Chapter 32: Word Play

Most certainly not, she couldn’t dodge the attack entirely. The explosive wave of lightning caused Serafina to leap backwards, but sustaining only minor damage that hardly mattered. The stun effect that Liam’s attack usually carried meant nothing to her. To beat her, he would need to do so much more.

Liam, already realizing this, had set a plan in motion for “so much more.” Stormbringer was raised to the skies as clouds gathered overhead, then parted to release a tremendous bolt of lightning down upon Serafina.

THUNDER’S JUDGMENT!

Serafina raised her head toward the incoming attack, and just before it struck, a smile crossed her face as she muttered inaudible words.

sfx: BOOM!

The lightning fell and erupted in what looked like a massive explosion, but when the dust cleared, it revealed Serafina coughing slightly, waving away the smoke and dusting herself.

Liam’s eyes widened, especially as that attack was supposed to deal decisive damage to the faction leader, but there she stood, completely unharmed. He wasn’t able to process what had happened when, without warning, multiple long-ranged arcs of purple energy trailed toward him from different, unavoidable angles.

Just as he moved to dodge them, Serafina muttered more words: “As fast as a snail.” The effect took hold of Liam’s body instantly, and he felt himself moving slower than expected. Of course, he didn’t literally move as fast as a snail, but his original speed had been drastically reduced, meaning he couldn’t dodge all the attacks.

He found himself caught in the midst of explosions from the energy slashes he couldn’t avoid. When the dust cleared, most of Liam’s clothing was torn, his body bleeding from several deep cuts scattered across his frame.

His head hung low as he huffed continuously, then raised it back up with a grin as he stared Serafina directly in the eyes.

[Skill Active → Regeneration]

[Passive Skill → Aegis]

Within seconds, he was returned to prime condition, as if he had taken no damage at all. Additionally, thanks to the damage reduction from Aegis, the extent of harm he should have sustained had been significantly lessened.

Serafina was genuinely shocked by this display. She understood that people could have regenerative abilities, but this was in a league of its own. “You sure are something, kid,” she said, almost commending him. Most people, even S-Tier, would have died from the attack Liam had just healed from.

Liam scoffed. “You did something that slowed me down, and I’m guessing it’s the same reason why my earlier attack dealt no damage to you.”

Serafina didn’t respond but only smiled deviously as she made her scythe spin, then took a combat stance. Her left hand gripped the weapon from behind while her right arm stretched toward Liam.

Liam stretched his upper body slightly and kicked his legs forward as if loosening up. He noticed he no longer felt sluggish, then decided to return his weapons to his inventory. They slowly phased away from his grip. He had always been more of a fists fighter anyway and wanted to return to that approach now. There was no need to conserve his strength any longer as this was a ranked visor.

If he didn’t find a way to get his act together, this woman would definitely kill him, even though something told him Serafina wasn’t even going all out. His body’s mass expanded as he grew to seven feet tall. His muscles no longer bulged with veins like when he used the Muscle Boost skill, but now with Iron Fist level up, he could feel his physical strength multiply beyond its usual limits. Lightning coursed through his body, further increasing his capabilities.

None of his transformations seemed to concern Serafina. She simply studied him and prepared to counter, knowing full well he would attack next after that cluster of power-ups. And he did. In the next instant, Liam’s body disappeared and reappeared at Serafina’s left side.

Just as it looked like he would deliver a punch to her skull, he vanished again—it was a feint. He materialized directly in front of her, with his fist traveling upward from beneath her jaw in an attempted uppercut. However, she caught his fist with her left arm, suppressing both the attempt and its impact while simultaneously swinging her scythe in an arc to cut his neck clean.

Liam’s reaction time was still sharp enough for him to tilt his head slightly backward, allowing only the scythe’s tip to graze the skin of his neck. He then disappeared in a streak of lightning, reappearing at his initial position.

She had done it again—whatever “that” was. He knew Serafina outclassed him, but being able to hold his punch like that, and a full-powered one, without difficulty wasn’t normal. It was obvious to him now that whatever she had done to reduce his speed, she had also used to diminish the strength behind his attack.

What Liam failed to assess was his lack of experience; a distinct kind that his time fighting in underground midnight circuit arenas couldn’t provide. This was one of Serafina’s major advantages over him. When he had put away his blades and taken on his bulky transformation, Serafina realized he wanted a fist fight. And what was a fist fight without the strength to back it up? That was when she had used her special ability again: “As strong as an ant.”

Serafina giggled slightly at how perplexed Liam appeared, trying to figure out her ability. “I commend you for surviving against me this long,” she said, “but I’m putting this to an end.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep