23. Arrow Sword

Aiden still couldn't believe it.

How could such a young girl possess such terrifying strength?

He wanted to back off and create some space to reassess the situation, but Raelia wasn't about to let him do as he pleased. She stuck to him like a relentless predator, determined to exhaust and frustrate her prey.

As Aiden endured her suffocating pressure, Raelia's sword shot out in what could only be described as a blur. Fortunately, due to his bloodline awakening and recent divinity training, Aiden's body and senses had been strengthened immensely. His dynamic vision was strong enough to track the sword, allowing Aiden to twist his body and narrowly avoid the blow.

Aiden barely got to his feet before Raelia was upon him again. This time, it was too late to dodge, so Aiden had no choice but to meet the attack. Yet, he still didn't dare to match the wolf girl's horrifying strength directly, so he deflected the attack to the side.

A rapid clash of swords ensued, with Aiden competently holding back each of Raelia's attacks despite the clear difference in strength. But suddenly, Raelia raised her sword high—Aiden had already anticipated her next move.

"Bang!"

Instead of the expected sword strike, Aiden was greeted with a fierce kick to the stomach that sent him sliding backward, gasping for breath. He paused for a moment, trying to collect himself after being utterly winded by the unexpected attack. Raelia saw this and chuckled.

"You leave a better impression when you're quiet. At least then you don't come across as idiotic or annoying." Her words were an obvious jab at him, payback for his earlier mocking.

Even though Aiden knew he had it coming, he wouldn't take it lying down. He snorted, and his amber eyes flashed with a golden light as the divinity within his veins surged to the surface. Raelia noticed this and just chuckled with a wolf-like smile as she pounced on Aiden once more.

The exchange between them was vicious and exhilarating, but anyone with a keen eye could see that Raelia was clearly winning. It wasn't that she had an advantage in swordplay; both of them could be deemed novices when it came to the sword.

Instead, Raelia's true advantage lay in her combat experience. Everything she did was calculated, and Aiden felt his movements choked and stifled, though he couldn't understand why.

Aiden knew that if this continued, his defeat was inevitable. But what was he supposed to do? He was a complete novice in swordplay and didn't have the otherworldly talent that had assisted him in archery.

Suddenly, Aiden had an idea—one that seemed crazy, perhaps even the pipe dream of a madman.

Who said swordplay and archery were mutually exclusive? Why couldn't they be combined?

In theory, there was nothing wrong with the idea, but theory and practice are often worlds apart. Success depended on his talent, and Aiden was determined to find out just how far it could take him.

Aiden backed away from Raelia, his mind focusing intently on his new plan. The three components of archery—arms and back, breathing, and stance—came to the forefront of his thoughts.

The first thing Aiden corrected was his breathing. Instead of being rapid and disorganized, it became condensed and controlled, like that of an archer harmonizing with their surroundings.

Raelia, with her beast-like senses, immediately noticed the change, but surprisingly, she didn't act. She actually felt a terrifying threat emanating from Aiden and cautiously circled him, like a wolf stalking its prey.

Aiden noticed this but didn't care. He had only achieved the first step. After correcting his breathing, he adjusted his stance, widening it slightly with a lower center of gravity—more suited to close combat than traditional archery.

Finally, Aiden focused on his arms and back, shifting his muscles as he pulled his sword closer to his body. It was a subtle change, but if one looked closely, they would see the muscles under Aiden's clothes were pulled taut, like a large hunting bow drawn to its limits.

Raelia began to realize that the threat Aiden posed wasn't diminishing but increasing. She looked at him, now exuding a menacing aura, and her eyes shook with a mix of fear and determination. Gritting her teeth, she decided to go all out, launching a desperate attack rather than waiting for inevitable defeat.

When backed into a corner, any beast will burst forth with unprecedented strength—much less a vicious wolf!

Raelia blitzed forward in a flash of divine light, her sword aimed directly at Aiden. But just as she moved, the divine energy that had been accumulating in Aiden's body burst forth like an erupting volcano. Simultaneously, Aiden's tense muscles released, springing forward with unprecedented power as his sword lunged ahead.

For a brief moment, Raelia's world froze. She seemed to see an illusion of a giant, all-encompassing arrow launching straight for her throat. Though the vision was terrifying, Raelia's strong will broke through, and she raised her sword to defend. Despite her best efforts, Aiden's sword smashed through her defenses, her beast-like strength no match for Aiden's newfound technique. She was sent hurtling across the floor, her sword fracturing in the process.

Raelia lay there, stunned, trying to comprehend the overwhelming power Aiden had just unleashed.