Chapter 264: A Contest with the Arrogant

The north wind was bleak. In front of George, the person wielding a weapon said to be a Greatsword, the Twilight Blade, skillfully switched between using one hand and two hands. When holding the sword with both hands, her attack was like a fierce tiger, and the movement of stepping forward was like a tiger leaping out of a ravine.

When holding the sword with one hand, she moved and jumped like a cunning fox, never engaging George head-on. The five fingers of her free left hand moved rapidly like a skilled pianist. Combined with her constantly opening and closing lips and the faintly heard fluctuating sounds, this proved to be an important part of her spellcasting.

If one looked closer, they would know that the person in front of George was a female Elf. Looking fixedly, this woman was wearing a sleeveless, knee-length martial artist’s robe and an open helmet on her head, which could not hide her beautiful and moving curves or her stunningly attractive face.

Perhaps it was to facilitate spellcasting! She was also wearing Dark Leaf Cloth Armor, and her curvaceous figure filled the flexible armor well. Her slightly slender face, together with her smoothly tapered pointed chin, gave people a sense of unique exotic charm.

At the same time, although the sword in her hand was not sharpened, it did not seem to have the usual cushioning parts wrapped around it on the outside. All of this was less of a friendly match and more of a rehearsal before a war.

Initially, George just wanted to learn more about the combat style of the Elf Race’s Twilight Blades. That was why he proposed an exchange to the leader of this group of Elves. After all, the legacy of the Twilight Blade first appeared before the Elven Crown Wars, so it was conceivable that those Black Skins Underground definitely had the legacy too. Even if it was originally cut off due to a great war, this knowledge was still preserved by Lolth of the Elven Pantheon.

Therefore, there was such a threat just from the imminent Dark Elves. Don’t be fooled by how easy it seemed to deal with them last time. Although the vanguard of Dark Elves that came this time could be considered elites, most of them were light infantry and Rogues, traveling light for easy movement.

They were mainly composed of “Cavalry Raiders,” “Punishers,” and “Shadow Cautious” types, along with a few male “Qi Jue” faction members, because their task at the time was to chase the fleeing Dwarves. Capturing Dwarf slaves to replenish the losses from the siege was their main purpose.

As for the strong ones among the Dwarf team, they didn’t seem to plan on fighting hard. Just hanging back and chasing without losing them was enough; after all, fatigue and tension could eventually wear down even an iron man.

At the same time, after arriving at the Surface, they didn’t expect to suddenly suffer a cavalry charge from the Duchy of Nohan. Caught off guard like this, those Black Skins who hadn’t adapted to the new environment would be doing well to bring 70% of their skills into play.

Perhaps they were sighing over the real starry sky they had never seen before they were attacked! Even those few Spellcasters were probably dealt with before they could cast their spells in the sudden ambush.

Of course, what about high-level Mages who could cast spells accidental magic? Even though the status of Mages among Dark Elves was far inferior to that of Priests, they wouldn’t waste such high-end talent in a pursuit unit.

Moreover, the current Twilight Blade was no longer a legacy that only Elves could obtain. The Twilight Blade profession originated from the Ancient Elves. Today, although most Twilight Blades are Elves, some Humans and Half-Elves have also shown proficiency in mastering the dual characteristics of combat and spellcasting of this profession. Besides, even with Elves, there might be hostile times in the future!

However, that Elven arrogance made the originally ordinary proposal start to ferment. Of course, it might also have something to do with the fact that their people had always been at a disadvantage in confrontations with Knights. Moreover, Elves always tended to look down on other races, thinking them impulsive and manic. Although on a personal level, they thought their judgment of people was unique.

In many cases, an Elf would cherish a specific member of another race, treating that individual as an object worthy of respect, while still looking down on their entire race. Even in this situation, the Elf didn’t understand why her “special friend” felt helpless because the Elf thought she was “much better than the rest of her kind.” Even the Elf herself, realizing this prejudice, had to constantly self-reflect to prevent such views from blinding her vision.

Under the influence of this discriminatory concept, the clash between the two finally turned into the current situation. Moreover, according to the Elves, they brought high-level Divine Arts items this time, and general injuries could be quickly healed. Several Knights also wanted to take this opportunity to suppress the arrogance of those Elves. If they couldn’t even beat a Squire, they would have nothing to say.

Besides, this was also beneficial for future cooperation; after all, no one liked facing a group of guys who looked down on everyone all day. Naturally, George was sold out by his compatriots. Of course, the always shrewd him would never do a losing business in this regard—those who calculated against him would have to pay a price.

After a brief mutual probe, the opponent’s figure suddenly accelerated, reaching the speed of a galloping horse in an instant! Like a hurricane, she surrounded George in the center. The sword in her hand shot out rapidly, like a hurricane rolling up countless raindrops, attacking George in the center with a crackling sound.

