Aster might be powerful, with stats comparable to a level 60 adventurer, but that didn't make him invincible. His skin wasn't tough enough to block sharp weapons—he was still human, after all.
Without scales or protective skin like the dragonkin, he'd be forced to defend himself with more than his flesh and blood if Kolten continued to press the fight with weapons.
"Hah! You think cheap bluffs like that will work on me?!" Kolten, blinded by anger, shouted. "Eat this, loser!"
Aster sighed, drawing the sword hanging at his waist. With a casual flick of his wrist, he parried Kolten's overhead axe strike. The axe hit nothing but air, sliding off and smashing into the ground, sending rocks and dust flying upon impact.
"Strike one. I'll give you two more chances to back out," Aster announced, his voice calm, offering his opponent a way out despite the aggression.
Kolten growled, his voice shaking with frustration. "A flimsy sword like that can't beat my Unique weapon!" He lifted his axe, his anger boiling over. "Keep dreaming, bastard!"
The axe Kolten wielded, the Flaming Executioner's Axe, was a rare and powerful weapon he had acquired at an auction. It granted high attack bonuses and possessed several unique skills, making it one of the best weapons available to adventurers under level 50.
"HAAAA!"
With a roar, Kolten activated the axe's ability, igniting the blade with fierce, swirling flames. He swung the axe horizontally, aiming to cleave Aster in two.
Aster was surprised by this unexpected display but reacted in kind. In a split second, his sword was enveloped in a frosty aura as he countered with Elemental Sword Slash.
*CLANG!*
The two weapons collided, the sound of metal crashing against metal echoing through the air. To everyone's surprise, the feared axe didn't slice through Aster's sword—or Aster himself. Instead, the frosty aura from Aster's blade snuffed out the flames on Kolten's weapon.
"Strike two," Aster whispered, his tone still composed.
Kolten's fury reached its peak, his teeth grinding together in frustration. "You and your damned artifacts!" he spat. "No matter what tricks you have, they're meaningless before real power!"
Suddenly, Kolten's body began to swell, his muscles expanding to twice their size, his height growing until he towered over Aster. The sheer change in his physique caught everyone off guard.
"That's—!" Liz gasped in recognition. "It's Dragonblood Awakening! Aster, be careful!"
Dragonblood Awakening is a Racial Skill possessed by some Dragonkins. It was said that the purer one's dragonkin lineage was, the higher the chance they would gain this skill. As such, in the current era, Dragonkins with this skill are treated as "geniuses" blessed with a great bloodline.
But despite Liz's warning, Aster remained unfazed.
Kolten, now in his awakened state, roared and swung his axe again—this time with quadruple the force of his previous attacks. The sheer power behind the strike was enough to make the ground tremble.
"Revive," she whispered softly.
The angels flew down into Kolten's body, which immediately began glowing. The pool of blood surrounding him evaporated, purified by the light. The deep wounds on his limbs and chest closed, leaving no trace of the fatal injuries.
"It's done..." Cassy muttered weakly, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. The spell had drained all her mana, and she wouldn't be able to cast another spell for a full hour as the "payment" for using it.
Chapter Enjoy:
"You did great. Rest now," Aster whispered, catching her in a gentle princess carry.
Without a second glance at Kolten's body, he walked away calmly, as if nothing unusual had happened. Behind him, Kolten's party stared in disbelief.
"L-Leader...?"
One of them, a healer, rushed to Kolten's side. She placed her hand on his chest and gasped. "He's...!"
*Cough!*
Kolten coughed violently, his eyes fluttering open as he took in a ragged breath.
"He's alive?!"
"It's a miracle!"
"What was that skill? It brought someone back from the dead!"
"A goddess... Without a doubt, that orange rabbit is a goddess who descended to our world!"
As murmurs of awe spread through the crowd, some began whispering about Cassy, calling her a "goddess" for performing such a feat—later earning her the noble title of "The Orange Rabbit Goddess."
But one person, standing a short distance away, watched with a calculating gaze.
Lorelai, who had been observing the entire scene, smiled wickedly, breaking her facade for a split second. 'It's perfect...' she thought. 'Healing the body but leaving damage to inorganic items the same as before!'
Her smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with the beginning of a plan, before returning to their usual appearance—a default, fake smile.
Nobody, not one soul, was able to observe her change in expression.