The battle concluded as abruptly as it had begun.
Kaelith leaped down from her boulder observation post, stepping across scattered stones with the grace of a dancer—her movements so light and precise she barely disturbed the volcanic dust beneath her feet.
She arrived beside Vaelor, surveying the carnage surrounding him with an expression carefully crafted to convey superiority.
"Adequate performance," she said with studied indifference, tilting her chin upward in a gesture of imperial dismissal. "Though if I had intervened, the encounter wouldn't have required so much time."
The future Ice Empress will never admit inferiority, her thoughts declared with absolute conviction.
"Yes, yes. You're incredibly powerful," Vaelor agreed in a tone so casually dismissive it was almost mocking.
His attention remained fixed on his status notifications—the upgraded level indicator, the merit points accumulating on his record card. A genuine smile touched his features as he reviewed the gains.
[Current Level: LV3]
[Merit Points: 15]
Hunting Abyssal Spawn really is the optimal leveling method, he thought with satisfaction. Although experience acquisition rate is noting to passive cultivation. The combination of both will accelerate my progression exponentially.
Observing his pleased expression, Kaelith felt irritation spike through her carefully maintained composure. This insufferable attitude... I need to find an opportunity to demonstrate my actual capabilities and shock him into proper respect.
"What should we do with these spawn corpses?" Vaelor asked, gesturing to the scattered remains.
"Leave them," Kaelith said flatly. "Unless you plan to carry several tons of rotting meat through the Rift?"
"Seems wasteful though..."
Kaelith's smile turned razor-sharp. "You're welcome to take them with you. Or perhaps make a fire and consume them now, so nothing goes to waste."
Her tone dripped with such venomous sarcasm that Vaelor couldn't help but appreciate the artistry. "..."
I didn't expect her to be this cutting, he thought with grudging amusement.
They continued advancing deeper into the Abyssal Rift, establishing ground rules as they navigated the treacherous volcanic terrain.
"When encountering Abyssal Spawn," Kaelith declared with the authority of someone accustomed to command, "we alternate engagement rights. Whoever claims a target has exclusive kill credit. Equipment and material drops belong solely to the eliminator."
"The non-combatant must observe without interference. No stealing experience points or disrupting combat rhythm."
Vaelor nodded agreement. The arrangement prevented conflict over resources while allowing both to accumulate gains efficiently.
"By the way, Academy Beauty Kaelith," Vaelor said with deliberate casualness, "you awakened as a Medic—a support healer profession. Do you actually possess combat capabilities sufficient for solo spawn elimination?"
Kaelith's ice-blue eyes flickered toward him. "Aren't you the same? I've never encountered a common Shadow Reaper who deals 50,000 damage at LV2."
Their gazes met—two exceptional prodigies, each recognizing that the other concealed far more than they revealed.
"It appears we both maintain substantial secrets," Vaelor observed.
"Indeed."
As if punctuating their exchange, both teenagers suddenly flashed sideways in perfect synchronization—their combat instincts triggering simultaneously.
"FWOOSH!"
A meter-long obsidian spike erupted from the volcanic rock where they'd been standing, missing them by centimeters.
"BOOM!"
The ground before them shuddered violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface as something massive forced its way up from below. Soil and stone fragments exploded outward as a two-meter-tall reptilian creature emerged—its body covered in razor-sharp barbs that gleamed like black glass.
Vaelor's Absolute Insight activated automatically.
[Abyssal Spawn Identified]
[Species]: Earthsplitter Lizard
[Skills]: Barb Projection, Seismic Fracture
[Notable Traits]: Possesses rudimentary intelligence. Ambush predator that attacks from underground. Despicable and cunning by nature.
[Weakness]: Relatively slow reaction time when above ground. Vulnerable to overwhelming force or environmental control.
"My turn this time," Kaelith announced, stepping forward with her hands still casually thrust into her jacket pockets.
Vaelor observed her outstanding silhouette with genuine curiosity. What exactly gives her the confidence to solo dive Abyssal Rifts? Her official Medic classification obviously doesn't reflect her true capabilities...
Kaelith positioned herself ten meters from the Earthsplitter Lizard. Despite wearing only casual jeans and a black hooded jacket—completely inappropriate combat attire by conventional standards—she radiated absolute authority.
Her long legs, shapely figure, slender waist, and the elegant curve of her snow-white neck exposed beneath the jacket's collar created a striking image of vulnerable beauty.
But Abyssal Spawn didn't appreciate aesthetics. In their perception, humans were simply food—regardless of appearance.
