Fierce Battle!

"At the Knight Apprentice stage, the difference in strength between each level isn't that great. The higher the level, the greater the endurance in combat. So if we ambush him, we still have a chance of winning."

Honestly, with her enemy right in front of her, Ithil's personality simply couldn't endure it. The grief she had buried for an entire day and night erupted completely, and a smile brimming with killing intent appeared on her pretty face.

At this moment, Ithil was practically a completely different person from the somewhat chatty, lively, adorable little healer at Green Stone City Church. Parr even suspected she had a split personality.

But that's normal. Who doesn't have another side?

Parr muttered to himself, then continued listening intently to Ithil's plan. He couldn't hold back either. When he had seen Ma Xi digging with his back turned, he had wanted to sneak over and ambush him. That guy was really fearless!

"We'll do this, then this..."

Ithil narrowed her pink eyes and surveyed the surroundings. Then she looked at Parr's scrawny body and came up with what she considered a perfect ambush plan.

Scrape, scrape, scrape...

Ma Xi was drenched in sweat as he vigorously dug with an iron shovel. This was one of the escape routes the Death Cult had left in Azure Stone City—a tunnel modified from an underground fissure that could bypass the city walls and lead out of Azure Stone City.

The only troublesome part was that, to keep it hidden, the tunnel had been buried deep underground. So after escaping, Ma Xi had waited until dusk, when the sky had darkened, before taking action. First, he had used the Bronze Walking Corpse under his control as a disposable decoy to lure away and stall the pursuers.

Then, Ma Xi had cautiously made his way here, taken out the shovel he had prepared long ago, and begun digging. This was a remote corner of Azure Stone City, some distance from the southern wall, so he wasn't afraid anyone would hear him digging.

Scrape, scrape, scrape...

Before long, a corner of something azure gold buried underground emerged. It was a lapis lazuli slab placed there to prevent dirt from clogging the tunnel.

"Good! Keep going..."

Bang! Just as Ma Xi was about to catch his breath before digging open the tunnel in one go, half a brick struck him in the back.

"Who?"

Ma Xi instantly leaped out of the pit and grabbed his two-handed greatsword. His tiger-like eyes widened, and with a quick sweep of his gaze, he spotted the target: a little girl with long pink hair tied in a ponytail, wearing white Shell Sheepskin Armor and holding a standard Church one-handed sword. She stood beyond the crumbling courtyard wall, staring at him with her large pink eyes. The killing intent in them made his scalp tingle.

"Someone from the Church?"

Ma Xi was startled, but then he realized Ithil was the only person around. There was no sign of the encirclement he had imagined, and he let out a sigh of relief. Taking great strides, he charged forward while dragging his two-handed greatsword behind him.

"Die!"

With a low growl, Ma Xi decided to kill Ithil, who had discovered him, first. He took several large strides and leaped into the air, swinging up the two-handed greatsword he had been dragging behind him.

Leaping Slash!

Ma Xi vaulted over the broken wall, his two-handed greatsword crashing down at Ithil with a howling roar.

Bang! He missed. The instant Ma Xi jumped, Ithil lightly hopped two steps back, causing his attack to fall short. Amid flying rubble, the two-handed greatsword smashed a huge crater into the ground.

"Die!"

With a sharp cry, Ithil held her one-handed sword level and launched an incredibly textbook thrust straight at Ma Xi's throat.

Clang! Ma Xi merely raised his two-handed greatsword slightly, blocking Ithil's attack with its broad blade. Then he twisted his wrists, and the heavy two-handed greatsword swung again.

Bang! Ithil instantly withdrew her sword to parry and deflect the force, but Ma Xi's tremendous strength still sent her flying. She fell to the ground, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. She had clearly suffered internal injuries.

"Little girl, I have to admit that you're excellent, but this ends here!"

A twisted smile appeared on Ma Xi's face. Slaughtering the weak was such a delight! As he spoke, he walked toward Ithil, who had yet to get up, raising his two-handed greatsword high. Ithil was on the verge of meeting her end.

At that moment, Parr, who had been crouching inconspicuously at the base of the wall, taking advantage of his small, scrawny frame, sprang up. Gripping the hilt of the Black Short Sword, he rushed forward in short, quick steps.

