He could sense that whatever would happen in this place was coming closer, raising his killing intent. The young man hid those feelings along with his aura to attack with deadly precision when required.
Vlad saw a sharp turn ahead, and once he crossed it, he would see the main road that would allow him to ascend the mountain. It was at that point that it happened.
[Beep! Powerful life form detected 100 meters ahead! The Host is advised to take extreme caution!]
Vlad’s eyes widened at the warning from the A.I. Chip, and immediately, the killing intent inside his heart burst forth. Whatever had triggered his instincts must be around the corner. He extended his right hand, making his white blade appear as he flashed forward.
It took less than three seconds to cover that distance, and Vlad’s Force exploded the moment he turned past the rocks. His eyes burned with killing intent as he focused on the location of the entity the A.I. Chip had detected.
Vlad was ready to face any Abyssal demon or angel and cut them to pieces, yet what appeared before him was neither.
’A human?’ What appeared before Vlad was a human woman, or at least that was what he believed, but she was unlike anyone he had ever seen.
The woman was not only incredibly gorgeous but also exuded the force of a master. Black tribal markings covered her face, each line giving a powerful aura.
She was by far the most beautiful person Vlad had ever seen in his life. However, that was far from enough to calm the killing intent of the young man. But as he saw her brown eyes, a feeling assaulted him, as if he were looking at the strength of the earth, sturdy and capable of resisting any cataclysm and, at the same time, able to adapt and evolve.
The woman’s reaction was similar to Vlad’s. She had also detected the young man and had marched full of killing intent, but as she saw those black eyes, she felt in them a sea of rage that could drown people, yet there was a purity in it that left her speechless.
The young man and woman stared at each other for a second, freezing as they could not understand their reactions. However, the next second, Vlad’s eyes turned to the mace, and the young woman glanced at the sword, making their battle reignite.
Vlad and the young woman glanced at each other again, tightening their grip over their weapons. Yet the next second, their weapons vanished, and their energy faded. One might think such an action ended the fight, but that could not be further from the truth since their physical strength exploded the next second as each sent a fist forward.
A small kinetic blast echoed through the mountain’s base as the two fists collided before the young woman and Vlad were pushed back. However, while the young woman only moved five meters, Vlad was pushed fourteen.
Although that was just a preliminary clash, it seemed that the young woman’s physical might surpassed that of the Depravita of Wrath.
Vlad could feel his right arm tremble from the clash. Had his body not evolved to Level 7, small cracks would have surely appeared in his bones. His eyes began to burn with battle will, and he turned to the woman. "Vlad Xaos."
The young woman’s eyes narrowed, and a fierce battle will emerge in her eyes the next second. "Freya Vanir."
Vlad showed a small smile as he heard the woman’s name. When they sent their weapons back into their space rings, it was a show of goodwill, indicating no real animosity or killing intent toward each other.
’A.I. Chip, analyze her and deploy the best battle tactic and martial style to face her.’ Vlad’s mind immediately ordered the chip, and in the next second, a wave of information appeared in his mind, along with virtual signals in his field of view.
Freya’s eyes narrowed as she suddenly felt that the young man in front of her grew much more powerful, and his eyes could see everything. ’A unique battle art? Gift? Innate Ability?’
All sorts of thoughts crossed the young woman’s mind as she tried to figure out what had just happened and how the man’s power had suddenly risen. However, after realizing she could not find the cause, she no longer bothered with it. She just clenched her fists, her eyes growing sharper than a blade.
The young man and woman glanced at each other, their minds growing sharper until they finally reached their zenith and flashed toward each other with every ounce of their physical strength.
Freya’s march was so strong that she cracked the earth beneath her feet as she drove forward. Her battle stance was flawless as she attacked with the force of a battering ram capable of breaking a steel door.
Vlad could feel the immense strength behind the woman’s charge and flawless technique. He would have lost if he were fighting based on instinct and military battle tactics alone. But right now, not only was the best battle style to face the woman in his mind, but also a voice that guided him.
[Beep! Step to the right. Grab her forearms and break her stance!]
Those words echoed in his mind along with the virtual mark that made every single step and move he should make clear. This was what Vlad called the A.I. Chip Battle Style!
The moment of truth arrived as both were about to clash. Just as Freya thought she would push the young man away, her entire body rotated through the air. Her instincts kicked in, and she managed to land flawlessly on the ground in a battle stance, yet her eyes could not hide her shock as that clash replayed in her mind.