Flames roared from the bald man’s hands, spewing wildly like a short dragon. David dashed in first, his movements swift, lightning wrapping around his legs as they struck the ground, then stomped onto the enemy’s shoulder.
Nathan held his breath for a moment. He could crush everything with a single push—he already knew, "fire, lightning, wind" were nothing but hollow terms. They were merely streams of mana forced into names by the system, so that humans could grow according to their natural talent without wasting time learning flashy nonsense.
This is too easy. I should play a little.
So he followed David. Small motions, light leaps, daggers slicing fast. No explosions, no rage. Just control.
BOOM! David’s kick slammed into the bald man’s chest, sending his body staggering backward. In that instant, Nathan closed in from the side—his dagger swung low, then upward in a cross, holding back the fire’s burst with nothing but raw mana pressure.
"Ughhh—!" the bald man stumbled.
David landed beside Nathan, the two of them filling each other’s gaps without words. David struck fast, Nathan covered the openings. David leapt, Nathan mirrored. Like twin shadows with different auras.
Each clash shook the street. Fire met lightning, but was always parted by Nathan’s calm movements.
The bald man growled, both hands joining together to form a massive circle of fire. "DIE!!!"
A blazing explosion burst forward.
David crossed his arms, ready to brace. But before the flames reached them—Nathan leapt, mimicking David’s posture, his body arching smoothly. With perfect control, he channeled raw mana straight into his dagger.
One simple slash. The giant flame split in two, vanishing into sparks of lightning that he had copied from David’s skill.
David turned in shock, but had no time to speak. Nathan had already landed, shoulders aligned, eyes fixed only on the enemy.
The bald man froze for a moment. "What are you... a monster?!"
Nathan gave no answer. He only advanced again—calm, steady—and David instinctively stuck close to his side.
David was still panting, the lightning on his body dimming for a moment. His eyes widened when he saw how Nathan had just sliced through fire as if it were nothing.
"Oi, bro... you got Blue Lightning too, like me?!"
Nathan almost burst out laughing. Blue Lightning, seriously? This was nothing but raw mana. But his face stayed calm, only curling into a faint smile.
"No... my skill’s called Copycat. I can mimic any skill I see."
"What?! That’s insane!" David gawked, eyes sparkling.
From afar, Validia—pretending to wrestle with the barrier—covered her mouth with one hand. A small smile slipped out. Good... you’ve learned to lie, Nathan.
"Shut up!!" the bald man roared, eyes bulging. Suddenly he leapt toward Validia, who was still hemmed in by a few of his lackeys. Flames surged, his intent clear: kill Validia right in front of Nathan.
Nathan snorted sharply. Idiots... if only they knew, Validia alone could wipe out a whole city. But I still need to keep this little play going.
Mana surged, wind swirling around his legs. The air spiraled wildly, dust and sand sucked into a miniature vortex—exactly like the style of that WhiteSnake guild woman earlier.
"Wind Skill, huh?!" David’s jaw dropped even further. "Damn, Copycat’s real!!"
In an instant, Nathan vanished from sight—moving like a ninja’s shadow.
One lightning-fast kick crushed the neck of a thug behind the bald man. CRACK!
A second thug slammed into a wall, blood splattering. Nathan’s movements were so precise, his eyes so sharp, he looked like some god-eyed assassin in a solo vs squad slaughter.
He landed smoothly right in front of Validia. Dust drifted down slowly, his sharp aura pressing on the air.
"If you want to touch her..." Nathan leaned slightly forward, shoulders tense. "...you’ll have to get through me first."
The bald man bellowed, his body cloaked in fire as his fist rocketed toward Nathan’s face.
Nathan caught it, shifting half a step. His right hand drew back, then shot forward faster than sight.
"Here’s a little gift from me..."
[Skill: Juggerboar Strike]—a move he rarely bothered with, back in the days when he preferred drowning in caramel tits and the affection of horny monster girls.
Nathan’s punch detonated into the bald man’s chest. The impact thundered, launching that massive body like a ragdoll, crashing through two houses before slamming into the ground with a sickening crunch.
David swallowed hard. "Bro... whose skill was that supposed to be?"
Nathan glanced back, dagger still dripping with lingering aura. His smile was cold.
"Dunno. I think I saw it on TV once."
The dust finally settled. The bald man’s body lay sprawled on the ground. From the distance, a tall, broad figure emerged, his footsteps heavy.
"I am Lionidas, captain of Eagle Eye division," he said flatly. "What a shame, Nathan... with your power, you should already be the shining star of our guild."
"I don’t need your pathetic guild," Nathan shot back, eyes cold.
Lionidas chuckled briefly, then hauled the unconscious bald man onto his shoulder with one hand. "You’ll regret this." With that, he turned and left, his men following behind.
Nathan turned around. Sophia was still standing guard over the WhiteSnake woman. Her gaze lingered on him—awed, yet also heavy with disappointment. I’ll never be able to catch up to him anymore...
Validia stood calmly, her composed aura restored.
Nathan’s eyes fixed on the WhiteSnake woman. "Where is my father?"
The woman trembled, then finally spoke. "Your father... he’s at WhiteSnake headquarters. You won’t be able to take him back—unless you join us."
Nathan fell silent for a moment. Then his eyes lit with a freezing glare.
"In that case..." his voice echoed darkly. "...I may as well destroy your pathetic guild altogether!!"
Nathan still gripped his dagger, eyes cold.
"Stop, Nathan!" David stepped in front of him, his own blade raised. "If you attack WhiteSnake headquarters now, it’ll turn into a full-blown guild war!"
Nathan didn’t flinch. "I don’t care. My father knows nothing about the Tower. He’s not a hunter. If they dare touch my family—then let it be war."
His dagger nearly grazed the WhiteSnake woman’s face. "Show me the way."
The woman sobbed, nodding frantically.
David sighed, then turned the key to his car parked nearby. "Get in."
They all climbed inside. David at the wheel, Nathan in the passenger seat. Sophia and Validia sat in the back, flanking the trembling WhiteSnake woman.
The car rolled forward. David pulled an earphone from his pocket and slipped it into his ear. He had barely opened his mouth—"Sir—"
A deep voice cut in immediately.
"I know, David. Don’t report anything." Get full chapters from Nove1Fire.net
David froze. "You... already know?"
"I saw everything," Ulrich’s voice was calm. "I sent a drone to monitor Nathan from the start. So I know what went down."
David clenched his teeth, fingers tightening on the wheel. He glanced sideways at Nathan, who stared straight ahead, face cold and unreadable.
Then Ulrich added softly, "Let it be..."