Upward Flick!

Parr went all out from the start. The Black Short Sword swept upward, aimed directly at Ma Xi's neck. He planned to follow it with a Horizontal Slash and separate Ma Xi's head from his body.

"What?"

Ma Xi truly hadn't noticed a little runt hiding behind him. Already committed to bringing his sword down, he couldn't stop its momentum. That was the problem with a heavy two-handed greatsword—once swung, it was difficult to pull back. Yet Ma Xi wasn't panicked at all. He even wanted to laugh.

I have a shield!

Crack!

Parr's attack struck a translucent shield that had appeared out of nowhere behind Ma Xi. It instantly turned the smooth shield into one covered in cracks—and wiped the smile off Ma Xi's face, because it wasn't over yet.

Horizontal Slash!

Parr shifted his sword momentum, and the Horizontal Slash immediately followed. Empowered by 10 points of Stamina, the sharp Black Short Sword cut into the shield, which had already reached its limit. At this rate, Ma Xi's head would be separated from his body before the shield even shattered and unleashed its shockwave.

"Not good!"

The hairs on the back of Ma Xi's neck stood on end. In that split second, he gritted his teeth and made a decision. He released his grip, and the unrestrained two-handed greatsword flew out, embedding itself diagonally into the ground beside Ithil.

Ma Xi himself twisted sideways. At the cost of his shield shattering and a deep gash opening on his left arm, he blocked Parr's Horizontal Slash. Then, with a backhanded grab, his large palm clamped around Parr's thin arm, preventing Parr from using a third move.

Whoosh! Only then did the shockwave from the shattered shield erupt. Since Ma Xi had grabbed Parr's arm, Parr was not blown away.

"Kid, you're pretty good!"

Ma Xi spoke through gritted teeth and raised his right hand, intending to slap Parr to death. But at that moment, Ithil, who had lain on the ground to avoid the shockwave and had already recovered, jumped up. She delivered another textbook thrust straight toward Ma Xi's heart.

"Die!"

But as a Peak Knight Apprentice, Ma Xi was not only stronger than Parr and Ithil, but also vastly more experienced in battle. Otherwise, he would not have been able to block Parr's ambush.

So when Ithil thrust her sword at him, he formed a claw with his right hand, abruptly changed direction, and actually grabbed the blade. Then he pressed it forcefully downward at an angle and pulled.

"Dodge!"

Ithil could only watch in horror as her sword, under Ma Xi's manipulation, stabbed toward Parr's chest.

"!!!!"

Parr's Talent, Danger Prediction, instantly surged to its peak. But with Ma Xi gripping his arm, he had nowhere to dodge. In that span of less than a second, Parr's eyes widened. Empowered by Danger Prediction, he made the most correct response possible.

Pfft! Following the faint premonition in his heart, Parr shifted his body slightly. Ithil's sword stabbed straight into his chest, but miraculously missed his vital organs. Only the HP on his Status Panel dropped by over thirty points at once.

This little pain is nothing. I was crushed to pulp by a truck before!

Parr, pierced through by the sword, turned ruthless. Enduring the agony, he stepped forward. His left hand, which had thrown away the scabbard, rose and directly grabbed Ma Xi's right hand, which was still gripping the blade. Then he flicked his right wrist—the hand Ma Xi was holding up by the forearm—and the Black Short Sword traced an arc as it flew toward Ithil. At the same time, Parr shouted.

"Ithil!"

"Not good!"

Ma Xi noticed Parr's intention. He instantly released Parr's right forearm with his left hand and tried to intercept the Black Short Sword. But how could Parr let him succeed? He stretched out his right hand and this time grabbed Ma Xi's arm.

"No..."

Though Ma Xi, with both arms seized by Parr, quickly broke free, he was still one step too late. In that instant, Ithil understood Parr's intention. She immediately released the sword in her hand, reached out, and caught the Black Short Sword Parr had thrown.

"Die!"

Her beautiful eyes widened as she lunged forward. Already close to Ma Xi, Ithil rammed into him together with the sword.

