The forest outside the cave had transford into a hellscape of shattered trees and scorched earth. Levi erged from the cave entrance like a crimson god of destruction, his three-ter tall form radiating waves of visible power that distorted the air around him.
Each step he took crack the ground bath his feet as crimson lightning erupted, striking the ground around him.
Seraphina had managed to pull herself from the tree hee body was stuck in.
Her scales were cracked in multiple places, revealing white bones underneath.
One of her wings was twisted at an awkward angle, it was clearly broken.
Dark blood spilled out from nurous wounds across her body as she gasped heavily and intensely.
The confidence that had filled her expression earlier was completely gone, replaced by genuine fear.
She tried to back away, her serpentine lower body coiling and uncoiling as she attempted to create distance, but her movents were slightly slow and sluggish.
The damage from that single punch had been insane, far worse than she had initially realized.
Several of her ribs were broken, and there was even internal damage to her vital organs.
Levi didn’t even spare anyti to speak. His eyes was extrely cold and frightening. The little thief’s near-death experience had burned away any remaining hesitation in him.
Thunder erupted from underneath his feet as he blurred and then vanished.
"Crackle!"
With a thunder clap Levi suddenly appeared before her.
Seraphina eyes changed as her trembling hand rose up in defense.
Levi’s massive clawed hand shot forward with blinding speed, wrapping around her throat in a flash as she lifted her up as though she weighed nothing at all.
"Chk—"
Her face flushed and her eyes buldge out as Levi squeezed hard.
She kicked and thrashed, her tail moving with insane speed as it whiplashed as Levi’s body, but it was as though he could see through all her moves. He slapped the tail backwards with his free hand, shattering the bones within as it flopped down helplessly.
Her face flushed in pain as veins buldged out from underneath her body.
Levi brought her face closer as he stared at her choking and dying expression with a cold look.
"You don’t deserve an easy death."
However, he didn’t know if the Little Thief was doing well, he didn’t want to risk it. Therefore he planned on finishing her off quickly.
His other hand drew back, as his sharp claws extended even more.
Thunder crackled between his fingers as he poured enormous amount of Astra energy within his palm.
Suddenly a massive ball of lightning ford and it looked like he was holding a miniature thunderstorm in his palm!
"Crackle!"
He suddenly slapped his palm forward, crushing her head completely.
"CLANG!"
The sound of tal eting tal rang out through the forest as thunder dispersed through the surroundings!
Levi’s killing strike had been blocked. A sword glowing with a pale blue light, had materialized between his claws and Seraphina’s body, actually managing to withstand the attack easily!
The force of the attack sent Levi sliding backward several ters, his feet carving deep furrows in the ground as he stood.
"Who!?"
He released his grip on Seraphina, who collapsed to the ground in a gasping heap as he turned around with an angered expression.
A figure stepped out from behind a nearby tree, as he moved forward in a very relaxed manner with a casual expression on their face.
It was a young man who appeared to be around 17 or 18 years old, with sharp, handso features and short dark hair that was styled immaculately despite the chaos of the dinsional zone.
He wore the sa dark academy uniform as the other students.
Levi’s eyes furrowed slightly as he recognized who it was. He knew this person. Everyone in the academy knew this person.
This was Marcus Silvercrest, ranked fifth among all first-year students, possessing a B-rank Astra Soul and coming from one of the most prestigious families in the entire Federation.
He was one of the "untouchables," students whose talent and background placed them in a completely different tier from normal recruits.
But why was Marcus defending a dark cultivator. And more importantly, Levi could sense sothing off about his energy signature.
Marcus looked down at Seraphina with an expression of disgust, as though he had just discovered sothing particularly unpleasant on the bottom of his shoe. "Pathetic. The Ancient Ground of Dark Matter sends you to handle the academy’s geniuses, gives you a Berserk Dark Serum to ensure success, and you’re getting beaten by soone who isn’t even on our target list? Soone with an F-rank talent? Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?"
Seraphina’s face flushed an even deeper shade of purple.
