The air around them grew thick and heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force. Adrian felt the pressure against his skin, the oppressive aura of the Blood Knight pressing in on him.
It was a skill meant to intimidate and weaken opponents, causing hesitation and fear, lowering their combat effectiveness.
The air vibrated with raw, malevolent power—an oppressive weight that would crush the will of most fighters.
But Adrian remained unaffected. He stood tall, his expression calm and composed, as if the Dread Presence was nothing more than a gentle breeze on a sunny day.
Undeterred, Asmodeus activated his next skill. Blood Oath. A faint, red glow enveloped his body, and he gritted his teeth as he sacrificed a portion of his own life force.
With every drop of blood offered, a surge of power coursed through him—his Strength and Endurance skyrocketing, the veins in his muscles bulging as they pulsed with newfound vitality.
The Blood Knight clenched his fist, feeling the rush of strength that came with the sacrifice. The edges of his vision tinted red, his senses sharpening. He could hear his own heartbeat like the steady rhythm of a war drum.
Adrian watched, his eyes glinting with interest. "Hmm, looks like you're boosting your attributes by sacrificing your life force, huh?"
His tone was almost analytical, as if he were observing a subject in an experiment. "I see. That's how you Abyssal Knights fight—trading life for power."
Asmodeus didn't respond. Instead, he lunged forward with blinding speed, his form blurring as he closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
The ground beneath his feet cracked under the force of his acceleration, a shockwave rippling outward as his massive sword swung down in a brutal arc.
The blade was infused with dark energy, a sinister black aura coiling around it like smoke. The moment it moved, the air hummed with an unholy resonance, the sound of death itself being ushered forth.
"Abyssal Cleave!" Asmodeus roared, his voice reverberating through the clearing.
The force of the attack was immense. The blade tore through the air, the dark energy around it condensing into a malevolent edge that promised devastation.
A deep fissure split open in the ground, the earth shattering beneath the sheer power of the strike. The impact alone would have been enough to disintegrate a lesser opponent.
But Adrian was already moving. With a fluid, almost effortless motion, he sidestepped the attack, his feet barely seeming to touch the ground as he evaded the massive blade by a hair's breadth.
The Abyssal Cleave missed him by inches, the dark energy dissipating harmlessly in the space where he had stood a moment before.
The ground beneath Adrian's former position was obliterated, a gaping chasm left in its wake. Chunks of rock and soil flew into the air, a testament to the overwhelming force of the Abyssal Knight's assault.
Adrian's hand blurred as he retaliated, his dagger slicing through the air in a precise, controlled motion.
The blade gleamed with an ethereal light, a subtle glow that seemed to draw in the ambient mana around them.
The dagger met Asmodeus's sword with a sharp, resounding clang, the impact sending a shockwave through both fighters.
Sparks flew as steel clashed against steel, the force of the collision creating a visible distortion in the air around them.
Asmodeus's eyes widened as he felt the power behind Adrian's strike. Despite the size difference between their weapons—his massive, two-handed blade against Adrian's much smaller dagger—the strength of Adrian's attack was staggering.
His arm shook under the force of the blow, the reverberations traveling up to his shoulder.
He gritted his teeth, pushing back with all his might. The muscles in his arm bulged, straining as he tried to overpower Adrian.
But Adrian merely smiled. "Not bad," he remarked, his voice calm and steady. "But you're still holding back."
Asmodeus snarled, his eyes narrowing in anger and frustration. This was a fight to the death, and yet, Adrian was treating it like a sparring match.
His opponent's complete lack of fear—or even concern—was infuriating.
With a growl of defiance, Asmodeus activated another skill. Shadow Leap. His form blurred, vanishing from sight as he teleported behind Adrian in a flash of dark energy.
The skill was one of the Abyssal Knights' signature moves—a high-speed teleportation technique that allowed them to reposition and strike with lethal precision.
Asmodeus's voice echoed in a roar of triumph. "Die!" His massive sword descended in a vicious, overhead strike, aimed at Adrian's unprotected back.
But Adrian was ready. In a split second, he activated Void Step, his figure flickering and vanishing from sight. The skill left behind a faint afterimage that dissipated like mist, leaving Asmodeus swinging at empty air.
Adrian reappeared a short distance away, his stance steady and his eyes focused. "You'll have to do better than that," he taunted, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
Asmodeus cursed, his patience wearing thin. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears, his heart racing.
This… this was a different kind of fight. Every move, every skill Adrian used was precise and calculated, as if he were playing a game of chess where every piece was already under his control.
The Blood Knight's eyes glowed with a crimson light as he activated another skill. "Dark Vanguard!" he roared, summoning a shield of abyssal energy around himself.
The barrier shimmered with a dark, malevolent light, crackling with raw power. It was a defensive skill that not only reduced the damage he would take but also had the capability to reflect a portion of incoming magic attacks back at the attacker.
But Adrian didn't attack immediately. Instead, he observed, his expression thoughtful. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he activated Dragon's Roar once more.
The shockwave of draconic mana surged toward Asmodeus, the sheer force of the attack distorting the air around it. The pressure was immense, the roar of mana like the sound of a beast awakening.
Asmodeus braced himself, the Dark Vanguard absorbing the impact of the attack. The shield held, the dark energy within it crackling and hissing as it fought against Adrian's draconic power.
The malevolent aura of the shield surged in response, its reflective properties causing a portion of the mana to rebound back toward Adrian.
But Adrian merely sidestepped the rebounded energy, his movements calm and controlled. "Predictable," he murmured, his eyes narrowing.
With a sudden burst of speed, Adrian was in front of Asmodeus again. His dagger, glowing with a brilliant, almost blinding light, struck the shield with a force that sent shockwaves through the barrier.
The Dark Vanguard shuddered, the abyssal energy within it fluctuating wildly. Asmodeus felt his mana draining rapidly as the shield struggled to maintain its form against Adrian's relentless assault.
"No…" Asmodeus growled, his voice strained. He poured more mana into the shield, reinforcing it with everything he had. The dark energy around him flared, the barrier thickening as he pushed his defenses to their limit.