Chapter 185: Footwork Perfection
For this attack, the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat pushed its speed to the absolute limit.
Before the afterimage it left in its place could fade, its pouncing claws were already upon Duane.
Duane raised his Shield to block, simultaneously pushing off with his foot to leap back and to the side.
Sure enough, this swift dodge allowed him to evade the attack from its other claw.
’How could I fall for the same attack twice!’
A slight smile touched Duane’s lips, and his fighting spirit surged.
He had been in the Hot Spring Mountain Range for a while now, and although his battles tended to drag on, that was only because he was trying to grind his Skill Levels.
If he had gone for the kill from the outset, each battle would have been over in an instant.
After all, his combat prowess was overwhelming for Level 2 and Level 3 Demon Beasts; his Body Skill and powerful Sword Skill were enough to dominate them completely.
But this Ash-tailed Mountain Cat was different. Its speed, Strength, and hunting experience were all exceptionally high, making it an opponent that could push Duane to his limits.
Its strike having missed, the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat’s fury soared. It pounced again, closing the distance to Duane in the blink of an eye.
WHOOSH!
Duane shot forward in near-perfect sync, his body almost scraping the ground as he slid directly underneath the pouncing Mountain Cat.
’I’ll aim for your belly. Let’s see you dodge this.’
He swung the Big Ring Saber upward, concentrating all his power into its sharp tip, intending to slice open the Mountain Cat’s soft underbelly.
Just when he thought the beast had no way to evade, the Mountain Cat impossibly twisted its body in mid-air and swiped a claw at him.
CLANG!
The Big Ring Saber once again crashed against the thick paw, ringing out with the sound of metal on metal.
In that instant, the Mountain Cat’s long tail whipped around, transforming into a Flame Whip several meters long.
The Flame Whip struck viciously, and the distorted heat waves radiating from it were a clear sign of its incredibly high temperature.
"My Lord, be careful!" Kaelon’s anxious voice cried out.
Simone had never mentioned this move, so naturally, neither of them knew about it.
Duane channeled his Fighting Qi into his Shield, activating the Shield of Defense Combat Technique.
BOOM!
The Flame Whip lashed against the Shield, instantly shattering the Fighting Qi defense.
The immense force made Duane’s arm go numb, and he used the momentum of the impact to retreat dozens of meters.
The Ash-tailed Mountain Cat was somewhat surprised. It hadn’t expected its prey to emerge unscathed after it had used such a move.
It let out a low roar and, at the very moment Duane landed, pounced again.
"Hmph!"
Duane activated Swift Step, making him appear as if he were blessed by the wind—light and incredibly fast.
With a flash of movement, he erupted with a burst of speed that was actually faster than the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat’s.
"Slash!"
The instant the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat missed its pounce, he appeared at its side and brought his Big Ring Saber down in a fierce slash.
The Fighting Qi Slash formed a wide arc of Sword Qi that exploded against the Mountain Cat’s hide.
It was a direct hit!
The Ash-tailed Mountain Cat shrieked. Its legs gave out, and its body sagged as if it had suddenly shrunk.
The heavy, powerful blow had injured it.
CRACK!
Its Flame Whip cracked viciously against Duane’s body. The searing heat brought an intense burning sensation as the force of the blow sent him flying.
As he was about to crash into a thicket, Duane swung his blade. A sweep of Fighting Qi obliterated the bushes entirely.
’This Mountain Cat... it had that whip attack ready even as it was pouncing!’
’Good thing I reinforced my body with Fighting Qi and had my Soft Armor on, or I would’ve been injured.’
Duane landed steadily on his feet. With a burst of Fighting Qi, he took the initiative and lunged at the beast.
’But my previous Fighting Qi Slash tore up the fur on its back. The advantage is mine!’
’My Swift Step Combat Technique Skill Level has already reached Mastery (382/400). This is the perfect opportunity to push it to Perfection!’
The more life-or-death battles one fought against powerful opponents, the faster one’s Skill Level would increase.
Duane’s Body Skill grew increasingly unpredictable, and he landed a slash on the beast every now and then.
The Ash-tailed Mountain Cat flew into a rage, charging left and right with no intention of backing down.
The man and the beast engaged in a fierce exchange of attacks and defenses on the hilltop.
They went back and forth, locked in combat for a full five or six minutes.
The webbing of Duane’s hand had been split open by the immense force, and his body had taken a few more lashes, but his injuries were not serious.
In contrast, the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat’s once-lustrous fur was a mess. It now looked more like a giant, mangy cat.
