Chapter 287: Sparring, Feathered Clan

The day after returning from the void, and one day following the banquet, Edward and Charles departed for Alastair.

The Blade of Night still required Charles’s attention, and the new branch, the Thorn of the Outcast, remained incomplete; furthermore, they considered that their disappearance might lead those with ulterior motives to link them to Wang Yu, the "traitor of Alastair."

Before leaving, Wang Yu consulted with "One," the entity residing within Charles, regarding the demons. Aside from the "Seven" who had perished utterly, Wang Yu had slain three others, and "One’s" power had grown significantly as a result.

"Based on your description of their traits, the demons you killed were 'Three,' 'Four,' and 'Five.' Their authorities are Distortion, Contract, and Corruption, respectively."

"The power we seven shared equally has been bolstered by three additional portions flowing to me. I have grown much stronger, and for that, I must thank you; there is much more I can accomplish now."

"One," who had temporarily taken control of Charles’s body, described the state of her siblings to Wang Yu.

"If I may ask, are you truly the wandering souls rejected by Hell, as 'Three' claimed? Is spreading chaos and manufacturing calamity merely a means to extract more power from the Void, your only sanctuary?"

Wang Yu posed the question. While "Three’s" words carried weight, Wang Yu felt one could not trust a demon entirely and would need to confirm this with a "reliable" source.

"More or less... though I am a rather unique individual. They cannot manifest directly in the material world, but I, even without a soul to inhabit, can linger here, though my power diminishes until it is almost non-existent."

"As for our purpose, it is indeed as you say; spreading chaos in the material world provides us with power drawn from the Void."

"I should have told you sooner. I truly did not expect you to encounter other demons—beings even I rarely see—in such a short span of time."

"One" confirmed that "Three’s" account was accurate. She felt a sense of helplessness for not having warned Wang Yu earlier, never imagining that out of the only seven demons in existence, Wang Yu would encounter four and slaughter them all.

"My own nature makes it difficult to dismiss these encounters as mere coincidence."

Wang Yu spoke calmly. His unique constitution made him a natural bane to these demons; their elusive, near-immortal properties were rendered useless before a man capable of stepping into the Void to beat them into submission.

Perhaps the demons appeared weak before Wang Yu, but upon reflection, how many methods did the intelligent races possess to counter them? The prerequisite of having to enter the Void to truly kill these things had already defeated countless aspirants before they could even begin.

"Can you tell me the authorities of 'Two' and 'Six'? If necessary, I intend to take the initiative. Facing their machinations passively is not a good strategy."

After some thought, Wang Yu made the request. The actions of these demons had convinced him to become a demon hunter.

"I know, but I cannot speak of it. This is an additional restriction the Void places upon me as a unique entity. While the other demons live, I am forbidden from revealing their authorities to other existences."

"One" indicated that she possessed the knowledge, but due to the constraints the Void placed upon demons—who existed almost entirely by its grace—she could not disclose it to Wang Yu.

"Beware of 'Two'; it may take a particular interest in you. As for 'Six,' you need not concern yourself with it; it is likely too lazy to ever manifest in the material world."

Direct disclosure was impossible, but a cryptic warning was not.

"Very well. Thank you for the information."

Though he had not gained anything particularly useful, he had at least grasped why these demons, who seemed like pure agents of chaos, were so fond of stirring up trouble.

After bidding farewell to his old friends in Alastair, Wang Yu and his companions prepared to return to the elven capital of Liahame. The mechanical floating city would arrive there soon, and they would board that ancient aerial metropolis.

Zieg needed the resources of the sky city to contact his sister, while Wang Yu and Avia would seek the knowledge they required while honing their strength within this colossal alchemical construct, the culmination of countless scholars and alchemists throughout history.

...

On the flat ground outside the Spellbound Wizard Tower, two knights stood facing one another: Garcia, clad in medium armor, and Wang Yu, wearing only leather.

