Free Web NovelChapter 320: Chapter 308: Crush
"HUFF... HUFF... HUFF..."
Roland’s breaths grew heavier under Leonard’s stormy onslaught, the overwhelming Power nearly robbing him of the air to breathe.
Every block sent a numbing shock through his bones, and the clash of sword against fist blade showered sparks into the air.
But his eyes remained locked on his opponent’s every move, showing no trace of panic.
’In terms of pure Combat Skills, I have the absolute advantage... The difference is...’
After sidestepping another fatal straight strike and deflecting the scattered debris with the flat of his blade, Roland’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’His combat experience is far greater than mine, and he’s practiced the Knight’s Breathing Technique for much longer. This has led to a significant gap in our fundamental physical conditioning. Aside from those two points... there’s nothing particularly special about him.’
CLANG!
The Fist Blade and Longsword clashed again with a heavy thud.
Watching Leonard’s still-calm eyes, Roland raised an eyebrow.
’It seems... I was being too cautious. I’ve overestimated the strength of this world’s Transcendent beings. After all, not everyone is a Graham.’
’They may be strong, but as I am now... I’m not weak either.’
As the thought crossed his mind, he put a sudden burst of strength into his arm, parrying Leonard’s Fist Blade and using the momentum to retreat a few steps.
Shaking his still-numb arm, he regained his footing and held nothing back.
In the next moment, something that had long slumbered deep within his bloodline was silently awakened.
"Hm?"
Leonard keenly noticed the subtle change in Roland’s blocking stance. He let out a low, questioning grunt, then changed his attack pattern once more.
His fists flew in a continuous blur like Shadows, a storm of blows raining down. Each strike landed precisely on the weak points of Roland’s defense, forcing him back, seemingly with no way to fight back.
However, amidst these dozens of dazzling exchanges, a silent change was taking place.
At first, Roland could only barely offset part of the impact, just enough to keep from being completely overwhelmed.
Gradually, the rebounding force no longer felt like it would shatter his arm bones.
His muscles and bones were adapting at a preternatural speed, growing stronger under the pressure.
Leonard’s once-suffocating blitz of attacks seemed to slow down in his Perception, their trajectories becoming clear and discernible.
He went from being completely suppressed to being able to steadily block his opponent’s fierce blows, even managing to occasionally slip in a swift and precise counter-attack between parries.
Although he still hadn’t broken through Leonard’s defense, the battle was no longer a one-sided steamrolling.
They were evenly matched.
Feeling a subtle yet resilient warm current welling up within him, Roland’s lips curved into a slight smile.
’Just as I expected... only in the heat of battle can the Giant Dragon Bloodline integrate with my body more quickly...’
In contrast to Roland’s growing excitement, the astonishment and doubt in Leonard’s eyes deepened.
He could clearly feel that the young man before him was experiencing an insane, visible surge in Power, speed, and even physical endurance.
This was far from normal.
He tried to ramp up his offense again, launching a cunning and stealthy jab silently toward Roland’s ribs.
But this time, Roland’s reaction was faster.
With a flick of his wrist, he brought his pommel down with precision, cleverly knocking aside the insidious strike.
At the same time, the surging Power within him, now like boiling Magma, flowed freely through his entire body, bringing with it an unprecedented sense of might.
An innate combat instinct, deeply rooted in his bloodline, fully awakened and seamlessly merged with his will.
He was no longer just blocking and dodging.
His Sword Momentum suddenly became broad and powerful, each swing as heavy as a mountain, forcing Leonard to devote more focus to defense.
He had the upper hand.
Roland felt the majestic Power flowing through him without hindrance, as if an extension of his own limbs, and it was as if every cell in his body was cheering in exultation.
An unprecedented feeling of exhilaration washed over him, making him want to let out a long roar.
Gilded, vertical pupils flashed for a moment in his eyes, coldly locking onto his opponent, who for the first time showed a look of horror.
"The warm-up... is over."
Having carefully gauged Leonard’s strength, Roland spoke calmly and dismissed the Shadow Veil he had been diverting his focus to maintain.
The next moment...
An invisible yet immense pressure exploded outward from him.
It was as if a dormant volcano had violently erupted, or an ancient beast had suddenly opened its cold eyes.
