"Put seventy percent into it, hold back thirty."
Lu PingAn swung his heavy battle axe. Every strike looked like it carried his full strength, but he always held something in reserve.
"Landing a hit doesn't mean it's over. Breathe while shedding force. Remember, always be wary of your opponent's counterattack. Axe fighting has never been fast."
Before he could pull his battle axe from the fallen Minotaur, Lu PingAn lashed out with a kick and sent an approaching gargoyle flying.
"If you run into danger, hand-to-hand combat, holding the battle axe sideways to block, even abandoning the axe—those are all standard options. But the Wave School is somewhat different."
Lu PingAn gripped the axe haft with both hands. It looked like a firm hold, but he was actually using only three fingers on each hand, relying on finesse.
"Circle Dance, Wave Cut."
The force came from his lower body. His left foot drove forward, his right foot served as the pivot, his hands were merely levers, and the battle axe was merely a pendulum.
Silver light danced. The monsters closing in were either forcibly driven back or cleaved apart outright.
This was the Wave School, a peculiar school centered around the Combat Skill known as "Circle Dance."
It lacked the broad chops, heavy cleaves, and charges of conventional battle axe schools. Even its grip was an unreliable-looking three-finger hold, and most of its Combat Skills were seemingly weightless "spinning slashes."
But there was no doubting its power.
This was the fourth floor of the Secret Realm. It had become a small maze, and the number of monsters had reached an astonishing thirty.
Yet after only a few exchanges, seventeen of them were already on the ground.
Lu PingAn took a deep breath. His arms hurt, but his feet hurt even