World Awakening: The Legendary Player-Chapter 72: A Deal’s A Deal

A savage grin spread across Nox’s face, mirroring Liesa’s own bloody one.

’This is the best fight I have ever had,’ he thought. His body was aching and his stamina was draining, but he felt more alive than ever.

He lowered his stance, his feet planting firmly on the cracked earth. He let the last of his Primal Strength fade away, the feeling of raw physical power replaced by something sharper.

He activated his Weapon Mastery skill. A new kind of focus settled over him, the sword in his hand feeling like a natural extension of his arm.

’I wonder,’ he thought, a new idea forming in his mind. ’What happens if I use Unseen Blade with this? Can I shape it with the mastery?’

He did not get the chance to find out. The moment his focus shifted to the Corrupted Mana in his core, it responded with a violence that surprised even him.

The dark, smoky energy did not just flow from his lips. It erupted from his entire body, a swirling vortex of black power that churned the air around him. The ground began to tremble, and small pebbles vibrated and danced on the forest floor.

The pressure in the clearing became immense. It was a heavy, physical weight that pressed down on everyone.

Serian stumbled back, her hand flying to her chest. She was having trouble breathing. ’This power,’ she thought, her eyes wide with awe and fear. ’It’s so much greater than before.’

Valeria took a step back, her stoic expression finally cracking. Her bow was shaking in her hand. Mela, who had been ready to intervene, was frozen in place, her body refusing to obey her commands.

Liesa felt it the most. The wild, manic energy of her Ashen Blood technique sputtered and died, snuffed out like a candle in a hurricane.

The ecstatic grin on her face vanished. It was replaced by a look of pure terror.

The human in front of her was no longer a human. He was a god of death, a being of pure, suffocating power. His glowing eyes held no emotion, no thrill of the fight. They were just empty voids that promised oblivion.

Her legs began to shake uncontrollably. Her sword felt impossibly heavy in her hand. The strength left her body, and her knees buckled.

She collapsed to the ground, her blade clattering on the earth beside her. She could only stare up at him, her mind completely blank, her throat too tight to even scream. She was helpless.

He took a slow step towards her, his hand raised. A blade of pure darkness, more solid and terrifying than anything he had manifested before, began to form in his grip. He was going to kill her.

"NO!" Mela finally broke free from her paralysis.

She moved with a speed that was even greater than what Liesa had shown. In a single, explosive instant, she crossed the entire clearing. She was a blur, her face full of desperate fury.

Her hand shot out, grabbing him by the face. Her strong fingers dug into his skin as she used all of her strength to slam his head toward the ground.

But his head did not hit the ground. He had stopped her.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She was putting all her weight, all her momentum into the slam, yet he had stopped her cold. He was just kneeling there, his head still in her grip, unmoving.

Then she felt it. A cold pressure against her stomach.

She looked down. His other hand was pressed flat against her, right over her vital organs.

"Be careful," his voice was a low, chilling whisper. "I could kill you before you even blink."

The dark energy swirling around him pulsed, and she felt a wave of pure killing intent wash over her. Her blood ran cold. She knew he was not bluffing.

She froze, her hand still clamped on his face. She was trapped. If she tried to finish her attack, he would gut her. If she let go, he would be free to kill her sister.

She looked past him at Liesa, who was still on the ground, trembling and helpless.

"The bet is over," she said, her voice tight and strained.

He did not respond. His glowing eyes fixed on her. The pressure of his hand on her stomach was a constant, terrifying reminder of how close to death she was.

"The deal was one hit," she said, speaking quickly. "If she landed one hit on you, she won. You lost, human."

A flicker of confusion passed through him, and the immense pressure in the clearing lessened just a fraction. "She never touched me."

"She did," she insisted, her eyes pleading now. "Her dagger. It hit your arm. You blocked it, but it was a hit."

She saw him think about it. He remembered the loud clang of the dagger hitting his mana-hardened arm. He remembered it shattering.

’A hit,’ he thought. ’She’s calling that a hit?’

It was a ridiculous technicality, a desperate attempt to twist the rules. But it was also a way out of this standoff.

The dark energy around him slowly receded, flowing back into his body. The ground stopped trembling. The air in the clearing became breathable again.

He looked at Liesa, then back at Mela’s hand on his face. He let out a long, slow breath.

"Fine," he said, his voice returning to normal. "You win."

He pulled his hand away from her stomach. Mela let go of his face as if his skin had burned her. She stumbled back, putting distance between them, her chest heaving as she gasped for air.

The fight was over.

He looked over at Liesa, who was still on her knees, staring at the spot where his dark blade had been.

He walked right over to her.

Mela tensed, her hand moving to her weapon. "Stay back, human."

He ignored her and stopped in front of her sister. He looked down at her, then held out his hand to her.

"Good fight," he said. The words were simple, and he meant them.

Liesa looked up at his outstretched hand, then at his face. She looked confused, like her brain couldn’t make sense of the gesture. Her own hand, which was trembling slightly, lifted slowly and placed it in his.

He pulled her to her feet.

Mela and Valeria just stood there, their mouths slightly open in shock. They had been ready for another attack, a trick, something. They weren’t ready for this.

He let go of her hand. She stumbled a little, still looking unsteady. Her aura was completely gone, she just looked tired and pale.

"You’re an idiot for using a move like that," he told her, his voice flat. "But you’ve got guts. I’ll give you that."

She just stared at him, not saying anything.

He turned to Mela. "A deal’s a deal. We’ll go with you." He walked over to Serian and crouched down, turning his back to her. "Get on."

Serian, who had watched the whole thing with wide eyes, didn’t argue this time. She put her arms around his neck, and he stood up, carrying her just like before.

Mela watched him, her expression a mixture of suspicion and a new, grudging respect. "This way," she said finally. She turned and led them into the trees. Valeria fell into step behind them, her bow still in her hand but no longer aimed.

Liesa picked up her remaining sword and followed them, her eyes never leaving Nox’s back.

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