Chapter 244: Battling The Rift Guardian [1]

Elias’s grin widened.

"Hahaha!"

The guardian withdrew his black sword as the dark blue energy surrounding it began to unravel. Streams of darkness separated from the blade, twisting through the air before gathering around his hand.

The weapon gradually lost its shape, but the scattered energy did not disappear. Instead, it circled his palm, intertwining until the fragments condensed into the original sword.

Elias tilted his head, watching the process with interest.

"Interesting. You can even reconstruct it?"

The guardian didn’t respond. He simply raised his sword and stepped forward, his red iris remaining fixed on Elias.

Elias rushed toward him.

Hellcaller descended in a powerful diagonal slash, its dark red lightning illuminating the surrounding statues.

The guardian shifted his stance and caught the attack near the middle of his blade. Rather than resisting the full force, he angled his sword and redirected Hellcaller to the side before immediately thrusting toward Elias’s chest.

Elias twisted his body, allowing the black sword to pass beside him, then retaliated with a horizontal swing aimed at the guardian’s waist.

The man lowered his body and slipped beneath the attack. His sword followed in an upward arc, forcing Elias to retreat before the blade reached his abdomen.

The guardian continued forward, attempting to capitalize on the opening, but Elias stepped back and brought Hellcaller between them.

Their weapons met again.

A metallic clash echoed through the hall, and the force of their collision sent small fragments of stone skittering across the floor.

Elias landed several steps away, his grin remaining intact.

"HAHA! You are pretty good!"

He poured Aura into his legs and accelerated again, leaving cracks beneath his boots as he crossed the distance.

His next strike came from above, carrying enough force to crack the floor beneath the guardian’s feet. The man raised his sword and blocked, but Elias immediately followed with another attack from the opposite direction, twisting his waist to deliver a powerful horizontal slash.

The guardian turned his wrist, deflecting the second strike before stepping forward and delivering a swift thrust.

Elias moved his shoulder aside.

The black blade grazed his clothing, and Hellcaller immediately swept toward the guardian’s waist. The man jumped backward, allowing the weapon to pass in front of him before raising his free hand.

The rubble scattered throughout the hall lifted simultaneously.

Several enormous stone fragments rose from the floor, their jagged edges turning toward Elias before rushing at him from different directions.

"Store!"

Elias extended his palm toward the nearest fragment, and it vanished into his Inventory. He repeated the action with another approaching chunk, removing it before it could strike his shoulder. However, the guardian had already changed the trajectory of the remaining debris.

The stones converged on Elias.

He raised his free hand.

Earth Wall!

A thick wall erupted between him and the incoming rubble. The fragments crashed into it, shattering its upper section and scattering debris across the floor. The impact shook the newly formed structure, and cracks spread down its surface as more stones struck it.

Elias emerged through the collapsing wall.

Hellcaller came down toward the guardian’s head, its blade wrapped in crimson Aura.

The man raised his sword.

Their weapons collided, and the black blade began unraveling around the point of impact. Dark blue streams separated from its surface, twisting away as Hellcaller pressed against it. However, the guardian immediately pulled the scattered energy together, reshaping the weapon before Elias could exploit the opening.

He twisted his sword and pushed Hellcaller away.

Elias stumbled half a step, but the guardian was already advancing. He delivered a swift combination, beginning with a horizontal slash followed by a thrust and an upward cut. Elias blocked the first attack, moved aside from the second, and raised Hellcaller just in time to intercept the third.

The impact forced him backward.

Before he could recover, the guardian extended his left hand.

An invisible force struck Elias’s chest.

His body was thrown across the chamber, but he twisted in midair and landed on his feet. His boots scraped across the stone as he struggled to stop himself, leaving two long marks behind him.

"That again!"

Elias lowered his stance.

Crimson Aura spread across his body, reinforcing his muscles as he channeled more energy into his legs and arms. The pressure surrounding him intensified, causing loose fragments on the floor to tremble. Hellcaller responded to the additional Aura, its blade becoming enveloped in dark red lightning.

