Thud…
With a heavy sound, the upper and lower halves of the One Strike Bear, sliced cleanly in two, hit the ground simultaneously. The blood that flowed out dyed the earth in a deep red, forming a spreading pool of crimson.
And through it all, Fang Li never even looked back, as if he had just done something trivial. He simply swung his sword, flinging the blood from the blade.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
The stench of blood and the death of their kin seemed to provoke the remaining One Strike Bears, sending them into a frenzy. They charged wildly from all directions, front, back, even left and right.
"Quite a crowd." Fang Li glanced calmly at the incoming enemies, then turned toward the stunned Iris.
"Iris, you handle the ones coming from the front. I'll take the rear. As for the ones coming from the sides, just ignore them. When they charge in, we'll deal with them as they come. That'll be fine."
Hearing this, Iris finally snapped out of it.
"…Got it!"
With a spirited reply, Fang Li and Iris turned around at the same time, standing back-to-back as they faced the charging bears.
Then, as if perfectly synchronized, they each stepped forward and launched into action.
The battle didn't last long.
Puchi--!
With another clean slash, the final One Strike Bear fell without even having time to scream, its body sliced in two and blood spurting everywhere as it collapsed.
Looking around, one could see that every One Strike Bear in the area had been taken down, not a single one remained.
Some had been torn apart by fierce sword strikes; others blasted to death by devastating lightning. They lay either drenched in blood or burned into charcoal-black corpses.
"That should be all of them, right?" Fang Li, not even out of breath, sheathed his sword at his waist with a casual motion as he spoke.
At that moment, Iris came running over, hugging her Holy Sword, eyes filled with admiration.
"Amazing!"
Gazing at Fang Li like she was staring at a true Hero, Iris's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"You used nothing but a normal sword and still one-shot a One Strike Bear! Your sword technique is incredible! And that defensive power, you even blocked its strike head-on! What kind of Skill was that?! I saw it sparkling like starlight!"
Right now, Iris had completely lost her previous composure and nobility. Though she still carried an air of elegance, she now acted like a curious, energetic girl, as youthful and genuine as her age would suggest.
Seeing Iris like this, Fang Li smiled. He didn't bother hiding anything.
"That's a power called Prana. It's similar to magic power, but instead, it enhances your physical abilities. Attack strength, defense, explosive force, all of it can be boosted. If you master it, even stamina improves."
As he said this, Fang Li raised one hand,
"It's precisely because I have this kind of power that I can't possess magic power. I can't learn many skills, and even if I do, I can't use them. But even without those skills, it's not a loss. For someone like me who specializes in close-quarters combat, this kind of power is the most suitable weapon."
As Fang Li explained, sparkling starlight like flickering flames began to radiate from his raised hand, surging and swirling gently in the air.
"I can definitely sense the presence of a mysterious power." Iris's eyes were now filled with joy and admiration as she looked at Fang Li.
"As expected, Mister Fang Li is amazing. To possess even this kind of unknown, mysterious power, no wonder not even the Knight Order or the Demon King's Army could do anything to stop you."
"Unfortunately," Fang Li shrugged, "I'm probably better suited to being a thief or an assassin than a knight. After all, my power isn't meant for protecting others, it's a blade meant to eliminate enemies."
However, upon hearing this, Iris shook her head.
"The Royal Family has inherited the powerful bloodline of heroes for generations.
In the Royal Family's history, there have been many individuals with terrifying powers, but even they were revered as heroes. They protected the kingdom. They protected this world."
Iris looked straight into Fang Li's eyes and said clearly:
"Power is just power. What matters is how you choose to use it. Whether it's to protect or to destroy is up to the wielder. Just like you, Mister Fang Li, you wiped out a Demon King Army battalion, but protected the citizens of the Royal Capital. That alone makes you worthy of being called a knight."
After speaking, Iris suddenly looked embarrassed and lowered her head slightly.
"T-These are all words I read in a book… but I think they make a lot of sense." The young princess's heartfelt words made Fang Li chuckle softly.
Then, Fang Li extended a hand, gently patting Iris's head as he said: "You really are a fine princess."
Though she was still young, innocent, and naïve, Fang Li truly felt that Iris was an incredibly charming person, someone worth pledging loyalty to.
With that sentiment, he continued patting her head.
Iris, feeling the warmth of his hand, looked both happy and a little bashful, and said: "It feels like Mister Fang Li is my Ani-sama… You give me piggyback rides, pat my head, and even take me out to have fun."
To Iris, apparently, even subjugating a group of One Strike Bears was considered "having fun."
Or rather, for Iris, the adventurous life she admired might not be much different from playing games.
Fang Li couldn't help but laugh and said: "I don't think I'm fit to be a royal princess's older brother. I'd probably just end up corrupting you."
"T-That's not true at all!"
Iris shook her head vigorously, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
Her voice lowered until it was as quiet as a mosquito:
"But… you're right. I can't let you just be my brother…"
This time, Fang Li heard her clearly.
"Can't let me just be your brother?" he said, half-smiling. "Then what do you want me to be? Your future partner?"
As soon as he said that, Iris's face instantly turned bright red, bang, like an explosion of color.
Then, flustered and panicked, Iris cried out: "A-Alright! Let's go take the next quest!"
And with that, she rushed off in embarrassment.
Watching the small princess flee in a panic, Fang Li once again couldn't help but laugh.
"What a precocious kid…"
Leaving behind that comment, Fang Li followed after Iris, leaving the area behind.
Of course, before leaving, he made sure to harvest the One Strike Bears' innards and pelts,
Those were extremely valuable, high-grade materials, after all.
(End Of This Chapter)
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