The Smiling Death

Amon exploded forward the instant Luke finished blocking the fifth shadow slash.

The ground cracked beneath his feet as he accelerated.

For someone who had only recently reached the Master Rank, his speed was astonishing.

Even Luke’s eyes narrowed in surprise.

’He’s still fast...’

In terms of raw speed alone, Amon was already approaching the level of a Master Ascendant.

Luke didn’t hesitate.

With a powerful roar, he swung one of his blazing battle axes downward.

The weapon tore through the air, leaving behind a trail of scorching flames.

CLANG!

Amon met it head-on.

His shadow-coated sword intercepted the attack, but the tremendous force surged through his arms like a tidal wave.

His muscles tensed.

The ground beneath his boots split apart as he was forced half a step backward.

’His physical strength... It’s monstrous.’

Before Luke could press his advantage.

A flash of golden light appeared beside Amon.

She was Seraphina.

She swung her radiant sword in a sweeping arc toward Luke’s ribs.

Luke immediately twisted his body and blocked her strike with his second battle axe.

Clang!

The impact scattered golden sparks across the battlefield.

Amon seized the opening.

His hatchet flashed toward Luke’s neck.

Luke leaned backward just enough to avoid the blade before launching a brutal counterattack.

The battle erupted once again.

Clang!

Clang!

BOOM!

The forest echoed with the relentless collision of weapons.

Orange flames...

Golden light...

Pitch-black darkness...

The three different energies intertwined as explosions erupted with nearly every exchange.

Amon and Seraphina fought with remarkable coordination.

Whenever Amon attacked, Seraphina covered his blind spots.

The moment Luke shifted his attention toward her, Amon struck from another angle.

Sometimes they attacked in perfect unison, forcing Luke to defend from two directions simultaneously.

Their teamwork was nearly flawless.

Unfortunately Luke was simply stronger. His movements were sharper. His reactions were faster.

His experience vastly exceeded theirs.

He calmly defended against one attack after another while looking for openings.

Then he found one.

Slash!

One flaming axe slipped past Seraphina’s defense.

The burning blade sliced across her upper arm.

A long cut instantly opened as flames scorched the surrounding flesh.

"Hnn...!"

Seraphina gritted her teeth but refused to cry out.

Instead of retreating, she immediately counterattacked.

Luke smirked. "So stubborn."

He suddenly pivoted. His second axe swept toward Amon.

Slash!

Amon narrowly twisted his body.

The strike missed his vital organs but still carved a deep wound across his abdomen.

Fresh blood stained his black clothing.

Even so neither of them slowed down.

Pain no longer mattered.

Only victory.

Luke laughed loudly.

"Good! That’s the spirit!"

He suddenly vanished from where he stood.

Appearing directly before Seraphina, he sidestepped Amon’s sword with frightening precision.

Before Seraphina could react.

BOOM!

Luke’s boot slammed into her stomach. The force was overwhelming.

Her eyes widened. The kick launched her several meters through the air.

Crash!

She crashed violently into a thick tree trunk.

The entire tree shook from the impact as leaves rained down around her.

"Cough!"

Blood escaped the corner of her lips.

"Amon!"

Luke immediately turned toward him.

Amon’s sword swept horizontally toward Luke’s waist.

This time Luke decided to go all out. He should kill them first before running away.

Mana surged explosively through both of his arms.

Every muscle in his body bulged.

With a furious roar, he swung both battle axes simultaneously.

CLAAAAANG!!

The collision produced a deafening explosion.

The overwhelming force completely overpowered Amon.

His sword arm trembled violently.

Unable to resist the pressure, he was thrown backward, his boots carving two long trenches through the ground as he slid several meters away.

Luke didn’t give him time to recover.

He raised one battle axe.

A fiery magic circle instantly began forming before its blade.

But a brilliant streak of golden light shot toward him from the side.

Seraphina had already recovered.

Despite the pain from the earlier kick, she charged once more.

Her body became a golden blur.

For a brief moment, it looked as though only a thin line of light was racing across the battlefield.

Luke’s eyes sharpened.

Seraphina thrust her sword.

Then again. And again. And again.

Her blade moved with incredible precision.

Every thrust released a razor-sharp golden projectile that shot toward Luke like a rain of spears.

Swish!

Swish!

Swish!

Dozens of golden streaks filled the battlefield.

Luke roared.

"Not enough!"

His twin battle axes spun with terrifying speed.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Every incoming projectile was shattered by his blazing weapons before it could reach him.

The surrounding forest lit up with bursts of golden light and roaring flames.

Despite Seraphina’s relentless assault...

Luke continued advancing.

Step by step.

His overwhelming strength steadily crushed both Amon and Seraphina.

However, there was one crucial difference.

Amon and Seraphina had no intention of defeating Luke by themselves.

Their true objective was far simpler.

They were buying time.

