novelnext Chapter 103 Guardians 10
Chapter 103 Guardians 10
Their first attacks hit with so much force that trees went flying. The ground split open where Vell's weapon struck the leader's chains, and bright flashes lit up the dark forest.
"That's quite a weapon," the leader said, pulling his chains back. "But it can't keep eating up energy forever."
"Want to find out?" Vell kept grinning.
The leader shot three chains at him from different sides. Vell's weapon changed shape, splitting apart to block each chain. The weapon glowed brighter with each hit, soaking up the power.
"My turn now." He fired back all that stored energy in one blast. It should have torn through anything in its path. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire
But the leader's mask glinted as the attack disappeared into nothing. "Looks like we both know how to steal power."
'This might actually be fun,' he thought.
[Master, we're pushing the first limiter too hard.]
'That's the idea.'
The forest around them was ruined now. The ground had turned to crystal that kept breaking and reforming. Jolly tried to watch them fight but they moved so fast she could barely see them anymore.
Chains burst from the ground like snakes trying to bite Vell. He dodged between them, moving smooth and quick, but each dodge seemed to be taking him exactly where the leader wanted.
"I've seen this trick before," he said as he spotted the trap forming. The chains made a big cage of light all around him, getting smaller by the second.
The leader's mask cracked more, showing a bit of his real face. "Since you are alive, it means you haven't seen it done right."
The trap closed in with crushing force. Everything went quiet.
Then Vell started laughing.
His laugh echoed through the barrier. The leader's eye got big as cracks spread through his perfect cage. "That's not possible. This trap could hold-"
"Hold what?" He wasn't playing anymore. "Some god? Some demon? Think bigger."
They moved at the same time. This time when they clashed, reality itself seemed to protest. The crystal walls shattered and reformed over and over, trying to contain their power. The ground couldn't decide if it wanted to be solid or liquid.
Jolly watched from behind her cover, heart pounding. She'd seen Vell fight before, but never like this. He wasn't just strong - he was enjoying himself.
The leader's chains whipped through the air faster than eyes could follow, each strike aimed to kill. But Vell met every attack, his weapon changing shape to match whatever came at him. Sometimes it was a staff, sometimes a sword, sometimes things that didn't have names.
"You adapted to my power drain," the leader said between strikes. "Not many can do that."
"You figured out how to counter my absorption as well," he replied, launching an attack that split into dozens of smaller strikes. "Not many can do that either."
The leader's chains formed a shield, blocking most of the hits. But some got through, leaving small cuts on his face. He touched one, looking at the blood like he couldn't quite believe it.
"Been a while since someone made you bleed?" He asked.
The leader's eyes narrowed. "Longer than you can imagine." All his chains started glowing brighter. "I suppose I should take this more seriously."
The air got even heavier. Jolly found herself gasping for breath despite being so far from the fight. The crystal walls grew thicker, trying to protect everything outside from what was about to happen.
"Last chance to send the girl away," the leader said.
"She stays." His voice left no room for argument. "She needs to see this."
The leader studied him for a moment. "You're training her."
"Something like that."
"Then let's make this educational." The leader raised his hands and his chains shot straight up into the sky. They spread out like a web above them, each link blazing with power. "Lesson one: true strength isn't about how much power you have."
Vell smiled as his codex started glowing brighter. "It's about how well you use it."
The leader nodded. "Exactly."
Then they both moved, and the real fight began.