Pfft! Nothing unexpected happened. The sharp Black Short Sword plunged into Ma Xi's chest and definitely severed a major artery. Blood immediately spurted out, spraying Ithil all over.

"Urgh..."

Ma Xi felt his strength leave him. With his mouth wide open, he clutched his chest and dropped to his knees, trying to stop the wound. But the uneven blade of the Black Short Sword made it the perfect bloodletting channel. The scorching blood simply would not stop.

"Parr!"

Ithil did not even have time to wipe the blood from her face. After shoving Ma Xi aside, she immediately supported Parr, who was half-kneeling on the ground. Looking at the sword embedded in Parr's chest, she was nearly crying with panic. She wanted to pull it out, but didn't dare. She had even forgotten that she was a healer. Only now did she resemble a twelve-year-old girl.

"Cough, cough!"

Parr coughed twice as he watched his HP plummet on the Status Panel. Just as he was about to tell Ithil to pull the sword out so he could level up and recover from his injuries, he suddenly felt a chill—a bone-chilling cold that made every hair on his body stand on end. It came from Ma Xi, who had already died from blood loss.

Ma Xi was half sprawled on the ground, a large pool of blood beneath him. But the blood that had been scorching hot moments ago now had no warmth at all and was rapidly frosting over.

At the same time, a cloud of white mist floated out of Ma Xi's head, radiating a penetrating chill.

"Ah! It's a wrai—"

Ithil felt the cold as well. She turned around and cried out upon seeing the white mist rising from Ma Xi's body. But before her cry could finish, the white mist exploded with a boom.

Boom! Crack, crack...

Ma Xi's body shattered across the ground like a block of ice. Parr and Ithil were pushed back by the shockwave into the crumbling wall. This time, the sword piercing Parr's chest was knocked straight out by the wall.

Pfft! Parr became a fountain of blood again, and his HP instantly fell below the critical threshold.

If not now, then when will I level up?

Enduring the dizziness caused by excessive blood loss, Parr looked at the Status Panel.

Ding, consume 55 Life Energy Points to raise your realm to Intermediate Knight Apprentice? "Yes!"

Ding, 55 Life Energy Points consumed. Realm upgrade complete.

Name: Parr Tianxing
Gender: Male
Race: Human Race

Age: 10 (20)

Realm:

Intermediate Knight Apprentice (0/200)

Elementary Magic Apprentice (0/10)

Stamina: 200/200
Mental Power: 10/10
HP: 100/100

Talent:

Prompt Wake-Up LV3
Clear Eyesight LV2
Danger Prediction LV2

Skills:

Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique MAX
Basic Wind Wolf Swordsmanship MAX
Dazzling Light LV1
Basic Meditation Technique LV1

Life Energy Points: 162
Mental Energy Points: 11

A surge of heat appeared out of nowhere around his heart. As his blood circulated, the puncture wound in Parr's chest that had been spurting blood instantly healed, and his physical strength increased greatly. He, Parr, had revived at full health! "!!!!"

But before Parr, restored to peak condition, could figure out what had just happened, Danger Prediction activated again. Following the premonition in his heart, he rolled to the side.

Whoosh...

A Cold Stream slammed directly into the spot where Parr had just been standing, and frost spread across it.

"Good grief! Ice magic?"

Parr patted his backside and climbed to his feet, then looked up at the newly appeared enemy ahead. A white, translucent old man with mist instead of a lower body floated above the fragments of Ma Xi's corpse, one hand extended toward them.

"Parr, are you okay?"

Ithil climbed up from the ground and staggered in front of Parr, white Dazzling Light rising around her. She turned back to glance at Parr's chest, only to discover in astonishment that his wound had vanished without a trace.

"Talent, Talent."

Parr scratched his head and gave a vague explanation. Then he pointed at the ghost-like old man ahead of them and asked, "Ithil, what the heck is that thing?"

Whoosh...

Seeing that Parr was fine, Ithil let out a sigh of relief and believed his explanation. Talents were just too miraculous; they could not be judged by common sense.

Then Ithil turned back toward the Ghostly Old Man, swallowed, and spoke in a trembling voice, "That's a Wraith! A Bronze-level Wraith!"