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Chapter 63
The rumor that Eldmir, the traitor of the forest, would face the Three Elders in the trials of the forest spread quickly. By the time they were walking toward the dueling ground, nearly all the elves of El Rel had already filled the area around the arena, waiting to witness the duel.
Their numbers reached roughly four thousand.
The elves of El Rel, who came to watch, were protected by barriers created from spirits summoned by the other elders and high elves. Even so, they watched from the trees, wary of any unexpected turn of events.
All four thousand of them could sense it deeply before the duel even began: the forthcoming battle would be a clash between monsters.
“Good momentum, kid.”
Erkes smiled faintly at Eldmir, who faced his fierce aura without flinching.
Eldmir didn’t respond. He merely drew an arrow slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on Erkes.
“So, you’ve grasped the arrow. A Sentinel knows exactly where the arrow’s tip should strike the moment they hold it.”
Erkes kept speaking, but Eldmir ignored him. He didn’t know when Erkes’ attack might aim for his throat. Instinct screamed at him to stay focused on every single movement.
“…I must be cautious.”
Just as Eldmir couldn’t move recklessly, neither could Erkes. Neither of them knew the other’s abilities.
As Eldmir nocked his arrow, Erkes reacted.
High Sentinel.
Skill.
Rapid Shot.
Eldmir’s eyes widened.
‘This…!’
Countless arrows were released with such smoothness that it was as if they moved through frozen time, ignoring even air friction.
A stat exceeding 100 means transcending racial limits, entering a superhuman level in that ability. From that point, even a single point’s difference in stats can create dramatic outcomes.
Eldmir’s agility was 103. Despite his unmatched skill in agility, he couldn’t keep up with the arrow’s speed.
He barely had time to react. His movements were instinctual, a reflex honed from childhood battles disguised as training—experience with life-and-death fights against war hammers had carved these instincts deep into his body.
Arrows whistled past, slicing the air, piercing trees, and disappearing without ever finding their mark.
“Ugh…!”
Holes appeared in his arms and legs. His heart, head, and vital areas were narrowly avoided, but a long streak along his cheek tore away flesh, leaving a grotesque wound.
‘Insane… that’s a skill?!’
Blood poured into his palm as he touched his wounded cheek, while more bled from his arms and legs. He quickly cauterized the wounds with spirit flames, gritting his teeth as he nocked another arrow.
‘I didn’t realize… skills aren’t just a player-exclusive domain!’
Perhaps it was because he’d never seen an elf use a skill, his thinking had been fixed. He chastised himself as he moved his hands quickly.
Erkes, unwilling to be outdone, drew his bow again. He already knew Eldmir was formidable, and that he possessed mysterious spiritual energy. A young yet unignorable opponent. One he had to kill.
‘Yes. I knew he wasn’t a pushover.’
Even a decisive strike like that was anticipated to fail, and Erkes moved to the next action without hesitation. His latent energy surged through his body like blood flowing through veins. It gathered according to his will, circulating from heart to fingertips.
Intent Arrow.
At that moment, Eldmir released his arrow. Imbued with his will, concentrated with killing intent and rage, the arrow revealed its presence to the world.
The drawn bowstring released, yet the arrow didn’t immediately fly. It hovered around him, as if contemplating how to strike the target like a living being, or like a guardian protecting its master.
Erkes’ eyes widened.
“A skill… already beyond the normal realm at that age?”
With awe and caution, Erkes unleashed his latent energy.
High Sentinel.
Skill.
Fierce Arrow.
‘It won’t matter. I’ll finish him with this!’
The arrow possessed destructive power beyond that of a normal projectile, vanishing in an instant before the world could even perceive it.
As the arrow aimed for Eldmir’s throat, the hovering arrow reacted and collided with it.
The two arrows clashed midair, an embodiment of two opposing wills. The collision of killing intent produced a thunderous sound that echoed through the forest.
Before the roar could fade, Erkes had already begun firing more arrows without pause. Eldmir narrowly evaded them, but grazing wounds along his side created tiny openings.
Erkes didn’t miss this gap.
Eldmir exuded a lethal aura as he focused on the incoming arrows. The moment his eyes aligned with a target arrow:
Fwoosh!
Bright red flames engulfed the arrowhead. The fire greedily consumed the shaft, even igniting the fletching. The flames disappeared after serving their purpose, leaving no trace. Erkes clicked his tongue in appreciation.
“Feeling ready to go all out now?”
“….”
Eldmir said nothing.
‘All out? After nearly dying multiple times in an instant?’
He concealed his thoughts and nocked another arrow. The Intent Arrow he had just fired was nullified by Erkes’ Fierce Arrow.
‘How many skills does he still have?’
It was Eldmir’s first time fighting skill against skill. He had never felt such power even against war hammers or Atrakal.
“Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
Erkes shot again—not using a skill this time, just a “normal” attack. But “normal” was relative; coming from a high-bloodline elder of El Rel, it was anything but ordinary.
“No matter how transcendent you are…”
Eldmir twisted his waist, narrowly avoiding the arrows by a hair’s breadth.
