Chapter 52: Trial VIII

The battlefield had fallen into silence.

Everyone was still trying to process what they had just witnessed. The knights stared at Liam, unable to understand how someone wearing ordinary golden armor could possess such terrifying strength.

’Who exactly is that knight?’

Even the middle-aged knight, who had been traveling alongside Liam, couldn’t hide his shock.

He had initially assumed Liam was simply another powerful escort knight. However, the battle had completely changed his understanding.

Meanwhile, Liam wasn’t finished.

He knew that capturing the young man wouldn’t be easy. The opponent was a Peak Tier 3 expert, and although he had gained the upper hand, the difference in their strength wasn’t enough to guarantee a safe victory.

One mistake could cost him dearly.

The young man was equally aware of the situation. His expression had become serious, and the wind around him continued to gather.

Neither intended to back down.

Liam raised his Dark Scythe and charged forward.

The young man immediately swung his sword.

"Storm Sword Art: Gale Slash!"

A massive crescent-shaped wind blade shot toward Liam.

Liam didn’t dodge. He raised his scythe and cut through the attack, but the young man had already moved.

Several powerful gusts erupted around Liam, forming a rotating cage of wind.

"Storm Magic: Wind Cage!"

The currents tightened, attempting to restrict his movements before countless sharp blades formed inside the cage.

Liam’s eyes narrowed.

"Shadow Dash!"

His figure disappeared just before the blades converged.

The next instant, he appeared behind the young man.

However, the latter seemed to have anticipated the move. He turned around and swung his sword, releasing a powerful burst of wind.

BOOM!

Their weapons collided, sending both of them backward.

The young man landed several meters away, his breathing slightly heavier than before.

He glanced at Liam and finally realized that defeating this opponent wouldn’t be as easy as he had initially thought.

"Wait! I can pay you! Just stop this!"

Liam continued advancing without changing his expression.

"Unfortunately for you, I don’t deal with criminals."

"The fuck? What crime have I even committed?!"

The young man roared in anger.

"I slept with a commoner girl! That’s all! She should be grateful that a noble like me even considered sleeping with her!"

His expression twisted as he continued shouting.

"Is that really enough reason to kill me?!"

Liam looked at him emotionlessly.

"Yep. A disgusting criminal like you deserves to die. I’ll kill you myself."

The young man’s expression changed.

"You bastard!"

His aura erupted once again.

"Storm Magic: Tempest Domain!"

The surrounding wind began spinning violently. Countless blades formed throughout the battlefield, while the clouds above gathered into a massive vortex.

But Liam didn’t retreat.

"Dark Storm!"

Dark energy surged from his body.

A black storm spread across the battlefield, clashing with the young man’s wind domain. The two forces collided, creating powerful currents that swept across the road.

The knights hurriedly retreated.

Even from a distance, they could feel the terrifying pressure generated by the two abilities.

The young man raised his sword.

"Storm Sword Art: Thousand Tempest Strikes!"

Hundreds of wind blades gathered around him before shooting toward Liam simultaneously.

Liam extended his hand.

"Black Crystal Silk Creation!"

Countless black threads spread through the air, forming several layers of protection. The wind blades struck them repeatedly, producing a series of sharp metallic sounds.

However, the young man wasn’t relying on that attack alone.

He suddenly appeared above Liam, his sword covered in concentrated wind energy.

"Die!"

A massive sword-shaped gust descended.

Liam raised his scythe.

"Dark Scythe!"

Dark energy gathered along its blade as he swung upward.

BOOM!

The collision produced a tremendous explosion. The black threads surrounding Liam scattered, while the young man’s sword was forced away.

Before he could recover, Liam’s eyes began glowing.

"Cursed Gaze!"

The young man’s movements slowed for a brief moment.

That was all Liam needed.

"Curse Amplification!"

The curse strengthened, interfering further with the young man’s movements.

Liam immediately followed with another attack.

"Abyssal Flames!"

Black flames erupted from the ground, spreading toward the young man like enormous serpents.

The young man gritted his teeth and gathered wind around his body.

"Storm Magic: Wind Wings!"

Two enormous wings of compressed wind appeared behind him. He shot upward, barely escaping the flames as they consumed the ground beneath him.

However, Liam wasn’t going to let him escape.

"Void Blink!"

Liam disappeared and reappeared above him.

The young man barely managed to raise his sword before the Dark Scythe descended.

CLANG!

The impact sent him plunging toward the ground.

He twisted his body in midair and released a powerful gust, managing to stabilize himself before landing.

His expression had become increasingly ugly.

’This bastard has too many abilities!’

He had already used most of his powerful techniques, yet Liam continued bringing out new abilities.

Worse, his opponent’s attacks were becoming increasingly difficult to predict.

The young man glanced toward the distant knights.

He had to escape.

If he continued fighting, he would eventually lose.

But Liam had already noticed his intentions.

"Thinking of running?"

Liam raised his hand.

"Abyss Venom Domain!"

The dark purple mist spread once again, covering the battlefield and surrounding the young man.

The latter immediately realized that something was wrong.

His wind magic was becoming increasingly difficult to control, and the poison that had entered his body earlier was interfering with his movements.

Liam’s expression remained calm.

"Let’s finish this."

Countless dark threads emerged from the ground, shooting toward the young man from every direction.

At the same time, black flames gathered around Liam’s scythe.

The young man gritted his teeth and poured the remaining energy into his sword.

"Storm Sword Art: Heaven-Piercing Tempest!"

A gigantic wind blade formed above him.

He swung with all his remaining strength.

The enormous attack collided with Liam’s incoming threads and flames, creating another explosion that shook the surrounding forest.

But this time, Liam didn’t stop.

He pushed forward through the storm, his Dark Scythe cutting through the remaining wind energy.

The young man’s eyes widened.

Before he could raise his sword again, Liam appeared directly in front of him.

The blade of the scythe stopped just beside his neck.

For a brief moment, neither moved.

Then Liam spoke calmly.

"You’re finished."