Chapter 20: Don’t Even Try to Deny It!

He crashed shoulder-first against the dirt and remained there long enough to reconsider his excitement.

His Ashen Banner Bloodline had been activated almost automatically. Heat moved through his body while the conflict continued, strengthening his ability to function despite the pain spreading across his shoulders, ribs, legs, and arms.

Zishan forced himself up again.

Commander Holtz watched him carefully.

The commander was not using anything close to his full strength. Zishan understood that much. If a Level 700 Seventh Ascent Magic Swordsman actually attacked him seriously, there probably would not be enough of Zishan left for Maela to heal afterward.

However, that did not make this assessment freaking easier for him!

Commander Holtz was deliberately increasing the pressure every time Zishan felt like he got stronger.

Whenever Rift Steps became harder to catch, the shadows blocked his escape routes. Whenever Zishan became more comfortable using Shadow Severance, Commander Holtz changed the angle of his attacks. Whenever Zishan thought he had finally gotten enough distance to breathe, another sword suddenly appeared somewhere near his body.

"THIS ISN’T AN ASSESSMENT ANYMORE! THIS IS BULLYING!"

"Keep moving," Commander Holtz replied.

"I AM MOVING! THAT’S WHY I’M COMPLAINING WHILE MOVING!"

Another shadow lunged at him.

Zishan stepped aside, caught its weapon with his blade, and redirected the attack using the movement Perfected Glimpse had shown him. He cut through its shoulder.

Then, another strange sensation reached him.

The Shadow Affinity he acquired had made the Mana inside Commander Holtz’s summons much easier to notice. Thin currents of darkness stretched from every shadow soldier toward the commander’s own shadow.

Zishan’s eyes narrowed. ’They’re connected.’

Perfected Glimpse immediately showed him what Shadow Severance could do with that information.

Then, his face hardened.

One of the shadow soldiers attacked again, but this time Zishan deliberately retreated toward Commander Holtz instead of moving away.

The commander noticed.

Zishan knew Commander Holtz had noticed, and that was exactly what he wanted. When another shadow came from the right, Zishan suddenly activated Rift Steps and disappeared.

Instead of escaping toward the edge of the field, he reappeared directly beside Commander Holtz.

The commander’s sword moved immediately.

Zishan swung first. "SHADOW SEVERANCE!"

Commander Holtz raised his sword to block Zishan’s blade, giving Zishan the opening he had been waiting for.

The dark edge did not follow the real sword. It curved downward—straight toward the cluster of shadow connections beneath the commander’s feet, severing three of them at once.

Three of the shadow soldiers immediately lost their shape and collapsed into black smoke.

Zishan’s face lit up. "IT WORKED!"

Commander Holtz struck him directly in the chest with the hilt of his sword.

THUD!

Zishan flew backward again. "SHIT!"

He hit the ground hard enough to blur his vision for several seconds, pain spreading through his ribs, shoulder, arms, and even his ass.

He remained on the ground for a moment while trying to remember why he had thought accepting a Quest with a 0.18% completion possibility was a good idea.

Then, the rewards appeared in his mind again.

14,500 EXP? +30 Willpower? +20 Strength? +10 Perception? Shadow Affinity? Grandform-Tier Skill?

’It’s all fucking worth it!’

Zishan pushed himself back up.

The remaining shadow dissolved a moment later as Commander Holtz withdrew his Mana from it.

Commander Holtz was already approaching.

This time, however, the commander no longer summoned the shadows. He held his sword with one hand and increased the Mana around the blade instead.

Zishan immediately became nervous.

The air around the weapon seemed distorted.

’System.’

[Yes, Dumb Host?]

’If that hits me, will I die?’

[If struck directly by the Skill currently being prepared, survival is extremely unlikely.]

Zishan’s expression collapsed. "COMMANDER! I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT I STILL HAVE A VERY LONG LIFE AHEAD OF ME!"

Commander Holtz’s sword moved.

Zishan activated Rift Steps so quickly that he nearly tripped during the transition. He disappeared just before a dark arc tore through the ground where he had been standing, cutting across several meters of dirt before finally stopping.

He reappeared farther away, his breathing becoming heavier.

His Mana was already dropping rapidly because he used Rift Steps way too many times. Shadow Severance consumed far more than he expected. Stormwing Rend was also something he could not use freely.

He could not continue doing this much longer.

Commander Holtz knew that too.

Zishan gritted his teeth. ’Think.’

He looked at the sword as his gaze traced back to Commander Holtz. Then, he watched the shadows stretch across the ground.

A stupid idea entered his head.

[The System recommends reconsideration.]

’Why do you always say that whenever I have a good idea?’

[Historical evidence.]

’Fuck you.’

Commander Holtz attacked again.

Zishan raised his sword and blocked the first strike. His arms nearly collapsed from the impact, but he managed to hold long enough for the commander’s second attack to come.

This time, Zishan deliberately let go of the sword.

The commander stiffened.

The weapon fell between them. Zishan activated Rift Steps and vanished.

Commander Holtz turned immediately toward where he expected Zishan to appear.

He was correct.

Zishan appeared several meters behind him with one empty hand already raised. "STORMWING REND!"

A blade of Wind Mana exploded from his arm.

Commander Holtz turned and cut through it almost effortlessly.

The wind split around him.

Zishan grinned. "Got you."

The sword he had dropped earlier still lay on the ground behind Commander Holtz.

More importantly, its shadow was still there.

The remaining Shadow Mana Zishan had placed inside the weapon reacted.

A secondary edge from Shadow Severance rose from beneath it.

Commander Holtz sensed it and moved immediately, but this time he was a fraction too late.

The dark edge missed his body. However, it sliced through the edge of his sleeve.

A small piece of cloth fell onto the dirt.

"..."

"..."

A stunned silence followed as every eye turned toward them.

Zishan stared at the piece of cloth on the ground before looking back at Commander Holtz, his entire face immediately lighting up. "I GOT YOU!"

Commander Holtz looked at his damaged sleeve before looking back at him.

Zishan pointed at the cloth on the ground. "DON’T EVEN TRY TO DENY IT! THAT COUNTS!"

The commander remained silent for several seconds before finally lowering his sword with a heavy sigh. "Assessment over."

Zishan almost collapsed from relief as he let himself sit on the rough ground.

[DING!]

But the moment he heard that sound, his eyes sparkled as he stood up so abruptly that the commander, Maela, and the others were weirded out.

[EMERGENCY QUEST COMPLETE]