Chapter 81: A Serious Fight"Lord Adyr, we’ve run out of munitions. A total of 114 water slimes eliminated and 115 energy crystals collected. We await your next orders," Siris reported, standing at attention with a newfound confidence and reverence in her expression.

    "Good," Adyr said, nodding once. He reached out, and the satchel carried by two soldiers vanished into the Dawn Land with a flicker of light.

    Every explosive had claimed a target. Not a single one had been wasted, and each crystal had been retrieved with care. Even the one he had lost track of after the initial demonstration had been recovered.

    A few stray slimes still slithered through the field. Adyr chose to deal with them himself.

    With clean, efficient movements, he drew his twin blades and sliced them down one by one. Once finished, he turned his attention inward. The crystals now resting atop the cushion in his sanctuary shimmered faintly.

    "153 crystals, huh. Not bad," he muttered, counting them at a glance.

    He had more than enough energy to subdue a Spark. But not yet. He had other priorities. For now, the crystals would remain untouched.

    "Still planning to lie there and play dead?" Adyr asked, his gaze fixed on the massive creature. He was expecting a reaction this time.

    The Spark didn’t move.

    Its dark blue hide looked thick as stone, like a rhino’s armor. Its stubby limbs looked too small to support the bulk of its enormous body. Its head was round and smooth, almost featureless, save for two small eyes and a wide, unbroken mouth.

    Adyr approached cautiously, step by step, prepared to react to any movement. As the seconds passed and the beast didn’t stir, he started to believe it really was asleep.

    Then, in an instant, the Aqualith’s massive form vanished from sight.

    Adyr’s eyes tried to track the movement, but he barely had time to react. He reached for the shield strapped to his back and raised it just in time.

    Boom!

    The Spark’s powerful limb slammed into the shield with brutal force. The impact hurled Adyr backward like a ragdoll. He crashed into a nearby carriage, obliterating it into a spray of wood and dust.

    "Lord..." Siris stepped forward, but it was too late.

    The carriage was nothing but a pile of shattered timber. Debris hung in the air, and Adyr’s body was nowhere to be seen.

    "Take formation!" Siris shouted. Her voice cut through the chaos like steel. The knights responded instantly, shields raised, forming a tight perimeter.

    "Lady Vesha..."

    "I know." Vesha was already sprinting toward the wreckage.

    Siris and the remaining knights raised their shields, forming a defensive wall. They stared at the towering creature before them. Three meters tall, raw power rippling beneath its hide.

    The courage they had built up until now faltered. None of them moved. None of them spoke. If Adyr, the only one who stood a chance against this monster, had fallen...

    Then they already knew how this would end.

    Death.

    "Hold your shields high. Don’t move. Don’t speak. Don’t avert your gaze. Just wait and hold your position," Siris ordered, forcing the words through clenched teeth. Sёar?h the N??eFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This wasn’t an enemy they could flee from. All they could do was wait and pray that the Spark would not attack.

    But hope doesn’t hold back monsters.

    As Siris kept her eyes locked on the Aqualith, the worst happened. The creature vanished again.

    A breath later, it was standing right in front of her.

    I’m dead. That was the only thought that crossed her mind before her eyes shut, and she braced for the end.

    Boom!

    Another impact tore through the air, more brutal than the one that had sent Adyr flying.

    But nothing happened to Siris. No pain. Just a sudden, violent gust slamming into her face. She opened her eyes, confused by the absence of agony.

    And there he was.

    The man with black, dust-covered hair, one foot in the air, standing between her and death. Ahead of him, the massive body of the Aqualith lay motionless, having crashed through a tree and collapsed to the ground.

    "You fucking sumo... gave me a real jolt there," Adyr muttered, spitting blood onto the dirt.

    The Spark’s description had said it was fast. But this fast? It defied logic.

    Once again, he was reminded that in this world, surviving meant letting go of the sharp, rule-bound logic that had once kept him alive.

    "Stay back. This will take a while," Adyr said as he drew his twin blades from his back and took position. The Aqualith’s massive body was already back on its feet, preparing for its next charge.

    Siris and the soldiers quickly pulled back, their hearts pounding with a mix of tension and awe. The excitement of witnessing Adyr in action surged through them, the image of that massive body flying through the air like a scrap of paper seared into their memory.

    The Aqualith gave a subtle shiver as it stood, as if shaking itself fully awake. That was the only sign it had taken any impact. Its small eyes scanned the area before locking onto Adyr.

    "Come," Adyr said with a grin. He reversed the grip on his right blade, holding it defensively across his chest, while his left hand drew back into a tight offensive stance.

    This was the first Spark he’d fought in direct combat—and it was far beyond his expectations. This wasn’t just a challenge. It was a true fight. The kind that widened his perspective. The kind that sharpened instincts dulled by routine. The kind he craved.

    The Aqualith didn’t hesitate. With the air of a proud warrior, it accepted Adyr’s invitation. Its short legs kicked off the ground, leaving behind only a few rippling water bubbles and a faint, translucent rainbow as it shot forward.

    Adyr narrowly avoided the first strike by dodging to the right. His speed wasn’t equal to the Spark’s, but he managed to block the second attack using the flat side of his reverse-gripped blade. Yet the Aqualith wasn’t just fast—it was disturbingly flexible. In the same breath, it twisted on the spot in a full spin and launched a third attack, this time a kick.

    The blow hit squarely, slamming into Adyr’s chest and hurling him backward. He crashed into a second carriage, the impact splintering wood and steel as his body tore through it and disappeared into the debris.

    But this time, he recovered faster.

    He rose from the dust and broken wood, eyes sharp, locked onto the Spark.

    "This will be more fun than I thought," he said, spitting a mouthful of blood and grinning like a man just getting started.