Roy had been sent flying in a single blow. A dead silence fell over the underground passage. Astraea and the others looked grim, while the Ikelos members wore the triumphant smiles of successful conspirators.
"That's a Level 3? Are you kidding me!" Daphne's face flushed with anger. The man's speed was on par with the Level 5 clash between Ryu and Dix. He was clearly a Level 5-tier threat.
"Don't talk nonsense. He is 'Level 3'!" the Ikelos members jeered.
"He is indeed a Level 3 adventurer, but he is also a Spirit Soldier," Ryu said, her voice low and dark. She hadn't expected such a loathsome creation still existed in this world.
Daphne and Cassandra looked confused; they had never heard the term. Astraea explained the horror of the Spirit Soldier with a heavy heart.
Spirit Soldiers were biological weapons used by the Evilus during the Great Feud two years ago. In the ancient era, heroes had no Falna, but they possessed great power through the blessings of Spirits—most famously Albert Waldstein, who took an eye from the Black Dragon. Over time, people grew greedy for that power. The Evilus would capture Spirits and forcibly fuse them with human test subjects.
It was a cruel process. Upon fusion, the Spirit was essentially dead, and the human host's lifespan was drastically shortened, usually to just a year or two. The result was a Spirit Soldier.
Daphne and Cassandra shuddered at the story, their eyes filling with fury at the Ikelos Familia. On paper, he was Level 3, but fused with the Spirit's power, his actual combat strength was that of a Level 5 biological weapon. They had exploited a loophole. It was no wonder they dared to send him against Roy; even a genius couldn't easily bridge a two-level gap.
It was a battle of absolute numerical suppression.
The Spirit Soldier moved again, his speed creating a whistling sound as he merged into the darkness. Roy had no choice but to stand his ground.
Bzzzt!
Roy stepped back, golden lightning erupting from his palm to form a longsword. The blade whistled through the air, aimed straight at the soldier's head. The tip struck the man's forehead with a sound like shattering jade. Sparks flew. It felt like hitting solid steel; the vibration traveled up Roy's arm, leaving it numb.
Roar!
The Spirit Soldier's eyes turned crimson. He swung his hand like a blade, severing Roy's lightning sword in half. Roy's expression was grim; his lightning weapons were near High-quality, yet the opponent countered them with his bare flesh. Roy retreated, releasing the broken hilt, which transformed into a lightning snake that coiled around the soldier.
Boom!!
The golden lightning exploded, the shockwave causing the ground to tremble and water to splash. Roy retreated twenty meters, staring ahead. As the dust settled, the Spirit Soldier stood firmly in the center of the crater, completely unharmed.
Everyone realized the truth: the Spirit Soldier's physical and magical resistance was maxed out. He needed no weapons; his body was the ultimate weapon. He charged at Roy like a tank, crushing everything in his path.
Wind Walk!
Roy didn't dare take the hit. He activated the Gale Boots' effect, his Agility surging to Level 4 standards as wind coiled around his legs. While retreating, Roy summoned another lightning blade. He fought with agility, his sword dancing like a snake, leaving faint scratches on the soldier's skin as they danced in that small space.
The soldier's roars grew more piercing. He moved like a small mountain, trying to crush Roy. If Roy were caught in a grapple, his bones would turn to dust. Roy's hair stood on end. He kicked off a stone pillar, lunging backward, but the soldier pursued him like a shadow.
He was a stat-monster. One touch, and Roy was finished.
"Gather now, breath of the earth—My name is Alf, the Mirage of Life!" Roy whispered the chant while dodging, colorful light enveloping his body.
Boom!
The two collided. The impact cracked the floor and sent water exploding outward. Roy retreated dozens of steps, barely steadying himself, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. It felt like he had hit a wall of solid bronze. In a few seconds, they had traded dozens of blows, but mostly Roy was dodging and looking for an opening.
The onlookers were stunned—not just by the soldier's power, but by the fact that Roy could survive so long against a Level 5-tier opponent. Usually, Level 3 vs. Level 5 results in an instant kill.
"Hah... hah..."
Roy panted. Winning with his own stats was impossible. He couldn't wait any longer. "Miss Ryu!"
He called out through their mental link. Ryu, resting by Astraea, immediately accepted.
Synchronization Contract, Activate!
Ryu's Level 5 stats flooded into Roy, including her developmental abilities and skills. An incredible power surged through him. Roy's eyes flashed with a cold, electric light. Every cell in his body seemed to cheer.
The real battle is decided before it begins. Ikelos brought a fake Level 3; Roy brought a two-in-one contract. It was a contest of who was more cunning.
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Danmachi : Starting with an Elf (378 Chapter – Ongoing)
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