Chapter 148: Testing the sword tomb (2)
I have yet to find an opening to get up close and personal to the skeleton swordmaster. I also can't keep stepping back since the room behind me is only so big and I'll soon have my back to the wall.
I grit my teeth and launch two rock needles at my opponent's skull. There are only three to four meters between us so the needles travel with immense speed.
The skeleton swordmaster immediately locks onto the projectiles with the eerie purple flames in its eyes. In a flash, it parries one of the rock needles and evades the other by tilting its head to the side.
While that isn't the most ideal outcome this maneuver gives me enough time to go around the side of the skeleton swordmaster and even launch an attack.
It doesn't seem fazed by my daggers that are racing towards it. The purple flames double in size as it shifts its footing and brings the sword to meet my attack while still in parry position. I try to angle one of my daggers to push its blade aside and allow my other dagger to land a hit but no luck there.
My dagger comes down on the sword with full force and does nothing. The sword doesn't even budge under my strike and I directly abandon the swing with my second dagger since it's pointless.
Whatever that defensive stance is it allows the skeleton swordmaster to easily parry my attacks.
While it continues to warily gaze at me I prepare my ground spikes spell. As long as my target is stationary the damage potential of the ground spikes is very high. Even the skeleton swordmaster before me should get a few broken bones.
As I feel the mp rush out of me into the ground and over to where it is standing the skeleton swordmaster flinches in shock.
Then it immediately backs up right as spikes shoot from the ground. Can it see magic spells before they take effect?
While it's my turn to be shocked I still have enough presence of mind to fire a rock needle. The skeleton swordmaster is so occupied with the ground spikes that it doesn't notice the rock needle in time. That oversight costs it a nasty nick on the side of the skull.
The skeleton swordmaster brings its empty hand up to the cut my rock needle left in its skull and brushes over it. Feeling the marring of its previously flawless skull it seems pissed.
The black sword is suddenly wrapped up by a red aura that screams stay away and descends on the spikes jutting out of the ground like a meteor. With an epic crash, the spikes are demolished and the mist shoots up like a wave from the ensuing force.
As I look at the mist that has nearly reached the top of the room the skeleton swordmaster comes flying out of it. It must have jumped.
The sword still covered in a menacing red layer comes for me like a bull seeing red. I launch a couple of stock needles in hopes of diverting its attention but the sword is still coming for me.
I return to my strategy of steadily retreating but find that there is a problem. The sword that misses me by only a few centimeters crashes into the ground in front of me and cracks the floor.
My footing becomes unstable and I fail to retreat fast enough to escape the following diagonal strike. Without the option of evading I can only block or parry.
Parrying would be the better option but I don't feel like I can pull it off against this kind of enemy. If my parry fails that sword is probably going to do an insane amount of damage.
Blocking it is. I meet the skeleton swordmaster's blade with both my daggers. Force against force, metal clashes and I instantly feel the difference in strength and momentum.
The force transmitted to me through the exchange is enough to lift me off my feet. I am shot backward like a cannonball. Without thinking I curl up to disperse the force without my back being broken. I only manage to come to a halt halfway across the room.
The skeleton swordmaster is already got on my heels sprinting over brandishing its sword. It uses the momentum gathered during the advance to aim a mighty thrust at my chest.
Finally another thrust!
I dodge past the tip of the blade and try to get close to it. The swipe comes just like I anticipated but instead of dodge rolling away like before I jump letting the sweeping blade pass below me.
The moment I am in the air I strike straight down with both my daggers putting all my weight into it. The skeleton swordmaster forcefully changes the direction of the sweep and pulls the sword upward right to where my daggers are now coming down.
I can already hear a slight cracking sound as the sword arm holding that heavy sword is strained. The second forceful redirection is already putting an immense strain on that arm. I wonder if it will be able to endure my next strike.
My daggers and the sword clash again and I feel like I am pushed up by an unstoppable force. Simultaneously a crack can be heard coming from the skeleton swordmaster's sword arm as it breaks under the strain.
The skeletal hand that is still gripping the sword hilt falls to the ground and I am given bee air time by the force up that upward swing.
I don't want to give the skeleton swordmaster even a second to get its bearings so I immediately strike down with my daggers. Two energy daggers emerge from each of my daggers and all of them hit the exact same spot on the skeleton's skull.
If the skull doesn't break under my attack this time I doubt that I'll get another chance to make this my win.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone