Chapter 14: Dueling

Shatima’s massive dragon spear generated gusts of cold wind, with white trails swirling in the air as her spinning body left afterimages in pursuit of that ghostly-fast figure.
“Vladkov, have you only learned how to dodge and run after going to the south?”
Furious, Shatima had finally waited for the Black Flame Knights to return, only to find an opponent to vent her anger on. Yet this guy was as cunning as a fox, using such evasive tactics against her. How could this not infuriate her, who had always hoped to test her own skills against others?
“Miss Shatima, dodging is to prepare for a better counterattack. Haven’t you heard that saying?” Vladkov smirked faintly. Dealing with this fiery and eccentric girl was quite amusing. Her straightforward and rough style suited him well, but that didn’t mean he had to follow her lead.
Vladkov tapped his knight’s spear lightly on the ground, causing a burst of dust that roared like a swarm of locusts, attacking the pursuing Shatima. He then swiftly turned in mid-air and glided away.
After staying in the Mist Flower Hills for a month, Vladkov felt he hadn’t made much progress in strength or memory, but his reaction speed and aerial movement skills had improved greatly. The agile movements and lightning-fast attacks of the elven swordsmen forced him to adapt to their tactics, as even a slight lapse could result in fatal injuries.
The elven swordsmen embodied the speed, agility, and skillfulness of swordsmanship. Their relentless sword energy combined with explosive attacks often left Vladkov wounded even in their initial encounters.
Fortunately, the elven swordsmen were weaker in strength than mortal swordsmen. Thanks to his specially reinforced armor and physique, Vladkov could barely withstand such attacks. Even so, he still faced life-threatening situations twice.
However, as Vladkov gradually adapted to their tactics, the elves could no longer pose a real threat to him. Even facing groups of five or six elven swordsmen, he handled them with ease. Moreover, he often took advantage of their weaker attacking power and his own high defense to counterattack, resulting in over ten elven swordsmen dying at his hands.

Shatima cursed loudly at Vladkov’s audacity. Those sand and stones, powered purely by combat energy, were extremely troublesome—their force was uneven, and they flew in all directions. Even with her Ice Dragon energy pushed to its limit, she dared not ignore them carelessly.

A massive dragon spear formed a fierce shield, and the curtain of combat energy, amplified by speed and power, momentarily condensed into an ice-blue energy barrier. The surging sand and stones collided with the barrier, producing a low rumbling sound. The shattered stones splashed everywhere, forcing those watching to boost their own combat energy to protect themselves from being caught in the blast.

“Up!”

With Shatima’s sharp roar, three spiral-shaped ice mists suddenly appeared, forming a triangular formation that blocked Vladkov’s path.

Shatima had now unleashed the unique magic of the Ice Dragon, disregarding the risk of revealing her identity. The icy cold, infused with ice flow essence crystals, was powerful enough to freeze anyone on the spot. Even a dark arts master like Vladkov wouldn’t dare underestimate its severity.

Vladkov frowned slightly. His agile figure moved like a swift eagle through the air. It wasn’t easy for the three spiral ice mists to trap him, but Shatima was clearly furious this time. As the mists twisted and spread, the sudden drop in temperature created patches of white fog, even obscuring visibility.

If it had been just the ice mists, they might not have pressured Vladkov enough. But along with Shatima’s roar, the dragon spear came charging with immense force. It was clear she expected Vladkov to avoid breaking through the ice mists and instead confront her spear head-on.

“Vladkov, where do you think you can hide this time?”

“Miss Shatima, do you really think I’m afraid of you? How ridiculous!”

Vladkov was also annoyed. This unreasonable woman had gone too far. He had only intended to use her to hone his skills gained during his time in the Misty Hills, but it seemed he wouldn’t be able to end things easily. If he didn’t show her some strength, she’d think he truly feared her.

The knight’s spear, which had been held casually in his hand, suddenly rose high, tracing a dark trajectory through the air like a roaring black dragon, heading straight toward the ice-blue blade at its peak intensity.

“Perfect! That’s much better!” Shatima’s delicate tongue couldn’t help but lightly lick her bright red lips. She wanted to see just how much Vladkov had improved from his last trip to the Misty Hills. If it was only an improvement in flying skills, it would be extremely disappointing.
“Ching!”
A clear crashing sound was accompanied by two streams of cold, dark auras. Even those spectators who had moved more than ten meters away could still feel the impact of these similarly natured negative energy streams.
“Where to go?”
“I’m not going anywhere!”
Another series of clashes ensued, making Shatima even more excited. Her massive dragon spear seemed like a child’s toy in her hands, with bursts of energy swirling around as the blade trembled. Ice-blue light beams, generated by the release of combat energy, formed magnificent circular barriers that layered upon each other, advancing toward the enemy.
Vladkov had anticipated that his opponent wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip by. Shatima wasn’t the kind to back down once she had an advantage—expanding her gains was her nature. His knight’s spear created illusions, while he himself remained hidden within them. A head-on confrontation was exactly what Shatima wanted, but of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to follow her tactics to the letter.
Countless fan-shaped light arcs formed a bizarre attack pattern, along with dark combat energy with eroding power, which erupted fully at this moment. Shatima had to exert all her strength to deal with Vladkov’s seemingly desperate counterattacks.
It was only when the series of fan-shaped shadows shattered under the roar of Shatima’s dragon spear’s combat energy that she realized she had once again been played by Vladkov. By then, Vladkov had already used the deceptive cover of those fan-shaped shadows to silently move to a lower position, ready to face Shatima’s furious second wave of attacks.