"You may have all my techniques and my strength. But let's see if you can keep up with this."
Both Marcius and the training dummy released their attacks.
But there was a distinct difference.
While the dummy just released one single powerful Red Serpent Slash, multiple slashes were coming from Marcius's black sword.
It was an idea Marcius had had for a while. It was just never tested out before.
Marcius wanted to combine the rapid attacks provided by Movement of Gaea, with Red Serpent Slash.
The result was the numerous Red Serpent Slashes created almost at the same time.
The dummy's single Red Serpent Slash was overwhelmed by Marcius's numbers, and quite a few of attacks actually reached the dummy and greatly damaged it.
Catching a much-needed breather, Marcius took out a bottle of Green Blood and drank it in one go.
Marcius warily observed the damaged dummy as he let the effects of the potion heal him. The training dummy was blown away by Marcius's attacks and was trying to get back up.
'Damn. It is more powerful than I thought. Worth the risk.'
Initially, Marcius didn't want to try the combined technique, because it was just a theory and he had never tried it before.
Merging different techniques such as this was really dangerous, not to say extremely difficult. Only those with complete mastery over the techniques would dare to try.
Even then, they would have to experiment and train diligently before actually using it in combat.
What Marcius did just now was very stupid and suicidal. He was just lucky that he too had complete mastery over Movement of Gaea and Red Serpent Slash.
The dummy slowly got up with difficulty.
While Marcius was attacking, he specifically targeted the limbs of the training dummy. So, the right hand and both legs of the dummy was badly damaged.
'It is a relief that the dummy is not healing.'
As the training dummy slowly inched towards him, Marcius again entered the sword draw stance, preparing a Red Serpent Slash.
'Oh! I almost forgot, Kio, can you put this training dummy on bounty list?'
Kio confirmed that the bounty could be indeed placed upon the training dummy, and the system proceeded to do so.
Then, Marcius struck.
He just used the normal Red Serpent Slash because the training dummy was already badly damaged and one precise attack would destroy it.
And there was no sense in wasting stamina and using another combined technique.
As Marcius foresaw, the dummy was easily destroyed. And it disappeared into small motes of light.
"Alert! The bounty of Soldier Puppet has been claimed. Calculating the appropriate reward." Marcius heard Kio's voice in his head.
"Calculation completed. Host had been awarded with 800 bounty points, for hunting down Soldier Puppet of strength comparable to Spirit Master Realm."
'Humm? Just points? Boring…'
Marcius didn't have much time to mull on the lacking reward, because two dummies materialized in front of him.
Marcius tried to use his combined attack again from the beginning, because his body was mostly recovered from using Green Blood potion.
But the two dummies swiftly approached him, one using the Red Serpent Slash and another trying to disrupt his attack.
Marcius had no choice but to go on defensive. He parried the attack of the second dummy with difficulty, and then, he had to jump high to evade the incoming Red Serpent Slash.
'F**k me! They are not giving me time to prepare my attack. Although I have to be thankful that they are not using the combined techniques like me.'
The two dummies and Marcius went back and forth. The training dummies didn't give him enough time to prepare for any kind of attack.
But Marcius also managed to avoid most of the attacks coming from dummies. It was mostly due to Marcius recognizing the patterns of the dummies.
While he couldn't predict the attacks of the dummies, the movement was another matter entirely.
Marcius was now used to the way dummies moved, and as soon as the dummies tried to approach in his direction, he put more distance between them.
And thus began the game of cat and mouse.
After some times of going around in circle, where none of them managed to land hits on each other, Marcius got another crazy idea.
'Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.'
The next time the two dummies tried to approach him from different directions, Marcius didn't back away.
He took a sword draw stance. But this time, it was different.
His legs were put in a way that he used to do, while using Seven Circles Position.
This time, when the Red Serpent Slash came out, it was in multiple slashes dashing out in multiple directions.
The slashes hit the two approaching dummies and they were swiftly destroyed.
It was because the two training dummies were not expecting the attack and they were unprepared, that both were destroyed in one technique.
Marcius was also injured. He just used a combination of Red Serpent slash, Seven Circles Position and Movement of Gaea.
The combination was beyond crazy and he was severely punished for it. His sword hand was bleeding with bruises all over it. Both of his legs were also slightly bleeding.
But the result of the combination of techniques was worth the injuries. The damage of the attack was devastating.
'Wow. This is without cultivation. It would be even more destructive if I use it with spirit energy.'
Marcius thought as he looked at the aftermath of his attack. He was also pulling out a dozen of potions from his storage ring and drinking them.
'Let's call it 'One Sword to Cut Hundreds.' I know I'm not supposed to be naming techniques in the middle of a fight, but damn… that is very strong.'
Three training dummies materialized in front of Marcius.
Marcius again had to get into fighting stance.
'There is going to be no end, is there? Haha, welcome to hell, myself.'
*** *** ***
Author Notes
Hello! MidnightMK here!
Please leave comments and feedbacks. I really appreciate it.
Please enjoy the chapter! And please vote if you do!