Chapter 17: Levaerûn: Challenging the Faction Leader Prt 2

"Let's get this started, Troy!"

Oh, goody. Nothing says "fun afternoon" like a beefed-up man-missile sprinting at you like he forgot leg day was optional.

As expected—dude's fast. Like "blink and he's already monologuing over your grave" fast.

I barely managed to dodge his opening punch, which would've sent my soul into orbit, by leaping backward like a caffeinated goat and sprinting away. My brain was already screaming, "You better have a plan!"

Spoiler: I didn't. Because of the three faction leaders, this guy—Leo the Invincible—was the only one whose Skill was a big, fat mystery burrito. All I knew? Ridiculously terrifying physical power. You know, like a blender with anger issues.

Translation: I can't afford to hold back.

I pointed my hand at him and flung a classic fire blast his way. Boom! Direct hit! Beautiful fiery explosion, textbook spell. I was about to celebrate—

But there he was, standing in the flames like some discount fire-resistant Hercules.

He looked bored. Actually yawned. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm not a big fan of fire magic."

His silhouette stepped out of the flame cloud with a grin that said, "You just tickled me with warm air."

[Confirmed: Fire Resistance imitated skill acquired!]

DAMN IT, CHERUBIM! Could you maybe not give him cheat codes while I'm dying over here?!

Before I could scream about pay-to-win enemies, he leapt toward me—faster. Way faster.

I panicked-activated my Ice magic and covered the ground with a sudden ice field, summoning a fortress of ice spikes like Elsa on caffeine. Surely that'll slow him down, right?

Wrong.

One swoop. All. Gone.

The guy bulldozed through my frozen barricade like it was made of sugar cubes. And guess what? Still charging.

I launched wind blades at him like a desperate blender on turbo, but he dodged them like a gymnast with no respect for physics and aimed a punch at my face—

"Too slow," he smirked.

I couldn't dodge. I did the only thing I could do: jumped back and covered my face with thick, ice-coated arms like a scared snowman.

CRACK.

His punch shattered the ice around my arms like glass. Pain seared through me.

[Passive Skill: Shield Activated!]

Thank the gods, Cherubim activated my invincible shield just in time! That punch would've erased my face and probably my taxes.

Even with the shield, the force sent me bouncing across the battlefield like a wet potato. My back hit the ground with a sound I'm sure was "regret."

My arms were bruised. My ego—worse.

Note to self: Without that shield, I'd be minotaur soup right now. Thank goodness my skill tree came with "emergency face saver." Probably in the small print.

I got up and flexed my wrists. Yep, still sore, still attached. Small wins.

Leo, meanwhile, strutted toward me like a shirtless action figure. "Three elemental magics. Impressive. You must be someone to wear... that outfit." He motioned to my battle-worn cosplay.

I blinked. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

He didn't answer. Just smirked and kept walking like he owned the air.

Well, two can play that game.

I activated my Ice magic and unleashed everything. Ice blanketed the ground in every direction. A frozen storm of doom, even reaching the poor audience members who immediately started screaming like they spilled soup in their laps.

Leo stomped once. The ice cracked beneath him like it owed him money.

"So this is your plan? Trap me in ice and hope I catch a cold?" He raised an eyebrow. "How... cozy."

"I don't have many options, okay? This is my final boss phase," I said, deadpan.

He chuckled and assumed a stance. "Pity. I expected more. This'll be over quickly."

He launched himself again with speed that screamed "I skipped cardio for this."

I fired ice spikes—dozens of them. He punched through them with his hands. No magic, just raw meat-powered aggression.

I moped the hell away, using Fire magic to heat my boots like speed skates. He chased me. Of course he did.

I sent wind blades at him again. He somersaulted mid-air like a smug flying boulder and kept closing in.

In mid-air, he smirked.

"Playtime's over, three-elemental mage!"

I grinned back. "Joke's on you—I have four."

His smirk died.

BOOM. A giant water sphere formed around him, trapping him like a soggy hamster.

I melted all the surrounding ice, gathered it into a massive aquatic bubble, and started a whirlpool inside.

"Try swimming now, Aqua Man," I muttered.

He flailed. He raged. But I wasn't done yet.

I charged Electricity in my hand, the crackling growing louder with every second. The audience gasped. The water glowed.

He roared underwater. I smiled.

"Hope you like spa day," I said, and dropped the thunderstrike straight into the sphere.

There was an explosion.

The shockwave blasted water everywhere. Thunder echoed. Silence followed.

Spectators stared. I panted. The smell of ozone and burnt expectations lingered.

[Assessment Completed]Finally, Cherubim.

[Imitation Skill Pairing...][Evolution Denied][Switching to Lesser Process: Metamorphosis...]

...Why does this sound like my tax form?

[New Minor Skill Unlock: Kratos][Enhances Cherubim to see and imitate Physical Skills]

YES. FINALLY. Let's goooo!

[Confirmed: Warrior's Rage imitated][Converts 100% damage taken into bonus strength ×2 for 1 hour]

What in the anime nonsense is this overpowered cheat code!?

Suddenly, Leo stood up. Unscathed. Hair still perfect.

He grinned like he ate lightning for breakfast. "That was fun! You're better than I expected! You made me tingle a little! Like a spicy meatball!"

He began walking toward me.

"Now that I'm going to get serious… don't disappoint me, Troy."

Of course. Of course he was holding back.

This guy really is the Invincible.

Well, lucky for him…

I cracked my neck.

"Believe me. I've got more where that came from."

[Cherubim: I'm READY.]