Chapter 315: All Out

But before the light could manifest Erarke's entire body, Loti appeared behind him as fast as he could.

"You've fought well enough, boy." Although a whisper, Loti's voice was calm. That might be the reason why the light enveloping Erarke started to fade. Perhaps it was their bond, Ned would not know, and he doesn't want to find out.

Erarke brushed off the old man's hand over his shoulder and glared at Ned with his position ended with his knees on the ground.

"I-I'm... sorry." Painful it may seem, Erarke lost to Ned—twice. But the sorry wasn't to Ned but to Loti and the rest of his team. He gave Ned a nod and left without saying a word.

"Why are you doing this, kid?" Loti stood before Ned brushing the end of his beard. This was also the first time that Ned saw his eyes like arrows, unyielding. "Were you some kind of a battle-freak?"

Ned almost coughed a smile hearing Loti. He wasn't. Perhaps people saw him like that, but he needed to fight. To test his limits, and learn how far he could go, and learn how his strength fare with others. He's doing this to gauge his strength, and to learn who his equals.

But there was more to it. Ever since Ned left the Plain. He knew, that the moment that the pain courses through his body. He knew, for some unknown reason, he was getting stronger the more he stayed inside the Plain. And to have this advantage, he needed to stay longer inside. But it seemed that the imposter Master Will has more plans inside the Plain. Ned must overcome this. No, Ned must overcome Master Will if he wants to know more about the Plain and if he wants to get stronger.

But they don't need to know about all these. Ned was sure about that, ICE, the Plain, who really was, they must not know. "I'm preparing to join the Hunter's Exam." Instead, it was all the reason, and the plausible reason, Ned could come up with. Wasn't a lie; half a truth either.

"Oh-ho-ho," Loti said. Still stroking his beard. He then pulled a wooden necklace under his bluish military uniform and showed it dangling before Ned. "So, you're after this."

"Perhaps," Ned replied along with a tiny smile. "So, can I spar with Jerra now?"

"You're really into Werecats, ain't you?"

Loti left with a smile that almost reached his ears. He then went to his team sitting over a slope and explain things. When done, Bud raised a thumb, half-naked Erarke was blank as usual, and Jerra dashed to Ned.

"So, Ned wants to spar with me?" Jerra adjusted the glasses she was wearing. "Hmm, hmm," she hummed with a playful note. "On one condition. Ned must pass the Hunter's Exam and rejoin the 5th team."

"No," Ned said but nodded. "But I'll pass the Exam."

"Auh." Jerra went to play with her hair. Ned thought that Jerra was a timid girl the first time he saw her. But in a matter of months, she was changed to the point that she was almost the apple of the eye of the 5th team. "Fine." She agreed pouting her lips.

Ned looked over to his right, looking at the sitting team. Erarke can't seem to look straight at Ned as Jerra talked to him.

Jerra walked and positioned ten meters before Ned. Ned on the other had remained passive as he waited for Jerra to make her move.

[Will this help you?]

Before the battle commences, ICE's soft with a hint of a metallic womanly voice echoed inside Ned's head. With her protocol always active in state, she was doing and would do to ensure Ned's survival. She must be concern.

More. This way, I'll found out what my limits are, Ned answered through his thoughts. Also, fighting stronger opponents was rewarding. The heat, and excitement. It's what my body needs. So just stay on standby.

[Affirmative, Ned.]

Ned's fight with Erarke made him realized something, the Hunter Rank doesn't matter at all. Erarke was a Wood Rank Hunter. Yet, his movements, and his senses, and his strength were comparable to that of Bronze Rank, if not early ranking of Silver.

"So... becoming hunter, huh." Jerra put her glasses on her side pocket. After doing so, her bright brown eyes turned slitted and became those of a tiger. She smiled, eventually becoming a growl.

Just as Ned thought that she was done preparing, Jerra pulled something out of her back pocket. Brass knuckles shining under the morning sun.

Jerra pursed her pink lips that were nearly devoid of blood. And at that moment, Ned heard her uniform stretched along with crackling thunder wrapping her legs. Her delicate legs were pumping so much that her muscle formation was visible under her tight pants.

Jerra's beasty eyes follow the last of the falling leaf. The moment it touched the ground, the tall grasses bent from Jerra's explosiveness with a crackling sound.

