Return Of The Strongest Player

Chapter 169 Black Lance: Difference Between Spirit And Aura

A banging sound marked the initiation of the final battle.

Arthur practically flew across the battlefield, desperate to unleash his wrath–his true power–upon Gabriel and Feyright. No matter how powerful they were, it didn't change the fact that they were merely on their last legs.

They would eventually perish, even if Arthur simply left them alone.

'But they're the perfect test subjects for my new abilities,' thought the crimson-eyed man as Skofnung collided with Gabriel's black lance, causing crimson sparks to bounce off from the impact.

The blade of his sword slides off the black lance. Gabriel took the opportunity to thrust his spear forward, but Arthur simply sidestepped before recovering his stance. Gabriel clicked his tongue, motioning for Feyright to make a move.

But the latter was two steps ahead.

With a quick slash, golden light flooded from Feyright's mana-crafted sword. Arthur was blinded for a split second before immediately deploying [Mana Sense], preserving his eyesight while heightening his senses further.

"Your achievement is not without sufficient power to back it up," Feyright commented, retracting his light sword. While Gabriel and Arthur exchanged blows rapidly, the head of the Lijkao Village simply withdrew.

Arthur didn't respond. He continued to trade blows with Gabriel, which caused the air around them to distort. Both of them gritted their teeth, focusing solely on the trade-off with not another distraction in sight or mind.

Feyright placed his thumb under his chin, narrowing his eyes as he observed Arthur's combat style. It was quite abstract. Usually, players pursued either of the two paths, but in Arthur's case, it was vastly different.

'He has a glaring talent for magic… then why is he pursuing swordsmanship?' Feyright wondered.

Arthur suddenly reached for Gabriel's sleeve, preparing to unleash [Judgment Regeneration]. However, the latter summoned a tiny barrier, obstructing the former's advance before generating a tremendous pushing force.

Arthur stumbled but managed to maintain his balance using [Ethereal Glide].

'Fuck…' the crimson-eyed man muttered internally as he unintentionally stared at the tip of the black lance, which seemed to approach his eyes at a speed he could not even comprehend. When had he lost focus?

How could Gabriel be so powerful on his last breaths?

Arthur circulated mana across his body, savoring the cool sensation as the liquid-like energy traveled without obstructions. Within milliseconds, Arthur contemplated whether to deploy a barrier or invest in movement.

Eventually, he simply used [Mana Infusion] on Skofnung, swinging it horizontally to disrupt the black lance's trajectory. Then, with a calculated risk, he closed the gap between him and Gabriel, extending his bare hand.

"Pay attention to his hands, Gabriel," said Feyright vigilantly, his pupils completely dilated.

Gabriel nodded silently, summoning a powerful gust of wind in order to conjure momentum. Then, using it, Gabriel propelled himself to the side, avoiding Arthur's touch by a hair's breadth.

'He realized…' Arthur cursed at himself for being so glaringly obvious about his tactic. Gabriel probably hadn't realized due to his sheer concentration on the battle, but Feyright was simply observing.

His only job–currently–was to observe the battle.

It'd only be unusual if he didn't notice something amiss about Arthur's fighting style.

Moreover, the title 'Blood-Hand Feyright' was not worthless.

Red, orange, and black aura burst from Skofnung, embracing the sword and the hand that clutched it. Gabriel and Feyright raised their eyebrows, utterly stupefied by the fact that a player on the First Floor was harnessing such a power.

'That's not Sword Aura…' Feyright muttered internally, letting out an unintentional laugh of bewilderment. His eyes displayed a certain kind of craziness, while his fingers trembled in excitement.

Arthur was powerful; incredibly so.

He liked powerful people.

With Sword Spirit coating Skofnung, Arthur thrust the Demonic Blade forward, splitting the air in front. With his eyes focused on his enemy and with an emotionless expression, Arthur tightened all his muscles.

With the addition of Death Bones to his constitution, he needed not to be so cautious when engaging in battle. Even if he were injured, the injuries would not cause substantial damage. At least, not if the injury was caused by a dying man.

Then again, [Judgment Regeneration] would require a higher amount of mana to heal his 'stronger' body.

All things came at a cost.

There was no free lunch.

Gabriel smirked, unleashing dark energy that oozed from his black lance. It seemed to camouflage with the metal, masking the sheer intensity at which it sizzled. It was like black lava–hot.

'The real Sword Aura,' commented Arthur internally, clicking his tongue. A single strike would render him dead, and a single touch would slice his skin to bits. 'The old man hasn't completely lost his touch.'

Skofnung was easily parried by Gabriel's dark Sword Aura, its tip piercing the soil beneath.

Arthur twirled his body, balancing on his sword to avoid Gabriel's strike, which came in succession. The crimson-eyed man extended his leg, catching the latter off-guard by digging his foot into his sternum.

Gabriel was stunned and gasped for air. His grip on the black lance loosened, and Arthur took advantage.

Klang! Thud!

As the lance collided with the ground, Arthur thrust Skofnung forward. The logical choice in such a situation would have been to use the Blessing of the Sun, as he could pull off a ranged attack without much time in preparation.

However, the fusion was still not complete.

With a stronger constitution, he could attempt again. But as of yet, he was still unable to display the entirety of his power.

Gabriel's pupils dilated, and his irises narrowed. He suppressed a scream, watching as the tip of the Demonic Blade approached his general direction at terrifying speeds. He was powerless to resist.

Arthur's fair face suddenly seemed to resemble that of a devil, with a demented smile and sadistic, crimson eyes.

All sounds were drowned out by the sheer adrenaline that coursed across Gabriel's veins.

Fear corroded his body, and the threat of death approached.

Although he'd succumbed to it long ago, it was as if the fear had been reignited.

He shut his eyes.

But at that moment…

Boom!