The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

“Guh…”

Ismoken’s thoughts didn’t last long. The searing pain coursing through his entire body threw him off balance, making him stagger.

It wasn’t enough to kill him, but the impact had been severe. For a moment, he nearly blacked out.

Ghislain didn’t miss the opportunity. He swung his staff with full force, striking Ismoken squarely in the chest.

BOOM!

“Urgh!”

Ismoken let out a pained cry as he was sent flying backward. He barely managed to regain his footing before coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Kh…"

But he had no time to catch his breath.

Ghislain was already closing in, his staff arcing toward him once more.

BOOM!

This time, Ismoken didn’t take the hit passively. He quickly gathered his energy, blocking the attack and countering with his own.

“You sneaky bastard! Is this how you fight?!”

He was livid.

He had already been humiliated too many times.

Dark energy surged from his body once more, his bladed arms slashing through the air as he pressed the attack.

The pace of their battle escalated.

The sheer speed at which they moved made it impossible for an ordinary person to even track their movements. The air itself seemed to rip apart from the force of their blows.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each clash of Ismoken’s black blades against Ghislain’s glowing staff sent powerful shockwaves tearing through the battlefield.

Ismoken wasn’t lying when he said he was skilled in close combat.

He wasn’t being completely overpowered—he was actually holding his ground.

“Hoh… you’ve trained quite a bit, haven’t you?”

Ghislain grinned, watching his opponent with growing interest.

Ismoken’s martial prowess was impressive.

It was both wild and refined, like that of a predator—ferocious yet calculated.

Such a technique wasn’t something that could be developed overnight.

It had been honed over years, perhaps even decades, of study and practice.

Most likely, it had been specifically designed for battling humans.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Ismoken’s attacks grew fiercer.

He couldn’t stand Ghislain’s smug attitude, as if he were evaluating him rather than taking the fight seriously.

“Let’s see how long you can keep up that arrogance!”

SWOOSH!

Ismoken vanished in a blur, leaving behind only a faint shadow.

A split second later, he reappeared behind Ghislain, his blade-like arms slicing downward.

Ghislain twisted his body just in time, avoiding a direct hit.

However, his coat was torn, and a shallow cut appeared on his side.

“So, this is the limit of your speed?”

Ismoken smirked.