Chapter 400: A Game of Cat and Mouse

Tiers of the Warrior class and their characteristics:

In order to be a One-star Warrior, not only does the person need to be trained in their chosen weapon, they need to have Aura Perception as well. Aura Perception is the internal ability to sense Fighter’s Aura. Just by possessing Aura Perception, one’s body is strengthened to some extent.

In order to qualify as a Two-star Warrior, one has to be able to utilise their Aura Perception to activate the Fighter’s Aura within themselves. By doing so, they are able to exhibit physical prowess surpassing that of a normal human being.

A Three-star Warrior has to be able to temporarily manifest his Fighter’s Aura in a simple layer around one’s body. Such a manifestation increases the Warrior’s defence temporarily to the point where anyone below the level of Three-star wouldn’t be able to even harm this Warrior.

A Four-star Warrior is not only able to manifest his Fighter’s Aura, but to project it as an attack as well. Such an attack could reach up to several meters in range and is one of the main ways a Warrior can attack from a distance.

A Five-star Warrior’s signature ability is to wrap his weapon in Fighter’s Aura, increasing its power in the process.

A Six-star Warrior is one who is able to manifest his Fighter’s Aura as a shield. When condensed into a shield, the Warrior’s Fighter’s Aura is able to provide an astonishing level of defensive power, even rivalling the heavy weaponry of the Dwarves.

A Seven-star Warrior’s defining characteristic is his Aura Protection. By focusing his will, a Seven-star Warrior is able to manifest his Fighter’s Aura into an automatic defensive layer around his entire body. This layer is basically an upgraded version of the Aura Shield used by a Six-star. It is able to provide an all-around defense and is one of the strongest means a Seven-star can employ to defend himself.

An Eight-star Warrior experiences what is known as Aura Awakening that enhances the Warrior with certain special properties. For example, they might be able to focus their Fighter’s Aura into an Earth defensive ability known as Stoneskin. Or perhaps they can fire off Windblades with a swing of their weapons.

Finally, in order to qualify as a Nine-star, one has to be able to activate a Territory. Such Warriors are also known as Saint-class, the equivalent of an Overlord amongst Devils.

—The Tiers of the Warrior Class and their Respective Abilities

In the blink of an eye, my Mana Feathers trap was set. The four Dark Elves were completely surrounded by them but I dared not activate them for now. I lowered their mana signature to the lowest possible level and, having done that, I stopped firing off my Mana Feathers as well. Hopefully, they would mistake this as me running out of mana -that was my battle plan.

As expected, the Dark Elven Warriors fell for it. In their minds, they probably thought that such a wide area-of-effect spell would definitely consume an enormous amount of mana. If I wasn’t able to defeat them with this single spell, there would surely be a period of weakness. My feint only served to confirm this suspicion.

Too bad, it’s all just a ruse!

The Dark Elves had no ability to fly so they could only toss throwing knives my way. I easily dodged these projectiles with a flap of my wings, nullifying the threat these eight throwing knives posed in an instant. Even so, there was still a lingering sense of danger at the back of my head.

Hold on. What was that silvery light behind those throwing knives? A thread… At the same time as those throwing knives flew past me, they brought a faint thread-like substance before me that vaguely resembled a spider’s silk.

Amazingly, those eight throwing knives all landed at the same spot, and upon clashing with each other, actually did a one-eighty to circle around me rapidly, binding me tight!

With my wings bound up, I could no longer control my flight and began falling…

“Be careful, do not hurt her!” The Dark Elven clan leader anxiously called out to her four elite warriors, clearly worried by my uncontrolled freefall. These Warriors promptly took down their protective barrier -most likely because they no longer saw me as a threat- and rushed to catch me before I landed.

Yet that was exactly what I wanted them to do. My Mana Feathers had been lying in wait all this while just for this exact moment!

Rising Feathers!

The multitude of dormant Mana Feathers immediately began to stir. Like a speeding bullet, they took to the air and rushed for the encircled Dark Elven Warriors, catching them right when they let their guard down…

Because of the sheer speed of these projectiles, and because they were also preoccupied with saving me, they couldn’t enact their protective spells even if they wanted to. When I activated these feathers, I made sure to show some mercy towards them. However, the sheer number would still be enough to render them helpless. I definitely wasn’t planning to make an enemy out of these Dark Elves by killing four of their elite warriors right in their very nest -I would be the one to suffer if that were to happen.

