Chapter 120: EX 120. Brute Force
Eleanor’s smile was a slow, curling thing, sharp at the edges, and full of quiet satisfaction.
She stood before a circular pool of black liquid, its surface still and mirror-like, reflecting the live feed of Leon’s clash in the cavern. She watched as his strike bounced harmlessly off the bloated demon’s stomach, saw the moment he flinched, not in fear, but surprise, and she let out a breathless chuckle.
"Heheheheheh..." Her fingers laced behind her back, eyes glinting with something between admiration and contempt. "This place was built to counter you, Leon."
She leaned forward slightly, speaking to the pool like it was an old friend.
"All that power you think you have... all those overwhelming attacks, those brute force solutions, all of them are worthless here." Her tone turned mocking, her voice velvet-slick. "I’ve seen you fight. Again and again. You solve everything with strength. Smash it, burn it, break it. But after the fight with the A-rank demon, all the data we needed was collected."
She tilted her head, grin widening.
"After collecting its data, I created the perfect counter for you. This is your cage, Leon Kael. A world where your attacks mean nothing."
Her laughter started to rise again, low and growing, but then it stopped. Abruptly. Like her breath had been snatched away.
Her eyes locked onto the pool, and widened. No, snapped open.
"What...?" she whispered.
The feed shimmered, showing Leon, still calm, still deadly, his stance changing. His energy pulsing. And then,
"No," she breathed. "How is this possible?!"