Ryan did not strike early. He waited until this final moment, until the distance was compressed to its absolute limit, before unleashing the attack.
The timing was perfect.
The angle was flawless.
There was no room to dodge, no time to react, and no space to retreat.
This was a textbook ambush, executed with precision and calm. Ryan had grasped the moment so well that even he felt a surge of satisfaction. If this strike were graded, it would earn nothing less than ninety-nine points.
Had the target been a fellow Exalt realm expert, Ryan was confident this blow would have carried at least a ninety percent chance of instant death. Even if it failed to kill, severe injury would have been unavoidable.
Unfortunately, his opponent was neither human nor ordinary.
It was a fifth-rank monster, a flying beast famed for its speed.
"Gyaa—!"
At the exact moment the Wind Blade tore through the air, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird reacted.
