Chapter 108: Testing Epitaph with Snow (3)

Leon didn’t even look back to confirm the kill. His icy blue and golden eyes remained locked on the two remaining monsters in front of him.

Leon descended upon the third monster. The Ursa tried to rear up to intercept him. Leon used the hooked beard of Epitaph to catch the edge of the monster’s primary defensive iron spike. He pulled sharply, utilizing the weapon’s leverage to instantly rip the beast’s balance away, forcing it to stumble forward.

As the beast stumbled, Leon brought the dark blade down in a casual, effortless arc, tapping the center of its skull.

He landed softly on the ground, already walking away.

Crack.

The third Ursa’s skull internally detonated, dropping the massive beast instantly, its armored bulk crumpling into the cobblestone with a dull, hollow thud.

The entire engagement on the right flank had taken exactly four seconds. Leon had killed three heavily armored Level 50 monsters with three casual, effortless taps of his new weapon. He hadn’t expended a single point of mana on offensive spells. He hadn’t broken a sweat. The Legendary weapon, combined with his Steadfast-tier Agility, had turned him into an untouchable god of death.

He turned, resting Epitaph smoothly across his shoulder, and looked toward the left flank.

Snow was an absolute force of nature. She was utilizing her footwork to dance around three massive Ursas simultaneously, her white hair whipping in sharp, controlled arcs with every pivot. She used the heavy flat of her buster sword to deflect their massive strikes, redirecting their momentum so they crashed into each other.

"Take this, you overgrown rugs!" Snow shouted, launching herself into the air.

She brought the massive silver blade down in an apocalyptic overhead cleave. The Level 70 base strength of the weapon effortlessly sheared the final Ursa entirely in half, burying the tip of her sword deep into the cobblestone road, sending a fine spray of broken stone scattering outward.

The intersection fell completely silent, save for the heavy, ragged breathing of the dying monsters and the low, contented rumble of Auris standing guard in the center crater.

The entire pack of Level 50 Iron-Spine Ursas had been completely eradicated in less than a minute.

Snow stood up straight, pulling her buster sword out of the stone with a grunt of exertion. Her white hair was slightly wild, and she had a smudge of dirt on her cheek, but her blue eyes were burning with pure adrenaline.

She turned to look at Leon’s flank, seeing the completely pulverized, internally shattered remains of his targets, and let out a low, impressed whistle at the sight.

"Holy crap, baby," Snow breathed, resting her sword on the ground and leaning against the hilt. "You didn’t even swing hard. They just... popped."

"The internal detonation scales with the mass of the weapon at the moment of impact," Leon explained, walking slowly toward her, the dark axe resting comfortably on his shoulder. "It is the perfect armor-cracker. Your craftsmanship is impeccable, Snow. This weapon completely redefines my close-quarters engagement strategy."

Before Snow could boast about her talent, the system interface materialized at the edge of her vision, glowing with the bright light of a level-up.

Ding!

[Experience threshold reached.]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 48!]

Snow’s eyes widened as the golden light washed over her, instantly restoring her stamina and repairing the minor scrapes she had accumulated during the brawl. The sheer volume of experience from solo-killing multiple Level 50 monsters had been enough to push her over the edge, and for a moment she simply stood there, staring at the notification as though she couldn’t quite believe it.

"Yes!" Snow cheered, throwing her arms up in the air in absolute victory.

She didn’t hesitate. She abandoned her massive buster sword, letting it clatter to the cobblestone, and sprinted directly toward Leon. She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs securely around his waist.

Leon caught her effortlessly, supporting her thighs with his free hand, ensuring the blade of Epitaph was angled safely away from her.

"Level 48, baby!" Snow laughed, leaning down to plant a fierce, rapid succession of kisses across his jawline and cheek. "I told you we were going to be a power couple! I’m sure with your support, I’ll hit the Adept peak before the elimination cycle even thinks about ending!"

Leon looked at the beautiful, wildly enthusiastic girl clinging to him, entirely unbothered by the carnage surrounding them in the ruined canyon. He felt the sheer, catastrophic power of the Legendary weapon she had forged for him resting in his hand, a weapon that had just trivialized Level 50 armor. Behind them, Auris let out a low, rumbling huff, as though mildly unimpressed at being left out of the celebration entirely.

He shifted his grip, securing her firmly against his chest, and offered her a genuine smile. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

"You did excellent work today, Snow," Leon praised her softly, his voice carrying warmth. "This is just the beginning."

Snow pulled back just enough to grin at him, her eyes still bright with leftover adrenaline. "Damn right it is. Wait until you see what I forge next. This axe is just a warm-up piece."

"I’ll hold you to that," Leon said, a faint, amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

She settled more comfortably against him, resting her forehead briefly against his shoulder, the slight exhaustion of the fight finally catching up to her now that the adrenaline had begun to fade. Around them, the ruined intersection slowly fell still, the last echoes of the battle settling into silence as the three fallen Ursas on either flank cooled into motionless heaps of iron and fur.

Leon carried her a few steps toward where Auris waited, the dragon lowering his massive head curiously to inspect the two of them, a faint plume of frost curling from his nostrils.

A/N: Thanks for reading!!

Requesting for power stones and golden tickets, they really help in motivating me.