Chapter 52: Down Underground (V)
Although Elin didn’t seem too eager to engage in a fight, she was the first to join the fray after her cousin. A frightening amount of wind-attuned mana emanated from her lithe form as she confronted Ezamin, the leader of the group from the Asarii clan. After all, Benny was still Tier 6; he couldn’t contend against someone who had reached Tier 7. There was a huge gap between the two tiers.
He had to make it to the foul-mouthed bodyguard attendant, who already seemed a handful.
Ember didn’t wait ceremoniously, either. He didn’t even have to choose an opponent, as the dark-skinned fellow—the one who had scuffled with him the other time—crossed his path.
“Where are you going to run?” the youth barked, casting a potent mana bolt towards Ember.
Who is running? Ember thought as his body blurred to dodge the spell.
“Nerin,” the boy shouted. “Remember my name.”
Ember had his protective ward at the ready while he engaged the dark-skinned youth with his sword and wand. Nerin’s eyes gleamed, and he too brought out a machete of his own, its cold edge glaring in the sharp light.
As soon as they engaged in close quarters, Ember found out how bad an idea that was. Not only had Nerin’s race reached Tier 6, but he also seemed to be more proficient in close combat. His form was sublime, and his movements, while not quite as swift as Ember’s, were minimal and effective, almost akin to those of a seasoned warrior.
It was only with the speed of Blitz Steps that Ember managed to evade his strikes. With Mana Augmentation at +4, his acceleration was like a whirlwind, moving by the chasm like the wind incarnate. Yet none of that was of much avail. After a dozen exchanges, finding no purchase against his opponent, Ember shot his most potent Kinetic Push at him.