"Damn, I can't shake him off," Oasis thought, gritting his teeth as he felt the figure gaining on him.
His heart pounded with adrenaline.
Damn it!
Without a second thought, Oasis spun around just as he leaped onto a rock in the valley.
His body radiated with blue flames as he reversed direction, heading straight back toward his pursuer.
The flames danced around him, the embodiment of the Dancing Phoenix technique, a fiery aura that surged with power.
As he moved, he reached into his storage bracelet, pulling out his sword, 'Kaze no Kagutsuchi'.
The blade, imbued with his fiery mana, gleamed with a menacing light.
"Huh, fascinating," the shadowy figure smirked, a dark smile spreading across his concealed face as he noticed Oasis's sudden change in tactic.
The figure was also moving at high speed, a blur of motion through the rocky terrain.
The shadow's form seemed to meld with the darkness of the valley, swift and fluid, as if he were part of the shadows themselves.
In one fluid motion, the pursuer drew two daggers, their blades black but shimmering with an eerie light.
The two combatants hurtled toward each other, the clash inevitable. After a few rapid breaths, they met in a violent collision.
CLANG!!!
Oasis's azure eyes locked onto the shadow's as their weapons connected.
The sound of the blades clashing echoed through the valley, a sharp, resonant clang that reverberated off the rocky walls.
Sparks flew as 'Kaze no Kagutsuchi' met the shadow's daggers, the force of their impact sending both fighters skidding backward.
They landed a few meters apart, both standing ready in the midst of the barren valley.
The landscape around them was stark and unforgiving—a rocky terrain with jagged outcrops and barely any vegetation, the few scattered shrubs struggling to survive in the harsh environment.
The sky above was clear, the sun casting long shadows across the desolate scene.
"Awakened Realm, beginner stage, third layer," Oasis thought, his azure eyes narrowing as he finally discerned the level of his opponent's cultivation.
The shadowy figure stood before him in a bent posture, hands forward, elbows arched, with the daggers held in a deadly grip.
The tension in the air was palpable, a battle of life and death hanging in the balance.
The pursuer tilted his head slightly back, the hood covering his head sliding off to reveal his face.
His features were partially obscured by a half mask, but messy, short black hair fell over his forehead, and a prominent scar ran above his right eyebrow,
cutting through his skin like a jagged reminder of past battles. His eyes were dark, gleaming with malice and a twisted amusement.
"Ha ha ha, brat, I've been looking for you for some days now," the man spoke, his voice high-pitched and squeaky, a dissonant sound that grated on Oasis's ears.
"You've been a thorn in my boss's side, so you deserve to perish."
"Huh, what's wrong with his voice?" Oasis thought, feeling a shiver of discomfort run down his spine.
The man's voice was unnerving, out of place for someone so dangerous.
The pursuer sneered, his eyes narrowing as he continued.
"Brat, this face and this surrounding shall be the last thing those pretty eyes of yours," he hissed, his tone dripping with malice.
"I am Rurik."
Oasis's senses screamed a warning as he studied the man before him.
"This man gives me bad vibes," he thought, his grip tightening on Kaze no Kagutsuchi.
"Brat, look carefully with those pretty eyes," Rurik taunted, his voice dripping with malice.
He held the dagger in his right hand by the tip of the hilt, his gaze locked on Oasis.
Without warning, he flicked the dagger forward with a swift motion, the blade imbued with a dark, malevolent aura as it hurtled toward Oasis's heart.
The dagger cut through the air with lethal precision, aimed directly at Oasis's heart.
The dark aura surrounding the blade seemed to distort the space around it, making it appear as if the very air was recoiling from its sinister energy.
"Huh! So fast!" Oasis thought, his instincts screaming at him to dodge.
But as he tried to move, he felt his body grow inexplicably heavy, as if the dagger itself was weighing him down, drawing him into its deadly path.
"Damn!" he muttered under his breath, a smirk crossing his lips as he quickly flicked his hand, moving his sword just in time.
CLANG!!!
The tip of Kaze no Kagutsuchi intercepted the dagger, the force of the impact causing the blade to ricochet off his sword with a sharp clang, the sound echoing through the valley.
The impact staggered Oasis slightly, his feet skidding back a few inches on the rocky ground.
"So much force," Oasis thought, trying to regain his balance.
But before he could fully recover, Rurik was already on the move.
The shadowy figure dashed forward with lightning speed, his dark form a blur as he closed the distance between them.
In a seamless motion, Rurik met the dagger he had thrown, catching it mid-air with a smirk.
"Ha ha ha, not bad, brat," Rurik sneered as he continued his rapid approach.
His voice was filled with sadistic amusement, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint.
As he neared Oasis, Rurik leaped into the air, his movements fluid and almost graceful despite his malevolent intent.
He threw the dagger again, but this time, he moved ahead of the blade, aiming to catch Oasis from behind.
Cling!
Oasis repelled the dagger mid-leap, spinning in the air to keep his eyes on Rurik, who had just narrowly missed slicing his neck from behind.
The agility and precision of both combatants were astounding, their movements a deadly dance of speed and skill.
"Fire Magic: Phoenix Blaze!" Oasis roared as he unleashed a torrent of blue flames from his left hand.
The flames erupted without warning, roaring toward Rurik with intense heat and blinding light.
"Huh, blue flames? I thought it was a fluke at first… This brat actually possesses blue flames,"
Rurik thought, his expression turning serious as he quickly leaped back, narrowly dodging the searing flames.
The ground where the flames touched was scorched black, the intense heat leaving a trail of charred earth in its wake.