Chapter 294: A Little Closer

Not wanting Ned to take any rest, Teklavit immediately followed up with an orb of greenish fire shot like a missile. Making the point of contact exploded in an aurora of madness, and light, and debris. Traces of smoke and fumes scattered along the defensive wall of stones Hunter Quentin conjured.

"Not bad," Hunter Quentin said with a slight nod. " But it won't be enough."

As soon as Hunter Quentin finished speaking, the smoke surrounding the impact on the wall distorted. What followed next was a sharp sound that roared in Teklavit's body as he was thrown by a blurring image.

This time around, Teklavit was sent flying to the stone wall and made a rounded and fulfilling sound that of a gong.

Ned landed on one foot after he made a satisfying kick on Teklavit's flawless face.

"Water Moon Stance," Ned muttered with his hair fluttering after he made a pose with one of his hand extended forward while the other was angled closer to his side. "Wasn't all about attacking but for defending as well."

Ned was just on time to perform the Water Moon Stance on his body that neglected most of the damage done by Teklavit's knee. Ned felt the knee of Teklavit like a splash of water hitting his face. Powerful but manageable.

Yet, a tiny graze was visible under Ned's cheeks.

If I was a little too late on defending, that kid might win, Ned thought as he wiped the scratch with blood.

"So green flame, huh?" Ned said after he saw a tall silhouette behind the dust. "Green, blue, red, or orange flame, it doesn't matter."

Ned pushed forward, with the red flaming orb on the ready on his right hand, and raw strength accompanying his movements.

"Doesn't matter?" Teklavit grunted and pushed more of his mana that wrapped around his body, boosting his strength even further.

Two fists clashed mid-air, gaining a gasped from the three onlookers. Even Hunter Quentin was impressed by Ned and Teklavit's show of force from mana control, and bruteness.

Ned rammed the fiery orb straight on Teklavit's face. But the latter's reaction was heightened to the maximum with his face flushing in red, successfully evading the point-blank Fireball.

Ned jumped backward to avoid the explosion his Fireball made. The space around his attacking hand distorted as he conjured another orb. Sparks, and fumes, revolted around the orb of flame as Ned steadied himself. Under his display in red, Ned has been using Predictive Combat Emulator, and Detect, making him react in milliseconds without any delay.

Ned bolted toward Teklavit, stretching his stamina while testing it all at the same time if how long will he last.

[Wow. He could actually match your speed.]

Surprisingly, Ned thought along with a smile. He was quite good.

Ned twisted his body to evade a kick that was sent flying above his head, he then ducked and rotated with the center of gravity on one of his foot. He then spun to sweep Teklavit's foot.

With movements flowing like a flowing water, added with his speed, and precision, Ned got the first upper-hand as Teklavit fell on his knees. Another point-blank attack threw Teklavit straight above the edges of the stonewall.

[If he knew you are using only 20% of your total strength.]

ICE echoed inside Ned's mind, hinted with a wee of a smile in her voice.

[He sure to bleed to force you to use 100% of your strength.]

"That's not possible." Ned conjured another orb, this time on both of his hands. "He was already at his limit. Granted, he was faster than any human I have fought so far. But still, in a short amount of time, he was already at his limit."

Teklavit thudded on the ground with ribbons of smoke tracing his body while Ned looked over his shoulder to the three onlookers. To his disappointment, Hunter Quentin wasn't going to stop the fight sooner.

"He still wants us to fight?" Ned's lips formed a line then nodded. "If that's what you want."

The orbs on Ned's hands were injected more of his mana, making it bigger and denser.

"Ahm," Su'aya said while she fingers her yellow dyed hair and looked at Ned with twinkling eyes. "I think we've seen enough. I never thought Ned to be this capable."

"H-hunter Quen?" Su'aya seconded her twins. "Teklavit is losing, shouldn't you end the fight?"

Hunter Quentin remained quiet but his fingers were tapping the hilt of his dagger.

And then he smiled.

