Chapter 184: Your Opponent Was Just Too Weak

  The roaring crimson fmes cshed violently against the radiant holy light, sending fierce gales sweeping across the battlefield.

  "Haaah!!"

  The girl let out an enraged cry, raising her longsword high before bringing it down toward Alex with all her might. The sheer force of the swing caused the river itself to tremble, while searing fmes surged along the bde, condensing and then erupting upon impact.

  Her strength, speed, and reaction time are all far beyond that of an ordinary person…

  As Alex observed the girl before him, he sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the downward ssh. Then, with a swift flick of his wrist, he countered with a thrust aimed at the girl's torso. However, she reacted quickly, rolling to the side to evade the attack. The moment her feet touched the ground, she dragged her bde across it, sending a streak of fire roaring toward Alex as she charged forward once more.

  So her attacks come with inherent fire enhancements… But is that all?

  Alex frowned slightly. It was true—her strength, speed, and reflexes were leagues above that of an average human. However, her combat technique was astonishingly crude. Apart from having a solid foundation in basic swordpy, her fighting style relied almost entirely on brute force.

  Is this really how Fire Mist Warriors fight?How has she survived this long without getting killed?Or did someone just put all their skill points into raw power instead of technique?

  As he pondered these questions, Alex effortlessly parried her attacks, not even bothering to exert himself. He failed to notice that the girl's expression had darkened to the point of resembling the bottom of a burnt pot.

  Damn it, damn it, damn it!!

  The girl gripped her longsword tightly, feeling a surge of frustration. At the start of the fight, she had been confident—determined to teach this arrogant human a lesson.

  Yet, before she even realized it, things had taken a completely different turn.

  This man wasn’t just faster and stronger than her—his fighting style was outright suffocating. From the very beginning, she had tried to overwhelm him with relentless attacks, hoping to push him into a frantic defense and force an opening for a decisive strike.

  But no matter what she did, it was as if he could predict her every move. Before her bde could even fully swing, his sword was already intercepting her attack, cutting into her attack trajectory like an unshakable barrier.

  It was suffocating.

  Since the day she first picked up a sword, she had never felt so restrained in battle. Never before had she encountered an opponent who could suppress her so completely. The experience and skill she had prided herself on felt nonexistent before this man.

  "Haaaahhh!!"

  Fueled by rage, the girl gritted her teeth and swung her sword once more, roaring as she brought it down with all her might.

  Yet, just as the bde fell, Alex once again sidestepped—gracefully avoiding the attack as though he had foreseen it all along.

  Then, with a swift and precise movement, his sword shot forward like a serpent, aiming straight for her shoulder.

  "Damn it!!"

  The girl clenched her teeth. With her bde already mid-swing, there was no time to dodge. She could only watch helplessly as Alex's sword closed in on her.

  Am I… really going to lose? To a human?!

  "No!!"

  Unwillingness and fury surged through her veins, and in the next instant—

  BOOOOM!

  A scorching explosion of crimson fmes erupted outward from her body, expanding in all directions.

  Alex, caught at close range, was instantly engulfed by the fmes.

  "What are you doing?!"

  The voice of Astor, the pendant spirit, rang out in arm.

  "This isn’t a battle to the death! Stop immediately!"

  "Ah…!"

  Hearing Astor’s scolding, the girl hesitated, but before she could even retract the fmes—

  A tear split open in the air before her.

  In the blink of an eye, a fsh of cold light streaked past, and before she could react—

  A bde pressed lightly against her throat.

  "So that’s how it is. Your attack power increased, but you still can’t move beyond fire-based attacks."

  Accompanied by a calm voice, Alex stepped forward, emerging from the bzing inferno completely unharmed. A faint smile pyed on his lips as he looked at the stunned girl.

  "It seems… I win."

  “………………………”

  The girl remained silent for a long time, staring at Alex before finally lowering her longsword and speaking softly.

  “I lost.”

  As her words fell, the Fuzetsu that had enveloped the riverbank began to retract. In an instant, everything returned to its original state, as if the battle had never happened.

  “Is it this te already?”

  Gncing at the time on his phone, Alex shrugged before looking back at the girl.

  “Well, if that’s all, I’ll be taking my leave…”

  “Why?”

  “…Hmm?”

  “Why are you so strong?”

  The girl lifted her head and stared at Alex with an unwavering gaze.

  “You’re just a human. How can you be this powerful? To become a Fire Mist Warrior, I underwent rigorous training and education. After becoming one, I have sin countless Crimson Denizens. But why—why were you able to defeat me so effortlessly?”

  “Well… if you really want an answer…”

  Seeing the girl’s serious and determined expression, Alex fell silent for a moment. Then, he finally responded.

  “…Your opponents were simply too weak.”

  “My… opponents were too weak?”

  Hearing Alex’s answer, the girl froze in pce, momentarily unable to process his words.

  “That’s right. I could tell from our fight just now. You rarely use strategy or tactics—you prefer brute force, direct combat. That’s likely because you’ve only ever fought weak enemies. As long as you focus a little more or take things seriously, you can easily defeat them.

  “But fighting such opponents—no matter how many you defeat—won’t help you grow.

  “There’s an old saying from my homend: If you keep pying chess with weak opponents, your own skills will only deteriorate. I’d say that applies to your situation.”

  With that, Alex turned around and waved casually.

  “That’s all I have to say. It’s getting te, so be careful on your way home. I’ll be off.”

  “………………”

  This time, the girl did not say anything. She merely tightened her grip on her longsword, silently watching Alex’s departing figure.

  It wasn’t until he completely vanished from sight that she finally spoke.

  “Astor… do you think that human had a point?”

  The pendant at her chest remained silent for a long time before responding in a low voice.

  “Since leaving the Pace of Heaven’s Path, you have indeed improved in tracking and hunting Crimson Denizens, but…”

  “My opponents were all too weak. Is that what you were going to say?”

  Before Astor could finish, the girl lowered her head. She knew better than anyone what her battles had been like.

  Just as Alex had said, some of the Crimson Denizens she had encountered had indeed posed a threat. But as long as she got serious, they were never a real challenge.

  But… that didn’t mean she had truly become stronger.

  Clenching her fists tightly, she seemed to come to a firm decision.

  “I’ve made up my mind, Astor.

  “I’m staying here.”

  (End of Chapter)

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