Chapter 550

Chapter 550

Side Story 26

The second participant enters the circle.

[The main round of the Great Celestial War begins.]

[Elimination will occur automatically upon resignation, fainting, or death.]

[There is no time limit.]

Asura fearlessly looked at the participant who had entered the circle.

A man holding a large bow in his hands began to string the empty bowstring.

"Are you Lee Ye?"

The corners of Asura's lips lifted at the sight of Lee Ye.

"Not bad for a bunch of useless people."

"I'll do my best not to be an unworthy opponent."

Lee Ye was tense.

Although he didn't emanate any aura or battle spirit, it was impossible not to feel the pressure when facing Asura.

It was natural.

Asura. A High-Ranker ranked 9th.

'It's the first time I'm facing a single-digit High-Ranker.'

It was also his first time fighting an opponent of such caliber.

Tension and fear.

However, Lee Ye took a step forward.

He wondered what would become of his promise with Kim YuHon if it ended like this.

'If I don't do it, no one will.'

Anyway, he thought victory was impossible. His goal from the beginning was information about the Elixir, not the position of General Chief or the point prize.

So, he had to prolong the battle so that the tournament wouldn't end like this.

'I don't know what that guy wants, but...'

Crunch~.

The bowstring tightened.

'At least I'll give him some time.'

The moment he released the taut string.

Piiiuuu!

Swish!

An arrow made of Arcane Power grazed Asura's head.

"It's not my style to feel you out, so..."

Puf!

Lee Ye's body spun towards Asura's back.

"From the beginning, I'll go with all my strength."

Bum, bum, bum!

The force behind each step was comparable to the spear technique of decent High-Rankers.

Firing arrows rapidly, Lee Ye circled Asura.

Pabababababa!

Arrows rained incessantly.

Asura's figure blurred and dispersed like a mirage.

Lee Ye's eyes moved.

It's not that he had really disappeared just because it seemed like he had.

"Where are you?"

Tightening the bowstring, he changed the direction of the arrowhead.

Turning in the direction Asura had disappeared, he sought the real location of the enemy.

He listened carefully for any movement.

At that moment...

Sss.

"Not bad at all."

The cold blade of a knife grazed his throat.

Hearing Asura's voice beside him, Lee Ye quickly turned his body and wielded the bow.

Clang!

With an explosive sound that almost burst his eardrums, Lee Ye's body flew backward.

"Ugh..."

A groan escaped from his lips due to the impact that traveled through his wrists.

For a moment, he had the illusion that his neck was being cut.

If he had reacted a bit later, it probably would have been.

The idea of surrender crossed his mind for a brief moment.

'...But this is getting me excited.'

Lee Ye tightened the bowstring again.

Taking distance, he focused the strength in the vision of his eyes.

Asura, with two swords in hand, kept his distance.

His carefree attitude was evident.

A High-Ranker using swords against an archer didn't approach.

"Fine."

Kwaaaak!

Tightening the bowstring towards the sky, Lee Ye gleamed with his eyes.

"Let's see if you can dodge it all."

------------------------

Pabababapab!

A rain of arrows fell from the sky.

Asura, with his black sword, shot an innumerable number of arrows that could only be counted with the eyes.

For those watching, there was no other word than "amazing."

"...?"

Lee Ye wore a perplexed expression. He couldn't understand why Asura, who seemed to be seeking victory, was wasting time.

Seeing Lee Ye's expression of doubt, Asura sat down abruptly on the ground.

"What's wrong, don't you know?"

Bam.

Lee Ye was taken aback by the sudden action. It didn't even cross his mind to shoot an arrow at his vulnerable posture.

At this moment, the only thing he found difficult was understanding Asura's intentions.

"Thanks to you, I've had fun. If I had faced a mediocre guy, it would have been boring."

"What are you doing?"

"If you don't know, wait. If you already know the skill difference, withdraw."

From the beginning, he hadn't even considered him. Asura was confident he could block Lee Ye's arrows at any time.

"What are you doing?!"

"Fight, Asura!"

"I've bet all my fortune on you!"

"What is Celestial Realm doing?! Why don't they warn that guy?!"

Boos echoed in the stands.

They had come to this place to witness the duel. They had paid between hundreds and thousands of points to enter the stadium, and some had even descended several Floors after hearing the news of the Great Celestial War.

And yet, Asura, in the main match that had started, sat without fighting.

"How annoying."

Asura frowned. Opening his narrowed eyes, he clenched his fists and struck the stadium floor.

Boom!

Rumble, rumble.

The stadium floor cracked.

Through those cracks, Asura's Arcane Power spread throughout the entire stadium.

Whoosh, whoooosh.

Asura's presence enveloped the entire stadium.

The boos from the stands stopped.

Tens of thousands of spectators cowered before a single Asura.

'... Is he being too lenient?'

He had silenced all the spectators in this grand stadium in a single breath.

Lee Ye could have done it too if he had tried, but it wasn't something he could do as naturally as breathing.

Lee Ye felt his breath being cut off by the pressure emanating from Asura. His will to fight shattered and crumbled to the ground.

Feeling the strength escaping from the hands holding the bow, Lee Ye looked at Asura with narrowed eyes.

"Now you look a bit better."

"What are you doing?"

"Seems like the only one who doesn't realize here is that guy."

"That guy?"

Lee Ye's gaze followed Asura to the side.

The participants who were standing outside the circle.

Lee Ye's eyes widened as he followed Asura's gaze.

'Kim YuHon?'

The guy who had told him he would provide information about the Elixir.

A guy whose name couldn't even be found in the ranking, not even through rumors.

"He can't be found in the ranking. Does he have a good eye or a good nose?"

"What are you talking about..."

"You have pretty fast reflexes."

Heavy step~

Another presence felt inside the circle.

Lee Ye's gaze turned to the sound of approaching footsteps, seemingly unaffected by Asura's aura.

"How troublesome, how troublesome..."

'An old man?'

He looked quite old.

The old man with white hair, shaking his head with a puzzled expression, had already entered the circle where the battle was taking place.

Intervening with other participants couldn't be allowed.

That went against the rules of the Great Celestial War.

"If we don't do anything, what are we going to do, my friend?"

The old man scolded Asura.

At his appearance, Asura stood up from where he was sitting and slowly drew the two swords he had sheathed again.

Slide~

The two swords came out with a clear sound, different from when he fought against Lee Ye.

Asura responded to the old man's words by showing his sharp teeth.

"I'll start moving now."

Asura and the old man faced off.

Lee Ye, who had unintentionally become caught between the two, looked closely at the old man who had burst into the stadium.

'Who is he, really?'

He was an old man who gave off a mysterious feeling. With a calm expression like the sky, as if a God had descended.

A kind impression and a warm flow of Arcane Power that made your body feel relaxed as you approached.

It was a face he had seen somewhere.

Lee Ye, who had pulled that face from the depths of his memory, wore a surprised expression.

"Taishang Laojun?"

-KO-FI

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