"I guess..." Teklavit stood with his left arm hanging like an old pendulum. Blood started to drip from his shoulder down to the tip of his fingers. "It's not waste to be sent here. After all, I asked for this."

Gritting his teeth popped the veins on his forehead and jaws. He then stood as if nothing happened and—

Ned's punch racked Teklavit's brain to his side together with his motionless body that flew then cracked against the wall of stones.

"Like hell I'll wait for you." Ned summoned back his orb of flame after hooking Teklavit with his right fist.

The stonewall cracked along with Teklavit that fell on the ground motionless.

From the start, Hunter Quentin already knew that Teklavit wouldn't last five minutes against Ned. But he still insists to let the fight continue just to see the extent of the power of Ned. Not knowing, Ned wasn't even fully using all his strength.

The green flame in Teklavit's shoulder vanished like a dissolving mist with him sitting with his back against the cracked wall and his chin touching his chest.

[Your sucker-punching skill has yet to change.]

"I just did him a favor." Ned spun around to face the three and stopped before Hunter Quentin. "He will be alright, I made sure to not hit his vital spots."

"I don't know if I should thank you or what?"

"Let's just talk somewhere private," Ned said, defusing the two orb in his hands. "Perhaps you and I cou—

[Ned, on your left.]

Before Ned could react, a string of his silver hair was left floating midair as he was thrown with a sharp whistling sound. The blurry image didn't wait for another breath as he lunged himself to Ned before he could reach the wall.

Teklavit, with his clenched fists, struck Ned midair, pummeling him to the ground.

The first trace of the grass and soil was the cue for Teklavit to ram Ned with his foot.

Ned crossed his arms to block Teklavit's kicks. The ground, damp and grassy, traced Ned's body as he was getting pummeled, making a hole along with Teklavit's feet.

It was blurry to look at Teklavit since his face was obscured with green flame. Not just his face: shoulders, chest, arms, and legs, were wrapped in a tiny ribbon of green oozing flame.

[This guy is also stuffed with mana.]

"No shit." Ned hissed as he kept his raised hand in a cross to shield his face from his opponent's relentless kicking.

[You want to give up?]

"S-since when..." Ned clenched his teeth as he waits for Teklavit to get exhausted. "Y-you gonna keep that senseless joke."

Bruises and scratches were emerging on Ned's forearm. Some parts of his blocking arms were marked by the sole of Teklavit's boots.

[What are you waiting for?]

Even ICE had to ask.

If Ned wanted to leave his spot, he could do so if he wanted to. But not now, now that Teklavit was showing a peculiar kind of mana.

Under his green flame that was wrapping his body, Teklavit conjured a bright-green and pointy crystal as though a spear, and on his left was an orb of green flame. Teklavit was looking like a green inferno ready to cannibalize everything he was seeing.

Along with the flame was the gargle of his voice. "You pushed me, lower life-form."

"Now that is something you don't see all day." Ned gritted his teeth then focused all his mana on his arms. He then caught Teklavit's foot after he tried to kick Ned. Ned then twisted his wrist, forcing Teklavit to jump backward from Ned's grip alone.

Are you feeling this? Ned thought to ICE.

[Of course. What you felt. I felt too.]

[His mana signature was rather inhuman.]

Ned nodded and smiled. Indeed it is, he spoke to his mind. And it was rather... somewhat familiar.

"You smiled?" Teklavit's voice was drowned with his own flame. It was menacing to anyone who could hear him, but under the green hellish flame was just a human pumped with an extraordinary form of mana. "You think this as a game? Are you mocking me? Human?"

"Tch!" Ned raised a part of his lips. "For a human, you're somewhat different." He then flipped, making himself stood as he watched Teklavit with his green dancing flame.

No matter how Ned tried to think of something or someone, that would match Teklavit's show of mana. He couldn't think of someone.

What can you say about his mana? Ned thought to ICE, giving up.

[Well.]

[Although it seems impossible for a human.]

[His mana signature was closer to that of a High Elf.]