World Awakening: The Legendary Player-Chapter 71: Lost In The Fight

The pieces of Liesa’s shattered dagger fell to the forest floor with a series of quiet clinks. She stared at her empty hand, then at the man who had broken her blade with nothing but his arm. Her mind was blank with shock.

’He broke my dagger? With his skin?’ She thought, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. ’What is he?’

She looked up at him. The lazy smile was gone, replaced by a look of cold assessment. The murderous intent that had been radiating from her just a moment ago was now gone, replaced with a feeling of pure disbelief.

Nox thought he had this won. ’She’s out of tricks,’ he thought, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. ’She tried her best, and it wasn’t good enough.’

But then something strange happened. The shock on Liesa’s face twisted and warped, melting away into a wide, manic grin that was far more unsettling than her earlier anger. Her eyes, which had been wide with surprise, now narrowed with a terrifying excitement.

The killing intent he had felt before came flooding back, ten times stronger than before. A faint, dark purple aura started to bleed from her skin, swirling around her like smoke.

’Wait,’ he thought, his own surprise catching him off guard. ’She’s not giving up? She’s getting more excited?’

"Liesa, no!" Mela screamed from the edge of the clearing. She looked terrified. "Don’t do it! You can’t use that here!"

"It’s too late for that, big sister," she said, her voice a low, throaty laugh. "This human... he’s interesting! He’s really, really interesting!"

The dark aura around her exploded outward, becoming a visible shroud of violent energy. Her short swords, which she still held, began to glow with the same purple light. The ground at her feet started to crack under the pressure of her power.

"What is she doing?" Serian asked, her voice tight with alarm. "Nox, be careful! That is a forbidden art of the Ashen Elves! I have only read of it in the old scrolls."

"What is it?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the now-glowing dark elf.

"It is called the Ashen Blood technique," she explained, her voice low and urgent. "It draws upon the corrupted world seed within them, trading their own life force for a massive, temporary boost in power. It is a suicidal technique!"

Liesa let out a wild, ecstatic laugh. "Suicidal? Your sun-kissed books got it wrong, princess! It just hurts a little afterward!" She leveled her glowing blades at Nox. "But for the chance to fight someone like you? It’s worth it!"

He watched her with a new level of interest. ’So she’s burning her life force for power? That’s reckless. And very, very stupid.’ He felt a strange sort of respect for her. She was willing to do anything to win.

Valeria, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Mela, we must stop her. Mother will be furious if she harms herself."

"We can’t stop her now," she said, her voice filled with dread. "Once the Ashen Blood is active, it has to run its course. All we can do is watch." frёewebnoѵēl.com

Liesa did not wait any longer. She moved.

It was not the instant vanishing act from before. This was different. The air itself seemed to shatter as she charged, leaving a trail of purple energy in her wake. She was so fast he could barely track her.

He didn’t have time to dodge. He brought his arms up in a cross-block, pouring as much Corrupted Mana as he could into them to harden them.

BOOM!

The impact was like being hit by a freight train. Her twin swords slammed into his arms, and the force of the blow was immense. His feet dug trenches in the soft earth as he was thrown backward a full ten feet. His arms screamed in protest, the bones vibrating from the sheer power of her strike.

’She’s so much stronger now!’ he thought, his own surprise turning into a grim focus. This was no longer a game. This was a real fight.

She was on him again before he could even recover his balance. She was a blur of purple light and steel, her attacks relentless. He was forced onto the defensive, blocking and parrying, each impact sending a jarring shock through his body. He was no longer toying with her; he was fighting to survive.

CLANG! CRACK! BOOM!

Their fight was a whirlwind of noise and destructive energy. Trees near them splintered and fell as stray blows missed their mark.

"He’s holding his own," Mela whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "How is he still standing?"

"He is not just standing," Valeria stated, her voice flat with awe. "He is adapting."

She was right. He was no longer just blocking. He was starting to predict her movements, the invisible layer of his mana giving him a split-second edge. He ducked under a wild swing and countered with a punch to her stomach. His fist, empowered by a surge from his Primal Strength skill, connected with a solid thud.

She grunted, the air knocked from her lungs, and she stumbled back a step. It was the first clean hit he had landed.

She just laughed, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. "Yes! That’s it! Hit me harder!"

’She’s insane,’ he thought, his own blood beginning to sing with the thrill of the fight. ’Completely insane.’ He felt a savage grin spread across his own face. ’And I think I like it.’

He stopped holding back. The dark, smoky energy of his own corrupted power began to pour from his lips, his eyes glowing with a cold, predatory light. He met her next charge head-on.

It was no longer a human fighting an elf. It was two monsters tearing at each other.

He grabbed her arm as she swung, his grip like steel. She kicked him in the chest, but he didn’t even flinch. He just tightened his grip and twisted, forcing her to drop one of her swords.

He spun her around and threw her into a massive tree. The trunk cracked from the impact.

She bounced off and landed on her feet, her grin wider than ever. "More!" she screamed.

"Stop this! Both of you!" Mela yelled, but they couldn’t hear her. They were lost in their own world of violence.

The dark energy of Nox’s corrupted power swirled around him, a visible manifestation of his will. Liesa’s purple aura pulsed violently. They were exhilarated.

’This is a real fight’, he thought. ’She is not holding back at all.’

She was ecstatic. ’He is so strong!’ she thought. ’This is the best fight I have ever had!’

He dodged another glowing strike and punched her in the ribs. The force of the impact made a loud sound. Liesa gasped but did not retreat. She swung her remaining sword in a wide, horizontal arc. He ducked under the blade and drove his shoulder into her stomach. The collision sent her stumbling backward.

"Is that all you have?!" he shouted, his voice a low growl.

"More!" she screamed back, her grin wide and bloody. "Give me more!!"

He was about to grant her wish.

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