“Cheh!”
He raised a fire barrier with spirit energy, but Erkes didn’t just watch. Circling around Eldmir, he fired again at openings, forcing Eldmir to leap to avoid it.
“That doesn’t mean you can beat me, kid.”
Sweat drenched Eldmir’s body. The relentless arrows felt like death incarnate descending from all directions.
“Impressive. Apart from that arrogant Agarath, you’re the first to endure so long in my trial.”
“Don’t you think you talk too much during battle?”
“You’re just as arrogant as Agarath.”
“Only because you deserve to be.”
Eldmir narrowly dodged, but the arrows brushed his clothing. Pain jolted his senses.
Every nerve screamed: never let your guard down. Every strike could end your life. Yet, strangely, Eldmir felt exhilaration rather than fear—a rush he couldn’t identify.
“Until when can you dodge?”
Erkes’ shout spurred him. Eldmir bared his teeth.
“Think I’ll just dodge?”
It was bravado, but Eldmir had begun to get used to Erkes’ arrows, his evasion becoming increasingly skillful.
Waiting to dodge forever wasn’t his style.
Patience. Soon…
Even in battle, he would destroy this barrage of arrows.
“Burn!”
He shouted, trying to ignite Erkes in flames, but Erkes brushed it off with a hand gesture. Eldmir clicked his tongue in awe.
‘For a high-bloodline, such an attack is mere trickery.’
The flames were extinguished effortlessly. Too strong—this was top-tier spirit magic reduced to nothing with a simple gesture.
‘A monster.’
Eldmir shivered at Erkes’ strength, while Erkes trembled at Eldmir’s resolve.
Despite being wounded, Erkes was covered in flames that healed him, continuing the battle without faltering. He moved flawlessly, a living embodiment of fire, evading arrows with unbroken focus.
The duel, observed from afar, was surreal to the Sentinels. Waves of arrows filled the air, twisting and contorting space with each movement. One side’s offensive seemed endless, while the other could only occasionally block with flames.
“Hmm?!”
Erkes suddenly paused, twisting his body instinctively—a reflex honed from countless battles over the years. He narrowly avoided Eldmir’s killing blow.
Another arrow whistled by, missing him by inches.
Erkes’ awareness sharpened—he realized the battle would no longer be one-sided. Though sweating, Eldmir’s movements grew more composed, skillfully evading arrows while preparing his own.
Arrows clashed midair, creating waves that filled the sky. The duel was no longer one-sided; both sides engaged in unending combat.
“So this is it,” Eldmir murmured, pushing back against Erkes’ offensive, his own arrows clashing midair.
Erkes raised an eyebrow.
“You blocked my arrows with arrows?”
A feeling foreign even to him after twelve hundred years of life—a shock at someone else’s talent. No one had ever countered his arrows like that.
“Arrogance has its reasons.”
Eldmir smirked, igniting flames on his arrows. The weak-looking flames concealed the essence of top-tier spirit magic.
“Hmph! You think you’re impressive? You still have a long way to go!”
Erkes dodged and spoke, smiling faintly as the battle continued.
“Good. Struggle more. But death is still your role!”
Their arrows continued to rain, red and silver trails filling the air. The impacts shook the forest, even splitting trees and the ground. The battle’s destructive force spread rapidly.
Elves watching screamed, desperately trying to prevent the destruction from spreading. Only a senior elder could intervene.
‘Insufficient.’
As he shot fire-infused arrows, Eldmir felt something stirring deeper in his heart—a sensation that had been building since the start of the duel. He didn’t analyze it. Like before, he simply focused on his opponent, channeling this feeling into combat.
“All still isn’t enough.” Eldmir muttered. “I need… something stronger.”
Erkes, sensing the same, said without nocking an arrow, “This doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon.”
He deflected an arrow aimed at his neck. Eldmir frowned.
“What’s his intention? Surrender now?”
“Hahaha! Arrogance has its reason. Indeed, you deserve it.”
Erkes suddenly grew serious.
“But every fight needs a conclusion. Kid, you’ve done well, but that’s all.”
He slowly nocked an arrow, moving deliberately, almost as if performing a demonstration rather than preparing to kill. Eldmir, sensing an unknown threat, hastily fired.
“Impatient, aren’t you?”
Erkes dodged with ease. He drew the arrow slowly, then aimed at Eldmir with a poise filled with the full might of his spirit, surpassing previous Rapid Shots and Fierce Arrows.
The duel had escalated to a completely new level.
Eldmir shouted, sensing the unprecedented danger. He prepared an Intent Arrow, but even then, his instincts warned him.
‘What in the…!’
Eldmir, one of El Rel’s Three Elders, the leader of the elves, nearly at the pinnacle of his race, was now delivering his ultimate, strongest strike. All observing elves reached the same conclusion: if this is blocked, the duel continues; if not, it ends here.
As Eldmir released his arrow, Erkes exhaled, releasing his arrow in a flash of light—a unique, ultimate technique of El Rel.
Innate Absolute Technique.
Flying Arrow.
It seemed as though a shaft of light had been fired.
