Chapter 368: Facing The Unfamiliar

A frown etched on Michael’s face.

Just like Victoria had claimed, battling the two sisters was a monumental task. Given their superior experience, individually they were stronger than Nemesis, an enemy that Michael had barely managed to defeat.

However, when the two merged their forces, it was by no means a simple addition of power… All things considered, it was more accurate to call it multiplication, tremendously amplifying their overall prowess.

Clearly out of his league, Michael’s primary mission wasn’t to defeat the sisters. But to simply survive their combined onslaught.

Activating his legendary technique, Archwarlock, his eyes glowed crimson with a faint hint of gold. Unwilling to hold back, he unleashed Lightning Surge, boosting his agility to unreasonable levels.

Though the effect lasted barely a second, it was enough for his movements to blur from the sisters’ perspective.

One moment he seemed on the verge of being crushed by the hurled ice meteors. The next, he was dashing away from the battlefield’s center with full force.

A heartbeat later, the attack struck the ground, splitting it open with terrifying intensity.

Elina giggled. Michael slipping from her line of sight was more than enough to color her impressed. It was no wonder Victoria had chosen to align with him.

“Let’s go after him!” She urged her sister, getting only a grimace in return.

“No.” Eliza replied, her voice calm but firm. “I have a bad feeling about this. Considering Michael’s achievements, it’s clear he has a purpose in mind, maybe a plan or a trap. Following his trail now would be too reckless.”

Elina pouted adorably.

“Sis, you’re always like this!” She exclaimed, crossing her arms dramatically. “And what if he has a plan? The whole point of the tournament is to face the unfamiliar! It would be far more beneficial to chase after him and study his unique battle style than to just wipe out small fry from afar!”

She paused to emphasize her point.

“Admit it! That’s why you were annoyed when our battle with Nicole was cut short. You just want to be pushed to the brink!”

Being an Absolute Lord carried its advantages… and disadvantages.

The greatest limitation was that using their full power often resulted in widespread destruction, reducing the opportunities for sparring. Coupled with the scarcity of opponents who could genuinely challenge them, it was no wonder why progressing to higher stages, and eventually to the next realm, was such an ambitious and time-consuming task.

While Early Apprentices had billions of potential equals, the Absolute Lords had fewer than a hundred.

Surprisingly, Elina’s stance almost swayed Eliza’s mind.

Eager to face Michael, Elina went for the finisher. “Not to mention, I truly doubt that he has a plan. At most, he wants to clear the center of the field for Victoria’s confrontation with the other troops. King Arthur is watching her performances, remember?”

Eliza heaved a sigh.

Strangely, Arthur saw no point in the tournament contest. The King believed true prestige was earned on real battlefields, not in public displays, which explained his lack of interest in the competition.

That meant the Golden Vanguard had been tasked with expanding their moveset, rather than focusing on emerging victorious.

“It would have made more sense if he simply wanted to throw the game in the Indomitable Alliance’s favor.” Eliza murmured. “But he genuinely believes using the tournament as a training ground is the wisest option. I just can’t grasp him.”

Elina shrugged. “Don’t bother understanding his mentality. He is a King for a reason.”

Perhaps his mindset had been the reason why their faction had remained at the top for so long.

In the end, the two followed Michael. Although he could rival a King’s speed with Lightning Surge, its 30-second cooldown prevented him from relying on it constantly.

“Victoria really has a good grasp on their psyche.” Michael mused aloud. The moment the sisters deemed him at least partially worthy, they chose to fight him rather than deal with those beneath them.

The surroundings crackled, another meteor shower being hurled towards him.

Fully expecting him to dodge, Michael proceeded to shock the onlookers. Abruptly changing his course, he activated Lightning Surge with the cooldown finished.

Utilizing his boost in speed, he soared towards them. While Lightning Surge allowed him to ignore collisions, he chose to use the charged ice pillars as stepping stones, propelling himself further forward.

Faster than a breath, he appeared before Eliza, finger on the trigger of Heaven’s Judgment.

Merely being of Epic rank, the shotgun wouldn’t be able to deliver much harm. Yet Eliza didn’t have enough time to assess the weapon’s potential threat.

Therefore, she acted on instinct, conjuring an ice armor around her figure, aiming to mitigate the damage.

Noticing the lack of concern on Eliza’s face, Michael used Riftstep to teleport right next to Elina.

“What?” Realizing her mistake too late, Eliza turned toward her sister, only to see her face-to-face with Michael.

Clicking her tongue, Eliza switched to offense.

Michael’s body temperature dropped dramatically, while Elina sent a lightning strike to course through his physique.

Truthfully, this was the first time Michael found himself simultaneously exposed to chilling cold and searing heat scorching his flesh.

Cough!

After falling to the ground, he needed a brief moment to adjust to the ringing in his ears. The result of being hit once had caused him heavy damage, yet he still smiled, having managed to confirm Victoria’s hypothesis.

Beating every member of the Golden Vanguard wasn’t realistic. They had superior troops. However, the only winning condition was to slay the person assigned the leadership position.

Under the sudden high-stress conditions Michael had orchestrated, he deduced that Elina was their most likely target.

Certainly reckless, but victory was indeed possible.

Meanwhile, the center of the battlefield trembled under the overwhelming force of troops from both factions, colliding like unwilling waves.

Thanks to the five Absolute Lords being distracted in one way or another. The lesser soldiers gained the chance to shine, demonstrating their acquired battle experience and battle harmony.

Amidst the chaos, Claire, Ava, Ruby, Enzo, Leo, Amelia, Richard, Bryce, and Cyberfang tore through enemy after enemy, while Victoria barked order after order, each aimed at creating a crack in the Golden Vanguard’s ranks to exploit in their favor.

Short on time, they had no choice but to act swiftly and decisively…

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