"HISSSS..."
The Earthsplitter Lizard released a piercing shriek. Its thick forelimbs slammed forward with tremendous force, creating shockwaves that rippled through the volcanic rock. A jagged crack propagated rapidly toward Kaelith's position, intent on destabilizing her footing.
Kaelith raised her head slightly. Her long black hair fluttered dramatically in the displaced air. The beautiful face beneath her baseball cap remained perfectly calm—almost serene. Her ice-blue eyes held an expression of profound indifference, mixed with unmistakable majesty and dominance.
Her cherry-colored lips moved, speaking a single word that carried the weight of absolute command:
"Stop."
The fracture racing toward her feet—propelled by tremendous kinetic force and geological stress—simply ceased.
Instantly. Completely. As if reality itself had obeyed divine decree.
The Earthsplitter Lizard froze, its reptilian head tilting with obvious confusion. Its primitive intelligence struggled to comprehend what had just occurred, unable to reconcile the impossible result with its instinctive understanding of cause and effect.
Vaelor's eyes widened fractionally. Speech-activated abilities? That's... unusual. Most talents require conscious channeling through meridian pathways. But she's manifesting effects through verbal command alone...
Either she possesses a mental-attribute talent far exceeding her official classification, or...
His analytical mind raced through possibilities. Or she's using an advanced technique that converts verbal formulation into instantaneous reality manipulation. That level of ability suggests...
Kaelith spoke again, her voice carrying crystalline clarity that seemed to resonate with fundamental forces:
"Freeze."
The temperature surrounding the Earthsplitter Lizard plummeted catastrophically. Frost materialized from nowhere—or perhaps from everywhere simultaneously—beginning at its limbs and spreading with inexorable progression. Within two seconds, the creature was completely encased in translucent ice that sparkled with prismatic beauty.
The lizard's eyes—still dimly aware—registered confusion and fear before consciousness faded.
A third word fell from Kaelith's lips, casual as discussing weather:
"Shatter."
CRASH!
Like fragile crystal struck by a hammer, the frozen Earthsplitter Lizard exploded into countless glittering fragments. Ice shards scattered across the volcanic rock, catching what little light existed in the gray sky. The creature's health bar evaporated instantly.
The spawn never understood what killed it. One moment it had been launching a successful ambush. The next, it simply ceased to exist.
[DING! Kaelith Frostborn has slain Earthsplitter Lizard (LV6)]
Golden light briefly surrounded Kaelith as experience integrated into her being.
That ability... it's definitely not a common Medic skill, Vaelor thought, his interest thoroughly piqued. Speech-based reality manipulation. Ice element control. Instantaneous execution without visible channeling.
She's using some form of advanced technique—possibly Epic or Legendary tier. Combined with her earlier familiarity with Rift environments...
The evidence increasingly suggests she's not what she appears to be.
Kaelith bent gracefully and retrieved something from the pile of ice debris—a delicate bracelet that gleamed with faint enchantment.
"Lucky," she murmured, examining it briefly. "Equipment drop. Though it's only Common-tier. Disappointing."
She tossed it aside dismissively, the valuable item clattering across volcanic rock.
Vaelor stared. "You're discarding it?"
"Common-grade equipment isn't worth my inventory space." Kaelith glanced at him with obvious superiority. "If you want it, take it. I don't need such trash."
Vaelor genuinely bent down and retrieved the bracelet, examining its properties before storing it in his dimensional inventory.
These wealthy prodigies really are casual about squandering resources, he thought with mild exasperation. This bracelet could sell for 50,000 points minimum on the open market. Only an idiot would refuse free money.
When he looked up again, Kaelith had already disappeared from her position.
A girl's majestic, cold voice echoed from approximately two hundred meters distant—carrying the imperious authority of someone commanding heaven and earth itself:
"Lightning Strike."
Electrical discharge crackled through the gray atmosphere. Thunder rolled across the alien sky. A bolt of devastating white-blue lightning descended with apocalyptic force, striking a cluster of Earthsplitter Lizards that had been converging on what they'd perceived as easy prey.
BOOM!
The impact crater glowed orange with residual heat. Charred spawn remains scattered across the blast radius.
Vaelor's expression darkened with realization. "It's MY turn!!"
He activated his Infinite Momentum Concept without restraint.
[Infinite Velocity]
Space compressed. Distance became meaningless.
He crossed several hundred meters instantaneously—not running, but essentially teleporting through optimized spatial displacement. One moment standing still, the next materializing directly beside Kaelith's position.