Leonard, bearing the brunt of it, felt his pupils shrink to dangerous pinpricks. The placid calm he had maintained was finally shattered, replaced by a look of near-incredulous horror.
In his Perception, what was happening before his eyes completely overturned his understanding of the world.
A second ago, Roland’s aura was like a raging but predictable river. Although it had been growing stronger through that bizarre enhancement, it was still within the realm of an Extraordinary. Leonard had been confident he could still suppress him.
But in the next second, that river had instantly transformed into a boundless, bottomless ocean.
It was no longer an increase in "quantity," but a complete leap in "quality."
A heavy, ancient, and soul-shakingly majestic aura washed over him, so oppressive that the very air seemed to freeze.
The aura contained an unimaginable Power—violent yet sublime—that instantly made the battle-hardened Knight’s scalp tingle and sent an instinctual chill up his spine.
’This... This isn’t an aura an Extraordinary should possess!’
’This is... Transcendent!’
"You... You’ve been hiding your strength all this time?"
Staring at the young man’s face, Leonard’s voice was raspy and trembling, a fact he himself hadn’t even noticed.
But Roland didn’t answer his question.
BOOM!
Gravel flew as the ground beneath his feet exploded.
The speed at which his figure shot forward far surpassed any of his previous movements.
The Longsword tore through the air, no longer with a sharp whistle or a whine, but with a low roar like that of a dragon—a sound deep enough to shake the soul—as it chopped down with the purest, most domineering Power.
Leonard’s pupils contracted violently, his sense of crisis stronger than ever before.
He let out a furious roar, pouring all his Power into his arms and crossing them in front of him to block.
BOOM!
The deafening crash sounded as if it would rupture everyone’s eardrums!
A terrifying shockwave spread out in a ring, completely overturning the ground within a dozen-meter radius and pulverizing it to dust.
Dust and smoke billowed into the sky like a tsunami.
For the first time, Leonard’s mountain-steady body was sent flying backward, slammed off his feet by an irresistible force.
His Dark Metal-plated boots carved two deep trenches into the shattered ground, kicking up a trail of dust.
He barely managed to stabilize himself, a piercing pain and complete numbness radiating from his Arm Armor-covered arms.
Across the chest of his Heavy Armor, which was strong enough to withstand Arrows and slashes, a frighteningly deep, dented sword mark was visible. Fine cracks had even begun to appear along its edges.
He snapped his head up, staring at the figure in the dust cloud, who was radiating a searing heat, as if wreathed in tangible flames.
His mind, once as still as an old well, was finally crushed, turning into a tidal wave of disbelief.
As for Roland, he was relishing the feeling of the Giant Dragon Bloodline boiling within him, now almost perfectly integrated. He took a deep, satisfying breath, and then...
He began to Charge again.
The rest of the fight degenerated into a complete one-sided rout.
Roland’s figure was like a hurricane. Every strike contained immense force, forcing Leonard to retreat again and again.
The instructor’s defenses had long since been shattered.
His once-indestructible Heavy Armor was now covered in deep slash marks and grotesque dents, as if it had been repeatedly clawed by a giant beast.
He could only rely on his rich combat instincts and superhuman physique to barely hold on.
His arms were completely numb. Every block was accompanied by the groaning of his overburdened bones. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his stubble, and his once-steady gaze had long been replaced by incredulous horror and physical agony.
His prideful Power and impenetrable defense had become a pathetic joke in the face of Roland’s increasingly berserk and seemingly endless brute force.
Roland, meanwhile, was completely immersed in the absolute ecstasy of perfectly controlling his Power.
Seeing Leonard stumble and expose a massive opening, he raised his Secret Silver Longsword high, gathering a terrifying Power sufficient to cleave mountains.
The next blow would end the fight for good.
However, just as this Thunderbolt strike was about to be unleashed...
WHOOSH!
An extremely sharp sound of something tearing through the air abruptly cut through the din of the battlefield and drilled into Roland’s ears.
His attack came to a sudden halt. His keen Perception made him instinctively glance toward the sound.
He saw a human figure, like a ragdoll thrown with great force, cutting through the billowing dust at an astonishing speed.
It was flying straight and fast toward his battle area.
