Daru turned as swiftly as he dodged, eyes narrowing as he locked gazes with another Veshari.

It was a male one around the same height as him, had long, black-hair tied into a top-knot, and had a slim but muscular body.

There was a lazy flicker of playful arrogance in his eyes.

==

Ae'shkar

HP: 1,190 / 1,250

==

Daru's brows rose, surprised at the unexpected but pleasant encounter with a top-ranker, proven by the bladeborn's trial name displayed in golden hues.

"Oh, you're an SS-ranker?" he still asked with a faint, excited smile, even though he knew that the colors never lie.

Well, except for his…

Ae'shkar's lazy yet playfully arrogant eyes narrowed, his brows rising like the human bladeborn standing a few meters away from him.

"So why are you smiling when you're about to die?" the novice, Veshari top-ranker asked with hints of displeased undertones.

Daru's smile, however, only widened, responding in a way that only irritated Ae'shkar further:

"Hoh, I like your spirit, Veshari. Come, then. Let's see who will die."

The Veshari burst out laughing.

"You…haha…Do you actually think you have a chance against me?" Ae'shkar asked in disbelief, pausing for a while to take the time to chuckle rather mockingly before continuing: "Let me guess, because your insecure, talentless little race gave you the idea that we, the Veshari, are weaker?"

In the next moment, the bladeborn of the gray-skinned race snickered in a weird and creepy manner, pressing his palms on his entire face as though attempting to stifle his own laugh.

"Hikshikshikkshikkkk.… Fine, fine. Continue thinking that way…"

"So, are we going to fight or not? Aren't you about to be kicked out of the realm anytime now?"

Daru's enthusiastic tone slightly doused the flames of Ae'shkar's amusement.

"Ahh, don't worry, I don't even need ten seconds to end you. It should be totally fine," the arrogant Veshari shrugged, truly wanting to crack the human's irritating exterior.

But his words seemingly didn't go through the stupid female human's head.

'Maybe she's one of those dumb, raw battle-instinct types?' was the thought that swirled in Ae'shkar's head.

Daru's next words, however, were like a switch that finally flipped the Veshari bladeborn off, making Ae'shkar think that his opponent's delusion was more than what his patience could handle:

"Ah, I don't think that's possible, though…No one has ever defeated me in ten seconds, and I'm certain you won't be the first."

"Really?"

A silent moment later, swampwater burst at the novice Veshari top-ranker's previous location as he turned into a blur and almost disappeared.

Daru's eyes flickered into sharp focus, straining to follow his opponent's movements.

Ae'shkar was faster than even Cryzhar and Lyon!

A wide grin appeared on the Veshari's face as he exploded into yet another burst of speed and reappeared to Daru's left, calling out:

"Die, clown."

But to Ae'shkar's surprise, before his twin-crescent shortsword could make contact with his opponent's neck, a thin blur of black metal appeared.

Daru was able to angle his tachi protectively along his neck on time, stopping the veshari's blade with a piercing clang.

"Hoh, I see why you're so confident now, Veshari. You're fast," he remarked, easily pushing Ae'shkar back with raw arm strength.

Being superior in strength against someone who wasn't human was quite the strange feeling for Daru.

"But as I said, ten seconds is not enough to defeat me."

Veins popped at the sides of Ae'shkar's head, his patience snapping completely at the lowly A-ranker's tough talk.

The b*tch was still not done!

"Oh, but I insist that it is," the slightly angered Veshari shot back, almost in a snarling manner as he disappeared, reappearing behind Daru in the next moment.

Twin crescents screeched as they glowed gray, sweeping at the neck.

But this time, it was Daru who seemingly disappeared, turning into a rolling blur that shot skyward and narrowly avoiding the shrieking gray moons.

Ae'shkar was momentarily confused, in slight disbelief that his next attack was still dodged by the young female human A-ranker.

He was certain this attack should've been the last.

The next thing the Veshari knew, a red crescent was already cutting through the air, shooting towards him.

He was caught off-guard not by the counterattack, but by the fact that Daru was still able to survive his [Blink Strike] sword skill.

It was already too late to dodge the red crescent.

So, Ae'shkar had no choice but to meet the sword projectile head-on, pushed back slightly before he was able to shatter the attack.

His shortsword also stopped its eerie screech soon after, a red damage value floating above his head:

[- 1]

The amount was so puny that it was negligible even to a fragile Veshari like him.

However, it did far more damage in other aspects of the battle than what the hitpoints reflected.

Ae'shkar inwardly exploded in fury. He realized he only had two more seconds to back his words up.

Of all the opponents he had faced, it would be an A-ranker who would be able to humiliate him?

"Like hell the likes of you would survive more than ten seconds against me!" his lazy and playful exterior crumbled, replaced by a furious grin that screamed he wanted nothing more than to obliterate his opponent in battle.

In the next moment, the SS-ranker of the Veshari race went all out, utilizing yet another sword skill that turned him into an unpredictable, shadowy-gray blur.

Swampwater splashed everywhere as he moved from left to right and vice versa, closing in while creating numerous afterimages in the span of a single second.

Daru's eyes were strained to the limit, and he still could barely follow Ae'shkar.

"Haha, so this is a top-ranker Veshari?" he muttered, his eyes moving in the same manner as his opponent, lagging by a tenth of a beat.

A gray blur attacked from Daru's left, but he instantly determined that he sensed no danger.

It was but a mirage that he ignored.

He then instantaneously turned to the right, slashing his sword without hesitation—almost bordering on foresight through a mix of sharp combat instincts and peerless focus.

Ae'shkar was truly caught off guard this time, not expecting that his opponent would be able to almost instantaneously decide how to correctly respond to his SS-tier sword skill.

The two bladeborns clashed swords once more, an ear-piercing clang echoing through the somber swamp-forest.

Naturally, the physically stronger bladeborn would win out in a direct clash.

Ae'shkar was sent staggering backward.

The next thing he knew, the female human bladeborn, Otsuna, was already charging at him with a predatory look that said: "It's my turn."

Ten seconds were up.

"Wench! You truly thin–"

Unfortunately, before the Veshari SS-ranker could finish his words, his vision warped to the luxurious wood ceiling of his hollow.

His time in the realm was up.

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