The wolf then turned into pure lightning current that spread across the man’s entire body, travelling up the sword in his hand.

Lightning traveled back through the blade into Moon’s shoulder, making him grimace a little from the sharp pain.

His True Elemental Physique absorbed most of the damage. His resistance to his own element blunted the damage before it could do any major damage. Moon stepped back cleanly, letting the sword drop free of the wound, ignoring the pain flaring across the torn muscle.

The wiry man fell to the ground. He had been completely unprepared against the attack, which made it a dozen times worse.

Had he seen it approaching, he could have at least reduced the damage. But it was so sudden, he didn’t even have time to prime his body for the approaching attack.

Lightning continued to crackle around his body, finding nobody else to chain to.

Moon extended his hand and his sword returned to his grip from his storage ring. His fingers closed around the hilt and the blade lit up along its length, purple current racing across the runes Master Veylin had etched into the metal.

’Bird’s Dance.’

Moon shot forward, closing the distance with the wiry man that managed to barely get up despite the crackling lightning. His teeth ground against each other as he fought to regain control over his body.

Moon’s sword began sweeping through various paths in the air. Cuts began to appear on the man’s body, and blood began to pour out from the dozen of new wounds Moon was inflicting.

The lightning held the man in place, and Moon’s blade did the rest.

Moon’s body was turning, redirecting, and attacking at the same time. The blade moved freely like a bird in the sky.

It rose, fell and then rose again, painting the wiry man’s body with wounds like a masterful artist.

The wiry man’s body began to give out, no longer able to support him any more.

By the tenth cut he had already fell to the floor. Despite that, Moon did not stop.

By the fifteenth his face was no longer recognizable.

[You have killed a level 58 5-Star Human]

[You have gained 15,250 Lives]

Staring at the notification that confirmed his kill, Moon finally lowered his sword. The purple wolf dispersed into a residual halo of current that clung to the wiry man’s ruined body for a second longer before fading out.

Blood ran from Moon’s left shoulder.

’Cleanse. Minor Mend.’ Moon cast two healing skills, the wound closing at an incredible speed.

Despite feeling relieved by the death of such a powerful foe, the notification had once again, made Moon frown.

The wiry man was a force to be reckoned with in any organisation. He was not fodder, and yet... his lives were really low for someone of his status and power.

♢♢♢♢

Kael had just finished his own fight with the puppet’s help. He had managed to kill the two mage’s by using the man as a shield.

His fireball was still burning in his palm, ready to be directed toward those fighting Moon.

When he looked across the clearing. He froze in place.

Kael’s eyes caught Moon starting his Bird’s Dance skill, moving like a graceful sword master.

’What...’

Moon’s sword traced an arc that Kael’s eyes couldn’t follow properly, then another, then another. Each cut flowed into the next without rest.

Kael’s mouth opened slowly, ’That’s... a swordsmanship skill.’

He had trained under the Glassy Group’s best swordsmen for years before his awakening. He knew what swordsmanship looked like at every rank.

Ranging from those without any swordsmanship class, to those with common, uncommon, rare and epic sword skills.

He had watched his father’s strongest subordinates spar with people who had spent lifetimes refining their swordsmanship class.

What Moon had just... was something a mage could never do.

’That isn’t a low-rank skill. That isn’t a mid-rank skill either. That flow, that mastery, that damage! It isn’t something a mage can produce even if they practice for a hundred years. A mage doesn’t have the body for it. A mage doesn’t have the reflex for it. A mage doesn’t have the sword skills for it.’

The pieces started stacking in his head faster than he could sort them. Had he seen this phenomenon just a few days ago, he would not have had an answer for it.

But after listening to the speech by the prodigy just a day before... a terrifying thought sprouted in his mind.

’Alaric.’

The Light Sword Saint had done the impossible. After his recent public announcement, everybody had come to know about the possibilities.

Alaric had branched a new path off the River of Paths and created something the world had never seen.

’If Moon knows about that, if Moon has somehow...’

Kael’s throat went dry.

’But he couldn’t have done what Alaric did. He’s still an Evolver. He can’t reach the River. But if Alaric told him. If Alaric shared something. If the two of them have been in contact longer than the public knows...from his connection with Selene...’

His mind worked at an astonishing pace, reaching and discarding conclusions in just mere seconds.

’How long has he known Alaric?’ Kael’s fingers curled at his side. ’How much does he already know that the rest of us don’t?’

Kael’s competitive spirit ignited, he was happy for Moon, but he was also upset with his own progress... he was so far behind him.

Across the clearing, Moon’s sword had finally dropped. Blood poured down his left arm but his face was calm.

As if he could see Kael’s face, Moon turned back, their eyes meeting.

Moon’s eyes smiled.

Kael forced his throat to work.

’Alaric chose to invest in Moon... just like Tom. He saw something in Moon that nobody else had.’

His father’s decision to hand Moon the Direct Entry Pass had always made sense, he himself agreed with it. Yet at this moment, it didn’t just make sense... it was the perfect decision.

Kael nodded as Moon’s smiling eyes met his.

Moon nodded back.