Chapter 286: Advanced Combat Sense

[Ding~!]

The moment the chime rang inside his head—

A wide smile appeared on Lucian’s face, and he immediately swung his blade horizontally towards Grace, putting his entire strength behind the attack.

The flames engulfing his sword surged violently, and the temperature around them rose even further, causing the air to tremble faintly.

And in the next instant—

[Your sword mastery has surpassed the threshold.]

[Your mastery over the sword has advanced from Apprentice to Adept Rank.]

[Your skill Basic Combat Sense has evolved to Advanced Combat Sense.]

SLICE!

Grace’s eyes widened as his blade cut through her claws, slicing them cleanly before continuing towards her abdomen.

Blood sprayed through the air as the sword carved a deep gash across her stomach.

“Not bad after all…”

She muttered, glancing down at the wound.

Despite the severity of the injury, she didn’t seem particularly worried, though her eyes twitched violently as the flames clinging to the wound began burning through her flesh.

But then…

Her eyes widened slightly as something strange caught her attention.

‘It… it doesn’t hurt much anymore.’

Her gaze instinctively shifted towards Lucian, the boy… whose blood could be the only reason for this.

However, the moment she raised her head—

SLICE!

Her vision suddenly went dark.

“Ah—!” Grace let out a faint yelp, her brows drawing together into a deep frown as she felt the sharp sting of a blade cutting directly across her eyes.

For a moment, everything became black.

How had she missed him?

Without hesitation, she suddenly twisted her neck to the side, narrowly avoiding another strike that brushed against her skin.

A faint prickling sensation spread across the side of her neck.

“Could you stop for a damn moment?!”

Despite being temporarily blinded, Grace could still sense his movements through her heightened senses, dodging and blocking his strikes without relying on her vision.

Within moments, her vision healed, and when she finally opened her eyes once again, Lucian’s brows furrowed.

“This is too much.”

Grace’s expression turned cold.

“Fuck the plan… those bitches can rot in hell.”

She briefly glanced towards the frozen Silas, and seeing her son standing there helpless, she couldn’t help clicking her tongue.

Useless.

Her gaze returned to Lucian.

“Pretty boy… you’re coming with me.”

She had no interest in playing the recruitment game anymore.

Even if she had to drag him away limbless, with his body barely clinging to life, she didn’t care… as long as he remained alive long enough to provide her with his blood, nothing else mattered—not the plan, not even the Scarletts.

“…!”

Lucian’s pupils contracted as Grace suddenly disappeared from his sight, reappearing directly in front of him.

Her claws swept across his body, severing both his arms in a single motion before grabbing him by the neck.

With an annoyed expression, she prepared to disappear with him, but just as her figure began to blur—

“Freeze!”

Her entire body shuddered as Lucian’s voice echoed in her ears, his eyes glowing with an intense crimson light, the blood-red orbs staring directly into hers.

For a brief second, her eyes turned crimson, and her vision became strangely blurry… but before Lucian could take advantage of the opening with his already regenerated arms—

SHRAAAK!

A massive blade of fire tore through the narrow space between them.

BOOOOM!!

Both Lucian and Grace’s eyes widened, and neither of them had enough time to react before their bodies were blasted backwards simultaneously.

The ground cracked beneath the impact, and the enormous blade continued carving into the earth before finally exploding in a brilliant burst of flames.

The resulting shockwave spread throughout the surroundings.

Even Silas, who had been some distance away, was caught in the aftermath and sent tumbling backwards.

Dust and debris filled the air.

For a brief moment, the battlefield seemed to fall silent.

Grace and Lucian gradually regained their balance, their gazes shifting towards the intense flames burning before them.

Lucian removed Grace’s severed arm, which had still been holding onto his neck, and, after a moment’s thought, the blood within the severed hand suddenly began moving towards him before being absorbed into his body.

But all the while, his gaze remained fixed on the person who had interrupted their fight.

And finally—

“Finally finished that bastard. He was annoying to deal with, to be honest…”

Vivienne muttered casually, waving her hand to dissipate the flames surrounding her.

Grace’s eyes shifted towards the charred body lying beneath Vivienne’s hand, its flesh burned beyond recognition.

There was a massive hole in his chest, which made it clear that his heart had been removed and he was dead.

Vivienne’s attention briefly shifted towards Lucian, and the moment she saw him standing there, her eyes widened, surprise flashing in them.

“You’re still alive… wow, you really are like a cockroach.”

Lucian’s lips twitched.

He stared at her for a moment before letting out a faint scoff.

“Unlike you, who was fighting someone of the same rank and still taking hours, I was still able to fight someone far stronger than me.”

He sneered.

“So that’s a plus for me, redhead.”

Vivienne’s face twitched, and even though she wanted to argue… he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Tch—wait.”

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him more carefully.

“What the fuck happened to your hair? When did you grow it, and why did you dye it red?”

It might’ve been mistaken for blood covering his head if not for the strands’ bright, beautiful sheen, similar to hers.

“Don’t tell me you’re copying our look now—”

“It’s not a dye!”

Lucian’s eyes shifted to gold, burning with irritation as he glared at her.

“You killed him… that’s impressive.”

Vivienne’s attention shifted towards Grace, and the moment she heard her words, the redhead’s expression immediately soured.

“Gugh, don’t give me that look. Did you expect lowborns like you to be able to kill me…?”

Grace’s expression darkened at the word, and for a moment, something dangerous flickered through her eyes.

But rather than immediately attacking, she smiled… coldly, mockingly.

“Your mother was also called a lowborn, you know?”

Vivienne’s expression went completely still, and her eyes flickered to blood-red, killing intent surging around her.

And in the next instant—

Both of their figures vanished from their spots, appearing directly in the centre of the battlefield.

BOOM!!

Flames erupted from both women, colliding with such intensity that the surrounding air seemed to ignite.

Vivienne’s hair began floating around her as fire engulfed her head, the blazing strands dancing wildly in the heat, and her expression… it had completely changed, filled with fury.

And behind her—

Hundreds… thousands of flaming spears continued forming in the sky behind her, each spear burning fiercely, its pointed tip aimed directly at Grace.

And with a single command, all of them shot forward, hurtling towards Grace like a blazing rain of destruction.