He looked at the thoroughly electrocuted Earthsplitter Lizard corpses—burned on the outside, cooked through internally—then turned his golden gaze toward Kaelith with obvious annoyance.
"Academy Beauty Kaelith, casually breaking established rules doesn't seem appropriate."
Seeing Vaelor appear as if he'd teleported, genuine shock flashed across Kaelith's features. Her ice-blue eyes widened fractionally—the first time her perfect composure had cracked.
That speed... that's not normal movement acceleration. He manipulated space itself. That's...
But she recovered quickly, turning her head with haughty indifference. "You eliminated so many Ironskull Wolves earlier. Therefore, this entire cluster of Earthsplitter Lizards represents fair compensation for my losses."
Her tone brooked no argument. "You also claimed equipment I discarded. If you're dissatisfied with these arrangements, you're welcome to hunt elsewhere independently."
The Ice Empress never engages in reasonable negotiation, her thoughts declared imperiously.
"Is that so?" Vaelor's smile turned dangerous—pleasant on the surface, predatory underneath. "Very well. I understand perfectly."
Subtle vibrations rippled through the ground nearby—telltale signs of another Earthsplitter preparing to ambush from below. Iron spikes began emerging.
Kaelith's eyes flashed with competitive fire. Her lips parted to speak: "Thun—"
She hadn't completed the first syllable.
Vaelor vanished.
He materialized directly above the disturbance zone, already in mid-strike. His right fist—wrapped in crimson Vibrational Force ripples—descended like a meteor.
BOOM!
A five-meter-wide section of iron-hard volcanic rock simply collapsed inward, creating an impact crater. The Earthsplitter Lizard attempting to ambush from below was crushed completely flat—its body compressed to a thickness of centimeters by overwhelming kinetic force.
[DING! You have slain Earthsplitter Lizard (LV7)]
[Experience gained: +70 EXP]
"You—!" Kaelith's voice carried genuine outrage.
She immediately shifted attention to locate other spawn—but every time she identified a target, every time her lips began forming command words, Vaelor would already be there.
His speed approached genuine teleportation. Combined with his devastating single-target damage output, he became an absolute monster at rapid spawn elimination. No creature required a second strike.
After having seven consecutive kills stolen through impossible speed, Kaelith's composure finally shattered completely.
Her ice-blue eyes blazed with cold fury. She spoke a different command—not directed at spawn, but at Vaelor himself:
"Binding."
Invisible force manifested around Vaelor like ethereal ropes, constricting his limbs and torso. The restraints yanked him to a halt mid-movement, suspending him several meters above the ground.
Kaelith looked at him with frigid authority, her beautiful features arranged in an expression of imperial displeasure. "I've been tolerant for the sake of our academy connection. Don't force me to become serious."
Vaelor smiled—genuinely amused rather than concerned.
"In that case..."
Under Kaelith's surprised gaze, terrifying blood-qi erupted from Vaelor's body. Crimson energy exploded outward in concentric waves, each pulse carrying tremendous force. The invisible bindings simply shattered—unable to withstand the overwhelming vitality pressure.
He descended gracefully to the volcanic rock, landing with barely a sound.
A layer of crimson ripples now covered his entire body—the visible manifestation of his Vibrational Force Technique operating at enhanced capacity. The handsome boy with flowing black hair twisted his neck experimentally, rolled his shoulders, and flexed his fists.
His light golden pupils reflected Kaelith's figure with perfect clarity as he spoke with dangerous calm:
"Since neither of us is willing to yield..."
He adopted a proper combat stance—weight distributed perfectly, center of gravity optimized, every muscle coiled with compressed power.
"Let's settle this through combat."
Kaelith's ice-blue eyes narrowed with calculation and anticipation. Her competitive spirit—forged through a previous lifetime of deadly battles—ignited completely.
She'd never believed she could lose to anyone at equivalent level.
"Exactly what I wanted," she declared, her voice carrying absolute confidence.
The boy and girl faced each other in the dangerous alien environment, surrounded by the corpses of Abyssal Spawn they'd casually eliminated. The gray sky pressed down oppressively overhead. Volcanic rock crunched beneath their feet.
Two exceptional prodigies—each concealing world-shaking secrets, each possessing power far exceeding their apparent classification—prepared to test their strength against an equal for the first time since awakening.
Neither would hold back.
Neither would surrender.
And the Abyssal Rift itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting to witness which monster would prove superior.
TO BE CONTINUED...