Daru's eyes darted occasionally.

From left to right, then the other way around, vigilance on high as he gripped his tachi with just the right amount of force.

A few dozen meters behind him, following in secret was Iris.

She wasn't here to help. She wasn't allowed to.

If she did, then she would be disrespecting her training partner's resolve, though Daru would've termed it differently.

"Ruin his fun" would be the more accurate phrase.

Iris was also very careful not to walk too close, or the Aetherborn might detect her and be distracted by her mere presence.

Daru wanted his opponent to fight at his best, but he also found it difficult to turn down his training partner's simple request.

This was the result of what they agreed on.

Still, Iris felt a bit uneasy, as the location was too quiet.

She couldn't help but suspect that the Aetherborn was hiding somewhere, watching them from the shadows and preparing for an ambush.

Daru also thought the same, though not to the extent she was imagining.

Little did the separated duo know, they couldn't be more wrong.

Aetherborns were an extremely talented and proud race.

They disdained ambush tactics, except for a few whose pride was rooted both in intelligence and prowess in combat.

Five more minutes of slightly unnerving, silent advance later, Daru heard the sounds of an ongoing battle from the right path of a massive cave fork.

But before he could even raise his brows...total silence.

The battle had ended.

Daru suddenly remembered something, and he removed his mask, revealing his true appearance and trial name.

His blonde hair stirred for a moment before settling.

So did his nameplate, now displaying a glaring red "Onimaru Kunitsuna."

'The Aetherborn should at least know the face and name of the novice who would destroy him in a duel…' he mused, not finding anything wrong with the thought that fleeted.

Storing the Oni Mask in his inventory, Daru proceeded forth and entered the right path, Iris cautiously on his trail.

He advanced for a minute, relaxing his vigilance as he sensed yet another battle up ahead, then the same silence.

Daru was certain that the sound was from the SS-ranker Aetherborn grinding levels by fighting the level forty-five swordspawns in the area.

Soon enough, the silhouette of what seemed to be a tall human, standing a little over six feet tall and having a well-balanced physique, came into view.

Daru's eyes narrowed, his gaze tracing what was similar to tattooed veins, crawling all over the fire orange-haired humanoid's body.

He would've suspected this was the case, had they not been glowing a flame vermilion.

The moment the slain giant armored beetle dissipated into red cubic particles, the Aetherborn turned, having already detected him earlier.

Both bladeborns glanced at each other's nameplates.

In the next moment, a sigh of disappointment escaped Ra Mehn's mouth in the form of a barely audible mutter:

"How are these humans so stupid? I already told them to bring an SSS-ranker if they wanted to have a chance against me…"

Daru heard the Aetherborn's arrogant words, brows rising as he responded.

"You should stop living in delusions. It would only hinder you from becoming stronger."

The corners of Ra Mehn's mouth twitched once, locking eyes with Daru in disbelief for a moment and scoffing after realizing that the human S-ranker was not joking:

"Huh? What the hell are you even saying, human? You, from an inferior race with an inferior rank, dare tell me that I'm delusional?"

"Yes. In case you're not cleaning your ears regularly, I indeed just called you delusional for thinking you're someone special when you're not."

Veins popped at the sides of the Aetherborn's head.

But not for long, as Ra Mehn's face seemingly eased into an apathetic yet eerily murderous look.

He was certainly not amused.

In fact, he had lost all interest in talking to Daru, opting for a quick kill instead so he could show the ignorant human his place in the hierarchy.

He didn't even believe an SS-ranker of the inferior race had what it took to defeat him, yet this S-ranker dared talk senseless crap?

Since this was the case, then he, Ra Mehn, will personally beat some sense into this hopelessly idiotic Onimaru Kunitsuna.

The Aetherborn struck a rather flashy forward stance in the next moment, his pale-silver armor gleaming in the crystalline illumination.

He tightly gripped his modular, slithering sword with a runic carving of holy flames, and attached a longer handle, holding it with one hand to the side while shifting his palms towards Daru as though locking him as a target.

The moment it began resembling both a spear and a sword, it burst into incinerating pale-golden and vermilion flames.

"I'll bathe two halves of you in my flames. Perhaps in your second life, you'll know how to act appropriately to those who are superior."

Ra Mehn turned into a flaming bullet in the next second, stabbing at Daru in a horrifying burst of straightforward speed.

But his sword…struck nothing.

Instead, he felt a light, burning sensation at his left shoulder, forcing him to look as the momentum of his explosive rush stopped.

What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief and denial for half a second.

Red cubic particles, bleeding out of a moderately deep cut wound.

He looked up, noticing the red damage value: [- 210], before the sounds of a graceful landing from behind him snatched his attention.

Ra Mehn hurriedly turned to look, fury rising, ego bruised.

"Huh?" the Aetherborn began, sneering in slight bewilderment. "I was cut? Me? By you, an S-ranker?"

Daru's brows furrowed in raw displeasure.

"Can you please stop with your cringeworthy reactions? Why do you always sound like you're experiencing the world for the first time?" he asked with an immaculate mix of disgust and earnestness. "We're fighting with swords, it's natural that you'll get cut. Just be grateful that we can enjoy such a fun duel without feeling too much pain. Otherwise, you'd probably be shrieking like an old lady from my strike."

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