“Warrick’s blade technique is terrifying,” Mulder mumbled. “This should be the finishing blow, right?”
Watching from a distance, he was awestruck by the dazzling blade aura. Only now did he truly grasp the sheer gulf between Warrick and Dustin.
Warrick’s strike descended with such overwhelming force that it seemed to split the earth and obliterate everything in its path. Even from 300 feet away, the pressure rolling off it sent a chill down Mulder’s spine.
Under Mulder’s stunned gaze, Warrick brought his full weight down, with blade and body merging into a single force that swallowed Dustin whole.
The instant they clashed, an incandescent explosion of light erupted. It was so blinding that Mulder couldn’t even open his eyes.
A split second later, a deafening blast erupted, and a shockwave shot outward like a tidal surge. The force flattened the waves and overturned several fishing boats docked at the pier.
Even Mulder, more than 300 feet away, was caught in the blast and tumbled across the ground in a disheveled heap.
Gasping for breath, he scrambled to his feet. But instead of checking his injuries, his eyes snapped toward the battlefield ahead-only to freeze in place as if struck by lightning.
Under the moonlight, Warrick stood motionless with his towering frame casting an oppressive shadow. Both hands still gripped his blade, held midair in a deadly downward slash. Yet, the razor-sharp edge had stopped just three inches above Dustin’s head.
It wasn’t that Warrick was soft-hearted or unable to deliver the killing blow-it was that Dustin simply couldn’t be defeated.
Dustin had effortlessly caught the blade Warrick had swung down with all his strength with one hand. Just like that, he had neutralized what should’ve been the deadliest blow.
Throughout the entire exchange, Dustin hadn’t moved an inch. His calm, relaxed stance made it seem like he was just catching a falling leaf.
“How… how is this possible?”
Mulder’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had witnessed Warrick’s strike firsthand. It was a blow so devastating that no one beneath an ultimate grandmaster could withstand it.
From his perspective, Dustin had been cornered with nowhere to retreat and forced into a defensive stance. Against such a mighty blow from Warrick, there were only two possible outcomes-death or crippling defeat.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this strike could end the fight.
But to Mulder’s utter disbelief, Dustin wasn’t just alive he had easily stopped the attack. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he’d never have believed that a young man barely in his 20s could possess such terrifying strength.
Could it be… that he was already an ultimate grandmaster?
That thought sent a chill down Mulder’s spine. A 20-something ultimate grandmaster and related to West Lucozia…
Suddenly, one name came to mind-Logan Rhys.
A year ago, two major events occurred. The castle crushed a rebellion and eradicated the remnants of the Dragon Guard.
Many believed Rufus was the mastermind behind both victories, but only insiders knew it was all thanks to the crown prince.
Logan had helped the castle crush the rebellion. He also ambushed and killed the ultimate grandmaster Reagen, eliminating one of West Lucozia’s greatest threats.
And then, he vanished without a trace, as if he had never existed.
Mulder didn’t want to believe it. But after witnessing the battle, he couldn’t help but make the connection between Logan and the man before him.
In all of West Lucozia, he couldn’t think of anyone who could pull off such a feat. Who else had unmatched talent similar to the legendary Prince Logan?
At that moment, Mulder wasn’t the only one trembling with fear.
Warrick, the one in the thick of the battle, was even more horrified. Sweat poured down his face as he stared at Dustin, who was half a head shorter than him. His expression was filled with disbelief.
His grip on the blade trembled involuntarily, for he had already guessed Dustin’s identity. If Warrick wasn’t mistaken, the man before him was Logan Rhys the prodigious prince of West Lucozia and the unrivaled talent who defied all reason.
No wonder… No wonder Dustin seemed familiar. No wonder unease had gnawed at Warrick all this time. The signs had been there all along.
“Y-You’re Logan Rhys?” he stammered.
Warrick’s voice came out hoarse, and his eyes were filled with horror and dread.
Besides Dustin’s identity, what truly terrified Warrick was the sheer, nightmarish level of strength the other party had just displayed. With nothing but his bare hand, Dustin easily caught the blade Warrick had swung down with all his strength.
It was downright terrifying.
If Warrick wasn’t mistaken, Dustin was already an ultimate grandmaster. There was no other way he could have done something like this.
An ultimate grandmaster in his 20s… He was a beast!
