Chapter 172 Getting Better At Pissing People Off

"You finally spoke, huh?

Why didn't you answer me earlier? I only wanted to talk to a blade wraith that was capable of speech."

The young hero replied to the owner of the voice, the blade wraith that had now paused its steps and was staring at him with its glowing blue eyes.

"I have nothing to talk to you about, human."

"Oh? But I have a lot to talk to you about.

You see, I planned to create a battle style that relies on my energy and bladework working together.

My aim was to mix the techniques I learnt due to my 'father', the techniques I inherited when I received a certain someone's memories and the ones I was thought by the strongest sword grandmaster in the neighbouring country.

But upon coming here and meeting you blade wraiths, I decided to incorporate your swordplay into it too.

That's why I wanted to talk to you."

Evan casually revealed one of his plans, his words going on to make Pride understand just why he was mimicking Elecrus' moves during the battle a week ago.

"What do you think, genius right?"

"What does this have to do with me?"

The blade wraith casually ignored Evan's last question and posed a question of its own to the young hero who only shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

"Simple. I wanted you to teach me for a while before I eventually kill you.

But that's up to you though, if you refuse, I'd simply kill you and move on to the next floor. I have to speed things up here so I can't waste too much time on you."

Evan's proposal was, outlandish, to say the least.

He had an air of arrogance around him as he confidently asked the blade wraith the question, something Pride noticed and facepalmed.

'I sealed the title but he's already getting influenced. If he contracts with greed in this state...'

Oblivious to the high demon's thoughts, Evan stretched out his hand and asked the blade wraith.

"So, what say you?"

To his question, the blade wraith showed visible anger as it gripped its sword tightly, a hazy blue aura rising from the blade as it asked in a voice tinged with anger.

"Are you looking down on me, human?!"

"Eh? No, am I?"

Evan, who seemed to not know what he said wrong, turned to Pride and Eliza who were silently watching behind him and asked them the latter half of his statement.

However, before he could get a reply, Eliza's eyes widened in shock as she hurriedly screamed out.

"Barrier!"

**BAAMM!!

**CRACKK!!

A thin translucent barrier manifested behind Evan, just in time to block the wave of aura that came crashing in on him from above.

However, due to the strength disparity between the owner of the barrier and the attacker, the barrier cracked under the stress, and its durability was reduced to the point that even a casual finger flick would break it.

"..."

Despite being the one attacked, Evan calmly turned his gaze around and looked into the blue eyes of the blade wraith at the other end of the barrier, his grip on his sword tightening as he opened his mouth to say one word.

"Blink."

The next moment, Evan vanished from his position and reappeared right in front of the blade wraith, his sword cleaving through the air while coated in his golden aura.

**SWISHH!!

**CLANNG!!!

'Hey Pride, please don't interfere, I want something from this monster.'

Evan sent a message to Pride who had picked up her sword and was about to join the fray, with the high demon nodding as she unsummoned her weapon and held Eliza back from taking a step forward.

Meanwhile, Evan was still trying to 'converse' with the blade wraith.

"It's fine and all if you didn't wanna accept but you suddenly attacked me while I was still talking. Isn't that a bit rude of you?"

"Shut up, Human!"

The blade wraith screamed in rage as it slashed rapidly, each of its sword strikes leaving a trail of blue light in the air due to the aura imbued in the sword.

However, Evan casually blocked the monster's strikes without care, yawning in the middle as he ducked to avoid a horizontal slash and switched his sword's grip, holding it in reverse as he countered by sending in a diagonal slash upwards.

** KRREEEEE!

His blade scratched against the metal of the blade wraith's armour, with a screeching sound ringing out as the boss monster clicked its tongue audibly before jumping back in an attempt to widen the distance.

Sadly, Evan did not allow it that luxury as he dashed forward like a speeding arrow, his sword, rushing at the chest of the blade wraith.

Normally it would have allowed Evan's blade to hit and tanked it with its armour, but the gash running through the chest piece of the armour was enough evidence that Evan's blade was strong enough to pierce its armour.

And that was when he hadn't coated it in aura. If he did, the end result was something the boss monster didn't wish to find out.

Half a gasp left it as it jumped sideways reflexively, and just when it'd barely evaded the first strike, Evan's sword swept relentlessly sideways in pursuit.

The blade wraith rose its sword to block but Evan changed his sword's trajectory at the last moment, inscribing an arc in mid-air as it evaded the blade wraith's sword and flew towards its forearm.

*PUK!

Evan's sword stabbed it right in between the gaps in its armour, forcing the monster to temporarily loosen its grip on its blade.

"That's a bad idea, you know?"

The young hero's free arm was already moving through the air as he spoke, tendrils of golden lightning crackling around his fist as he sent a punch to the monster's arm.

Although it attempted to dodge, it suddenly realised that it could not move as its feet had been held down by its own shadow, keeping it in place long enough for Evan's fist to connect.

Kayla who had been silent from the start poked her head out from above Pride's head where she was talking with Amy and glared at the boss monster.

Her Electroflame skill was activated as a small rose of flames bloomed on the monster's arm, seconds before Evan's fist slammed into it.

**BAMM!!