A single thrust skewered his own mirror image. Victor Wang then turned to Arana, who had been silently observing from the corner, and found her staring back at him.
"Hello?"
Arana glanced behind herself, then back at Victor Wang watching her, and then… she ran.
"…Hello, don't run!"
Arana sprinted even faster and disappeared in a flash.
"..."
Pausing briefly to catch his breath and feel the emptiness left by the string of battles, Victor Wang made a bold decision. He still couldn't comprehend the gap in sword-intent between himself and Kuiyuan. So, he decided to push himself further—into absolute peril. He would use his sword against foes he had previously thought impossible to confront.
He stepped into the next Withering.
Although not all the enemies here were from the Ruin series, there was a Ruin Guard, which was more than enough.
From afar, the Ruin Guard's single eye flickered, already locking onto Victor Wang. Its greeting was a relentless barrage of missiles, mercilessly tracking his every movement.
Some missiles could be cut; others would explode even after being sliced. To handle them with finesse, Victor Wang darted around several large trees, luring six missiles to hit obstacles and detonate prematurely, then approached the Ruin Guard from the side.
Along the way, seven Fungi appeared—whirling, grounded, floating, and stretchy types. Those nearby charged straight at him, while the distant ones fired energy orbs. None were worth worrying about. Their actions, honestly, were almost cute. Hits might be a little threatening if they connected, but they were easily avoided.
Victor Wang swung his sword backward, horizontally slashing a Floating Dendro Fungus midair. The moment blade met body, he felt its toughness—far greater than a Slime. In the next instant, his sword-aura compressed to an impossibly thin, sharp edge, unstoppable, cleaving the creature cleanly in half.
The "cap" on its head separated from its round body, blinking innocently, only to watch as the golden sword smoothly cut two nearby companions in the same fluid motion.
The slow, persistent energy orbs from afar kept coming. Victor Wang didn't dare pause. He surged past the fallen three beasts, momentum undiminished, closing in on the Ruin Guard.
The Ruin Guard grew impatient. It slammed both hands into the ground, thrusting its massive body skyward before plummeting with a roaring crash.
Victor Wang leapt aside, but the shockwave flung him farther, directly into the midst of a few Fungal Beasts. Covered in dust, he escaped the frontal blow.
With a crescent swing, he obliterated several surrounding Fungal Beasts. The Ruin Guard closed in, activating its signature spinning-arm mode. Each massive arm was the size of a grown man, and with full extension, it spanned seven to eight meters. Trees and rocks in its path were pulverized.
Forced to retreat, Victor Wang's thoughts raced.
He wondered how Jean had once sliced five Ruin Guards into pieces with her sword.
He wondered how Jiangxue had destroyed a Ruin Hunter in the blink of an eye.
And how the Byakuyakoku candidate, Argos, had removed the core of such a construct without a Vision.
Not just like Kuiyuan with a bow.
Without using elemental power, could he truly get close?
Without using elemental power, could he really cut through steel?
If someone had done it, then it was possible.
If someone could do it, then so could he.
Today, I will break your deadly spin!
Victor Wang steeled himself. He angled his sword and thrust into the Ruin Guard's sweeping arm.
A tremendous clang rang through the Withering. The Wentian Sword was knocked aside, but its sword-aura, as an extension of his arm, wrapped around him inseparably, and he was hurled outward.
Rising again, Victor Wang stubbornly raised his sword. Sparks erupted as he clashed, only to be knocked away once more.
Sensing this tactic was effective, the Ruin Guard—controlled by the Withering tumor—continued spinning without pause.
Third time, fourth time, fifth time…
Victor Wang's arms ached to near immobility, but he gripped his sword tightly. The Ruin Guard's massive body was like a heavy forging hammer, and his sword-aura and intent were the raw steel waiting to be forged.
Before the sword could fully take shape, the hammer heated the Ruin Guard. Forced to stop and cool, the Withering tumor sent dozens of Fungi swarming, while rotten branches with evil eyes continuously fired Withering projectiles.
Victor Wang used them as practice, cutting each down with a single stroke.
When twenty-seven Fungi were felled, the Ruin Guard finally rested. The Withering tumor confirmed that only the spinning-arm attack could truly harm intruders. The next round of trials began.
Sixth time, seventh time…
His adjustments to sword-aura had reached their limit. If cutting steel didn't rely on sword-aura, it had to rely on sword-intent. Victor Wang stopped deliberately manipulating sword-aura.
Eighth time, ninth time…
Beyond sword-aura, a clear outline appeared. One person held a sword, one swung a sword, one carried the power of the blade to its fullest.
Tenth time…
His hands were bloodied and battered, yet accustomed to the pain, he barely felt it. Shoulders and upper body shook violently, but his eyes were bright.
He suddenly realized that sometimes, to truly live, one needed a certain aura.
The Ruin Guard entered cooldown again. This malice-infused land had no other forces—it could only wait, just like Victor Wang, until it recovered.
The Ruin Guard was not having an easy time either. Deep scratches ran along its arms, wrists, and hands. But as a controlled machine, it would continue fighting once rested.
Spinning-arm attack resumed.
Eleventh time.
Victor Wang saw the outline clearly. He saw himself.
Half a rotation, and Victor Wang remained standing, unshakeable.
Full rotation, and still standing, unshakeable.
No eleventh iteration could change that.
The Ruin Guard spun tirelessly. Wherever its massive arms struck the sword, chunks were cut away, until the arms were too short to reach the ground.
The Ruin Guard hadn't stopped. Its upper-core still shifted constantly, unable to be damaged directly. Victor Wang approached and slashed at its legs.
The Ruin Guard looked tragic—two broken arms and one leg remaining. It toppled, crooked and unstable, then Victor Wang thrust his sword into its core. The Withering tumor was destroyed in horror. The land turned green and vibrant again.
This was the human realm. Setting aside elemental and Abyssal power, the strongest force a human could wield was… willpower.
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa