Kael stared at the swirling mass of blood needles in the air hundreds of them, all sharpened to a microscopic point and humming with deadly precision.
God damn it, he thought. There's no way I'm dodging all of that.
His eyes narrowed, jaw tightening. He had been saving his System Points for creating utility skills, something subtle, something long-term. But that plan was crumbling fast. Elira Morvayne wasn't just strong she was lethal. A single mistake would cost him his life.
"Fine," Kael muttered under his breath. "Guess I'm burning my points…"
> Skill: Story Distortion Activated
Accessing: System Skill Creation...
> New Skill Available: Power of Wind
Effect: Increases user's speed by 10%
Cost: 30 System Points
Confirm? Y/N
Kael confirmed it immediately.
The moment the needles began to move twitching like a swarm of insects aimed to pierce his heart Kael's speed increased, his body lighter, breath sharper.
But it wasn't enough.
He could already feel the second needle brushing against his sleeve.
Still not fast enough...
> Would you like to upgrade skill: Power of Wind?
Upgraded Skill: Power of Wind (Lv. 2)
Effect: Increases user's speed by 30%
Cost: 50 System Points
"Yes!" Kael snapped.
The moment the confirmation hit, the world seemed to slow.
Kael vanished.
The red needles shot forward, obliterating the trees behind where Kael once stood, shredding everything in their path. But Kael had already accelerated beyond sight. His feet tore through the earth, his blade a silver streak in his hand.
His speed... it's beyond prodigy level now, Elira thought, amused, as her eyes tracked him.
Kael reappeared just inches from her, his blade gleaming with mana-infused sharpness as he slashed downward.
But just as the edge was about to reach her, a slash of blood erupted from thin air.
Kael's eyes widened a trap? He twisted his body mid-air, narrowly dodging the crimson arc, but the impact sent him skidding back.
He recovered quickly and surged forward again, this time feinting a strike then spinning low with a kick aimed at her ribs.
But Elira was no amateur.
She blocked the kick with the shaft of her rapier and pushed him off with a flash of strength that nearly dislocated his knee.
Kael grunted as he flipped backward, landing in a crouch. His eyes scanned the ground and then he froze.
What the.
All around him, glowing red blood particles shimmered faintly on the forest floor. They pulsed like tiny stars, embedded with Elira's mana signature.
They're... bombs?
His heart skipped.
Kael immediately channeled mana through his core and cloaked himself in shadows, raising his arm to protect his face.
"Damn it," he hissed, eyes narrowing. "This chick's psychotic."
The blood particles began to throb once, twice each pulse getting faster.
Kael grit his teeth, ready to move.
One wrong step, and I'm a smear on the forest floor.
And in front of him, Elira Morvayne stood calmly, her rapier tilted slightly downward, a relaxed smile on her lips.
"I told you," she said sweetly, "don't blink."