A Fleeting Opportunity and an Uneasy Alliance

From which direction would the attack come next?

To the left, or to the right?

No, it was more likely from behind. That guy’s favorite trick was a sneak attack.

At the heart of the battlefield, Liu Yu maintained her composure, her heart remaining as still as a placid lake. Gripping her Demonic Sword, she stood poised, her senses keenly attuned to her surroundings.

Titan, wielding the formidable power of [Spatial Ability], possessed absolute initiative in combat. He dictated when to strike and when to retreat. Under normal circumstances, it would be incredibly difficult to corner someone with spatial abilities.

Yet, nothing was absolute. Judging from how she had just cleaved half his body, Titan experienced a momentary, almost imperceptible delay each time he performed a spatial leap. It was fleeting, less than a second, but if she could capitalize on this fleeting window and fully unleash [Shadow], there was a significant chance she could ‘kill’ him, even with the ‘Gem’ providing support!

Moreover, this opportunity would be gone in an instant. If she failed to deliver a killing blow, Titan’s vigilance would heighten considerably, dragging her back into an endless, suffocating quagmire.

Having formulated her plan, Liu Yu patiently awaited Titan’s next move, a silent resolve hardening in her heart.

‘The next strike will be his demise.’

Strangely, Titan seemed to vanish, making no new moves. Considering this could be a ploy, Liu Yu patiently waited for a while longer.

“…He really did run, didn’t he?”

When Liu Yu realized she had stood there like an idiot for ages while her enemy had long since slipped away, her temper flared, as was only natural.

“Damn it!”

Coaxing a single curse from her meager vocabulary, the petite girl’s frame trembled violently with indignation.

‘Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. What if he’s still hiding nearby, peeking?’

Uttering words even she didn’t believe, Liu Yu finally unleashed the fury coiling within her, swinging her Demonic Sword wildly in all directions.

In an instant, sword energy crisscrossed through the air. The entire building was shredded like paper fed into a pulverizer, layer after layer dissolving into dust under the sweeping force of her sword.

“Thud!”

A figure suddenly plummeted from above, catching Liu Yu’s attention. She took a calming breath, reining in her turbulent emotions, and composed her expression to appear as serene as possible before approaching the prone body.

By his build, it was a male, and unmistakably a [Bloodkin]. This tantalizing aura was one she would likely never forget.

She walked over and lightly nudged the man with her small foot. When he rolled over, a face so familiar it was etched into her very being greeted her.

“Well, well, isn’t it Comrade Wu Liyun? I was fighting for my life out there, while you were tucked away in a corner, sleeping so soundly.”

A brief flicker of relief was swiftly overshadowed by a torrent of grievances. If not for this useless lump suddenly becoming a hindrance, she would have long since dealt with Titan and gone home. Would she be here fuming otherwise?

“Worthless. Useless. A complete waste of space.”

Her frustration boiling over, Liu Yu lightly stomped on Wu Liyun’s head a few times. Only after leaving several conspicuous footprints did she withdraw her foot, content.

“Mmm… ugh… Liu… Yu…”

The girl’s overly blatant actions seemed to disturb Wu Liyun, who was deep in slumber. He shifted slightly, occasionally mumbling in his dreams.

This startled the guilt-ridden Liu Yu, who, fearing her misdeeds would be exposed, instantly transformed into a blur, vanishing from her spot. When she reappeared, she was already hiding behind a large rock, peeking her small head out to observe.

Only after confirming that Wu Liyun remained motionless did she pat her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.

‘Wait a minute.’

‘What on earth am I so afraid of? At most, he’d mistake me for some black-furred, white-haired beast. How could he possibly link it to [Liu Yu]?’

With this thought, her heart steadied. She scurried back to the spot she had fled from, raised her small foot, and pressed it onto the Bloodkin’s head, reluctantly unleashing a final bit of her temper.

‘Still…’

‘To be safe, it’s probably best to let him sleep a little longer.’

Though she didn’t know how the sneak attacker had managed to stun the Bloodkin, such a minor task could easily be handled by [Shadow].

Thus, Liu Yu, imbued with the power of Shadow, delivered another kick to Wu Liyun’s head, ensuring his continued unconsciousness before finally fleeing the ‘scene of the crime.’

****

“I told you, you cannot escape.”

After shattering the surrounding spatial fabric with [Chaotic Edge], the two who hadn’t yet managed to escape to the outside were naturally yanked back to their original positions.

In front of the ruined edifice, the girl with deep gray hair stood with a serene, cold expression, like a celestial being descended to the mortal realm, untouched by worldly dust, standing isolated and serene.

Not far from her stood two figures, one crimson, one stark white: the [Bloodkin] encased in formidable armor and the [Demonic Dragon] adorned with metallic scales. A palpable aura of lethal intent emanated from them.

The delicate maiden standing against two monstrous beings would typically make one feel a pang of apprehension. The reality, however, was quite the opposite. Faced with Vanguard’s terrifying display of dominance, the two who were once adversaries had quietly forged an alliance, diligently brainstorming their next move against her.

“How do we fight her?”

Capitalizing on the maiden’s momentary distraction, Titan nudged Chongyun, hoping the experienced Dragonkin could offer a viable strategy.

“Hmm…”

Chongyun mused for a moment before speaking in a hesitant tone:

“Perhaps you could go up and buy us some time?”

“And then?”

“…”

“No, Uncle, you want me to be a meat shield?”

“…You possess [Divine Blood], so you won’t perish immediately. Just keep stalling as you did before.”

“Absolutely not.”

Titan vehemently condemned Chongyun’s irresponsible attitude.

“Do you have any idea how close that ruthless little girl came to killing me? I have no desire to relive the experience of being sliced in half. Besides… can’t you also utilize [Divine Blood]? If you want a meat shield, I suggest you take the role yourself. I’ll devise a plan.”

As he spoke, Titan’s eyes narrowed, and he scrutinized the Dragonkin beside him with suspicion, hoping to discern something from his expression. But Chongyun’s monstrous dragon face revealed no discernible emotion, and Titan ultimately abandoned the thought.

“To be frank with you.”

At this point, holding back any longer would be a death sentence, so Chongyun decided to reveal more about his condition.

“[Divine Blood] can only be wielded by Bloodkin, those born from its essence. I gained a certain level of access by mimicking your state, effectively disguising myself as a Bloodkin.”

“Using it to neutralize the energy of another [Divine Blood] is the absolute limit of my capabilities. Otherwise, why do you think I was instantly obliterated without any chance to resist just now?”

A sharp click of his tongue escaped Titan. However unwilling, Titan had no choice but to dutifully step forward as the meat shield.

Against such a formidable foe, only by uniting their strength did they stand a glimmer of a chance. Harboring individual agendas would inevitably lead to their demise.

He meticulously erected layers of defense across his body, drawing upon his memories. After a deep breath, he resolutely began to advance. His desolate back carried the poignant weight of a man marching to his inevitable demise.

“I recall… you two were adversaries, weren’t you?”