He rushed forward.

The guardian met him halfway.

Their swords collided, and the resulting shockwave swept across the hall. Dust rose from the floor, while several nearby statues trembled under the impact. Elias pressed forward with a heavy downward strike, but the guardian turned his blade and redirected the attack, following with a swift cut toward Elias’s neck.

Elias leaned aside.

The blade passed close to his face, and he immediately countered with a thrust aimed at the guardian’s chest. The man shifted his upper body, allowing the point to pass beside him, but Elias had already begun swinging Hellcaller toward his ribs.

The guardian blocked again.

The impact pushed him backward, forcing his boots to slide across the stone. He used the momentum to retreat and raised his free hand.

The floor beneath Elias suddenly cracked.

Several stone spikes erupted around his feet, rising at different angles to trap his legs and restrict his movement.

Earth Spike!

Elias answered with his own spell.

His spikes emerged from the ground and intercepted the guardian’s, shattering them before they could reach him. The collision sent broken pieces flying in every direction, but Elias continued forward through the falling debris, swinging Hellcaller toward the guardian’s shoulder.

The man caught the strike.

Dark blue energy gathered around his sword, and he pushed against Hellcaller with enough force to send Elias sliding backward. Their weapons remained locked for a brief moment, crimson lightning twisting against the blue glow before Elias was forced to release the pressure and retreat.

The guardian didn’t pursue immediately.

Instead, he raised his left hand and pulled the surrounding rubble toward himself. Fragments of different sizes gathered around his body, forming several rotating layers of stone. The pieces moved in opposite directions, creating a defensive barrier that concealed much of his silver armor.

Elias narrowed his eyes.

"Trying to hide behind those?"

He thrust his palm toward the ground.

Quagmire!

The stone beneath the guardian softened, swallowing the lower portions of the gathered rubble. The rotating fragments lost their formation as their movement became uneven, but the guardian simply raised himself above the affected ground using telekinesis.

He then swept his sword sideways.

The suspended stones shot toward Elias.

Elias raised Hellcaller and struck the first fragment aside, sending it crashing into the base of a nearby statue. He twisted his body to avoid the second, allowing it to pass close to his shoulder before it shattered against the floor.

A third approached from behind.

He extended his palm without looking.

’Store.’

The fragment disappeared before it could hit him.

Another massive piece rushed toward his head, forcing Elias to crouch. The stone passed overhead, its rough surface cutting through the air before crashing into the wall behind him. Elias pushed off the ground and rushed toward the guardian, using the opening to close the remaining distance.

The man had already prepared for his approach.

His sword moved in a swift arc, striking Hellcaller from the side and forcing Elias’s weapon away from its intended path. He followed with a thrust toward Elias’s abdomen, the black blade carrying a concentrated stream of dark blue energy.

Elias twisted, but the black blade still cut through his clothing and grazed his side.

He retreated immediately, creating distance before the guardian could follow up.

The wound burned.

Elias lowered his gaze briefly, noticing the thin line of blood along his side. The cut was not deep, but the attack had reached him despite his attempts to evade it. He tightened his grip around Hellcaller and raised his eyes toward the guardian.

For a brief moment, the man’s figure appeared to shift.

Elias blinked.

There seemed to be two versions of the guardian standing before him, one slightly behind the other. Both wore the same silver armor and held identical black swords, while their movements appeared perfectly synchronized.

He turned his head, trying to follow their positions, but both figures seemed to move simultaneously.

"What?"

The guardian advanced.

Elias raised Hellcaller toward the figure on his right, preparing to intercept the incoming attack.

The sword passed through empty air.

A sharp pain erupted across his back.

Elias staggered forward as the black blade struck him from behind. He immediately turned, swinging Hellcaller in a wide arc to prevent another attack, but the guardian was already moving away.

Elias steadied himself, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the two figures.

"What the fuck was that?!"