The blade of this sword was about 5 feet long and nearly 5 inches wide. As a result, it was quite heavy, and the hilt plus the counterweight ball at the end was actually as long as an arm! Combined with the blade, it was shoulder height. Often, one had to use a tightly gripped arm as a pivot, relying on adjusting the counterweight ball at the end of the hilt to balance it for smooth use. To be honest, it was more like the “Caliburn” of a certain hard-working character in Fate/Stay Night.

Although both were Greatswords, the one in George’s hand was nothing compared to the modified one in front of him. But this sword was a true weapon for the battlefield! It was more appropriate to call it a two-handed Greatsword rather than just a heavy sword. These weapons were sharp tools for killing on the battlefield. They could slash and stab, and their heavy weight gave them great lethality, while the long blade gave them a large surface area, making their combat power on the battlefield very real.

Usually, the users of this weapon were strong men, often muscular figures who could hold a person on their arm. That this Elf in front of him could wield such a weapon so freely, George’s first thought was that the opponent must have used some Magic Artifact!

Since the opponent had already charged in front of him, George could only raise his Longsword to meet the menacing Greatsword. He suddenly felt that there was no force in the clash; instead, a rotating and guiding force appeared to guide his own strength.

“This seems to be the Tai Chi winding force!” George was truly shocked! This traction force was extremely skilled, without any stagnation or collision. It was as natural and smooth as a river flowing down, like the wind blowing clouds without a trace, yet it really worked. Without more than ten years of hard and meticulous training, such a realm would be impossible.

In his shock, he immediately grabbed the ground with both feet and arched his waist, only then stabilizing his figure. The spine of the Longsword seemed light but was heavy as it “stuck” to the blade, preparing to test what trick the opponent was playing. The Greatsword was also unambiguous; realizing she couldn’t succeed, she immediately changed from a fierce shape to a soft state, which contained a surging explosive force, making the situation stalemate for a while.

If he had his current skills before crossing over, George might have slowly played pushing hands with the opponent using the sword instead of a fist. But here, George understood that this was just a similar martial arts technique. To George, with its different culture and essence, it was just a seemingly right but actually wrong martial skill.

After all, martial skills are summarized and categorized by intelligent beings generation after generation in constant wars, not created by a genius overnight. On Earth, not only was this the case in China, but also in foreign countries. For example, Germany has handed-down ancient methods for two-handed Greatswords and Halberds, which contain routines and strengths similar to Tai Chi, requiring years of practice to perform.

In that case, martial arts were not something exclusive to Chinese culture; as long as the conditions were suitable, every culture would produce its own martial arts. It was just that perhaps because of years of war, they were constantly appearing and constantly disappearing in a cycle.

Also, the development of modern firearms made Western countries take the lead in giving up the pursuit of melee skills. And the Mediterranean and the American Continent, after experiencing several civilization destructions, found it even harder to leave anything behind. Only Prussia, which rose when firearms were just emerging and cold weapons hadn’t completely exited the battlefield, was the reason why Western countries could preserve these skills relatively intact!

Since the German Greatsword method could fumble its way to routines similar to Tai Chi Sword in actual combat, couldn’t people in this other world figure it out? Moreover, the fighting and killing in this other world were probably heavier than on Earth, so it was normal for martial skills far exceeding Earth to develop! Like the “Sunset Style” among the “Three Paths and Nine Swords” George knew about before, it was a martial arts school that brought “using force to counter force” to the extreme. The Iron Heart School had some shadow of Japanese Kendo, and the Steel Soul Style had marks similar to Buddhism and Taoism. All of this was less of a coincidence and more of the inevitability of the multiverse—all methods return to one.

With this understanding, George certainly wouldn’t grind tofu with that Elf according to her consciousness. His body turned slightly to the side, and he stepped diagonally out of the gap in her sword momentum. At the same time, he turned back with a sword like a Longsword parrying the opponent’s follow-up attack, while flying up with a kick like a hammer or nail chiseling towards the opponent’s face.

Unexpectedly, in that instant, that Elf could rely on her hearing to judge the incoming attacks from both high and low, and identify the tiny gaps that could be utilized. Using her own flexibility and the decisiveness to act first, she forcefully “shook” out a path of survival from the impossible pincer attack!

After that, the opponent’s speed was even faster than before. One could only see a figure like a speeding eagle skimming the ground, dancing out a leaping silver light that immediately turned into a silver storm. The giant sword in her hand flew up and down. When slashing, it was like an axe flying in the wind, every move breaking souls; when thrusting, it was like a poisonous snake appearing and disappearing, every time claiming a life.

In his great shock, George immediately stepped and turned his body, stepping out a set of strange steps. He looked like a small boat in the sea, drifting with the waves, tumbling, sometimes advancing, sometimes retreating, sometimes moving, sometimes stopping. The Longsword in his hand, following the steps, sometimes thrust, sometimes slashed, sometimes blocked horizontally, acting like an invisible shield, blocking all attacks—Blade Barrier: Your weapon swings back and forth, ready to block incoming blows. When an opponent attempts to attack, you strike the opponent’s weapon with thunderous speed.

