Rook’s grin disappeared almost immediately after he finished speaking because Kael’s next attack came faster than anything before it.
The sword flashed toward his neck, forcing him to lean backward while simultaneously pushing his body away with a burst of wind. The blade passed close enough to scrape his skin, but Kael had already adjusted his stance before Rook could counter.
Another slash came from the opposite direction, followed by a thrust aimed directly at his chest. Rook twisted around the thrust and immediately answered with a Gale Blade, but Kael shifted his sword and deflected the attack before stepping forward again.
Rook was beginning to understand the terrifying difference between them. His attributes had made his body fast, his Perception allowed him to notice attacks earlier than before, and his elemental abilities gave him countless ways to attack, but Kael possessed something Rook couldn’t obtain by simply spending Upgrade Points...Experience
Rook’s foot slid backward as Kael continued attacking, and he quickly realized that allowing the fight to remain at close range was a mistake. He threw both hands toward the ground, causing the earth beneath Kael to rise violently.
Stone erupted between them, forcing Kael to jump backward, and Rook immediately used Water Manipulation to flood the ground beneath his feet. The dirt became slippery within seconds, but Kael adapted almost instantly, using the flat of his sword against the ground to stabilize himself before launching forward again.
Rook cursed under his breath and released a Flame Burst directly into his path. Kael twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding the center of the explosion, but Rook had already anticipated his movement.
A Vacuum Slash tore through the smoke and struck Kael across the shoulder, sending him crashing through several branches before he landed on one knee.
Rook didn’t waste the opening. His mana was falling quickly, but he had already decided that conserving it was pointless if doing so allowed Kael to continue controlling the battle. He raised his hand, and several Stone Lances erupted beneath Kael before he could fully stand.
Kael moved between them with unbelievable precision, cutting one apart while stepping over another, but Rook used the moment to launch two Gale Blades from opposite directions. Kael blocked the first and avoided the second, only for a wall of water to slam into his side and throw him toward a nearby tree.
Rook followed with Flame Burst, turning the area around the tree into a violent explosion. The force shattered several branches and sent smoke rolling through the clearing.
For a moment, Rook thought he had finally caught him.
Then a figure burst from the smoke.
Kael’s sword descended.
Rook barely managed to raise an arm before the blade struck the reinforced layer of wind surrounding him. The impact sent him flying backward, and he crashed against the ground hard enough to lose his breath. He rolled immediately as Kael’s next strike came down, the sword cutting into the dirt where his head had been.
Rook pushed himself upright and fired a Wind Blade from point-blank range. Kael blocked it, but the force pushed him backward, giving Rook the distance he desperately needed.
Rook stood and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth while staring at Kael. His body was beginning to ache from the constant strain, and his mana was dangerously low, but the sensation only made his mind clearer.
He couldn’t beat Kael by matching him with spells one after another. Kael was too skilled at reading attacks, and every time Rook relied on a predictable sequence, the swordsman adapted before the next attack could land.
Rook needed to make Kael react to him instead.
He looked around the clearing and noticed the damage they had caused. Broken trees surrounded them, the ground was covered in stone fragments, and several patches of earth were still burning from his previous attacks.
He suddenly smiled as an idea came to him. He didn’t need to defeat Kael with one perfect attack. He only needed to create a situation where Kael couldn’t predict which attack was coming next.
Kael rushed forward again, and Rook immediately moved to meet him instead of retreating. The sword came toward his chest, but Rook twisted aside and released Water Manipulation directly beneath Kael’s feet. The ground became slick, and Kael’s balance shifted for the smallest fraction of a second. Rook used that instant to drive his palm forward.
"Flame Burst."
Kael was forced backward by the explosion, but Rook was already moving. He sent a Vacuum Slash through the flames, then followed it with a Gale Blade from above. Kael blocked both attacks, but the second forced him lower than before. Rook slammed his foot into the ground.
"Bulwark Fang."
Stone erupted around Kael.
The swordsman immediately began cutting through the formation, but Rook didn’t wait for him to escape. He used Stone Lance to attack the openings created by Kael’s sword, forcing him to keep moving while another layer of earth rose behind him. Kael cut through one attack, then another, but the constant pressure finally slowed his movements. Rook saw the change immediately.
There...an opening.
He gathered the remaining mana in his body and compressed the wind around his hand until the air itself seemed to disappear.
"Vacuum Slash."
Kael sensed the danger and raised his sword.
The invisible blade struck.
The force ripped through his guard and sent him crashing into the ground several meters away. His sword flew from his hand and landed in the dirt.
Rook stood there, breathing heavily.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Kael slowly pushed himself upright.
Rook’s eyes widened when he saw him reach for his sword.
"You’ve got to be kidding me."
Kael picked up the weapon and stood again, although his breathing was noticeably heavier now. Blood covered one side of his uniform, and several cuts were visible across his arms and chest, but his eyes remained focused.
"You are troublesome," Kael said.
Rook almost laughed.
"That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me today."
Kael lowered his sword, then he vanished again.
Rook’s Perception caught him, but this time something was different. Kael’s movement wasn’t simply fast. It was perfectly controlled, and the moment Rook prepared to dodge, Kael changed his angle.
Rook reacted on instinct.
Instead of retreating, he stepped forward.
The sword passed behind him.
Rook grabbed Kael’s wrist.
For the first time, the swordsman’s expression changed.
Rook smiled.
"Got you."
He slammed his other palm into Kael’s chest.
"Flame Burst."
The explosion erupted at point-blank range.
Kael was launched backward through the clearing, crashing through two trees before finally hitting the ground.
Rook stood in the smoke, his remaining mana barely enough for another serious attack.
Kael remained motionless.
Rook waited several seconds before finally exhaling.
"Finally."
Then a strange sound came from behind him.
Rook turned.
The pile of golden stones had begun to glow.
His expression changed immediately.
One by one, the stones disappeared.
Rook stared at the empty patch of ground.
"What the hell?"
Behind him, Kael slowly opened his eyes.
"You really thought those were real?"
Rook’s expression darkened.
Kael smiled faintly for the first time. "The real stones are somewhere else."
Rook stared at him in silence, then he laughed.
"You’re seriously telling me I just burned through most of my mana fighting over fake stones?"
Kael didn’t answer. Instead, the forest suddenly echoed with a distant roar.
Rook’s smile vanished.
"Looks like we have another problem."