Chapter 345 Duplicate



[A/N: Will upload the real chapter soon. Sorry for the mishaps.]

.....

Ace didn't know what to do as he stared at the unconscious elf lying on the ground in front of him.

Since killing her was his objective prior to the tree branch giving way, he was still able to do it.

He had wanted to kill the elf because of all the hidden threats she posed to him, especially in light of the fact that she belonged to a different race that might be unfriendly to those who aren't of their kind and similar to their own.

Ace thought it would be troublesome and didn't want to worry about something he didn't want to worry about, so he decided the simple solution would be to avoid all of this.

Kill the elf. That was all he had to do, and after clearing up his traces and tracks, he knew that at least one potential reason why he may run into the elves again in the future had nothing to do with the one standing in front of him.

Ace had no issue deciding against killing the elf for this and other reasons.

The only thing he thought was a waste was the knowledge he may have learned from the elf.

This is why he initially attempted to subjugate her, but since that failed and he had already labelled her as an enemy owing to the fact that she nearly killed him, he decided to simply kill her and move on.

What he didn't expect was for her to suddenly collapse defenceless in front of him as a result of a particular unexpected event.

Due to this, he started to consider whether he should simply kill the elf in front of him or continue with his original objective and attempt to get information from her.

In the end, he made the decision to take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself to him and attempt to see if he could learn more about races since he wasn't sure if another opportunity like this would come his way in the future, so he wanted to seize the moment when it did.

Of course, whether the elf would agree or not was a different matter, but first he had to make sure he could restrain her when she woke up from misbehaving so he could question her.

Ace observed the elf on the ground once more while he considered this.

Ace was drawn to her grey skin as well as her silver hair.

Since he had previously encountered the "cat people," this was not the first odd thing Ace had seen about other races, but it was the first time he had the opportunity to observe someone from a different race up close. Ace was inquisitive about a lot of things regarding the other party.

For instance, how, why, and what this difference in their body structure from that of humans caused. He wondered about some of these characteristics of the other party, but in order to get the response he desired, he had to restrain her during the entire conversation.

After contemplating this for a moment, Ace proceeded to walk next to the elf's body as an idea struck him.

Ace went out to grasp one of the elf's arms and, disregarding the silky and delicate texture of the flesh, he savagely and decisively shattered it. "Well, this makes things simple although it might get a little dirty," Ace slightly mused.

Naturally, the elf felt it because she was the one whose arm had just been brutally shattered. She screamed and awoke from her unconsciousness, but because of the same anguish that had awakened her, she had also passed unconscious.

The terrible screams of a certain elf continued to resound in the forest for a time after Ace continued with the elf's remaining limbs.

Ace gazed at his bloody hands and then opened his mouth to speak after trying everything he could to incapacitate the elf.

He said, "I wonder if this much is enough," seemingly unconcerned or unaffected by what he had just done.

***********

Adara stood in a wide-open field, her eyes locked onto the figure of a Lightning Spirit that crackled with energy. She could feel the static charge in the air and knew that this would not be an easy fight.

She summoned her own Lightning Element, and it surged through her body, energizing her muscles and sharpening her senses. Adara dashed forward, closing the distance between her and the Lightning Spirit in an instant.

The spirit lashed out with a bolt of lightning, but Adara was ready. She twisted and spun, the electric energy flowing around her like a shield. She retaliated with a bolt of her own, slamming it into the spirit and causing it to convulse with pain.

The Lightning Spirit wasn't done yet, however. It reared back, crackling with power, and unleashed a barrage of strikes at Adara. She dodged and weaved, barely avoiding the deadly arcs of lightning as they crackled past her. She could feel the heat of the electricity on her skin, but she refused to back down.

Adara's reflexes were pushed to the limit as she narrowly avoided the relentless onslaught of the Lightning Spirit. Each bolt of lightning crackled with an intense, destructive force, threatening to consume her if she made even the slightest misstep.

With lightning-quick movements, Adara somersaulted and twisted through the air, evading the deadly arcs of electricity. She could feel the charge in the air intensifying, the energy of the Lightning Spirit growing stronger with each passing moment.

Adara knew that she couldn't rely solely on her agility to win this fight. She needed to take the offensive and seize control. Gathering her strength, she channelled her lightning element into her fists and surged forward with a burst of speed.

Her fists crackled with raw electricity as she delivered a flurry of lightning-infused punches and kicks, aiming to disrupt the Lightning Spirit's attacks. Her strikes connected with electrifying force, causing sparks to fly and jolts of energy to ripple through the air.

But the Lightning Spirit was resilient. It retaliated with a surge of raw power, summoning a massive bolt of lightning that streaked towards Adara. She reacted swiftly, conjuring a shield of electricity to absorb the impact. The clash of energy sent shockwaves reverberating through the field, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

As the ground trembled beneath them, Adara felt the sheer force of the Lightning Spirit's attack. The impact jarred her body, but she stood firm, her shield of electricity crackling with resilience.

Realizing that defence alone wouldn't be enough, Adara focused her energy, gathering a surge of power within her. She could feel the electricity coursing through her veins, intertwining with her very essence. With a fierce determination, she pushed back against the overwhelming force.

Summoning all her strength, Adara unleashed a devastating counterattack. Bolts of lightning erupted from her fingertips, streaking through the air with blinding speed. The spiralling energy wove a web of destruction, converging upon the Lightning Spirit.

Caught off guard by Adara's sudden onslaught, the spirit struggled to evade the relentless barrage. Despite its agility, it couldn't avoid every strike, and with each direct hit, its form flickered and trembled.

Adara seized the momentary advantage. Channelling her lightning element to its fullest potential, she propelled herself forward, closing the gap between them once more. Her movements became a blur of electrifying speed as she manoeuvred with calculated precision.

With a powerful kick infused with lightning, Adara sent the Lightning Spirit reeling backwards. It crashed into the ground, creating a small crater, but it refused to yield. Rising to its feet, the spirit unleashed a surge of electricity that crackled through the air, striking Adara head-on.

The searing pain surged through Adara's body, threatening to overwhelm her. She gritted her teeth, refusing to succumb to the agony. Drawing upon her inner reservoir of strength, she fought through the pain and regained her footing.

The battle continued in a frenetic dance of lightning and movement. Adara darted and weaved around the Lightning Spirit, her attacks coming in rapid succession. Each strike carried the weight of her determination, fueled by her connection to the lightning element.

The Lightning Spirit, equally determined, retaliated with its own furious onslaught. It conjured bolts of lightning, launching them at Adara with relentless fury. She twisted and turned, narrowly evading the deadly strikes, the air around her crackling with the remnants of their destructive power.

Adara's mana began to wane, her muscles protesting the intense physical exertion. But she refused to yield. She knew that this fight was a test of her limits, a trial she had to overcome.

Summoning her last reserves of strength, Adara focused her energy, channelling it into one final, devastating attack. With a primal scream, she unleashed a torrential storm of lightning, a tempest of raw power that engulfed the Lightning Spirit.

The spirit writhed and convulsed within the torrent, its form flickering and distorting under immense pressure. Adara poured every ounce of her lightning element into the assault, willing it to overpower the indomitable spirit.

With a fierce cry, Adara lunged forward and slammed her fist into the Lightning Spirit's chest. Her lightning element flowed out of her, surging through her arm and into the spirit. The creature let out a deafening shriek, and Adara felt its energy dissipate as the lightning sputtered out.

"DIE!!!!!"