The Elf fought more and more anxiously, because she found that although her Greatsword was as fast as a storm and as dense as heavy rain, she could not hit the opponent’s body. Either it was avoided by the opponent’s strange steps, or it was blocked by the flexible Longsword. What was even more incredible was that the opponent, whether advancing or retreating, swaying left or right, completed it all within a few steps! It seemed like the body was just swaying slightly, and the range of movement never exceeded a radius of 3 feet.

Even more deadly was that her current state was the effect achieved after being buffed with the acceleration spell stored in the ring. Once the duration of the spell passed, she would be completely unable to maintain this kind of offensive.

Facing the heavy sword shadows that seemed like the collapse of the Milky Way, rolling over with the force of toppling mountains and seas, George was like a bird in a rainstorm and also seemed to have hit another strong gale, temporarily beaten to the point of only having the strength to parry. The Longsword’s attack was interrupted midway by the incoming attack, like a fish trapped in an invisible net, completely unable to unfold.

Suddenly, the opponent seemed to clearly predict the movement George was about to perform, and went straight through George’s defense net from his left shoulder.

However, this was not due to the opponent’s martial skills, but the effect of the spell “True Strike”. It allowed the user to temporarily gain keen insightight and see the timing for the next round of attacks. His next attack thoroughly understood the enemy’s actions. In addition, even if the opponent had concealment, he would not have a chance of missing. Of course, such a powerful spell also required casting time, but the opponent chose to use her limited daily ability of Quick Casting.

Quick Casting: Starting from the Red Iron Rank, a Twilight Blade can cast a spell as a swift action once per day, and the casting time of this spell must be a standard action or shorter. To put it simply, this was the effect of instant casting achieved by the opponent using special skills.

Seeing that things were not going well, George gave up defense and swung his sword at the opponent’s waist. The Force Field armor attached by Blessing of Order constantly disintegrated in the collision with the sword’s Spirit Light. Obviously, the opponent had used the Magic Weapon ability. This spell could turn a weapon into a magic weapon.

But fortunately, after the layer-by-layer weakening of the Force Field, there was not much force left by the time it reached George’s shoulder. However, the impact effect of the thunder and lightning power attached to that Greatsword was like a steel needle plus an iron hammer hitting him, causing immediate heart-piercing pain.

This was the opponent using the Arcane Guidance ability: Starting from the Gray Rock elite, a Twilight Blade can cast any known touch spell as a standard action, and release this power through a melee attack—casting a spell in this way does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Although the casting time of this spell must be a standard action or shorter. If the target is successfully hit, the effect of the spell is also released in addition to normal damage.

When reaching the stable Black Lead Rank, they can cast any known touch spell as part of a continuous attack, and within this set of attacks, the spell effect will affect any target hit in melee. The power of the spell that has not yet dissipated will also end simultaneously at the end of that round—even for spells with a duration longer than one round.

What the opponent just used was the Electric Claw spell most commonly used by Twilight Blades. If the melee touch attack check is successful, she can deal shock damage that increases with the level of the Spellcaster. It also has an enhanced effect on enemies wearing metal armor, made of metal, or carrying a lot of metal items.

Immediately afterwards, a cold energy came from the opponent’s hand—Chill Touch. Her free hand emitted a pale blue energy, and such a touch would destroy the vitality of living things. Each touch would cause strong Negative Energy damage. If the Fortitude save failed, it would cause additional point of Strength attribute damage. This spell uses a melee touch attack, and the number of attacks is equal to the level of the Spellcaster.

Moreover, the Undead touched would not receive any damage, but they had to make a Will save, failing which they would scatter and flee, and be put into a panicked state. Although it sounded like a cold evocation spell, it was actually of the Necromancy school.

At the same time, George’s attack also encountered an obstacle—Shield of Force. The opponent projected an invisible Force Field, creating a brief protective barrier. Facing a single attack, a Force Field shield became a stumbling block for George.

However, at this time, George actually only needed to add a bit more force to break the defense of that Force Field. But dim light particles danced and rotated around the opponent’s fingertips. After she pressed it on her own body, she immediately disappeared, leaving only a cloud-like halo in the original position. Immediately afterwards, she appeared about 20 feet away from George. This spell was called—Dimension Jump, which allowed the opponent to teleport 2.5 feet per Spellcaster level.

But the buffs on the opponent had been mostly consumed, and her offense was no longer what it was at the beginning. George immediately rushed forward, turning from defense to offense. In an instant, the offensive and defensive momentum between the two had swapped.

Because it was not convenient to injure the opponent too severely, George, finding a gap in the opponent, used a skill similar to a loach drilling into the soil. At the moment the opponent’s Greatsword attacked downwards, his steps turned like living water, his body swayed flexibly like a swimming fish, and his entire body posture drew a ghostly arc, barely “bypassing” the opponent’s attack, directly cutting into the opponent’s figure and steps, like a soft but powerful flood crashing into the opponent’s arms!

With a “bang”, the huge force of the “Tie Shan Kao” in Bajiquan immediately pushed the opponent over, flipping her to the ground, making her fall face down in the dust.