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"Who are you? Why are you here? What is your purpose?"
Prince Nuada swiftly drew a short spear from behind and vigorously shook it. The initially short spear extended into a long one, and he carefully guarded Ivan.
Under normal circumstances, Prince Nuada would have already stepped forward and attacked. In his eyes, humans were mere ants, and their lives held little significance.
However, Prince Nuada hesitated this time. He didn't know the identity of the person in front of him, which organization they belonged to, or if they were aware of his quest for the Golden Legion. Additionally, he sensed a dangerous aura from Ivan, making him cautious about making a move.
In contrast to the visibly nervous Prince Nuada, Ivan appeared calm and relaxed. Observing the magical long spear, he felt a strong sense curiosity. It was undoubtedly a magical weapon of high quality, and Ivan was tempted to study it immediately.
"You've got too many questions, and frankly, I'm not inclined to answer them. Now, the tables have turned, and I'm in control. I demand you lead me to the Golden Army without any further ado."
"Silence! Insignificant ant! I am Prince Nuada of the Dark world, and you dare to address me in such a manner. Answer my questions or face the consequences," Prince Nuada roared angrily. The insolence of the human fueled his resolve to wage war against them.
Ivan detected arrogance in Prince Nuada's tone and sighed inwardly. "Well, to be honest, I'm weary of you self-righteous dark creatures. You believe yourselves to be noble, considering humans as lowly beings to be manipulated at will. But have you ever considered that if humans were truly weak, why would you be forced to dwell in the shadows, concealing your existence from them? Ultimately, humans are the true rulers of this world. You see only their weaknesses but fail to recognize their real strength. Of course, some claims are baseless; let's unveil the truth."
Prince Nuada, eager to ascertain Ivan's identity and whether others knew about his quest for the Golden Legion, realized he couldn't prolong the conversation. He decided to subdue Ivan first and then extract the information.
With this in mind, Prince Nuada brandished his spear, transforming it into a formidable weapon, and lunged at Ivan.
Ivan responded with agile movements, skillfully evading the spear's strikes. Despite the apparent danger, he managed to narrowly avoid each attack.
Initially planning to engage Prince Nuada with weapons, Ivan remembered that his Zhenjin-crafted treasure knives had been lost in a previous battle with Wonder Woman. With no time to retrieve them, he opted for unarmed combat. Dodging another thrust, he countered with a palm strike aimed at Prince Nuada's chest.
Reacting swiftly, Prince Nuada retracted his spear, using it to block Ivan's palm strike. A resounding impact echoed as a powerful force pushed Prince Nuada back. Underestimating Ivan's strength, Prince Nuada executed a quick series of flips, creating distance. He then pressed his hand against the sand, propelling himself into the air, and landed gracefully.
Prince Nuada's previous barrage failed to inflict any damage on Ivan, leading him to acknowledge that his opponent's speed and agility matched his own. Moreover, having experienced Ivan's formidable power firsthand, Prince Nuada recognized the impending challenge and understood he might not be a match for Ivan. In this predicament, he needed to devise an alternative strategy to secure victory.
After Ivan deflected Prince Nuada with a palm strike, he observed the lack of an immediate counterattack. Prince Nuada's eyes hinted at scheming, but Ivan remained unfazed. Confident in his strength, Ivan knew he could handle any situation, except perhaps against a few ancient and immortal adversaries.
Prince Nuada's eyes glinted as a subtle magical wave emanated from his palm, merging with his long spear. The spearhead transformed into a silvery shimmer. Prince Nuada launched another attack, altering his marksmanship to target Ivan's vulnerable points. The uncertain silver light added an element of danger to the spear's tip.
Sensing the sharpness of the indeterminate silver light, Ivan, despite his confidence in his abilities, opted for a cautious approach. To avoid a confrontation, he danced gracefully, transforming into nine phantoms to confound Prince Nuada.
Facing the indistinguishable phantom Prince Nuadas, Ivan found himself in a challenging situation, shifting from offense to defense. Despite Prince Nuada's efforts, he struggled to withstand the onslaught of the nine phantoms.
However, Prince Nuada, distracted by the confusion of the phantoms, proved no match for Ivan. Seizing the opportunity, Ivan kicked Prince Nuada, sending him to the ground and creating a deep furrow in the soft sand.
Though the sandy ground spared Prince Nuada from physical harm, the blow to his pride was immense. Fueled by anger, he vowed to obliterate Ivan to assuage his wounded ego.
As Prince Nuada rose, his eyes bore a murderous intent as he watched Ivan approach. Initially intending to interrogate Ivan, Prince Nuada now sought to annihilate him, consumed by hatred.
Gripping the spear tightly, Prince Nuada activated the silver light on its tip, unleashing a barrage of thousands of silver lights aimed at Ivan.
Ivan, surprised by the unexpected ability of Prince Nuada's spear, chose a strategic response. Recognizing the energy nature of the silver lights, he extended his arms, forming a void circle, and integrated his energy absorption ability. Ivan absorbed the silver lights effortlessly, leaving him unharmed.
Prince Nuada, astonished by the ease with which Ivan neutralized his trump card, hesitated, exposing a vulnerability. Ivan seized the chance, grabbed the spear, and effortlessly pulled it away from Prince Nuada's grasp. Despite Prince Nuada's attempts to reclaim the spear, Ivan's absorption abilities rendered him powerless.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Prince Nuada, seemingly driven to madness, lunged at Ivan with relentless fury, throwing a punch aimed at Ivan's head.
Remaining unfazed, Ivan allowed the punch to connect. Although Prince Nuada's force caused Ivan to lean back slightly, the counter-shock from his fist left Prince Nuada wincing in pain.
Ivan's punch wasn't in vain; he absorbed the opponent's strength and retaliated, delivering a powerful blow to Prince Nuada's abdomen. As he watched Prince Nuada bend over, another punch sent him sprawling on his back. Stepping forward, Ivan pressed his foot onto Prince Nuada's prone form. Prince Nuada humiliated and beneath the feet of a human he had disdained, flailed his limbs in a futile attempt to rise. However, every effort he made was absorbed by Ivan, rendering him immobile. Prince Nuada could only vent his frustration with frantic cries.
There was no sympathy for Prince Nuada from Ivan—a tyrant responsible for countless human deaths, his sins too vast to atone for even if he were to die a hundred times.
With his foot firmly on Prince Nuada's back, Ivan turned his attention to the long spear. A thorough examination revealed dense magic runes engraved on the weapon, interacting to create various special effects. The rune magic circle, responsible for Prince Nuada's silver light attacks, was a result of energy conversion.
Furthermore, the spear possessed a self-recovery ability. In case of damage, it could absorb free magic energy to mend itself. While other effects were relatively standard, it boasted a simple strengthening mechanism for the handle, enhancing its sharpness and strength, along with the ability to automatically retract and extend.
Ivan meticulously recorded all the magic runes, transmitting them to the Red Queen's database for analysis. Turning his focus to the material of the spear, Ivan identified the fusion of several magic metals in its construction, including potent magic-conductive materials like fine gold and mithril. Reflecting on his secret efforts to extract gold and silver from precious metals, Ivan couldn't help but marvel at the wealth amassed by the prince of the dark world. Despite his slow progress, Ivan's extracted gold and silver paled in comparison to the amount contained in this single long spear—a testament to the immense riches of Prince Nuada's domain.