"How time flies. It’s been a little over two years, hasn't it? Back then you were a mere apprentice, and now you are a low-rank Great Knight. Only that genius Ule could compare to you. I spent over a decade reaching the rank of high-rank Great Knight; compared to you two, I feel a bit ashamed."

Forgoing the iron sword used for training with the Black Knight, Garcia drew the longsword from his waist. It was not a legendary weapon, but it was a high-rank piece of immense value. He took his stance as he spoke.

"The span between a low-rank apprentice and a high-rank Great Knight is surely as vast as the gap between an apprentice and a Great Knight. I still have a long way to go before I reach your level, Master Garcia."

Blood materialized from thin air, coating Wang Yu’s body. Under the influence of the Blood-Fury Wind Knight secret technique, it took shape, then was refined by the modified Matter-Shaping Sword technique. It hardened, transforming into a set of grim, blood-red armor—sturdy, lightweight, and perfectly fitted to his frame.

This was armor unique to Wang Yu. If he required greater defense, he could simply use the alchemical alloys Avia had prepared for him instead of blood to shape it.

"You rascal, you really intend to catch up to me in a few more years? What would that do to my reputation? Never mind, today is meant to instruct you in the combat methods of knights beyond the Great Knight stage; it wouldn't hurt to knock you down a peg or two."

Garcia smiled, pointing his sword at Wang Yu, ready to strike.

"Come, Master Garcia. Please, do not hold back; don't worry about me getting hurt."

Wang Yu reminded him. Injury meant little to him; in fact, it could be considered part of his combat efficacy. This was not a death match, and the more he could learn, the better.

"Be ready! Don't fall too quickly."

Garcia’s final words were devoid of jest or mockery; he had entered the state of battle.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous stomp, Garcia’s figure vanished, leaving only a shallow crater where he had stood.

At the Great Knight level, the destructive force of a full-powered push-off would have been far greater. This was the difference in combat styles between knights above and below the Great Knight stage.

One of the functions of manifesting and projecting battle aura was to create leverage points for Great Knights; otherwise, the environment alone often could not provide sufficient counter-force. Only by coating their bodies in manifested aura could Great Knights fully unleash their power.

"So fast!"

The Chariot Force released into the surroundings captured Garcia’s trajectory. Though he could observe it, the opponent’s speed far exceeded his own.

He attempted to lock onto Garcia and suppress him with the Chariot Force, but the opponent was too swift, and the force could not be applied directly to living beings; the attempt failed.

He quickly shifted strategies. As he had done when using the "Throne of Command," Wang Yu projected the Chariot Force in a four-meter radius, exerting a downward pressure equally upon everything within that zone.

The force was not immense, but its impact was undeniable; it slowed Garcia’s movement, forcing him to abandon his straight-line charge for a more flexible, weaving approach.

Wang Yu pivoted, the Shattered Meteorite Blade turning with his body. He met Garcia’s longsword, which had arrived at his side in an instant. His advantage in tracking the trajectory allowed him to block the strike just in time.

As the blades collided, a vibration traveled through the steel to the hilt. The force behind it made Wang Yu pause—the opponent had pulled his strike. A high-rank Great Knight’s power was far greater than this.

Sensing danger, Wang Yu shifted his center of gravity to the right, kicked off the ground, and spun, unleashing a horizontal sweep with his left leg that cracked the air with a dull thud.

"Clang!"

A piercing metallic ring echoed as the blades met. Garcia, having pulled his strike, let his longsword slide along the Shattered Meteorite Blade, aiming a vicious slash at Wang Yu’s wrist.

Moving with his sword, Garcia’s speed—a step faster than Wang Yu’s—allowed him to evade the sweeping kick entirely.

Wang Yu twisted the Shattered Meteorite Blade with all his might, attempting to deflect Garcia’s sword, but the opponent’s superior swordsmanship and greater strength made the gap painfully clear.

No matter what he did, Garcia adjusted the angle of his blade to match Wang Yu’s leverage; the Shattered Meteorite Blade felt as though it had lost all control, refusing to obey.