Unfortunately, this well-laid plan was doomed to failure, because I had underestimated these opponents of mine.

My Mana Feathers continued bearing in on these female warriors, but they seemed to pay them no heed at all. The moment they crashed into their targets, they were immediately blocked by a strange barrier seemingly made of Aura. Just like that, the four of them made it to me unharmed, one of them even catching me in the process and raising me up into the air, like how one would show off a cat.

Impossible… I have the mana pool of a Six-star, and the damage of my Rising Feathers isn’t something to be scoffed at either. I won’t say that they can definitely kill a Six-star, but they should at least be able to severely injure a Five-star, especially when they weren’t prepared for it. So why are they completely unharmed?!

“They are all Seven-star Magisters, an attack of that level isn’t going to work on them.” The clan leader crossed her legs, stroked her chin and looked at me bemusedly. She then lightly smiled before continuing, “after all, Seven-star Warriors have the ability to cast Aura Protection. Normal attacks wouldn’t even harm them.”

Aura Protection…so the Dark Elves I’ve been fighting with were all Seven-star elites. No wonder they didn’t even bother reacting to my Rising Feathers… But that doesn’t make any sense at all, didn’t they just erect that mana dome just now? If those feathers can’t hurt them, they shouldn’t have to cast that dome either.

Just as I thought that, the clan leader promptly answered, “They didn’t know how strong your feathers were previously. And you are a Fallen Angel, after all. We should at least show you some level of respect.” My thoughts must have been clearly written on my face…

Respect… Fine, you win this round. But don’t think that I’m giving up just yet.

The clan leader received me gently from her subordinate but had no intention at all of loosening the thread binding. She plopped me down on her lap and began stroking my face like a plaything, eyes a little glazed over. “Such a beautiful little thing, I just want to marry you, then…”

“Then what? To be honest, how about we just skip the marriage? I can’t even bear a child with you…swinging for the same team is fine and dandy… but we will never have a child, so how about you just let me go…”

For the first time in my entire life, I was extremely thankful for my pee pee being on vacation. Rather than be captured by a bunch of Dark Elves, I would much rather die… Hold on, didn’t she just say that she hasn’t gotten married yet? So could she still be a…

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” The clan leader gently stroked my brows. “Us Dark Elves have a secret art passed down to us by the goddess Lolthe that allows females to have a child with each other.”

“…” What the potato? That’s possible too? I know I’m uninformed and all, but really…

“It’s true.” The clan leader eyed me from top to toe like a hunter eyeing her prey, then gently spat out what had to be the most bloodthirsty thing I had ever heard. “As long as I devour you, I can use that secret art to bear your child.”

[email protected]##%#…is that even legal?

Hearing her say that, I could literally feel the soul leaving my body right now.

Seeing as I was shaken by that revelation, the clan leader quickly said, “Don’t worry, I can’t bear to eat you, at least not before I have my way with you.”

“…and when would that be?” At times like this, stalling would probably be for the best.

However, she didn’t answer me directly, instead continuing to play this game of cat-and-mouse with me. “Who knows.”

That’s it! I’ve had it with this woman!

In order to break free from this evil lady, I immediately lit my body on fire with my Nether Flames. As expected, my Nether Flames was something even she couldn’t handle directly. The moment she came into contact with a single mote of flame, she immediately pushed me away. Unfortunately for her, it was already too late. Her body had come into contact with my own.

Not only did the Nether Flames start to burn that Dark Elf, the threads binding me began to burn as well. A second after she pushed me over, I flapped my wings to stabilise myself quickly, then quickly beat a hasty retreat before she could capture me again.

“Nether Flames?!” Not at all interested in my retreat, the clan leader looked down at the Nether Flames burning her body and paused in shock. She did not expect a Four-star like me to actually be able to handle such a fearsome power.

Yet just when I thought that she was going to be burnt to a crisp, the clan leader casually waved her hands and the flames were instantly put out. In fact, it seemed like even her clothes were damaged by the flames…

“They are indeed Nether Flames, it’s just too bad that your level is too low for them to show their true power.” She gave me an interested look. “Dear, how about you just quietly come along, I promise I won’t eat you.”

“How about you just shove it.”

“Shove it?” While she might not have understood what those words were supposed to mean together, but she had this strange feeling that she had just been insulted. Her face immediately darkened. “If I can capture you once, I can capture you twice. Stop being so naughty and just come along quietly.”

“You want to capture me again? I’m afraid it won’t be so easy this time.”