Oblivion Edge and the Radiant Sword in Erin's grasp clashed in the middle. Upon impact, a burst of dark and radiant white shockwave spread outward, and the air suddenly became clear and free of any pollutants as all dust within a hundred-meter radius was swept far away.
The shockwave slammed into the Valkyries, who were occupied with the beast. They had no choice but to momentarily stop their fighting to look at the cause of the powerful shockwave just now, their eyes flashing with shock.
"H-he withstood against the commander!"
"Isn't he just level 30?!"
Shocked gasps immediately filled the battlefield. The Valkyries couldn't believe that Nox was able to withstand a clash with their commander, a level 100 Holy Paladin!
How was this possible? Their faces were filled with great shock.
But their shock was nothing compared to what Erin was feeling in this moment. Erin's eyes were wide as she felt an unstoppable tremble in her sword arm, which vibrated through the rest of her body.
"How?" Erin's eyes trembled as she whispered in a barely audible voice.
A crack had appeared beneath their feet, and Erin's feet had sunk several feet into the ground. Her entire body was trembling because of the sheer force of their clash.
However, in contrast to her trembling, her opponent, Nox, was relatively calm. His expression was serene, and the only thing that could be spotted was the intense wilderness and eagerness to continue the fight.
Erin moved her gaze below and saw that he didn't even move an inch back, and his feet didn't sink into the ground. The disbelief in Erin's eyes only grew more and more. For a moment, not even a trace of anger could be spotted on her features.
All that could be seen was great confusion and disbelief.
This was the most perplexing thing Erin had witnessed in all her life. She, a level 100 Awakened, was actually pushed back by a level 30 Awakened? It just didn't make sense. She attempted to search his body to see if this strength was a result of magical items, but except for the dagger in his grasp, she sensed nothing.
The confusion painted across Erin's face made a smile break out on Nox's lips, a sight that immediately irritated her. Her face scrunched up, hate blazing in her eyes as she shouted angrily, "What sorcery is this?! How can you, a Level 30 scumbag, withstand my attack?!"
"I... I knew he had to be powerful in some way, but... but this is way out of my expectations!"
To her furious question, Nox merely tilted his head and flashed an infuriating smile, one capable of provoking even the most patient person in the world, as he replied arrogantly:
"Um, because you're not all that?"
His voice, although low, traveled far and wide, and everyone in the vicinity heard it.
A fresh wave of anger washed through Erin as she gritted her teeth, kicked the ground, and threw her body backward, creating a sufficient distance between herself and Nox.
She screeched to a stop. "I don't know whatever trick you pulled off there, but I assure you it won't happen again."
"You think so?" Nox laughed as he advanced forward. Of course, the only reason he had withstood that clash was because Barbarian Strength was activated!
[Barbarian Strength (Ultimate)]
An enhancement-type skill that temporarily elevates the user's physical strength to unprecedented heights. Upon activation, the user's Strength stat is increased by +600, transforming their physical power into an unstoppable force. Consumes 300 MP per activation and lasts for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Without it, his body would have been blown apart as if a bomb had been dropped on him, because there was virtually no way he could have withstood the attacks of a level 100 Awakened with his meager level 30 stats.
With Barbarian Strength activated and Nox's physical strength, Nox didn't know what the strength stat for a level 100 Awakened was, but he knew his stats were more than hers, considering that each Awakened only gets plus two stats for each level-up.
"I have only five minutes; let's make the best use of this strength," Nox mumbled to himself as he kicked the ground. His body shot forward, breaking the sound barrier as he appeared like a ghost in front of Erin. He stretched a hand forward, momentarily unsummoning his Oblivion Edge, to grab her neck, but Erin slashed her sword.
The blade flashed through the air, forcing Nox to retract his arms just in time before the attack could graze his skin. But Erin wasn't done. She spun gracefully, her sword creating a whirlwind of light as she unleashed a flurry of attacks.
Countless blinding arcs of radiant energy shot toward Nox, each one capable of splitting a boulder in half. Nox dodged and ducked all the attacks. In the process of dodging, Erin swiftly appeared before him and slashed viciously again.
As Nox continued to dodge the attack, a burst of radiant energy exploded from Erin's blade, forcing him to leap backward. The shockwave carved a deep crater into the ground and sent debris flying in every direction. Nox landed with cat-like grace, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Erin's movements.
"She's not holding back anymore," he muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a sly grin. "Good. This will be more fun."
"I see all you have is that absurd strength, but don't worry, I have speed to match you!" Erin smirked and said in a confident voice, which reverberated through the surroundings. Her entire body was now glowing in divine aura, which seemed to chase the darkness away.
"Speed? Did you just say speed?" Nox said as he took a step forward. At the same time, he activated Divine Velocity! Instantly, he seemed to vanish from his spot and appeared behind the unsuspecting Erin, delivering a powerful punch to the back of her head.
The punch, infused with Nox's 600-plus stat, sent Erin crashing to the ground several meters away. She staggered to her feet and glanced down at her chest area. The armor protecting her there had been crushed and was falling off piece by piece. She raised her head, her emerald eyes blazing with disbelief and fury, and locked her gaze onto Nox as...