<h4>Chapter 169 ck Lance: Difference Between Spirit And Aura</h4>


    A banging sound marked the initiation of the final battle.


    Arthur practically flew across the battlefield, desperate to unleash his wrath–his true power–upon Gabriel and Feyright. No matter how powerful they were, it didn''t change the fact that they were merely on theirst legs.


    They would eventually perish, even if Arthur simply left them alone.


    ''But they''re the perfect test subjects for my new abilities,'' thought the crimson-eyed man as Skofnung collided with Gabriel''s cknce, causing crimson sparks to bounce off from the impact.


    The de of his sword slides off the cknce. Gabriel took the opportunity to thrust his spear forward, but Arthur simply sidestepped before recovering his stance. Gabriel clicked his tongue, motioning for Feyright to make a move.


    But thetter was two steps ahead.


    With a quick sh, golden light flooded from Feyright''s mana-crafted sword. Arthur was blinded for a split second before immediately deploying [Mana Sense], preserving his eyesight while heightening his senses further.


    "Your achievement is not without sufficient power to back it up," Feyrightmented, retracting his light sword. While Gabriel and Arthur exchanged blows rapidly, the head of the Lijkao Vige simply withdrew.


    Arthur didn''t respond. He continued to trade blows with Gabriel, which caused the air around them to distort. Both of them gritted their teeth, focusing solely on the trade-off with not another distraction in sight or mind.


    Feyright ced his thumb under his chin, narrowing his eyes as he observed Arthur''sbat style. It was quite abstract. Usually, yers pursued either of the two paths, but in Arthur''s case, it was vastly different.


    ''He has a ring talent for magic… then why is he pursuing swordsmanship?'' Feyright wondered.


    Arthur suddenly reached for Gabriel''s sleeve, preparing to unleash [Judgment Regeneration]. However, thetter summoned a tiny barrier, obstructing the former''s advance before generating a tremendous pushing force.


    Arthur stumbled but managed to maintain his bnce using [Ethereal Glide].


    ''Fuck…'' the crimson-eyed man muttered internally as he unintentionally stared at the tip of the cknce, which seemed to approach his eyes at a speed he could not evenprehend. When had he lost focus?


    How could Gabriel be so powerful on hisst breaths?


    Arthur circted mana across his body, savoring the cool sensation as the liquid-like energy traveled without obstructions. Within milliseconds, Arthur contemted whether to deploy a barrier or invest in movement.


    Eventually, he simply used [Mana Infusion] on Skofnung, swinging it horizontally to disrupt the cknce''s trajectory. Then, with a calcted risk, he closed the gap between him and Gabriel, extending his bare hand.


    "Pay attention to his hands, Gabriel," said Feyright vigntly, his pupilspletely dted.


    Gabriel nodded silently, summoning a powerful gust of wind in order to conjure momentum. Then, using it, Gabriel propelled himself to the side, avoiding Arthur''s touch by a hair''s breadth.


    ''He realized…'' Arthur cursed at himself for being so ringly obvious about his tactic. Gabriel probably hadn''t realized due to his sheer concentration on the battle, but Feyright was simply observing.


    His only job–currently–was to observe the battle.


    It''d only be unusual if he didn''t notice something amiss about Arthur''s fighting style.


    Moreover, the title ''Blood-Hand Feyright'' was not worthless.


    Red, orange, and ck aura burst from Skofnung, embracing the sword and the hand that clutched it. Gabriel and Feyright raised their eyebrows, utterly stupefied by the fact that a yer on the First Floor was harnessing such a power.


    ''That''s not Sword Aura…'' Feyright muttered internally, letting out an unintentionalugh of bewilderment. His eyes disyed a certain kind of craziness, while his fingers trembled in excitement.


    Arthur was powerful; incredibly so.


    He liked powerful people.


    With Sword Spirit coating Skofnung, Arthur thrust the Demonic de forward, splitting the air in front. With his eyes focused on his enemy and with an emotionless expression, Arthur tightened all his muscles.


    With the addition of Death Bones to his constitution, he needed not to be so cautious when engaging in battle. Even if he were injured, the injuries would not cause substantial damage. At least, not if the injury was caused by a dying man.


    Then again, [Judgment Regeneration] would require a higher amount of mana to heal his ''stronger'' body.


    All things came at a cost.


    There was no free lunch.


    Gabriel smirked, unleashing dark energy that oozed from his cknce. It seemed to camouge with the metal, masking the sheer intensity at which it sizzled. It was like ckva–hot.


    ''The real Sword Aura,''mented Arthur internally, clicking his tongue. A single strike would render him dead, and a single touch would slice his skin to bits. ''The old man hasn''tpletely lost his touch.''


    Skofnung was easily parried by Gabriel''s dark Sword Aura, its tip piercing the soil beneath.


    Arthur twirled his body, bncing on his sword to avoid Gabriel''s strike, which came in session. The crimson-eyed man extended his leg, catching thetter off-guard by digging his foot into his sternum.


    Gabriel was stunned and gasped for air. His grip on the cknce loosened, and Arthur took advantage.


    ng! Thud!


    As thence collided with the ground, Arthur thrust Skofnung forward. The logical choice in such a situation would have been to use the Blessing of the Sun, as he could pull off a ranged attack without much time in preparation.


    However, the fusion was still notplete.


    With a stronger constitution, he could attempt again. But as of yet, he was still unable to disy the entirety of his power.


    Gabriel''s pupils dted, and his irises narrowed. He suppressed a scream, watching as the tip of the Demonic de approached his general direction at terrifying speeds. He was powerless to resist.


    Arthur''s fair face suddenly seemed to resemble that of a devil, with a demented smile and sadistic, crimson eyes.


    All sounds were drowned out by the sheer adrenaline that coursed across Gabriel''s veins.


    Fear corroded his body, and the threat of death approached.


    Although he''d sumbed to it long ago, it was as if the fear had been reignited.


    He shut his eyes.


    But at that moment…


    Boom!