Evaluation Concluded

What is this thing?!

Sereck was greatly alarmed. He was sure his sword barrier had no flaws, yet this green light managed to pierce through the tiniest of gaps. With no other choice, Sereck could only retract his sword and block in front of him, taking the full force of the attack. As he retreated, the Soul Bird had already spread its wings and slammed into him.

"BOOM!!!"

A violent gale erupted from the ground, forcing the surrounding mercenaries to retreat, unable to withstand the surging storm. Even Sereck staggered. Although the Soul Bird's attack power wasn't high, the storm it brought was not to be underestimated. Sereck narrowed his eyes and swung his sword, a brilliant light tearing through the wind that made it almost impossible to open his eyes. But what he saw was not Rhode's figure, but the vibrant Crimson Lotus Fire.

Rhode flipped his left hand, and a crimson card appeared out of thin air. He then gripped the card, crushed it with force, and threw it forward.

"-!"

With a crisp shattering sound, the red card instantly broke apart, and raging flames swept across the ground, surging like waves under the wind. With a low roar, a Black Hound emerged from the flames, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at Sereck. At the same time, Rhode flickered, Shadow Blink activated again, and his sword followed, attacking Sereck's flank.

"What is this!!"

Seeing this scene, the surrounding mercenaries erupted in an uproar. Their eyes widened in surprise, and they began to murmur amongst themselves. Everything before them had completely surpassed everyone's understanding. Even the most battle-hardened warrior would be shaken by such a sight.

Sereck was no different.

Unlike the mercenaries beside him, Sereck had no time to ponder where these strange things came from. The immediate crisis was more important. Although these things were unlikely to kill him, as a master swordsman and a strong individual, being pushed to such a state was a great loss of face. Thus, facing Rhode's aggressive attack, Sereck merely snorted coldly, gripped his sword, and immediately met the charge.

A pervasive sword light barrier appeared once more, forcefully blocking the Black Hound's attack. However, this did not instill any fear in the killer born from the flames. Facing Sereck's attack, it merely slowed down, arched its body, and leaped to the side with a sudden burst. Then, it opened its mouth wide.

"BOOM!!!!"

Crimson Lotus Fire spewed from the hound's mouth, burning everything around it. Sereck no longer hesitated. For a strong individual, face was more important than life. If he were to be thoroughly beaten by a brat whose face he couldn't even see here, his decades of fame would be ruined. Thus, at this moment, Sereck finally put aside his initial reserve and began to treat the enemy before him as a true opponent.

A flash of light appeared.

It was just a flicker.

Compared to the surging flames, this flicker was like a lightning bolt in a storm, dazzling but not lasting. It vanished into the flames in an instant.

But that was enough.

The raging flames suddenly extinguished.

Without any warning, and before anyone could clearly see what had happened, many only saw a flash of light in the flames, and then the flames instantly disappeared. Apart from the scorched floor and the scattered embers in the air, it was as if the terrifying spew had never happened.

Here it comes!

Rhode raised an eyebrow. He knew that the other party was no longer just playing around as before. Sereck had finally put aside his pride as a strong individual and intended to truly fight him.

This was also Rhode's intention.

Although Sereck had blocked the Flame Slayer's attack, he hadn't managed to stop Rhode and the Soul Bird, which had circled back and launched another attack. Sensing the change, Rhode had no intention of retreating. Instead, he gritted his teeth, retracted his sword, and thrust forward again.

Shatter Blade, activate.

The circling blades of light shot out again, attacking Sereck. At the same time, the Soul Bird received Rhode's command, flapped its wings, and skimmed low, flying towards Sereck's lower right. The Black Hound, having missed its attack, retreated again, crossing paths with the Soul Bird and lunging towards Sereck's left. The scent of flames spread through the air, and under the Black Hound's claws, four bright trails of sparks followed the hunter.

Like a fantasy.

At this moment, the mercenaries no longer spoke. The only thing they could do was stand in silence in the distance, watching the battle. This was an unprecedented scene for them. No one had ever seen such a fighting style, nor had anyone ever seen the full power of the shining swordsman Sereck. And now, they finally did.

