Mystical Journey

"First star!!" Garen howled as he released the Seven Star Life's Secret Point. However, he was one step late, and Nadia's powers were now much stronger compared to the last time they had met. Her speed had also exceeded his expectations, making it impossible for him to react in time at all.

After the first star was released, the sword flashes and the silver wheel collided with each other at the moment when her physical qualities increased rapidly.

Boom!!!

Both of them crashed against each other and the sword flashes burst into pieces instantly, turning into countless silver fragments that sprayed everywhere before becoming a metallic windstorm, nailing numerous fragments into the walls messily while releasing ear-piercing screeches.

Garen was violently sent flying as well. He crashed against the transparent wall where the silk screen was located with a ‘bang'. He felt a burning sensation in his chest at once, while a dense and sticky stench wafted out of his throat.

Although he could not feel pain in his dreams, Garen knew that he had suffered internal injuries this time.

Such amazing speed…!

Garen could not keep up with Nadia's speed at all during these few moments. He placed both of his arms in front of his body hastily but was barely able to block her attacks.

Both of his arms were badly mangled and limp to the point where it was impossible to see their original shape.

"This is Absolute Speed." Nadia walked towards him again while dragging a large sword. "I use the Ominous Space Path to speed up this move, allowing it to alter time and space momentarily. You're already destined to be hit when I use this move."

She moved the long sword in her hand casually and immediately positioned the tip of her sword horizontally in front of her body while supporting the blade with one hand.

"This secret technique stresses absolute speed. The faster your speed, the stronger its power. I received this knowledge from an ancient existence in one of the worlds. Your techniques are pitifully lacking because you engage in isolated research alone without expanding your horizons. Your rate of progression is far too slow…"

Boom!!

Before she could finish speaking, a silver sword blossom bloomed immediately. When he saw the knife blossom, Garen tried his best to release the second star but remained dizzy and blurry-eyed. His body met with a violent collision before he was sent flying horizontally.

Silver light danced in front of his eyes, making it impossible for him to see Nadia's figure clearly.

This move, Absolute Speed, was impossible to counter. At its moment of release, Garen could already feel that he was going to be hit. Attacking and receiving the attack were both done simultaneously, leaving only a short space of time in between. For instance, when Nadia released her attack move, Garen would already be in the state of receiving the attack. Once Nadia finished this attack move, Garen would have been hit completely, making it impossible for him to evade it.

Although he managed to crawl up without feeling any pain, his body seemed to be bleeding. The blood flowed on the ground and spread everywhere.

After spitting bloodied phlegm out of his mouth, Garen stood upright. Although the second star's frighteningly strong physical qualities allowed him to suffer less severe injuries this time, he still broke a few ribs.

"Third sword." When he heard Nadia's voice, a silver light lit up in front of his eyes immediately again.

"Third star!! West Phoenix!!" Garen knew that bad things were in store. He howled maniacally and stretched both of his palms forward immediately while a phoenix's ear-piercing cry could be heard behind him. Powerful forces rotated around a mysterious orbit, creating air currents that transformed into a pair of transparent wings.

Both of Garen's hands tore through the air before he pressed his palms together and pierced the area in front of him furiously.

Terrifying powers flowed through his blackened muscles and moved towards his hands in wave-like layers. His muscles rippled and flowed towards his palms continuously as if his entire body was transferring something to both of his hands.

Clang!!!

A sharp metallic noise could be heard as though an unimaginably heavy large metal hammer had violently struck another impossible hard item. It released terrifying sound waves that sent tingles throughout everyone's bodies.

At the center where both of their bodies met, two hands and a large sword wheel had collided with each other suddenly. Time stopped for a moment before a frighteningly strong air current shook the surrounding area. It resembled a violent dynamite explosion that sent both of them flying wildly.

Garen could already feel that he had been hit at the moment of his attack. However, he continued to go forward and deliver his attack. The West Phoenix Fist was a combat technique that he had created on his own to gather and synthesize things. Its abilities included gathering air currents in its surroundings, creating resonating sound attacks that could disturb the state of mind and form large force fields with countless air flows.

"How foolish." Nadia's voice echoed over again, but no one knew when her figure had appeared standing in front of Garen. The air currents and white mist dispersed before she pressed one of her hands against Garen's right eye steadily.

Tch!!

Her fingertips stabbed inwards at once.

Suddenly, Garen felt the feeling of permanent loss creep into his body.

He wanted to hide but that technique stopped him again.. When Nadia attacked, he had already been hit, before a dangerous and threatening air shrouded around him instantly.

His figure leaped ten meters away instantly, but once he stood still, his right eye exploded instantly.

He could see the blood and fluids from his exploded eye dripping on the ground before him.

However, Nadia's figure was now standing in front of him again while her finger was extended towards his left eye this time.

"Fourth star!!!" Garen had no time to think twice and released the fourth star immediately instead. At this moment, a shock wave that could be seen by the naked eye exploded from his body suddenly.