"Tch..."

Wang Yu did not hesitate to abandon the blade, which had become a liability. He intended to close the distance and engage Garcia in hand-to-hand combat.

But at that very moment, just as Wang Yu’s fingers lost their grip, Garcia applied a short, massive burst of force to his longsword. The two weapons collided violently.

Wang Yu, no longer gripping the hilt with full force, felt the impact shatter his thumb-web. A brittle crack of bone echoed as the Shattered Meteorite Blade spun away.

Wang Yu reacted instantly. Ignoring the pain of fractured bone and bruised muscle, he channeled his aura to its limit. He threw a punch, using his shoulder as the core to drive his arm toward the nearby Garcia. He had a premonition that Garcia’s lethal blow would follow immediately.

His intuition was correct. Garcia did exactly that. The massive recoil from the collision with the Shattered Meteorite Blade provided the force for his next move; Garcia pivoted, thrusting his sword toward Wang Yu’s chest.

The punch and the sword were both blindingly fast. At this distance, both attacks would strike at nearly the same moment—Wang Yu’s signature style: trading injury for injury.

But then, Garcia’s speed exploded. He crouched low, dodging the haymaker aimed at his neck, and his sword surged forward as if it had skipped through time.

By the time Wang Yu realized what had happened, his punch had whistled through empty air, passing over Garcia’s head. The opponent’s longsword had already pierced through the armor on Wang Yu’s chest, biting through skin and flesh, and lodging deep within.

Garcia’s other fist had already struck, coming to rest against the pommel of the longsword that remained embedded in the armor over Wang Yu’s chest.

Had he not held back, the blade would have been driven through Wang Yu’s torso as easily as a nail struck by a hammer.

"Inner Potential?"

Wang Yu asked with a hint of resignation, using the power of his chariot to recall the shattered shards of his meteorite blade.

Though he would have suffered no grave injury from such a wound, he knew his current frame could not withstand the tempestuous follow-up strikes Garcia would surely unleash while he was pinned by a sword.

Had Garcia not suddenly accelerated as if someone had pressed a fast-forward button, Wang Yu would not have been defeated so swiftly.

That instantaneous burst of speed had clearly come from nothing, with no leverage to speak of; Wang Yu could only surmise it was the man’s Inner Potential.

"Indeed, this is my Inner Potential: 'Burst.' It multiplies all my capabilities—strength, speed, and the like—for a fleeting moment. While it lacks the sustained combat advantages of other potentials, in a life-or-death struggle, this sudden eruption is lethal enough."

Garcia withdrew his blade, watching Wang Yu with a smile. He needed the young man to understand that while his strength might seem unreasonably formidable against certain entities, when pitted against a pure warrior of his caliber, Wang Yu was simply not yet strong enough.

"A powerful Inner Potential. In a duel between knights of this caliber, a single lapse is usually the end. Any enemy attempting to probe you, Master Garcia, would find no quarter against such an unheralded surge."

Wang Yu briefly analyzed the brutal simplicity of Garcia’s power. It was strong—truly strong—and it was little wonder he bore the title of Sword Saint.

"Let us try again. Your handling of the situation was adequate; given time, you shall do better. What is it?"

Garcia was pleased that Wang Yu, who had never been arrogant, showed no signs of ego now, instead earnestly analyzing the potential. He pulled his sword free, intending to resume the training, but the way Wang Yu’s gaze suddenly shifted toward the sky behind him caused Garcia to turn his head as well.

"Is that... one of the Winged Folk?"

Wang Yu asked, his tone laced with uncertainty.

High in the distant sky, a man beating a pair of wings was flying toward them alongside the giant eagle, Angora. The man’s bare upper torso was etched with glowing, rune-like patterns, and a prismatic crystal was embedded in the center of his handsome forehead.

The features he displayed led Wang Yu to believe he was a member of the Winged Folk, one of the five races he had never truly encountered before.