Clang—!
Guede's longsword met Zanis's dagger in a brutal clash.
A surge of power slammed into him—like facing the swipe of a young dragon's claws.
Just a skinny arm… and yet it contained that kind of force.
So this was Level 2.
A body that had undergone the "level transcendence" really was nothing to underestimate.
Realizing that immediately, Guede shifted his sword angle, trying to deflect and adjust his positioning.
But Zanis was as sticky as a viper.
No matter how Guede changed stance or altered his sword patterns, the dagger stayed glued to him, pressing and suppressing, refusing to let him create distance.
Which meant Zanis's agility and speed were higher than his as well.
Clinkclinkclinkclinkclink—!!
Sword and dagger rang violently through the corridor as Guede was forced back step by step.
This was the first time he'd fought a human opponent in any real sense—and the opponent was Level 2.
A "monster" in overall stats, but unlike a monster, not stupid—armed with human cunning and persistence.
Still, Observation Haki naturally wasn't fooled by invisibility, so he could barely keep up.
Otherwise, after a few exchanges, Guede would've died here.
But it wasn't only Guede who was shocked by the strength of a Level 2.
The invisible Zanis was equally shaken.
What the hell was this guy?
By presence alone, this youth was unquestionably Level 1.
So how could a Level 1 have this kind of strength and speed?!
Shouldn't he have been crushed outright the moment he made the stupid choice to block Zanis head-on?
How was he still fighting after this long?!
And Zanis was still invisible—so how was this Level 1 reading his angles?
It was ridiculous.
Zanis had been Level 2 for years. He had no magic and no skills, but his highest single attribute had reached D, the standard that could lead to the next level-up.
A mere Level 1 pushing him this far was unheard of.
In other words—if this kid ever hit Level 2, wouldn't he be able to kill Zanis casually?
Unbelievable… but the truth was right in front of him.
Zanis realized this black-haired youth might be a genius on the level of the Sword Princess—perhaps even beyond.
And since Arde had leaked Zanis's information to him, the only safe outcome was to leave this kid's corpse here.
With that conclusion, Zanis's attacks became even more ferocious—nearly frantic.
Guede felt the pressure spike as the dagger's speed kept climbing.
Slash—!
One moment of failure—no, not failure in perception.
His Observation Haki caught it, but his body couldn't keep up.
A feinting angle change carved open the skin of Guede's left arm.
Pain exploded outward, flooding his whole body.
That dagger… was coated in deadly poison.
"Hah… haha…! Finally—got you!"
Zanis's sinister, satisfied grin was invisible, but it was there.
His attack rhythm loosened slightly.
Yet the poison slowed Guede's nerves and reactions, and he remained pinned down.
Guede tried to reach for an antidote—
—but Zanis gave him no space, pressing with relentless attacks.
Worse, Guede's earlier movement had exposed where he carried his potions.
Now Zanis's dagger kept stabbing toward that exact spot, trying to shatter the antidote.
An antidote worked best swallowed or poured directly onto the wound.
If it splashed anywhere else, the effect would be negligible.
So if stealing it was difficult, just break it—and reduce it to uselessness.
That was the nightmare of fighting humans.
They weren't stupid. They targeted weaknesses.
Show a single opening, and they seized it.
Guede's mind spun as he analyzed the situation.
From the poisoned cut, a creeping numbness spread—poison dispersing through his system.
Because Guede had experience rapidly digesting food and converting it into energy he could route throughout his body, he could sense—by analogy—where the poison was trying to go.
The main invasion routes were his brain and his heart.
If enough poison reached either one, it would be over.
But that same "energy routing" experience meant Guede could alter the flow in his body to a degree—slowing the poison's spread.
That alone could force Zanis into a misjudgment.
And when people believe victory is already secured… they tend to get sloppy.
Having learned this harsh lesson from Zanis, Guede found a path.
[Reward of the Brave (For every 10 seconds of battle, base attributes increase by 1%): Current increase 12%.]
With this skill, Guede's overall combat ability increased as the fight dragged on.
It wasn't a numerical stat readout—this was a percentage amplification off his base, making it a truly rare and terrifyingly strong skill.
Of course, Zanis had no idea.
So from this moment on, Guede relied on the fine muscle-control he'd developed from constantly balancing his attributes—
—and despite growing stronger, he deliberately kept his output looking the same.
He wanted Zanis to believe this was his ceiling.
To deepen the misread.
Decision made, Guede poured everything into the fight.
Five minutes of grinding combat passed, and Guede picked up several more wounds.
One gash even crossed his neck—blood streaming, soaking his clothes until they were sticky and red.
His antidotes and healing potions had already been shattered—
but thanks to their diluted effect as they broke, Guede was still conscious.
"Hmph… what's wrong? Your attacks are getting soft. Trying to scratch my itch?"
From the outside, Guede's lips were pale, his body looked sickly-dark, his reaction speed and strength appeared to have fallen sharply.
Black vein-like lines—poisoned traces—spread like a web from his wounds, crawling across his body. The sight was horrific.
To Zanis, it looked like someone at the edge of collapse.
"You know, the poison you took… if left alone, it would fully kick in after thirty minutes.
But you fought with everything you had—your heart sped up, your blood flowed faster…
So in just a few minutes, you're already about to die."
He spoke while his attacks grew more casual.
"Honestly, I don't even want to kill people. But I had no choice—my Pallum 'partner' betrayed me. We agreed to plot together, and she played games with me."
His words were pointed—first trying to push Guede into begging, then—when that didn't work—trying to stir hatred.
The goal was the same: accelerate Guede's poison onset.
Guede panted like a beast, eyes locked on Zanis, saying nothing.
He could feel it—two minutes more and he'd truly drop.
But his current state was good enough to deceive Zanis's judgment.
So on his next inhale, Guede forced blood upward, widened his eyes—
—and spat out a huge mouthful of black blood, then collapsed to a seated slump.
Zanis's eyes flashed cold inside the helmet.
Seizing the moment, he drove the dagger forward.
"Next life, try not to mess with me!"
"—!? "
The scene Zanis expected—his dagger sinking into Guede's throat—didn't happen.
Because his strike was stopped by resistance.
He looked down.
A longsword, catching faint crystal light, had already punched straight into his heart.
Blood surged along the blade and dripped to the ground.
"Y-You… how… do you still have strength…?"
Guede still looked half-dead—
but his eyes, already turning purple in places from the poison, were sharp with killing intent.
Guede didn't answer.
He simply stood.
At this point, his strength had surged again—up by thirty percent.
With that monstrous force, he twisted and shredded Zanis's heart, skewering him through.
Then he yanked the sword free—
—and in one clean motion, took Zanis's head.
Zanis's head rolled across the floor, staring up at the Dungeon ceiling with a stunned, unwilling gaze.
This bastard…
He had looked like death—swinging twice, vomiting blood, smearing it all over the corridor, covered in wounds, poisoned to the bone—
and yet he'd hidden that kind of power until the very end…
Damn it… damn it… damn it…!
Zanis had finally found a familia whose god wouldn't restrain him.
Inside it, he could expand his own influence however he pleased.
This time, with the grimoire in hand, everything would've become even easier.
It was perfect.
So how…?
How could he run into something like this—
A monster—
Zanis's consciousness snapped.
He died with his eyes open.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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