Chapter 87: Back To Your Roots
!The black sword slammed into the invisible wall with a loud clang that echoed through the clearing. The force of the impact sent a tremor up Nox’s arm, but Fena didn’t even budge. She hadn’t moved a muscle, just held her hand up like she was stopping a beach ball.
The elves in the crowd let out a collective gasp. They had never seen anyone, let alone a human, force the Elder to actually defend herself.
"Better," Fena said, her voice still calm, but there was a new glint in her eyes. "You have a decent weapon and a little bit of focus now. But your form is still a mess."
She flicked her wrist, and the invisible wall of force didn’t just disappear; it exploded outward. Nox was thrown backward, tumbling through the air before he landed hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him.
"Your footwork is clumsy," she stated, taking a slow step toward him as he pushed himself up, coughing. "You rely on raw power, but your foundation is sand. You have no balance."
"Shut up," he gasped, getting to his feet. He was tired of her lectures.
He charged again, but this time he was smarter. He didn’t go for a direct attack. He used his Shadow Glide, his movements becoming a fluid, unpredictable dance. He weaved from side to side, his black sword a constant threat, trying to find an angle, an opening.
She just watched him, her head tilting slightly. She was like a statue in the middle of a storm, completely unmoved by the chaos around her.
"You telegraph your attacks a full second before you make them," she said, sidestepping a wide slash that cut a deep gouge in the ground where she was standing. "I can read your intent in the shift of your shoulders, in the way you breathe."
He gritted his teeth and used Void Step, vanishing and reappearing right behind her, his sword aimed for her back.
She didn’t even turn around. A thick, gnarled root shot out of the ground, wrapping around his ankle and yanking him off his feet. He hit the ground face-first.