Chapter 2180 Like A River

Adam barely had time to raise the Viper before the Transcendent's sword struck.

The impact numbed his fingers and rattled his bones.

The second Transcendent attacked immediately afterward.

Adam twisted, redirecting the blade away from his neck, but the attack still tore through his upper arm. His hand went limp for a brief moment.

Before the enemy could withdraw, Adam switched the blade to his other hand and slashed at the wrist. The Transcedent pulled back just in time, but the Viper still carved a deep gash across his forearm.

The man's expression changed. He thought he hadn't underestimated Adam after seeing him kill the Templars so effortlessly. But in the end, he had still ended up underestimating the youth.

The Trancedents exchanged glances and charged again.

Adam raised the Viper to parry the first strike, but the second sword was already closing in on his flank. He twisted his body, allowing the blade to graze his side before retaliating with a swift slash.

The Viper flashed toward the second Transcendent's throat. The man barely managed to dodge.

Adam's weapons suddenly loosened, transforming into a whip that lashed toward his opponent's face.

The Transcendent raised his sword to block, only for the whip to coil around his weapon.

Adam pulled.

The man's balance faltered.

Before he could recover, Adam stepped forward, and the viper stiffened into a blade. He thrust it toward the man's chest, forcing the Transcendent to retreat.

But the other Transcendent had already caught up.

A heavy slash struck Adam's guard, driving him backward. His injured arms trembled. He gritted his teeth.

These bastards are strong, he thought.

But they pale in comparison to Aramen.

Still, he was so weak and injured at the moment. Every direct clash threatened to shatter his bones. He couldn't afford to meet their attacks head-on.

So he didn't.

Adam breathed in. Breathed out.

Hannibal's teachings echoed in his mind, and he entered a flow-like state with the Sphere of Resonance working on overdrive.

"Combat isn't about overpowering your opponent. It's about deceiving him. Keeping him guessing. Making him question every movement. Every opening. Every decision."

Adam moved like a river flowing around rocks, his steps carrying him between the two enemies. The Viper followed his movements, shifting from whip to blade and back again without the slightest hesitation.

When one Transcendent attacked, Adam redirected his weapon. When the other tried to exploit the opening, the Viper lashed out like a serpent, forcing him to pull back.

Neither man could predict the weapon's next form. And that was precisely what Adam wanted.

"Never let them settle into a rhythm, because the moment he thinks he understands you is the moment you can take advantage of him. Learn to move like a River."

Then came a salvo of attacks that would make even Hannibal's eyes gleam.

The first Transcendent roared and brought his sword down in a brutal vertical slash. Adam raised the Viper to meet it. But just before the blades collided, the Viper transformed.

Its rigid length became a flexible whip. The enemy's sword cut through empty air. He had committed his entire weight to the attack, expecting resistance. With nothing to stop his blade, he stumbled forward. His balance was completely thrown off.

Adam was already moving. He stepped past the man's shoulder, pivoted on his heel, and swung the Viper in a clean arc.

SHING!

The whip stiffened into a blade mid-swing.

The Transcedent's head separated from his shoulders. His headless body staggered forward before collapsing to the ground.

One to go.

"Its depth cannot be judged by its surface, and its course is never set in stone. It flows around obstacles, changes direction, and finds its way forward."

Adam was in a flow-like state of consciousness. It was unlike anything he had experienced before. Like he was in a trance in the midst of battle. His body reacted on its own, like the waves of the river guiding him.

The last Transcendent lunged at him. Their weapons collided.

The man was furious. His attacks came faster and heavier, each strike forcing Adam to give ground. But Adam continued following the waves. Despite his wounds reopening and his body screaming in protest, he followed the waves. He let them guide him.

"But don't mistake adaptability for weakness. A river may appear harmless, yet when its current gathers force, it can sweep away everything in its path."

Adam's eyes flickered with a holy white light. For the briefest of moments, a geometrical flower pattern emerged on his pupils before vanishing.

For an instant, the Transcendent's perception faltered. Adam's movements seemed to blur, his position becoming difficult to judge.

The effect lasted barely a moment.

But against an opponent of equal skill, a moment was enough.

The Transcendent's reaction slowed. Adam was already ahead of him.

The Viper shot forward like a raging river.

At the same time, the Transcendent thrust his sword toward Adam's chest.

Both blades struck.

SPLAT!

Adam felt the enemy's sword pierce his flesh, driving deep into his chest. Pain exploded through his body. Clarity shattered. He exited the flow state he was submerged in.

The enemy's strike had missed his heart.

The Viper, however, found its mark.

Adam's blade plunged straight into the Transcendent's heart.

For a moment, the two men stood face-to-face, their weapons buried in each other's bodies.

Then Adam twisted the blade.

The Transcendent's eyes widened, and he coughed a mouthful of blood straight at Adam's face. Adam looked down on him with distant eyes.

The man's fingers let go of the sword still plunged into Adam's chest, and he collapsed.

"Vesper," Adam whispered.

"Kree."

The Shadow shuddered inside his robes. The blade had just barely missed the little guy.

Adam grabbed the hilt of the enemy's blade. His face twisted in agony as he yanked it out of his chest and tossed it aside. He swayed as he willed mana to close his wounds.

Exhaustion threatened to claim him, but he kept himself standing.

He looked toward Moonie's battlefield. She seemed to have the upper hand.

They were so close to the edge of the clearing. So close to leaving this nightmare. This hell. Just a little more.

He walked toward Moonie, intending to support her in battle. But after a few steps, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

Growling like an animal, he pushed himself and rose to his feet.

Then a sudden feeling of dread squeezed his heart.

Even before the attack arrived, he felt the sheer heat pressing down on him.

His legs refused to obey him. They gave out beneath him.

And then, a massive [Fireball] struck him in the back.