They only needed to keep the bandit leader occupied until Marcus, Aisha, and Eliana finished eliminating the remaining enemies.

Once all five of them could focus on Luke together, the battle would shift in their favor.

Amon breathed heavily as he exchanged blows with Luke.

Sweat rolled down his forehead.

Something felt wrong.

The air around Luke was becoming hotter with every passing second.

The flames coating his battle axes weren’t merely for offense—they continuously released heat into the surroundings.

The battlefield itself was slowly turning into Luke’s advantage.

’The temperature is rising...’

Amon narrowed his eyes.

’He’s trying to exhaust us. It must be his ability to increase temperature in surrounding.’

Luke grinned as though he had read his thoughts.

"Feeling the heat?"

He suddenly accelerated. His flaming axe blurred through the air.

Slash!

"Hgh!"

Amon barely managed to pull his arm back.

Even then, the edge of the axe carved across his wrist.

But didn’t blood splashed into the air. But if had he reacted a fraction of a second slower.

His hand would have been severed completely.

Before Amon could recover.

Boom!

Luke’s boot crashed into his chest. The tremendous force sent Amon skidding several meters backward.

"Cough!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Luke laughed.

"Too slow."

But the smile on his face vanished almost immediately.

Without him noticing. A small fragment of Amon’s shadow had detached from his body during the exchange.

It silently slipped beneath Luke’s feet. Like a living creature, the shadow rapidly climbed upward.

It wrapped around his ankles. Then his calves, his thighs and his waist...

"What the hell...?!"

Luke looked down in shock. The darkness continued spreading across his body.

He violently stomped his feet against the ground.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The earth cracked beneath every stomp. Yet the shadow refused to let go.

It continued crawling higher. Across his chest, over his shoulders. Until it finally reached his face.

The living darkness covered both of his eyes.

"My vision...!"

For the first time since the battle began. Luke lost sight of his surroundings.

Seraphina’s eyes flashed.

"Now!"

Golden magic circles appeared beneath Luke’s feet.

Boom!

Chains forged from radiant light burst from the ground.

They coiled around both of his legs, wrapped around his arms, and locked themselves tightly in place.

Luke struggled violently. The chains didn’t merely restrain him.

They radiated intense holy mana.

"ARGHHH!!"

Smoke rose from Luke’s skin.

The chains burned like molten metal, scorching his flesh wherever they touched.

The smell of burnt skin spread across the battlefield.

Seraphina gritted her teeth, pouring more mana into it to keep him restrained.

At that exact moment, Amon raised one hand.

Dark mana condensed before his palm.

A dense sphere of black smoke slowly formed, swallowing even the surrounding moonlight.

"[Grave of Eternal Night.]"

The sphere shot forward.

Boom!

It struck Luke squarely in the chest before exploding into thick black mist.

The smoke instantly engulfed his entire body.

The spell wasn’t meant to kill. It trapped the victim within illusions, confusing their senses and disrupting their perception.

Against enemies of equal or lower strength. The illusion could last much longer.

Against someone as powerful as Luke...

Amon only expected it to buy a few precious seconds.

"..."

"..."

Silence.

Luke didn’t move.

For one, two and then three seconds...

Amon frowned.

’He’s resisting it...’

Then—

"RAAAAGHHHH!!"

An earth-shaking roar exploded from inside the black mist.

BOOM!

Luke’s overwhelming mana erupted outward.

The golden chains shattered one after another.

The illusion collapsed under the sheer force of his will.

He tore the remaining chains apart with brute strength before violently rubbing the shadows away from his face.

The darkness dispersed. Luke slowly opened his eyes.

His expression had completely changed. The arrogance was gone.

Only fury remained.

Veins bulged across his forehead as killing intent poured from his body.

"You..."

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Amon and Seraphina.

"I’m going to kill both of you."

Just then, "L-Leader...!"

A weak, trembling voice echoed from behind him.

Luke instinctively turned around.

His eyes widened.

"Mortin!"

The Master Rank swordsman lay collapsed on the ground.

His entire body was covered with deep wounds.

Blood soaked the earth beneath him.

His breathing was shallow.

Luke immediately abandoned Amon and Seraphina, dashing toward his longtime companion.

"Mortin!"

Before he could reach him. Mortin looked up one final time.

His lips moved slightly.

Then the light faded from his eyes. His body went completely still.

Luke froze. For a brief moment. The battlefield fell silent.

Then an overwhelming killing intent erupted from him like a volcano.

"YOU BASTARDS!!"

His furious roar shook the surrounding forest.

Without hesitation, Luke charged straight toward Marcus and Aisha, who stood near Mortin’s lifeless body.

His speed was terrifying. The ground exploded beneath every step.

But before he could reach them.

Swish!

Swish!

Swish!

Several mana-forged arrows tore through the night sky.

Each one flew toward Luke from a different angle with deadly precision.

Eliana had entered the battle once again.