The Devil’s Cage

Mind games!

During battles, the conversation between players wasn’t pure nagging or BS but they hoped to use their words to dissolve the other’s motivation to battle, thus acquiring an easier victory.

If the situation allowed him to, Kieran wouldn’t mind playing along but the situation beforehand though…

Kieran stared at the figure as his steps slowly moved back.

“An hour ago, you’ve been through battles of all sizes at least ten times or more. Your skills and equipment are mostly in cooldown, am I right? And your energy is already falling short, right? Well, of course, let’s not forget the backup! That Broker told me your friends from Harvest Inn are coming out to find you but it would need at least another half an hour for them to reach here! Guess how many times can I kill you over within half an hour?”

The man saw Kieran slightly back off. He was laughing in contempt and fired out relentless teases.

After the last word escaped his mouth, he vanished on the spot!

He didn’t go into the shadows but he really vanished! As if he went invisible!

Then…

Suuuu!

Amidst an air-breaking whistle, five lines of claw marks, each the size of a finger appeared where Kieran was standing and the air-breaking sound kept going on like the raging storm on the sea, appearing non-stop in a ruthless manner.

Suuu Suuu Suuuuu!

A mere ten seconds later, the whole street was filled with countless slice marks.

Kieran?

Even his pitch black [Armor of Excellence] had suffered many white scratch marks on it.

“Not bad! Not bad indeed! So you can block my attacks. That armor of yours is mine, including the things in your bag and your room, everything will be mine!”

The man’s voice sounded from every direction.

It wasn’t any kind of special ability but he purely relied on his speed.

Kieran had never seen anyone with such ridiculous speed before, it had exceeded his expectations.

The man’s speed was surely in the Advance Rank without a question.

Kieran’s SS- Agility might be decent but if he were to compete with the man’s speed, it was exceptionally hard unless the man was willing to exchange hits with him.

However from the looks of the man’s attacking pattern, he might be spilling out malicious words from his mouth and look contemptuous but actually, he was extremely careful.

Not only did he not kill his enemy who was drained in a rush, instead he didn’t mind engaging in a prolonged battle, slowly and surely, dragging Kieran down where he would run out of resources.

If that was the case…

Kieran swung his hand and a spider web was flung out.

The other end of the web stuck on the outer wall of a building 40 meters away and rapidly retracted, pulling Kieran swiftly forwards.

At the same time, Kieran created another fireball in his hand.

It was very different than his previous 3-meter wide fireball where people would feel numb with just a look at it, this fireball that he created was much smaller.

When the fireball came into shape, Kieran threw it down beneath his feet.

Boom!

The fire was rumbling fiercely as the fire pillar sprung out once again and similar to the smaller version of the fireball, the fire pillar was also considerably smaller.

The scorching heat wave gushed out in all directions as Kieran’s body was sent up into the air and rapidly moving further forward as if he was eager to leave the battlefield.

“Do you really think you can run?”

The voice suddenly sounded in front of Kieran.

Somehow the man with claws for hands was already standing on the spider web, looking down at Kieran with ridicule gaze.

The spider web that required at least B+ Strength to break free was nothing to the man, he walked forth step by step on the spider web at Kieran; Kieran was closing on him fast.

Wung!

[Primus Arm] flashed and a Powerful force field barrier appeared on Kieran.

[Arrogant Word] was also glimmering with a bewitching purplish glare as Kieran swung it over. His eyes were emanating an usual glare which caused [Deadman’s Gaze] that had brewed up a great amount of mental impact to reach first before the sword strike.

The greatsword strike followed closely behind the mental impact.

Wuuuum!

The heavy slash filled with Kieran’s strength brought a heavy whistle along with its movement but…

He missed!

Just as [Arrogant Word]’s sword body was about to touch the man, the man who obviously prepared beforehand vanished and appeared behind Kieran with his eyes closed.

“Very powerful strength but too bad the flaws are too obvious!”

Wung!

The man’s voice that was heard right behind Kieran’s neck was interrupted by the sudden roundhouse slash.