If it were an ordinary person, they would be flustered or choose to attack Rhode first when facing such a three-pronged attack from Rhode. But Sereck's choice was completely different.

He didn't target Rhode first.

As Sereck raised his sword, almost everyone felt time slow to a crawl at the moment he raised it. They saw Sereck raise his sword and then slash it diagonally backward, striking the Flame Slayer who was attempting a sneak attack from the side. The brave hound wailed as if its head had been smashed by a heavy hammer and fell downward. Then, Sereck's sword, using the recoil, lifted again, almost unconsciously sweeping through the air, completely sealing off the Soul Bird's attack. As the Soul Bird, unstable from the sword wind, plummeted downward after being attacked, Sereck's sword, arriving later but striking first, tapped the flying blades of light.

This moment was extremely short, yet also extremely long. Almost everyone saw it clearly, yet it was as if they hadn't. It was as if the scene before them was merely an illusion in their minds, not a real event.

However, Rhode did not stop.

He could feel a strong, immense impact force transmitted directly through the sword, pulling his body tightly. In an instant, it felt as if his internal organs and body had completely shifted positions. Even his health bar, which had already reached a light green, turned orange-red at this moment. And then, the long sword, no longer able to withstand the immense impact, finally shattered completely in the head-on collision, breaking into several pieces that scattered in all directions. His cloak, which he had been wearing, also completely disintegrated into several pieces at this moment.

And then, Sereck launched a counterattack. His sword flashed again, thrusting directly at Rhode's chest.

However, Rhode was not nervous. He simply raised his right hand, made a grasping gesture in the air, and then, with a thought.

"Awooooo—!!!"

The Black Hound let out a howl, then lunged forward, its entire body engulfed in raging flames, charging directly at Sereck not far away. This time, Sereck no longer held back. He snorted coldly, and with a slight movement of his wrist, light reappeared. In a blur, the flames condensed by the Black Hound were completely split in two.

But this was not the end.

Born in destruction, perishing in destruction.

Sensing the immense energy fluctuation from the sword tip, Sereck's eyes widened slightly, but it was already too late.

The flames, split in two, completely lost control and swept over, engulfing Sereck. But even so, the flames could not stop the roaring wind.

And at this moment, a red card appeared in Rhode's hand, and then it flipped instantly.

And in the next moment, Rhode gripped the card in his hand.

"Clang!!!!"

A pair of pure white wings appeared out of nowhere, closing in front of Rhode like a shield, blocking the dazzling light.

The flames dispersed.

Sereck stopped his movement. His Phantom Light Sword was only a few inches from Rhode's chest, but that thin yet hard shield of wings had blocked his attack. And the sword in Rhode's hand, emitting specks of light dust, was now hovering at Sereck's throat.

"Elemental Spirit, magic weapon, mastery-level swordsmanship."

After a long while, Sereck finally spoke slowly.

"Not bad, kid, you did a great job."

"Thank you for the pointers."

Rhode gave a slight nod, then lowered the longsword in his hand. He made a gesture, and soon, the Soul Bird circling in the sky descended to his side, landing on his shoulder and remaining silent.

"No need for formalities. It has been a long time since I've had such an enjoyable fight."

A gentle smile appeared on Sereck's face. He sheathed his sword and then asked, "What is your name?"

"Rhode, Rhode Alante."

"Very good, Rhode. A fine name. I like you, kid. You are the first person in this Deepstone City to ever get the better of me!"

Hearing Rhode's reply, Sereck reached out to pat his shoulder and began to laugh.

As for Sereck's praise, Rhode merely gave a slight nod in return. He then turned around to look at the old man standing nearby, whose expression was rather unsightly.

"So, old sir, have I passed the mercenary assessment?"

"This..."

Hearing Rhode's question, Mobi's expression turned sour. In truth, the moment he witnessed Rhode's skill, he already knew the outcome. However, being asked to his face now, he found it hard to swallow his pride and could only cast a glance toward Sereck. Faced with the old guild master's gaze, the swordmaster gave a cunning smile and winked.

"Frankly speaking, little one, with your talent, it is a real pity to be a mercenary... But, since this is your choice, I have nothing more to say. I believe your mercenary assessment has passed!"