feints, then executed a highly unexpected move—a spinning kick.

As Blake pivoted, he vanished from Kyria’s sight, reappearing behind him through Beatrix’s skill. The abrupt disappearance confused Kyria, reminding him of when Blake had dropped from above to eliminate the healers.

Kyria craned his neck and glanced upward, but Blake wasn’t there.

He was behind Kyria, using another Prideful Step to slam into the man’s back like a charging minotaur. Drawing on his evolving battle style, Blake drove his katana through Kyria’s armor and into his flesh.

Discarding his katana to the side, Blake wrapped his arms around Kyria’s neck. He was confident Kyria couldn’t dash away with him clinging on. Summoning every ounce of strength, Blake opened his mouth, flames roaring within.

He brought his mouth close to Kyria’s shoulder and bit down. His razor-sharp teeth tore through the leather armor, letting Sol’s fire burn through the final defenses and scorch the man’s flesh beneath.

Blake’s chokehold also drained a good deal of Kyria’s stamina. Before long, Kyria’s arms went limp, and his health dropped dangerously low.

Blake locked eyes with the weakened man, their faces mere inches apart.

He said, "The sign of a true victor... is standing over the strongest foe who can do nothing but witness your glory."

Releasing Kyria, he let the man collapse onto his back. From the ground, Kyria could only stare up at Blake, who loomed like a titan. Every scar and wound Blake had received from Anonymous House and Kyria was proof of his power, compelling Kyria to admire him more than resent him.

It was an unforgettable moment that would push Kyria onto an even harsher road, one that challenged him at every turn.

"I have an epic class—Purple Stormweaver," Kyria said. "It lets me switch between healing and mage roles. Only Wolf can keep up with my healing and buffs. The rest of the guild is pathetic; they can only target choke points correctly when I guide them."

"I see," Blake replied, smiling as he reached for his katana. Lifting it, he stepped closer to Kyria, whose gaze remained on his mask. "My advice? Recruit guild members who can follow your strongest lead. Teach them obedience through your prowess in battle. Wolfang seems competent, so the two of you can handle anyone who mouths off. You both piqued my interest, so I’m sure you’ll manage to tame plenty."

Raising his sword, he brought it down to deliver the finishing blow.

In that last instant, Kyria had only one thought:

’I’ll tame you.’

<Superbia has killed you>