Five or six deep gashes now marked its body. As it moved, the airflow smeared the blood across most of its torso.
[Congratulations, Swift Step Skill Level has reached Perfection]
[+0.5 attribute points]
The corners of Duane’s mouth lifted. ’Finally, Perfection.’
The Ash-tailed Mountain Cat saw the human before it smiling and let out a furious growl.
Its injuries only served to further ignite its ferocity.
As the Mountain Cat let out a low roar, a flowing, fiery light began to gather in its mouth.
’Is that like the Flaming Giant Snake’s Fire Mist Technique?’
Duane braced himself, gathering his power for his strongest attack.
SWOOSH!
The massive Ash-tailed Mountain Cat pushed off with its feet, leaping an incredible twenty or thirty meters to land right in front of Duane.
Duane used Swift Step to dodge nimbly.
’Perfection Level Swift Step makes me even faster.’
’But that’s not all. I can even feel the airflow parting around my body, and my Insight seems to have been enhanced too!’
Duane could keenly feel every change in his opponent’s movements and the surrounding environment, all of it falling clearly within his Perception.
Such terrifying Perception raised his Body Skill to the Micro Level.
From that point on, no matter how the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat attacked, it couldn’t even touch Duane, let alone inflict any physical damage.
"My Lord’s speed... it’s gotten even faster!"
Kaelon exclaimed in amazement.
He could sense that his Lord had improved in several ways over the course of a single battle.
He was finally beginning to understand how the Baron had become an Earth Tier Warrior in less than a year.
This was true talent.
Meanwhile, the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat, being kited by Duane, grew enraged.
After charging its power for what felt like an eternity, it opened its blood-red maw, and a ferocious torrent of flames blotted out the sky!
This was its ultimate move. It was rarely used, but every time it was, it claimed the life of its prey.
This was the source of its confidence, the reason it hadn’t retreated despite its injuries.
Duane’s body was bathed in the red glow of the fire.
The wall of flame rushing toward him was as shocking as a river bursting through a dam.
A person seemed so insignificant before such a massive attack.
But in this Extraordinary World, the power a human could unleash was not to be underestimated.
"Sword Rain Storm!"
Duane let out a low shout and swung his Big Ring Saber upward in a furious slash.
Dozens of arcs of Sword Qi not only shattered the overwhelming inferno but also swept up the fire, forming dozens of flaming tornadoes that surged toward the mid-air Ash-tailed Mountain Cat.
The pupils of the Demon Beast, which had dominated the Hot Spring Mountain Range for years, constricted. For the first time, a trace of fear appeared in its icy gaze.
It tried to dodge, but the Sword Rain Storm was too fast, and it even seemed to have a degree of fine control.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Every arc of Sword Qi struck the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat, and the swirling flames engulfed it completely.
Duane heard the Mountain Cat shriek in agony, but the sound quickly died out.
When the Sword Qi and flames finally dissipated, the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat was collapsed on the ground.
The blood flowing from its wounds was charred black, emitting a foul odor.
"It’s over!"
Duane cautiously approached the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat. He saw it was still breathing, its icy gaze locked on him.
’I was thinking about whether I could subdue it and take it as a mount, but it looks like that’s not necessary anymore.’
This kind of Demon Beast was too dangerous and fiercely wild. Trying to tame it through domestication was practically impossible.
Unless one had a Contract Scroll.
But such items were priceless, with no market to buy them from; they were impossible to obtain.
Duane raised his blade and slit the Mountain Cat’s throat, finishing it off.
"My Lord, you’re incredibly strong!"
Kaelon walked over. "Your Body Skill, Strength, attack power... your abilities have completely surpassed mine!"
Duane smiled faintly. "Then you’d better work hard. Don’t fall too far behind."
Kaelon scratched his head. "Well... I’ll do my best."
In the face of a genius, an ordinary person couldn’t possibly keep up. It was impossible even to prevent the gap from widening.
Duane took a deep breath and gave an order, "Help me find the Demon Core. It should contain an Advanced-level Magic."
That overwhelming torrent of flame just now was clearly not the Level 2 Fire Magic Fire Mist Technique; it must have been something more advanced.
Duane was now a Mage, so naturally, he wanted to collect more Spell Models.
"Also, it’s a Level 5 Demon Beast, and a Fire Attribute one at that. We can’t let the meat go to waste. It’ll be a pain, but we have to haul it back."
Kaelon was already prying at the Ash-tailed Mountain Cat’s skull, searching for the Demon Core.
"Leave a small task like this to me! You don’t need to worry about it, my Lord!"