A Sense of Familiarity

After a brief, dead silence, the horse bandits woke up as if from a dream.

Their leader, Nathan, a Silver Rank powerhouse who was like an undefeated god of war in their hearts, had actually been forced to use a forbidden secret technique to pursue that young swordsman with all his might. The shock brought by this scene was far more violent than seeing Valentine slain.

An indescribable panic swept through the remaining bandits like a freezing tide.

“Boss... Boss, he...”

“Even the leader was pushed to that extent...”

Amidst the whispers, the remaining horse bandits began to retreat in unison.

Clenching their weapons, they swept their suspicious and uneasy gazes across the seemingly battered but still standing defensive carriage line opposite them, especially toward the guards and adventurers who stood ready. Who knew if there was a second monster like Matthew hiding among them?

At first, their steps in retreat were somewhat hesitant, but as the distance widened, fear completely overwhelmed their greed. They were no longer retreating for the sake of plundering; it was more like they were fleeing this dangerous vortex that had swallowed their two major leaders in an instant.

Soon, these panicked horse bandits retreated in unison to the very rear of their formation, gathering around the yellow-haired youth, the only core figure who still remained in place.

The bandits did not know the yellow-haired youth's exact identity either; he had only arrived among them a few days ago. However, several of them had personally witnessed their leader, Nathan, conversing with him side-by-side, showing a level of respect that bordered on equality. A figure whom Nathan treated in such a manner was surely no ordinary person, and his strength and status were likely not below their leader's.

Thus, centering themselves around the yellow-haired youth, they re-formed a loose defensive formation, warily keeping their distance from the caravan. The air was thick with fear, confusion, and an anxious wait for the unknown.

A strange vacuum formed in the center of the battlefield. On one side were the panicked remnants of the horse bandits, barely gathered around the yellow-haired youth; on the other side were the members of the caravan, who, despite suffering significant casualties, had high morale as they relied on their carriage line.

The two sides faced off in silence across the blood-stained grass and scattered debris. The fierce shouting of battle was replaced by a tense quiet, broken only by the howling wind and the suppressed groans of the wounded.

On the carriage, Regg took all of this in.

His gaze lingered particularly long on the yellow-haired youth. The youth's yellow hair and facial features gave him an involuntary sense of familiarity. In the Kingdom of Cher, yellow hair had always been a hallmark of nobility, while black hair mostly belonged to commoners.

Of course, many nobles had fallen into ruin and ended up in the countryside, so yellow hair was not an absolute symbol of status. But the facial features of the person before him...

Regg's brow furrowed slightly. A strong sense of familiarity welled up in his heart, leaving him momentarily unable to make a decision.

Precisely because of this momentary hesitation, the entire battlefield fell into a stalemate, with no one daring to make a rash move.

...

Meanwhile, Matthew galloped ahead on his horse with Nathan hot on his heels, the two of them kicking up two trails of dust across the open grassland. Nathan's speed was astonishingly fast; running on foot, he was actually quicker than a horse's initial acceleration. Within a few short seconds, the figure enveloped in a bloody red glow had already closed in behind Matthew.

Warning bells blared in Matthew's mind. He knew that focusing solely on fleeing would instead expose a weakness.

Steeling his resolve, he violently pulled the reins, leaped sideways off the horse, and reached his right hand toward his waist at the same time—Dawn unsheathed with a clear ring.

Almost the exact instant the blade completely cleared the scabbard, the combat technique 【Feathering】 within his body suddenly activated.

A light yet surging power welled up from his limbs and bones. His Perception instantly became incredibly clear, and his body felt as though it had shed all excess weight, making his every movement more than a notch faster. A faint light seemed to swirl in the depths of his eyes, and his aura became deep and steady.

Neither of them wasted a single word.

Nathan, his eyes already bloodshot, charged in with murderous fury.

His scimitar, wrapped in a thick, searing red glow, chopped down toward Matthew's head like a stream of blood!

Matthew slightly turned his body. Dawn swept upward diagonally, its blade precisely meeting the incoming edge.

“Clang—!”

The sharp screech of clashing metal erupted, sparks flying in all directions.

A massive force, far exceeding his expectations, surged from the blade. It jarred Matthew's arm until it went numb, forcing him to take half a step back.

His heart chilled. The strength Nathan possessed after burning his blood and qi was far more formidable than that of the Beast Whisperer, Valentine. Moreover, his blade strikes were fierce and sharp, each blow carrying merciless intent to kill.

Having gained the upper hand with one strike, Nathan did not pause for a moment. His scimitar transformed into a continuous flurry of bloody blade afterimages, slashing rapidly from different angles.

Matthew focused his mind to cope. In his 【Feathering】 state, the trajectory of the opponent's blade was clearly discernible. Whether parrying or dodging, his sword light wove into a dense net, barely managing to neutralize the onslaught step by step.

Yet, even if he could see it clearly, the existing gap in their realms was widened further under the enhancement of Nathan's blood-burning secret technique.

Although the sharp Perception brought by 【Feathering】 allowed him to clearly capture every single trace of the blade's trajectory, the terrifying force carried by the edge was entirely real. With every parry, the violent recoil left Matthew's arm numb, causing the blood and qi in his internal organs to churn.

【Basic Swordsmanship +1】【Basic Swordsmanship +1】...

【Melting Slash +1】【Melting Slash +1】...

【White Snake Breathing Technique +1】【White Snake Breathing Technique +1】...

Looking at the prompts constantly popping up before him, there was no joy in his heart. Instead, his thoughts raced:

“As expected, fighting against stronger opponents increases proficiency faster, but the danger is equally profound.”

“Nathan's current strength is far from what that demonized goat demon could compare to. If the goat demon was at the mid Silver Rank, then the current Nathan is probably close to the late stage or even the peak!”

The battle was critical, and Matthew's mind spun rapidly:

“If he can still use that combat technique that severely injured Porter, I'm afraid I won't be able to withstand it head-on... Even with the 【Oath Ring】, I might not be able to completely block it.”

“I must strike first!”

“Do I have to use another spell ambush like I did against the goat demon?”

But he immediately dismissed the idea.

“No... Nathan is strong-willed and highly experienced in combat. He won't be distracted by a few words like ordinary opponents. Actively casting it might not only fail to work, but it would also expose my trump card.”

“I'll take it one step at a time...”

At this thought, Matthew's gaze focused, and he suppressed all stray thoughts.

Relying on the ultimate Perception granted by 【Feathering】, he concentrated all his focus on his opponent's blade momentum.

He no longer clashed head-on, choosing instead to use agile footwork and exquisite sword moves to parry, redirect force, and dodge. He did everything he could to stall, waiting for the moment when Nathan's secret technique backlashed and his energy was exhausted.

At the same time, waves of shock also surged in Nathan's heart.

He had originally thought that this youth's outstanding archery and close combat were only effective because Valentine had been careless. He never expected his swordsmanship to be so superb.

Matthew's strength and speed were clearly inferior to his own, yet the force-deflection techniques between his sword moves were exceptionally exquisite. With every clash of blade and sword, a significant portion of the force was always cleverly redirected, failing to land solidly.

“I can't drag this out any longer...”

Nathan could clearly feel that although the blood-burning secret technique had violently boosted his strength, the backlash was already faintly starting to manifest. He did not have much time left.

He had to find a weakness as quickly as possible. Even if he couldn't kill him in one blow, he had to severely wound him. Otherwise, once his own strength was exhausted, the battle would be completely reversed.

With his thoughts settled, Nathan's blade strikes became increasingly ferocious, each blow carrying a murderous intent that spared no expense, seeking to force a crack in Matthew's defense amidst his tempestuous assault.