CHAPTER 374: I HELPED THE OLD MAN

A violet chain burst into the air from my swirling Essence. Fire and lightning flared across its surface, each link tightening and glowing with heat. Space itself rippled slightly around the chain as it hovered, ready. I gripped one end tightly, the heat buzzing in my palm.

The Grandmaster noticed. His eyes narrowed. His aura surged as he was preparing for another slash to defend against Edgar’s attack.

I stepped forward, letting power rush into my body. My hand pulled back. My whole frame tensed and then I snapped the chain at him like a whip.

Crack!

The chain didn’t travel like a normal weapon. It vanished and reappeared, skipping space. One moment the free end was floating near me and the next it was behind him. Just as he raised his sword to launch another blue fire slash, the chain coiled tightly around his waist.

His body jerked. The Essence in his sword flared but stopped midway. The spatial force of the chain pressed in, squeezing his body and locking his arms. His attack stalled.

I yanked the chain with both hands and shouted, "Now!"

His body was pulled violently through the air, dragged off balance and thrown forward.

Right into the trap Edgar had prepared.

Earlier, Edgar had split into multiple copies. They raised their arms, and black circles formed in the air like spinning wheels. From them, dozens of shadowy hands burst out and rushed toward the Grandmaster.

The moment the man flew into range, the hands grabbed him. Palms clutched his limbs, face, and chest. He screamed and tried to cut them, but the chain still wrapped around him, and the spatial pressure kept him from moving freely.

That was all the opening Edgar needed.

He appeared above, cloaked in swirling darkness. A spear of shadows spun in his hand, long, sharp, and twisted like a claw. He didn’t waste time.

He dropped from the sky and drove the spear straight into the Grandmaster’s chest.

A loud shockwave burst out as the spear pierced straight through the Holt Grandmaster. The chain wrapped around him shattered into glowing pieces. The shadowy hands disappeared. His sword slipped from his grasp and slowly fell through the air.

Blood trickled from the man’s mouth as his eyes locked with Edgar’s. His body stayed pinned to the spear’s tip. Edgar let out a long sigh and watched as the spear faded back into shadows. The man’s body dropped from the sky, landing with a heavy thud on the ground below.

I flapped my wings and flew closer to Edgar. As I neared, the shadows swirling around him vanished. He turned to face me, a cheeky smile playing on his lips.

"So, I’m the first to kill a Grandmaster today," Edgar said, a hint of pride in his voice.

I scoffed. "Don’t forget, it was with my help."

He chuckled. "True, true. You did all the hard work tying him up. I just finished the job."

I smirked, nudging him lightly. "Old man. Don’t get too comfortable. Very soon, I’ll be stronger than you."

Edgar raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Maybe in power, but in experience? You’ll never catch me."

I cocked my head, curious. "Experience? What kind of experience?"

He gave me a sly grin. "Ah, the taste of women. Some things come with time, kid."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "Gross."

He laughed again, clearly enjoying the banter. "One day, you’ll understand."

Before I could reply, Edgar’s expression sharpened. "I need to get back and help Arkas. Things are heating up."

I nodded and spread my wings. "I’m right behind you."

Together, we took to the sky, heading toward the fight Arkas was involved with.

I scanned the sky and saw Arkas locked in a fierce battle, lightning crackling around him as he clashed with another grandmaster.

"This should be easy," Edgar muttered.

I clenched my fists, letting the rush of Essence flow through my arms. My wings beat faster as I grinned at him.

"Of course. Nothing is difficult when I’m involved, experienced old man."

Edgar laughed loudly. "Still running your mouth, I see. That’s not power, that’s youth talking."

We flew past many Grandmasters involved in fights as we followed the booming sounds of battle ahead. In the distance, arcs of lightning lit the sky in jagged bursts. At the center of it all was Arkas, his trident glowing with thunder as he fought a man wrapped in floating streams of red.

"That’s one of the Holt Grandmasters who specialises in blood laws." Edgar said.

I nodded.

I could see the way the man’s blood twisted in the air like living ropes. It spun and danced around him, forming sharp spikes, moving shields, and even wide bursts like red shockwaves.

But it wasn’t just his blood. I noticed something more dangerous, the air shimmered faintly, and Arkas staggered once, clutching his ribs.

"He’s affecting Arkas’s blood too," I muttered.

The man roared, sending three thick blood spikes flying at Arkas. Arkas spun his trident in a blur, lightning snapping across the tips, and struck them down with clean, sharp strikes. But even then, he winced slightly, his body reacting to something from the inside.

Despite that, Arkas charged. He shot forward like a thunderbolt, slamming his trident straight at the blood-user. Their weapons clashed, lightning and blood flashing across the air. Sparks flew. The air cracked. Red and blue energy surged around them.

Then Edgar joined the fight.

His cloak melted into shadow, and the space behind the blood-user darkened. Long arms of darkness formed behind him, snatching at the streams of blood mid-air. The blood began to slow. Some tendrils were caught, others blocked completely.

The man’s movements grew less sharp, more defensive. Arkas didn’t waste the chance. He struck again, lightning bursting with each blow, driving the man backward.

"Now," I whispered.

I reached out with my hand and focused my Psynapse. Generated violet Essence surged from the generated core, swirling around my arm. At the same time, the natural Essence in the air responded, flowing to me in waves.

"[Fractured Unity]," I called.

The two Essences fused in the air in front of me. A glowing spear took shape, built from brown threads of my combined Essence. It pulsed with unstable energy, flickering like a dying star.

I took a deep breath, twisted my body, and with a sudden burst of repulsion force, hurled the spear straight at the man.