The roundhouse slash was very abrupt and it looked like Kieran foresaw it before the strike; the moment the man vanished, he had performed the roundhouse slash.

While the slash was going on, a ring on his right hand was brewing the icy cold power as well.

[Wilco’s Redemption, Frozen Touch]!

Once it touched the enemy, it would deliver an icy attack of Powerful rank.

But Kieran still missed his target!

The man who should have lost any kind of surface to relay his strength in mid-air turned his body in a strange way and appeared behind Kieran once again.

Though the twin-headed serpent spirit sprung out from the ground this time, gushing its wide mouth at the man.

This time, the attack didn’t miss. The twin-headed serpent spirit swallowed the man with a single mouth.

“You really don’t give up eh!” But do you think you can fool me? Now, our little fight shall end!”

The man’s voice sounded again and it came from the spider web.

It felt like the man didn’t even leave the web, it was as though he was still standing in the same spot from before.

What happened just now felt like an illusion but Kieran knew that it wasn’t

It was his afterimage instead! Because of the man’s absurd speed, afterimages were all over the man’s trail.

In simple words, the man’s speed was so fast that it fooled Kieran’s eyes.

“End? No way!” Kieran shouted loudly.

[Arrogant Word] was swung out again but this time he didn’t attack the man but his own spider web.

Pak!

The spider web was cut loose with a clear noise.

Kieran fell off mid-air but before he landed on the ground, his feet would step on the air itself like he had stepped on land, changing his body’s falling direction into a horizontal forward dash with a parabolic arch, gliding further forward.

While he was gliding forward, Kieran emanated the sulphuric smell from his body with a slight sense of wicked aura and when his feet stepped on the air for the second time continuously, it boosted him further ahead with explosive speed faster than before!

[Modii Boots, Modii Jump]!

The equipment wasn’t a stranger to the man named Casswell.

Before he came forth to confront Kieran, he had gotten the information about Kieran from Broker, from the possible skills to verified equipment, everything.

So, when Casswell saw Kieran’s ugly escaping figure, he laughed again.

This time, he was sure Kieran has exhausted all his hands, so it was time for his performance.

“Slow! Too slow! I’ll show you what true speed looks like!”

Casswell said as he intercepted Kieran in front of him again.

When Kieran saw Casswell in front once more, he roared loudly, swinging [Arrogant Word] out again.

This time, a chain formed out of shadow was latched on Casswell’s body before the sword strike, locking his movement down.

[Spectre Grip, Shadow Chain]!

A special chain that forced the target to undergo a Strength authentication with its user.

Although the failed targets would only be binded for 1 second, many things could be achieved within that duration.

[Arrogant Word] had arrived on Casswell’s face but the sharp blade edge couldn’t move forth another inch.

A layer of formless barrier blocked the blade. It didn’t just block it, it sucked [Arrogant Word] into the surface of the barrier!.”I almost forgot you have such equipment.”

Casswell smiled as he lifted his right hand, the sharp claws glared coldly once again and this time, he really wanted to end the fight.

As for the so-called forgetfulness?

How could Casswell forget the details of his opponent? He was just teasing Kieran out of habit.

However, out of Casswell’s expectation, Kieran didn’t show any enraged emotion, as if the angry roar he shouted just now wasn’t from himself.

A bad feeling popped up in Casswell’s heart and he wanted to retreat almost out of instinct but he was a little too late.

A spider web descended from the sky, capturing Casswell and Kieran together inside.

Then, Casswell shockingly realized he was grabbed and squeezed by Kieran’s right hand while Kieran’s left hand had the fireball burning up again.

This time, it was many times fiercer than before, the scorching heat waves swept across all directions when the fireball appeared.

The 3-meter fireball was swung down like a heavy hammer, crashing down at Casswell from Kieran’s hand.

“You!”

A bright, dazzling blaze of fire splashed everywhere in the sky.

Several figures hiding in shadows frowned one after another and soon, all of the figures gasped heavily.