Chapter 10
Lucas had returned to the city and spent another month completing D-rank and small C-rank missions.
His completion rate increased significantly, earning him a wealth of merit points and allowing him to rank up to 4-Star.
With this promotion, he was now eligible to take on B-rank missions.
However, his mind was preoccupied with something far more pressing—the imminent Mana Beast attack.
At first, Lucas considered taking a mission and leaving the city, a logical and safe plan.
But after much thought, he realized that staying behind was the better choice.
He needed access to the city's research labs and, more importantly, an opportunity to steal the Artificial Experiments for creating Mana Beasts.
He wasn't entirely sure when the attack would occur, but he could feel the time drawing near.
Currently, Lucas was in the forest, in the middle of completing a B-rank mission—eliminating a group of missing cultivators who had defected from the Hidden City of Mist.
The battlefield was a mess of shattered trees and churned-up earth.
The air carried the scent of damp wood and scorched leaves, a testament to the sheer power unleashed by their battle.
Lucas and his opponent stood amidst the destruction, their weapons raised, eyes locked.
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
Steel met steel in a rapid succession of strikes, sparks flying as Lucas's katana clashed against the water warrior's kunai.
Each attack was precise, each movement honed to deadly efficiency.
Their weapons blurred, the sheer speed of their exchange leaving afterimages in their wake.
[Water Spell: Dragon Roar]
The warrior's hands moved swiftly, forming intricate seals.
Mana surged, and from thin air, a colossal dragon of water materialized, its roar splitting the sky.
With a deafening crash, it surged forward, the force of its presence splitting the ground and uprooting trees.
Lucas narrowed his eyes.
With a swift movement, he leaped from tree to tree, barely avoiding the tidal wave of destruction left in the dragon's wake.
As he landed on solid ground, he whispered an incantation under his breath.
[Mana Spell: Slasher]
A crescent arc of pure mana shot forth from his blade, cutting through the air like a razor.
It collided with the dragon, triggering a massive explosion.
Shockwaves erupted outward, sending violent gusts that tore apart trees, cracked the earth, and sent debris flying.
Before Lucas could fully recover, his opponent was upon him.
The cultivator's kunai slashed toward his throat.
Lucas barely managed to duck, countering with an upward slice that forced his foe to twist mid-air to evade.
Seeing an opening, Lucas drove a powerful knee into the cultivator's ribs, sending him skidding across the battlefield.
[Water Spell: Aqua Barrage]
The person's recovered, gritting his teeth. With a flick of his wrist, dozens of water bullets materialized, launching toward Lucas with lethal precision.
[Mana Spell: Phantom]
Lucas shimmered before vanishing entirely.
The bullets tore through empty air.
Lucas vanished in a blur, reappearing behind his opponent in the next instant, his katana slicing through the air in a deadly arc toward the elite's back.
With barely a moment to react, the Elite twisted, raising his kunai just in time to meet the strike.
The clash of steel sent violent shudders through their arms, the sheer force nearly knocking the smaller blade from his grip.
Undeterred, Lucas pressed forward, his katana a streak of silver in the dim light.
The man responded in kind, his kunai weaving through the gaps in Lucas's offense, aiming for precise counters.
Their movements became a whirlwind slashes, parries, feints, and ripostes exchanged in rapid succession.
Sparks ignited where their weapons met, their footwork a deadly dance as they sought the single, fatal opening.
Each strike was measured, calculated to end the fight in an instant.
Yet neither yielded.
Lucas feinted a slash, stepping in close and driving an elbow into the man's gut.
The man coughed but retaliated instantly, hooking a punch into Lucas's ribs before twisting and throwing him backward.
[Water Spell: Frozen Wall]
A thick wall of ice erupted between them. Lucas didn't hesitate, dashing sideways to reposition himself.
[Water Spell: Riptide Surge]
The man slammed his palm into the ground, summoning a swirling vortex beneath Lucas's feet.
The sheer force cracked the earth, dragging him toward its center.
[Mana Spell: Flash Step]
In an instant, Lucas blurred out of the vortex's grasp, appearing inches from his opponent's face.
He delivered a spinning kick, catching the person on the jaw and sending him flying.
However, the person flipped mid-air, landing in a crouch.
[Water Spell: Ocean Veil]
A dome of water formed around him, creating an impenetrable barrier as Lucas thrust forward.
[Mana Spell: Searing Lance]
A burning spear of mana formed in Lucas's grip, glowing white-hot before he hurled it forward.
It struck the water dome, detonating on impact. Steam erupted violently, shrouding the battlefield in thick mist.
The ground hissed as molten rock bubbled from the sheer force of the explosion.
Through the haze, Lucas sensed movement.
He raised his blade just in time to parry a vicious downward strike.
The person had closed the distance, their blades locked in an intense struggle.
Muscles strained, sweat dripped, and breaths came ragged.
With a sudden surge of strength, Lucas broke the deadlock, slamming his forehead into the man's face.
Blood sprayed as the person staggered back.
He retaliated instantly, driving a knee into Lucas's ribs and following up with a spinning backhand.
Lucas blocked, countering with a vicious upward slash that forced the guy to retreat.
[Mana Spell: Astral Chains]
Glowing chains shot forward, wrapping around the guy's limbs, restricting his movements, and disrupting his mana flow.
[Ice Spell: Glacier Lance]
With sheer willpower, the guy summoned a massive ice spear overhead and sent it plummeting toward Lucas.
[Mana Spell: Mana Disruption]
Lucas pulsed a wave of energy, distorting the spear's trajectory. The Glacier Lance wavered before shattering into frozen shards.
[Water Spell: Serpent's Coil]
A massive serpent formed from water, its jaws wide as it lunged at Lucas.
[Mana Spell: Arc Cleave]
Lucas swung his katana, a crescent of energy splitting the serpent apart, the remnants crashing in a cascade of water.
The impact carved deep trenches into the battlefield.
The guy lunged once more.
Their weapons clashed in a deadly rhythm, slashes and counters blending into a frenzied exchange.
Lucas suddenly ducked low, sweeping his legs out.
As the guy fell, Lucas delivered a brutal downward slash.
His opponent barely managed to roll away, avoiding being cleaved in two.
[Water Spell: Tidal Fury]
Water surged beneath his feet, launching him high into the air.
Two tendrils lashed out, scarring the battlefield as they sought Lucas.
[Mana Spell: Shadow Mirage]
Lucas split into multiple afterimages. The tendrils struck only illusions, allowing the real Lucas to reappear inches from his opponent's chest.
A final exchange of brutal punches and kicks followed, their movements honed to perfection.
The guy managed to land a sharp jab, but Lucas twisted, catching his wrist and flipping him over his shoulder.
The guy crashed into the ground, rolling to regain his stance.
Now, both fighters stood amid the battlefield's ruins, panting, eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
The ground was shattered, trees reduced to splinters, steam and debris clouding the air.