Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 203 - : DEMON WAVE XV

"You...?" Jessica asked, her voice trembling with disbelief as she recognized her savior.

"Wow, that packed a punch," Brian said with a strained smile. His face wore a brave mask, but within the smile was the subtle twitch of someone barely holding on.

"Roooarrr!" The TAINTED bellowed, its monstrous voice vibrating through the ruined battlefield. It was enraged—its kill had been interrupted.

With a growl, it forced more strength into its downward swing, hoping to crush Brian completely. But Brian's arms moved fluidly, deflecting the sword just enough to redirect it into the dirt, the impact causing a tremor beneath their feet.

Brian's eyes never left the grotesque creature before him. He knew the truth—he was outmatched. The TAINTED was superior in every physical aspect: strength, speed, constitution, and stamina. Fighting it head-on like equals would be foolish, so he chose a different path.

"Get out of here," Brian said in a calm yet urgent tone. "Escape as quickly as possible. I don't think I can hold him back for too long."

Jessica stood frozen for a moment, her eyes wide, heart pounding in her chest. "Thank you," she whispered softly, her gratitude genuine and heavy.

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High above, the celestial messenger hovered like divine judgment incarnate. Without warning, two feathers detached from its radiant wings, glimmering with celestial light as they flew with terrifying speed toward Brian and Chris.

The two reacted instinctively. Chris raised his shield, hoping to deflect the incoming projectile. But the gap in power was too vast—the feather shattered his defense like glass, piercing his chest. His eyes widened in horror before his HP emptied completely, his body collapsing without a sound.

Brian tried to guard himself, but as the feather made contact with his chest, a strange pull dragged him inward. At the final instant, his concept activated, yanking him into his will world. To outside observers, it appeared as if he had perished just like Chris.

"Ha... ha... that was close," Brian exhaled, hand on his chest as he steadied himself.

"You damn fool!" a voice roared from the void. It was his sword concept, materializing as a tall, imposing figure clad in flowing robes, radiating power. "You nearly died if not for me! How could you be so reckless, letting your guard down and trying to block that?!"

"There was nothing else I could do," Brian admitted. "That was the only option I had."

The concept stared at him for a long moment before sighing heavily. "You're terrible at this... Very well. I don't usually do this for my hosts, but you—you're different. I don't even know why I'm doing this."

It stepped forward, its gaze serious now. "I will teach you a technique. One that should help you defend yourself against beings far stronger than you. But you will not be leaving this realm until you've fully mastered it."

Brian straightened up immediately, heart pounding with renewed determination.

"The technique is called the Eternal Yin-Yang Sword Technique, the pinnacle of defense for all sword users," the concept explained, its voice echoing with pride.

"It allows you to use your opponent's own force against them—redirecting and deflecting their power. Eventually, at its peak, it even allows you to reverse their attacks."

"It takes years to master, even for the top 1% of geniuses in a millennium. Among all my previous hosts, the fastest to learn it took a full month. Be prepared to stay here for that long."

Brian nodded without hesitation. "I'm ready," he declared, eyes burning with resolve. He didn't care if he lost out on leveling. This technique—this strength—was what he truly needed for what lay ahead.

"Good," SWORD said, smiling for the first time. "That decisiveness of yours—that's what I like about you."

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"That crazy brat..." SWORD muttered in disbelief. "Just how talented is he to master the technique so quickly?"

In just a few short hours, Brian had done what took others years.

"It seems I might've finally found a master worth following... One who might even take me to a higher level than I've ever known," SWORD whispered with excitement, its voice trembling with hope. All its past hosts had perished in battle—but Brian felt different. Unique.

Back on the battlefield, the TAINTED roared, raising its blade once more and lunging at Brian.

But Brian no longer met the attack head-on. With fluid grace, he deflected every swing, never truly receiving the brunt of the blows. He flowed like water, using his opponent's force against them with precision.

The TAINTED, furious, began increasing its speed, attacking in a blur. But Brian's premonition ability ensured he was never caught off-guard. He moved before the TAINTED could even finish thinking of its next strike.

It seemed as though they were evenly matched in speed, but in truth, Brian was always a step ahead, reacting before the TAINTED even attacked.

"Rooaaar!" the TAINTED howled, its rage reaching a fever pitch.

In desperation, it expanded the area around it with dark aura, its sword cutting through space as it unleashed a flurry of attacks meant to crush Brian entirely.

But Brian remained calm. He deflected one of the powerful blows upward, then took a quick step forward, seizing the opening. With sharp precision, he stabbed his blade into the TAINTED's chest.

"That was for last time," Brian said softly, a faint, knowing smile curling his lips.

The TAINTED didn't understand his words, but the smug satisfaction on Brian's face enraged it even more.

From its wings, several blackened feathers detached and hurled themselves toward Brian.

Brian dodged what he could and deflected the rest. His eyes remained sharp, aware of every movement. But the TAINTED didn't let up—no, it charged again, swinging violently.

"Eternal Yin-Yang Technique... Reversal," Brian muttered. His blade moved elegantly, catching the TAINTED's strike and reversing the force, sending the creature flying backward.

The TAINTED crashed violently to the ground, the earth shaking under its weight. It rose slowly, its fury boiling over. Then, it began to change.

Its face—once a perverted echo of angelic beauty—twisted into a grotesque mask of horror. Its limbs expanded, its body swelling to twice its former size. Muscles bulged, bones cracked, and its aura doubled in strength.

Brian took a step back, eyes wide. "No way," he whispered, feeling a cold chill crawl down his spine. "This can't be happening..."

BOOM!

The TAINTED moved at supersonic speed, blurring through space. Brian's premonition, which had always given him two seconds of foresight, now only gave him half a second. It was almost meaningless.

BOOM!

Brian was struck before he could react. The monstrous speed and power overwhelmed his reflexes, sending him flying across the battlefield, crashing into the rubble.

The TAINTED didn't bother confirming the kill. It turned toward Jessica, eyes gleaming with cruel purpose.

Jessica had been trying to escape all this time, but a cursed spell still blocked the gate. She couldn't break it. She was trapped.

"No..." she whispered in horror. "No!" She panicked, her voice cracking. There was no way she could survive this. As a mage, creatures with such speed were her worst nightmare. She couldn't defend. She couldn't flee.

"Rooaaar!!" The TAINTED screeched, its body vanishing and reappearing before her with terrifying swiftness, sword aimed straight at her chest.

Clang!

The strike was blocked—deflected mid-air by a blur of black and silver. freēnovelkiss.com

"Oi! You bastard," a cold voice rang out. "How dare you try to lay a hand on her?"

A young man stood before the TAINTED, sword humming with suppressed power, his icy gaze locked with the monster's eyes.

Greg had finally arrived—just in time to change the tide of battle.