Chapter 44: The Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird (Part-3)

Ryan did not stop there. Gritting his teeth, he condensed a third Wind Blade.

Three in total.

But as the third blade took shape, a heavy pressure pressed down on his body. His breathing tightened, and a sense of strain surged through him.

When he tried to condense a fourth, the pressure became overwhelming, as if something invisible were crushing him. In the end, Ryan had no choice but to stop.

Three was the limit.

Both the limit of what he could form and what he could control.

“So three it is.”

With a sharp motion, Ryan flung all three Wind Blades at once. They shot forward in a staggered, zigzag pattern, sealing off multiple angles and locking onto the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird’s path.

“Huh?”

Caught completely off guard, the bird cried out in alarm. It had never encountered such an attack before. Three blades came simultaneously, blocking its evasive routes and leaving it momentarily confused.

Relying purely on instinct, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird tried to force its way through.

But—

“Puff!”

A sickening sound rang out, followed by a piercing screech of pain.

The bird managed to dodge two Wind Blades, but the third sliced cleanly through its golden wing. Brilliant golden blood sprayed into the air as its body lost balance and plunged downward.

“It worked!”

Ryan’s eyes shone with excitement. A sudden inspiration had actually paid off. Not only had he found a new way to use Wind Blade, but he had also successfully injured a fifth-rank monster.

The Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird tumbled, golden blood staining its feathers. Just before hitting the ground, it struggled violently and managed to stabilize itself, flapping back into the air.

When it looked at Ryan again, its eyes burned with hatred and fury.

Its beautiful wings had been injured.

For the proud Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird, this was an unforgivable humiliation.

“Gah—!”

With a furious screech, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird lunged at Ryan once more. Its aura surged, its speed increased, and its assault grew even more savage than before.

The bird was clearly fighting with everything it had, throwing itself into a desperate, all-out attack.

But Ryan had already seen through its methods.

Now that he understood how to use Wind Blade more flexibly, how could he possibly choose to trade blows head-on with a fifth-rank flying monster?

That would be nothing short of stupidity.

With a flick of his wrist, a Wind Blade condensed in his palm. This time, however, Ryan did not form multiple blades.

One was enough.

He wanted to test something new.

Ryan swung his hand, and the Wind Blade shot forward, slicing toward the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird.

As expected, the bird dodged effortlessly. To it, a single Wind Blade posed little threat. As long as it twisted its body slightly, it could evade without slowing its charge toward Ryan.

But this time, it misjudged.

As the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird veered aside, Ryan’s hand moved in unison, following the bird’s evasive path.

The Wind Blade, which should have flown straight, suddenly curved in midair.

It traced an arc, bending sharply and chasing after the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird like a living thing.

The bird had no time to react.

“Puff!”

A dull sound rang out as flesh was sliced open. Another wound appeared on the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird’s body, golden blood spraying through the air.

With a pained cry, the bird veered away, its attack forcefully interrupted by the unexpected turn of the Wind Blade.

“It worked!”

Ryan’s eyes lit up with excitement.

A curved Wind Blade.

His second experimental technique had succeeded. Not only did it injure the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird once more, but it also shattered its offensive rhythm.

Whether it was multiple Wind Blades or controlled, curved Wind Blades, both methods proved astonishingly effective. Even a monster renowned for speed like the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird,, could not fully counter them.

“Gyaa—!”

Wounded repeatedly, the bird finally panicked. Fear filled its eyes as it stared at Ryan. It could not kill this human, yet this human could injure it again and again.

If the fight continued, death was inevitable.

With a frantic flap of its wings, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird screeched and turned tail, fleeing with all its might.

A fifth-rank monster, a creature whose strength rivaled that of a human War King, was actually running away from a mere Exalt.

If anyone witnessed this scene, they would think it madness.

Yet the truth was undeniable.

Ryan had the ability to kill it.

“Hmph, trying to run?”

Though pride surged in his heart, Ryan had no intention of letting his prey escape.

This was a fifth-rank monster. The experience it offered was priceless.

How could he let it go?

Absolutely not.

Another Wind Blade formed in his hand. This time, Ryan aimed for the bird’s neck.

This was no longer an attempt to wound.

This was an execution.

Having already mastered the control of curved Wind Blades, Ryan now wielded them with confidence. Even if the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird could dodge straight-line attacks, it could not escape a blade that adjusted its trajectory mid-flight.

The Wind Blade shot out, and Ryan’s gaze locked firmly onto the fleeing bird, his hand poised to adjust the blade’s path at any moment.

“Gyaa—!”

Under Ryan’s precise control, the Wind Blade homed in relentlessly. No matter how the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird twisted or swerved, the blade followed like a curse, closing in on its neck.

In another heartbeat, the bird would be beheaded, its life ending as Ryan’s experience points.

But then—Change struck.

At the brink of death, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird erupted once more.

Its body trembled, then transformed into a blur of shadow. With a thunderous burst that shattered the air, it shot forward at that same unbelievable speed Ryan had witnessed at the start of the battle.

In an instant, it reappeared more than ten meters away.

The Wind Blade lost its target and dissipated into nothingness.

“This…”

Ryan froze, stunned.

He had been so close.

Yet the bird had revealed another life-saving technique.

And now, the distance between them was growing.

“No, it’s escaping!”

***********

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