Chapter 41: Unexpected Encounter
This was the first time Azrael was in a space like this, as such, he needed some time to get adjusted to the differences. There wasn’t any wind that could indicate from where his foe was going to appear or how it would change its trajectory. The ground wasn’t slippery, nor was it rugged, these were small details that impacted any person’s fighting abilities.
Naturally, the Ashfeather wasn’t going to let its foe become familiar with the space before attacking. Its form soared through the void of space, hurtling towards Azrael like a missile.
His eyes narrowed briefly, managing to dodge the attack by a hair’s breadth.
’Did it get faster?’ He noticed.
’No, it’s just that up until now I have yet to fight one at peak power, since the corrupted monsters are still living beings, they are impacted by things like accumulated injuries, hunger and thirst. It’s not surprising that the ones I fought before weren’t at their best.’
Ashfeather moved even faster, spinning a full one hundred and eighty degrees before lunging again.
Even with his Corruption Rank increased, Azrael wasn’t able to come out unharmed, the bird left a small scratch on his shoulder.
’It’s good I learned this lesson now and not when I am against an overwhelming force.’
Unfazed by the speed his foe was able to reach, he began to dodge the attacks with grace. The best the bird was able to do was graze him lightly. This could have impacted him negatively before, but now, thanks to [Blood Manipulation], he was able to harden the blood that would seep from his wounds, closing them and preventing his vitality from leaving his body.
Each time the chance presented itself, he swung. Sadly, however, he wasn’t as proficient with daggers as he was with scythes, he found it harder than expected to make significant wounds on the abomination’s body.
’To think I was relying on my items so much.’
Since neither could land a serious wound on the other, the battle turned into a test of endurance. The loser would either run out of energy first or make a critical mistake along the way.