Enzo appeared out of thin air, not too far away from Evan's current location. It was the spot where the dung beetle had been a moment ago.
"My skill crystal grants me the power to swap places with any visible living being at light speed, as long as they lack the will to resist. If it weren't for that, I would've been a goner. I used to think the rumors about you being the strongest contender in the inheritance war were baseless, but now I realize they are true. Your abilities certainly back up your reputation." Enzo remarked, touching his neck and wiping the cold sweat that had formed there. The near-death experience had left him shaken. His voice trembled like a belly dancer as he spoke.
Evan's eyes narrowed at Enzo's words, his lips pursing in irritation.
"I don't need your compliments," he said coldly.
Just then, Kian and Liam caught up, panting heavily from the exertion of their sprint.
Kian and Liam had caught up by them, and Kian instantly launched into action, attacking Evan from behind with his staff, hoping to catch him by surprise, but Evan, whose senses were nine times better than the average citizen of the empire, heard him approaching. His enhanced agility allowed him to dodge the attack with ease, his lithe body twisting to avoid the incoming blow.
Kian's staff missed its mark, and then without hesitation, Evan retaliated with a powerful kick to Kian's stomach.
The back kick was renowned as the deadliest move in Taekwondo, but empowered by Evan's physical strength, its deadliness quadrupled.
Kian felt as if a truck had rammed into him when he got kicked.
Ugh!
The sound of Kian's gasp echoed through the swamp, his saliva spraying out of his mouth as he was thrown backwards like a ragdoll. He collided with a nearby tree, the sound of the impact reverberating through the swamp like a clap of thunder. For a moment, he hung there; his body crumpled against the tree trunk like a discarded rag.
He was bleeding from his seven orifices, his body as still as a corpse.
ραпdα---nᴏνa| сom It seemed as if he had died.
However, Evan was certain that Kian was still alive. How could he be sure? It was straightforward. His system hadn't alerted him of Kian's death yet. As a player, Evan always followed one rule - to have faith in the system's prompt over his senses. He could be misled, but the system couldn't be fooled, not in a million years.
Kian's acting skills were impressive, but they didn't fool Evan. Without hesitation, he deployed the full power of his magical weapon against Kian, unleashing a barrage of icy shards towards him.
Liam was perplexed, as the utilization of magic weapons required the utilization of soul energy, but Evan's soul pockets were sealed, making it impossible for him to tap into his soul energy. So how did he do what he did?
Enzo was equally astonished and found himself struggling to comprehend the situation. He wondered how someone with sealed soul pockets could demonstrate such proficiency with their magic weapon. Perhaps Evan had already overcome Liam's curse?
However, little did they know that Evan's weapons were unique, as they were generated by the system and didn't require the consumption of soul energy to unleash their special effects. Unlike the weapons produced by the empire, Evan's weapons only had a cooldown period to wait for, nothing more.
Just as the deadly shards were about to strike, Liam sprang into action, sprinting in between them, pulling out a shield from his spatial ring and using it to intercept the incoming attack. The ice shards clanged against the shield, causing a shower of sparks and a loud ringing sound that echoed across the arena.
Tsk!
Evan clicked his tongue.
Liam rushed to his brother's side, his face creased with concern.
"Are you okay, Kian?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"I'm-"
Kian coughed, his eyes screwed up in pain. He was trying to act brave, but it was clear that the kick had left him winded. He could feel the force of the blow reverberating through his body even now, his internal organs rattling like dice in a cup. Was Evan some kind of monster in human form? How could his kick pack such a punch?
"I'm fine." he gritted his teeth to endure the pain as he spoke.
"Are you still in a condition to fight?" Liam asked.
"I am." Kian nodded and stood up.
"You're stronger than we anticipated," Kian stared at Evan with bloodshot eyes and wheezed, trying to regain his composure. "But don't think for a second that you can take on all three of us."
"It's three against one, and yet you still have the nerve to flaunt it," Evan sneered, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "Do you have no shame?"
"We are in the midst of the bloody inheritance war. Shame is a foreign concept here. And it's not like you're any better."
With a flourish of his wrist, he released three waves of soul energy from his palm, each wave pulsing with a deadly intensity.
The first wave surged towards Evan, who deftly dodged the lethal energy. As the wave crashed into the murky water below, it created a shower of filthy water droplets that stung Evan's eyes, causing him to stumble backwards and rub his eyes.
The second and third waves sunk into the swamps, raising a massive tige of putrid water that surged towards Evan. The attack's range was vast, making it impossible for him to escape with his physical strength alone.
He had the option to utilize the gauntlet of invincibility to nullify the damage, but he chose not to. He had two reasons for his decision. Firstly, the gauntlet was so effective that it should only be utilized in a life-threatening situation. Secondly, he didn't want to disclose this powerful card to the triplets just yet.
The revolting water slammed into him with such force that it propelled him into a nearby tree.
Bam!
The impact was excruciatingly painful, and Evan felt a sharp pain in his back as he coughed up blood.
