Adrian moved again.
This time, he wanted to test the precise results of executing the offensive authority technique manually rather than relying on brute commands to reality. He estimated five hundred mana units cost for doing it manually, but he didn't know for certain.
He blinked rapidly between multiple positions around Marivelle, just as he had done before, creating several afterimages that encircled her from all directions. His Source blade left trails of white-grey light through the chaotic air.
Marivelle was still recovering from the wounds he had inflicted earlier. For a brief moment, she could not respond instantly.
Adrian applied his authority with precision, imposing his will directly upon the Rule of Spatial Vacancy and manually altering the decay rate of spatial occupancy. His Source Eyes tracked the exact symbols he needed to modify, the ones Marivelle had used herself moments ago.
The result was immediate.
The afterimages solidified at once, striking Marivelle from multiple directions simultaneously. Adrian felt the mana expenditure, roughly five hundred units, exactly as he'd estimated. More efficient than his earlier brute-force approach.
Marivelle reacted even with her wounds. Instead of attempting to block the attacks, which she knew was impossible now, she used her authority to alter the rules around her body. The space surrounding her shimmered, then transformed into flickering fire essence.
Adrian's blades passed through her without striking physical flesh, cutting only flame.
In the same breath, she counterattacked, giving Adrian no time to rest or reassess.
She invoked the same offensive authority technique as before and created four afterimages, launching herself toward Adrian in a relentless assault. Her spear became a blur of dark blue light, each thrust aimed at vital points.
This time, Adrian didn't just dodge. He responded differently.
As he sensed the incoming attack, he already knew her afterimages would become real at the precise moment they were about to land. To counter this, he employed the negation offensive authority technique he had previously observed during the battle between Lara and Kenric.
Marivelle was still well within the range of his Source domain.
The moment she began modifying the rules with her authority, Adrian immediately contested it. He imposed his will on the same Rule of Spatial Vacancy, forcing the decay rate of spatial occupancy back to its normal state.
During this negation clash, Adrian noticed something important.
Not all of his authority was being used.
At this moment, he was wielding forty-one percent authority. Of that, only twenty-eight percent, the exact amount Marivelle possessed, was being drawn into the contest. The remaining thirteen percent of his authority remained untouched as his surplus.
As a result of this negation, Marivelle could no longer modify the decay rate.
Only her real body's attack reached Adrian.
She attempted again and again to alter the rule as she closed the distance, her spear thrusting repeatedly, but each time she did, Adrian negated it immediately, preventing her afterimages from becoming real. Her expression twisted with frustration as her technique failed over and over.
Adrian counterattacked.
He blinked again, creating one afterimage on his left and another on his right. While continuing to negate Marivelle's authority with the contested portion of his authority, he used his remaining thirteen percent surplus authority to execute the offensive authority technique. He forced his two additional afterimages into reality.
Three blades converged on Marivelle from different angles.
She had no authority left to defend herself.
Marivelle was struck by three Adrians at once.
Her chest and both shoulders were pierced simultaneously, white-grey essence tearing through flesh and bone. Blood erupted from the wounds in dark crimson sprays that scattered across the chaotic air.
The impact was far heavier than before.
She lost control midair, unable to maintain flight, and began falling toward the ground below. Her divine domain flickered, destabilizing as her concentration shattered. The spear slipped from her fingers, tumbling end over end as it followed her descent.
Adrian watched her descent, but his focus had already shifted inward. He replayed the sequence of events in his mind, carefully analyzing the results.
When he had executed the offensive authority technique manually earlier, he could feel the expenditure, and it was roughly four to five hundred mana units. The exact number was unclear, but even his rough calculations confirmed that this was far more efficient than brute-force commanding reality, which had cost him nearly two thousand mana units.
The manual method was undeniably superior.
Next was Marivelle's counterattack, which revealed something equally important.
He realized that negation was not free. Contesting Marivelle's authority and restoring the rule to its normal state had cost him energy, roughly equivalent to the cost of modifying it in the first place. With this, he learnt that the fuel cost of negation depended entirely on what kind of rule modification he was negating.
On top of this, he also realized that what he had performed was manual negation. He knew exactly which rule Marivelle was modifying, and he manually reverted it. If he had instead commanded reality to negate her authority without understanding the underlying rule, reality would have chosen its own method, likely consuming far more energy.
Manual negation was efficient, but it required precise knowledge of the opponent's authority technique.
All this gave Adrian a deeper understanding of negation itself. And this also highlighted the true advantage Adrian possessed.
His Source Eyes allowed him to read the authority techniques of others, granting him the ability to understand, replicate, and negate them manually. Most cultivators in the universe lacked this advantage. Authority techniques were closely guarded secrets, meaning most rule stage cultivators relied on automated negation, paying a far greater energy cost.
Compared to them, Adrian held a decisive edge.
And in this battle, he also reaffirmed the importance of surplus authority.
While negating Marivelle earlier, he still had thirteen percent authority available as his surplus. Using that surplus, he made two afterimages real, and now he could see the expenditure was roughly six to seven hundred mana units. This was actually more than before, even with fewer afterimages.
The reason was obvious. Before, he was not negating and used forty-one percent to do this. But this attack was made using only his surplus. The less authority one had available, the more expensive every technique became. This battle confirmed it beyond doubt.
Adrian now fully grasped the complexity of rule stage combat. Without surplus authority and without a method to understand the opponent's techniques, these battles would devolve into endlessly complicated clashes where victory was anything but certain. He had won because of his advantages. Without them, the outcome would have been far less clear.
Adrian finally looked down.
Marivelle was struggling to rise from the ground, using her spear as support just to push herself upright.
He descended as well, dispersing his domain. It was no longer necessary. Marivelle was no longer capable of fighting him.
Landing a few meters away, Adrian walked toward her slowly, his Source blade still held in his hand.
Marivelle managed to stand fully. Her body was soaked in blood, wounds covering her form, yet she remained upright. The spear trembled in her grip, but she lifted it anyway, angling the tip toward him in defiance. Her divine domain flickered weakly around her, barely maintaining cohesion.
The sight impressed Adrian.
He could still feel the intangible waves radiating from her, sensing her will clearly. She knew she could not escape. She knew she was going to die. Yet she continued to stand, not for herself, but to buy time for the one who had tried to save her.
Adrian did not know what kind of relationship bound her to that other being who tried to save her, but within the universe, beings who could stand like this for another, even at the brink of death, were exceedingly rare.