She gritted her teeth and replied. "You have no idea how strong he is. He broke through in the middle of battle. His bloodline is also one of the top 1000 bloodline. I didn’t expect—"
"I don’t care about your excuses," Marcus harrumphed coldly. He turned his attention to Levi, and a cruel smile spread across his face. "So you’re the mysterious dark horse who sohow climbed to the top of the leaderboard. Levi Borne, the F-rank trash who everyone pitied. I have to admit, you’ve exceeded every expectation. That transformation of yours is quite impressive. What is it, an A-rank bloodline? Maybe even S-rank?"
Levi didn’t respond. His body remained tense, ready to move at any mont. He could feel Marcus was even stranger than Seraphina.
Marcus’s smile widened. "Nothing to say uhn? How disappointing. I was hoping for so spirited last words." He raised his sword, and pale blue energy began to swirl around the blade in intricate patterns. "Unlike Seraphina here, I won’t make the mistake of underestimating you. I’ll end this quickly and cleanly."
The energy signature radiating from Marcus suddenly surged like a tsunami, and Levi’s expression turned grim.
Marcus was actually a Rank 4 Super Soldier, which should have been impossible for a first-year student but this guy was insanely powerful.
"You’re also a dark cultivator, you sacrificed your future potential for temporary power."
Marcus laughed, a sound completely devoid of warmth. "Future potential? Please. The resources of the Ancient Ground of Dark Matter are infinite. Once we complete our mission here and return to headquarters, they’ll fix any damage to my foundation and elevate even higher. This is just a necessary step on the path to true power."
As he finished saying this, there was no warning as the air shrieked and exploded.
His speed was absolutely ridiculous, far beyond what should have been possible even for a Rank 4 Super Soldier. He crossed the thirty-ter distance between them in less than a blink, his sword already in motion as he sliced through Levi’s neck!
Levi’s eyes could barely track the movent, but his newly upgraded Thunder Step responded to his will. His reaction speed was pushed to its limit.
Crimson lightning erupted beneath his feet as he activated the technique at Level 9!
"Crackle!"
He phased to the left just as the sword passed through the space where his neck had been.
The displacent of air from the blade’s passage was so intense it actually cut several strands of his white mane!
But Marcus was already moving as the first one missed, his hand movent twisted as the sword reversed direction in a backhand slash that ca at Levi from an impossible angle.
This ti, Levi couldn’t dodge completely. He imdiately brought his cleaver up!
"Bang!"
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
Levi’s arm muscles buldged as it desperately tried to disperse the force.
In that instant, Levi was blasted backwards. Stomping his feet seven tis on the ground before he aaa able to stairs himself.
Marcus, by contrast, looked completely unbothered, as though he had rely swatted at an annoying insect.
"Not bad," Marcus comnted, his tone almost conversational. "You actually managed to block that. Most Genetic Soldiers would have lost their weapon from that exchange."
He moved again as he slashed his sword again and again and again.
Levi found himself completely on the defensive. Even with his Thunder Step at Level 9, he could only dodge about half of Marcus’s attacks.
The ones he couldn’t avoid, he was forced to parry with his cleaver, and each successful parry sent stabbing impacts up his arms that tore apart his arm blood vessels, writing with blood in his pores.
The difference in their combat power was painfully obvious.
The gap in power wasn’t sothing the technique alone could completely bridge.
"Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!"
The sound of tal eting tal rang out within the entire forest as sparks erupted.
Thunder crackled from within Levi’s body as he desperately defended himself.
Sweat began to form on his body, and his breathing grew slightly heavier.
He his astral energy had reduced to a re 20 percent and it was currently being burned through rapidly at an alarming rate trying as Levi tried to keep up with Marcus’s relentless assault.
Marcus suddenly sensed Levi’s reaction speed and agility slowed down by a fraction.
He didn’t hesitate and instantly raised his sword with both hands.
The playful, expression on his face changed as he erupted with killing intent.
"For you to have survived this long is my rcy, not by your power." He raised the sword above his head.
"But it ends here."
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