Brand and Seraphine were approaching the oasis. After reaching the oasis for refreshment, they would continue to head to the Emas Tribe's village.
Brand expected to meet the person in the black hood. However, when he reached the site, he frowned.
"Speak. Your name." A young woman in her twenties pointed a spear at Brand's face.
When he first arrived at the oasis, there was only this lady, instead of the person with a black hood. The lady stared at him without saying anything.
Well, he did stare first, but that was only because he was curious. In his beetle's vision, only one person was here—the person with a black hood.
Seeing that it grew awkward, he asked the lady for the directions to the Emas Tribe. He didn't even ask the lady any questions about the person in a black hood.
He was cautious and wouldn't rule out the possibility that they might be the same person.
She had long black hair, and her emerald eyes were glowing as she examined Brand's attire.
"Someone had it tough, huh?" Her eyes were full of pity, addressing Brand's tattered clothing. "But I don't see any wounds anywhere?"
As soon as she said that, she took a crouching stance. As if she were prepared, in case the man in front of him, Brand, would attack her anytime.
"Pfft, you're the suspicious one in her eyes." Seraphine giggled.
"I'm Brand." Brand offered her a handshake, but she grew more vigilant and cautious than before.
"Whoa, Brand, why were you suddenly declaring a fight against her?" Seraphine was in her ethereal form; only Brand could see her.
Brand shrugged his shoulder to tell her she didn't know. He didn't want the lady in front on him thought he was talking to the thin air. So he only did some gestures to tell Seraphine he didn't know.
However, it got worse. The young woman's eye grew wide at Brand's action.
Without warning, she thrust her spear forward. Seemingly to take the preemptive strike.
Brand quickly uses Haste and his footsteps turned light.
With his increased speed, he dodged the spear thrust narrowly.
The spearhead lightly brushes his cheek. There were no visible wounds, as he had a higher defence with his metallic skin
"Why did you suddenly attack?" He felt angry; the lady had just attacked without warning.
"Brand, there were some tribes which took it as a declaration of war or aggression," Seraphine stated as if it were a matter of fact.
Nevertheless, if the person in front of him wants to fight, he would face it. He had confidence in his abilities after going through both the dragon and the swarm of beetles.
The only problem was that the lady's level was crazy high.
[Lena Caprah - Lv 28]
Brand kicked the sand to create a veil of sand and did a few back flips to create a gap. The lady didn't pursue him, just maintaining her sight on him.
Brand decided to test something.
"Brand Essen. Warrior of the Emas Tribe." He made a swift self-introduction while posing a fighting stance.
The young woman was taken aback, but returned the greeting.
"Farah Nur, from the Decay Tribe," she declared, while shrugging her shoulders.
Presumably, she reciprocated her intent to fight, but that wasn't what Brand focused on.
'Caught you.' Brand grinned.
She was hiding her identity.
***
Even though Brand has the growth potential of a Dragon, he shouldn't be able to fight equally with the young lady here.
But here he is, exchanging blow after blow. He didn't even activate his stat enhancement skill, nor Scarab Shell.
He was fighting her raw, without using any skills. She was the same.
Was it because this was a fight for honor, or she was hiding her skills?
The young lady just steadily increased her force with each exchange, adding more force blow after blow, as if testing him.
Her spear clashed with Brand's personal favourite bone club, and brandishes of club and spear thrusts caused destruction in the surrounding area.
Eventually, Brand started to get tired, as his movement became sluggish. However, Lena still continues to strike relentlessly.
"Who are you?" Suddenly, the lady asked. "You don't fight like an Emas Tribe warrior."
"I got amnesia." He replied lazily.
'Damn, she was suspicious of me as well.'
"Hmph! This was muscle memories we're talking here!" Lena put more force into the spear. Her spear turned blurry, as if vibrating and faded into the background.
"Phantom Thrust!" She shouted.
There were after-images of a spear thrust overlaying each other. Striking Brand consecutively. Although it looked like multiple spears were thrusting at the same time, there was actually only one spear.
However, Brand was relaxed.
After facing bombardment of beetles during the Scarab Swarm, this wouldn't pressure him. As long as he stays calm, his cyborg eye helps filter the afterimages.
He calmly dodged the actual thrust while ignoring the feints. The sequence was so smooth that even Seraphine was getting excited, and floating around, dancing.
"That's my kid!" She cheered.
***
Lena grew more and more impatient. The young man in front of her clearly has no proficiency in the Emas Tribe's combat arts, nor experienced combat.
But he managed to narrowly dodge her attacks each time!
She had learnt not only the Decay Tribe's combat arts, but also each of the other desert tribe's for her mission.
She wanted to use her actual skills. But it would jeopardize her mission. She needed to conceal her actual strength and, more importantly, her identity.