At this critical juncture, the scar-faced man had no way to retreat.
After exchanging a look with his accomplices, several of them quickly rushed forward, attempting to flank the archer from both sides.
However, their plan did not go as expected. The archer simply performed a graceful leap, easily evading their combined attack, and even managed to knock two of them away while dodging.
The scar-faced man's strike missed, and he immediately turned around, letting out a loud shout as he followed up. But before he could swing his weapon, someone struck his wrist with precise palm strike.
He felt a sudden numbness in his palm, and he could no longer hold his weapon. It spun out of his hand and flew away, but his other hand managed to snag the edge of the archer's cloak.
At the moment the scar-faced man was kicked away, the cloak that had been tightly wrapping the archer let out a sharp rip, tearing into two halves.
As the dark grey cloak was shredded, a cascade of brown hair spilled out like a waterfall.
Beneath the scattered locks, a face of exquisite beauty was revealed—one that defied ordinary description. A pair of pale blue pupils reflected the light, shining with a bright and profound depth.
Below that flawless face was a perfect figure clad in dark green, form-fitting leather armor.
Whether it was her slender and athletic physique or the smooth lines visible beneath her clothing, everything highlighted her exquisite skill and formidable power as an archer.
Seeing that her identity could no longer be hidden, the young archer let out a soft sigh. Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, she gathered the long brown hair trailing down her back and tied it into a neat ponytail.
This incredibly elegant movement not only revealed her snow-white neck and shoulders, which looked like a work of art, but also unexpectedly revealed a pair of long, pointed ears.
Once the girl revealed her identity, the restaurant, which had grown somewhat quiet, immediately erupted into a flurry of whispers.
“That person is an elf?! And a girl?!” Po Kong stared downstairs in surprise. He had been getting bored watching the battle turn one-sided, but now he stood up abruptly.
After sensing the commotion around her, the girl let out a pleasant, soft hum, and her gaze swept across the few opponents still standing.
Having discarded her cloak, she no longer bothered with disguises. The aura that suddenly erupted from her was like a dazzling light illuminating the entire tavern.
“She's strong! Looking at the quality of her battle qi... she might not be any weaker than Po Kong,” Starlight noted seriously, observing the girl's stance.
Her eagle-sharp eyes seemed to possess the power to pierce through her opponents' souls, causing them to show fear for the first time.
“Do you still want to fight? I won't be holding back anymore!”
The elf girl's clear voice echoed through the hotel lobby. Though her tone should have been as smooth and pleasant as silk, it sounded exceptionally grating to her opponents.
After just a few seconds, one of them could no longer withstand the pressure of her aura. He frantically dropped his weapon and rushed out of the restaurant without looking back.
This man's actions acted like a switch for their terror. The remaining men who could still stand also dropped their gear and fled, not even bothering with their companions groaning on the ground.
Seeing that her enemies had lost their will to fight, the elf girl let out a sigh of relief. The sharp aura around her slowly dissipated, and a faint smile blossomed on her beautiful face.
At the very moment the elf girl relaxed, the scar-faced man, who had been lying on the ground, used his body to slowly prop himself up, a sinister smile appearing on his face.
Starlight and Po Kong on the second floor noticed a flash of white light at his waist almost simultaneously. A sharp dagger appeared in his hand instantly, and he threw it at a very tricky angle toward the elf girl's blind spot.
“Watch out!” Before Starlight could finish his warning, Po Kong’s figure blurred. He leaped down from the second floor and intercepted the dagger's path.
With a crisp clink, the dagger the scar-faced man had thrown in spite was caught firmly in Po Kong's palm, without even scratching his skin.
“I say, you relaxed a bit too quickly...” Po Kong glanced at the dagger in his hand, then reached out toward the girl, wanting to say something more.
However, the elf girl was startled by Po Kong's sudden appearance. As soon as she turned around, she saw his large hand clutching a dagger reaching toward her, and she instinctively lashed out with a roundhouse kick.
It was important to remember that the enhancement magic on her had not yet worn off. The power of this seemingly ordinary kick was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Caught off guard, Po Kong was sent flying several meters by the girl's kick, only stopping when he crashed into a wall.
“Damn! That hurts! Are you for real?!”
Even with Po Kong’s thick skin and sturdy build, the blow left him breathless since he hadn't used battle qi for protection. He clutched his stinging abdomen and looked at the girl, who remained standing where she was, watching him with a wary gaze.
He had come down out of good intentions to help, only to be kicked for no reason. Having already drunk quite a bit of alcohol, this kick sparked his temper.
“I'm not like those softies you can just push around!” Po Kong growled, pulling himself out of the cracked wall and stroking toward the girl.
Although he didn't show any killing intent, his face was slightly flushed from the alcohol, and the pain caused his features to twist, making him look quite fierce—far from the image of a 'good guy.'
His actions alarmed the girl even further. Instead of thanking him, she treated him as an accomplice of the scar-faced man and attacked directly.
“I—!” Before Po Kong could explain, the girl's fist was already in front of him. The heat radiating from her punch brushed past the tip of his nose, instantly clearing much of his drunken haze.
Facing the girl's fierce assault, Po Kong had to focus and show his true skill.
Seeing that communication was impossible, he simply stopped talking. His entire body was covered in pale yellow battle qi as he began to block the girl's attacks.
In stark contrast to the previous one-sided slaughter, the two exchanged over a dozen moves in an instant. The aftershocks from their clashing battle qi even caused cracks to appear in the restaurant's glass windows.
While the elf girl had seemed at ease dealing with those thugs, she seemed to be running out of steam against Po Kong. After all, she was an archer specialized in long-range combat.
She grew more alarmed the more they fought. The earth-element battle qi on the man before her was incredibly solid, incomparable to those rookies from before. She couldn't even break through his defense with her bare hands and feet.
“How did these two end up fighting after just one sentence? Is it really necessary?”
By now, Starlight had walked down the stairs. Watching the two fighting in the lobby, he felt utterly speechless.
However, he didn't intervene. He even took a moment to freeze the scar-faced man, who had just stood up, to prevent him from causing more trouble.
He could see that Po Kong was intentionally holding back, remaining in a defensive state throughout the fight while letting the girl attack him. Po Kong even had a hint of admiration on his face, as if he were enjoying the rhythm of the battle.
The girl's companion also simply watched from the side, showing no signs of worry at all.
“Have you had enough? If this keeps up, you'll destroy the shop. If you haven't vented enough, I can go outside and fight you!” Po Kong said while blocking the elf girl's fists.
No matter how slow the girl was, she had realized something was wrong by now. The man in front of her didn't seem like an enemy, and her attacks slowed down.
But at Po Kong's words, a blush of embarrassment rose to her face. As if offended, she used all her strength to throw a punch at Po Kong's face.
At that exact moment, the enhancement magic on the girl finally wore off. Failing to control her momentum, she stumbled and fell toward Po Kong.
Po Kong, who had intended to reach out and block the attack, happened to open his arms wide, catching the elf girl as she lost her balance.
Po Kong felt as if he had been hit by a bundle of soft cotton, and he instinctively hugged the girl to steady her. The elastic sensation instantly turned Po Kong's face bright red, and he looked completely flustered.
The elf girl, now fully conscious of the situation, tried to break free, only to find that Po Kong's hands were like iron pincers, firmly holding her arms. She couldn't escape at all.
Rate on N.U.