All it needed was Ned's blink for Jerra to appear before Ned.

Another Wood Rank is she? Ned was denied of the thought after Jerra threw six punches in a blink.

Without Overclock, Ned's movements were as dull as the rusted blades sold in a shabby shop.

Ned received two of her punches which made his ears throb. The rest he blocked with his forearms. For a moment, upon contact of Jerra's punches, Ned felt a burning sensation over his forearms.

"Damn," whispered Ned.

The only changes that occurred on Jerra were her legs broaden, and her eyes that could see each of Ned's minuscule movements. Jerra was like Ned's Overclock second-hand edition. Her movements gained a low hiss from Ned.

To atone for his sluggish movements, Ned focused. Yet, his eyes, without the display and the emulator, couldn't follow the Werecat's movements.

Ned scowled of his own weaknesses.

[Focus, Ned.]

"I am." No time to think. "I'm still adapting without the system."

Jerra growled from Ned's nonsense uttering. She then disappeared before Ned.

Ned could sense her, she was going behind him. But his body was a traitor as he was hit over his right-side before he got the time to block. Ned was hurled to his left, traces of crumpled grass under his boots.

Ned flinched from the stinging pain. Endure. He must endure.

Ned conjured Windlance right before he was thrown. But, what a measly Windlance could do against an opponent much faster than him? None, if not for distraction.

Ned extended his left arm to aim while he threw the Windlance.

Jerra wanted to block the measly Windlance. But her eyes rounded as though the Windlance was her defect.

Before he could react to Ned's Windlance, Jerra was bombarded by countless Windlance which Ned has eagerly thrown. He's got enough mana for that anyway.

But Jerra wasn't touching to block the Windlances, she knew something. Something that when she made contact with Ned's spell, she knew, she would lose.

Impatient drove her to gamble, she squatted and forced her legs to pump more power and jumped above. Ten meters wasn't that impressive, but if someone was there watching, they would be impressed by Jerra's flexibility. She landed beside Ned.

"How?!" She purred not intending to attack. "How come your mana is so pure!"

So that's it, Ned thought and jumped to the side leaving Jerra a kick to her legs.

Jerra growled from the kick but followed Ned midair.

Ned was assaulted by her jabs before he could even land. Scratches were visible under his neck and arms. But Silk Road stayed unscathed.

Jerra got speed; Ned got magic. And so he conjured both Fireball and Windball.

Ned couldn't fight well with Jerra in hand-to-hand combat. She got a natural swiftness, added with her natural strength as a Were. She got all the advantage, except one: Weres couldn't conjure magic but they could use magic to amplify their body. They rely heavily on their strength and speed.

Ned hurled the Fireball and Windball at the same time. Windball hit the ground first. There's no way that Ned could hit Jerra with her overwhelming speed.

The ground and the grass produced scattering soil as the Windball exploded. It was then followed by the roaring explosion from the Fireball. Mushroom-shaped smoke was created after the explosion and not far from the blast was Jerra on her butt, wide eyes open, the trio: Loti, Bud, and Erarke all did the same.

"By the Maker." Ned registered Bud's voice not far behind him. "What magic was that?"

None. No one answered. Soil and burnt grasses fell from the sky as the shroom of black smoke fades.

Ned ran towards the down Jerra. Too late for her to saw Ned coming her way, she sat with shock painted all over her face.

Ned frowned from their reactions but continued onward. The moment she arrived near Jerra, all of her hair stood, her eyes bulging, her lips trembling.

Ned stopped, concerned about what had happened.

Ned said, "What's the matter?"

Jerra said, "Y-you..."

Ned said, "I am what?"

Jerra said, "Y-you're not human... Ned."

Ned looked down at Jerra who was in shock.

Behind him, footsteps approach.

"Kid!"

"Ned!"

Loti and Bud were first to arrive near Ned while Erarke reached for Jerra.

"What magic was that?" Loti began after a long shock.

"It's just Fireball."

"Eh?" Loti and Bud were surprised to hear that Ned was only using a Fireball from the previous attack.

Now that Ned had remembered it, his Fireball wasn't that powerful. His spells didn't undergo drastic changes as well. And after leaving the Plain, this was the first time that he used an all-out spell.