His body had suddenly leaped upwards, reaching a terrifying height of almost three meters. His skin had turned completely black and was giving off a metallic sheen.

"Die!!" Garen howled, completely ignoring Nadia's finger that was pressing against his left eye. Both of his arms struck forward like a large black hammer that brought on terrifying strength and speed that were combined with each other at this moment.

When Garen's hand smashed against Nadia's head, her finger was already poking at his eye socket in an attempt to stab through his head completely.

Hnngh!

Nadia groaned softly and retracted her finger before touching both of Garen's fists firmly.

When the distance between them grew closer, her powers would become greater. She was getting closer to renewing her strength and had no need to fight with Garen to the point where both sides suffered serious losses.

She just needed to wait for the right moment.

Bang!!! Hmm hmm hmm…

Dull vibrating noises echoed throughout the church continuously while Garen stood on the spot and panted. He had violently smashed both of Nadia's arms and broken them with the terrifying strength of his own arms and pierced through her chest brutally while his opponent looked on with a disbelieving gaze.

Fresh white blood sputtered out from Nadia's body. It splashed on the ground and mixed with Garen's red blood that had been spilled earlier. Both of them mixed with each other mysteriously, proving that they came from the same bloodline.

"This… What type of strength is this?!" Nadia was in a state of utter disbelief. Initially, Garen had only possessed a few tons of strength, but once he released the fourth star, he was able to produce terrifying impact forces.

He possessed at least a few hundred tons of frightening strength! Maybe even more!!

"I underestimated… Your Secret Methods," she said with much difficulty while blood dripped from the corners of her mouth.

Garen tore downwards with the strength of both of his arms and tore her into countless pieces of bloody flesh instantly. Strangely enough, these fragments floated in mid-air before weakening and disappearing quickly.

"I was careless… You won't have such good luck next time." Nadia's voice echoed through the air.

Garen knelt down on the floor with a ‘bang'. The aftereffects of releasing the fourth star were finally felt and his entire body was spasming, making him feel as if he could not control his body at all anymore.

Both parties had suffered serious injuries this time. It was impossible for Nadia not to pay the ultimate price, while Garen himself had suffered serious injuries and given up an eye in exchange. But for some unknown reason, Garen could feel unsuppressible excitement surging from the deepest part of his heart continuously.

His life had been peaceful and boring all along. But from this moment, it had become vivid and colorful.

He could see that his world was turning quickly, causing unimaginably strong feelings of happiness to flow out of his heart.

"This feeling…" He looked at both of his hands. They were badly mangled and his palms were almost devoid of flesh, leaving only his bones. However, these terrifying wounds could not suppress the longing he felt for the next battle.

Garen could not help but laugh quietly. These joyful feelings that bubbled up from the deepest part of his heart made it impossible for him to hold back his laughter.

Boom!

The sound of a loud crash rang out beside his ears.

The room was filled with darkness and silence.

Garen crossed his legs and sat in front of the coin. His right eye exploded into a cloud of bloody mist instantly while crunching noises could be heard from his arms and chest. His bones had fractured immediately as all the injuries that were inflicted on him in his dreams were restored throughout his body at once.

Bang bang bang bang!!

A string of continuous explosions could be heard. After every explosion, Garen's entire body ached to the point where he trembled for a moment.

‘Nadia came looking for you! Damn her!!' yelled Black Sethe angrily. ‘That wretched slut. She actually dared to launch a surprise attack on you! She ambushed her own junior who had yet to perfect even one Secret Technique!!'

Heehee… Heeheehee…

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of bloodcurdling laughter.

Garen lowered his head while fresh blood dripped out of his right eye socket slowly and drew a bloody red line down his cheek. However, the corners of his mouth remained curled upwards.

‘What are you laughing about?!' Black Sethe felt his entire body turn numb when he heard it.

"Isn't this really interesting?" said Garen in a low and raspy voice. "Life is finally not as boring anymore…"

He stuck his tongue out and licked the blood at the corners of lips while a potential point was quickly added to his Vitality pane.

Instantly, the wounds on Garen's body began to heal at a pace that was noticeable by the naked eye. His broken bones connected themselves back together speedily while his severe internal injuries healed quickly and stopped bleeding as well. Meanwhile, new skin grew over the bruises on his arms in less than ten few seconds.

Everything except his eye.

Garen stretched his hand out and touched his right eye. Although that space was completely empty, waves of extreme pain assaulted his nerves. However, strong feelings of joy continued to wash over him in waves, purging the dull and bored emotions that had filled his mind.

It was impossible for his eye to be restored…

He understood this truth and knew that it was impossible for potential points to restore organs that had disappeared completely. They could only heal injuries, but could not regrow severed limbs.

But that was unimportant. Compared to his boring life, injuries like this were merely new invitations which Garen did not mind at all.

Black Sethe was unable to say anything else. He had seen Garen's injuries, these terrifying injuries that were enough to let any normal person meet a violent death instantly, but Garen had apparently returned to normal instantly. Moreover, these feelings and this excitement towards killing and life or death combat…