Elsewhere, Saolis and the others engaged three Rangdan Overlords.
Saolis faced a Rangdan Overlord wielding a Shock Lance.
Just one clash of their weapons made his heart sink.
His opponent's strength far exceeded his estimates. Every thrust and sweep of that pitch-black lance carried the crushing weight of a mountain.
The finely vibrating serrations along its shaft not only increased its destructive power, but sent waves of high-frequency, teeth-grating tremors through his Power Sword whenever he blocked, threatening to break his grip and stance.
This was nothing like the Overlords he had encountered before. Its movements were simpler, more efficient. Every thrust came from a vicious, awkward angle, aimed straight at weak points such as his Power Armour's joints, Helmet Visor, and power pack connections.
The dim purplish-red energy shield surrounding it swallowed several of Saolis's fierce counterattacks without a trace, leaving him unable to inflict any meaningful damage.
The lance flickered like a serpent's tongue, its afterimages almost blurring together in the dim light.
Saolis's pupils contracted as he pushed his senses to their limit.
He could see the path of the lance tip as it tore through the air and anticipate where every thrust would land.
He shifted his footing, his figure like a reef in a storm. Though his position seemed perilous, he always managed to evade lethal thrusts by a hair's breadth, or precisely catch and deflect heavy sweeps with his Power Sword's blade or guard.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Hiss!!
Metallic crashes and the shrieks of colliding force fields fell as thick as rain.
Every block sent a distinct ache and numbness through his arms.
Even through his Power Armour, the strange shock waves transmitted by the Shock Lance made his bones throb.
This was no contest of skill. It was a brutal clash of strength,