18 Chapter 18 - What the hell?

Zefer could sense something different about Alex. The shimmer cloak of flames that seemed to coat his body and the fiery aura around his blade was one thing, but that look in his eyes was another. Zefer's heart began to beat rapidly with excitement.

It wasn't the same kind of thrill he had previously with Karin, but more so a different kind of excitement. He couldn't quite put it into words, but he was sure it had to do with the fact that someone wasn't looking down on him. His eyes shifted towards his portrait to check his status. Besides missing a quarter of his Rune Energy bar, he was good to go. A smirk curved across his lips at the thought of fighting someone who wasn't looking down upon him.

Zefer weighed his options on what he could do. He could dash in for a physical attack, but he didn't see himself getting far. He had no martial talent after all, and even if he had a skill that allowed him to learn basic hand-to-hand combat, it didn't mean he was anywhere near Alex's level.

Then there was his ranged option. He had [Runic Bolt] and [Runic Barrage], both were powerful attacks, but he didn't want to rely on them. He was trying to figure out what allowed him to Learn and Acquire skills. What requirements were needed, and what did he need to do to meet them.

Of course, there was always his [Runic Lance]. It looked powerful and would do well with a physical confrontation; however, he didn't know how to properly use it aside from thrusting it or swinging it aimlessly. He did think that there was a chance that he could Acquire or Learn a skillset for the lance similar to his basic hand-to-hand combat.

Lastly, there was his option of learning or acquiring a skill for Acrobatics. He could stick to his original plan to make use of the desks around him. Although part of him believed that wouldn't be enough to defeat Alex. He wasn't trying to lose either since he needed the Coins. Interestingly Alex had [1000 Coins].

Zefer, on the other hand, had [1008 Coins]. If he won this battle, he would be up to double the amount, allowing him to buy food for once. Even if he had plans to destroy this city, he needed the money since money made the world prosper. Without money, he would get nowhere, and achieving his goals would be more problematic.

Zefer took a deep breath before deciding to use his [Runic Lance]. Dark Purple and Neon blue energy began to swirl around the palm of his hands then take the shape of a long lance that held the appearance of power. Zefer didn't know any proper stances, so he went with what felt more comfortable. Then, he released his breath and dashed forward, thrusting the lance towards Alex.

Alex had been observing Zefer the entire time, there were so many openings that Zefer had, but something told him not to take them. So, he kept his stance. Then he saw Zefer create a weapon from some abnormal energy. "What is that?" Alex thought to himself but kept his wits about him. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He knew his opponent was unique; therefore, he needed to be on guard.

Alex didn't panic when Zefer rushed him with the lance, but he was surprised by the action since he didn't think it was something that Zefer would do. Alex decided to parry the lance, stepping forward to guard against the tip and push it to the side.

As the thin blade of the rapier and the lance clashed, the two energies released a powerful flare. A look of shock was one thing Alex expressed, followed by confusion since he found it more difficult than he initially thought it would be to deflect the lance.

Alex needed to find some way to retreat, but before he could, Zefer gripped the hilt of the lance with both hands and changed the direction to a swipe as if he were swinging the lance as if it were a bat. This crude maneuver threw Alex off guard and disrupted his posture. Zefer used this opportunity to land an attack.

Sadly, Zefer needed to release the lance since it would get in his way. So, he did just that, and as he dismissed the weapon, it vanished like that of a dying flame, leaving only a soft mist. Zefer dashed forward, ready to sock Alex in the gut, and he did.

However, Alex decided to try and land an attack as well. With a flick of his wrist, he turned the tip of the blade towards Zefer's shoulder, and with an arm movement, he cut Zefer on the shoulder as Zefer hit his gut. Alex stumbled back with a grunt from his pain, while Zefer winced since he felt a searing pain.

Ding!

[Burn Resistance Learned!]

He placed a hand on his shoulder and clenched his teeth tightly. "So that's how it is..." Zefer thought to himself since he seemed to get some form of information on how Learning or Acquiring skills happened.

Everyone watching neither cheered nor degraded anyone. Everyone was in awe of the sudden exchange. It was brief, but everyone could feel the power behind the trade. It was evident that Zefer was no longer a zero considering what they saw.

"That punch... is that his true power?" Alex thought to himself as he held his gut. The below was unrefined, animalistic even, showing that Zefer indeed had no martial skill or talent; however, there was weight behind it. It was raw power, unrefined raw power. Alex only needed this one exchange to know that if Zefer trained adequately, he would be a force to be reckoned with. This information was why his instincts told him not to approach Zefer's blind spots so quickly. Since if he didn't take this seriously, he was bound to be knocked out in seconds.

Zefer decided to apply a [Runic Shield] along his body, which gave his body a soft dark purple and neon blue glow as if he were wearing a second skin. As he did, he charged Alex once more, layered his fist with rune energy this time. Using his [Runic Layering] allowed him to do x2 damage.

Alex sidestepped a punch from Zefer, then swiped his blade for Zefer's arm. Zefer decided to use his other hand to take hold of the edge, which Alex thought he would not do. "Again!?" Alex exclaimed internally since this was the second time Zefer grabbed his weapon.

Unlike last time, the shielding protected his hand, so he didn't receive any damage, not even from the flames. Although, he could feel the heat building up, showing he wasn't immune to fire. It was more like placing one's hand on a hot surface, waiting as the heat built up to the point where a burn would apply.

Zefer brought the blade away by yanking it only to use his other hand to punch Alex in the gut a couple of times before socking him in the face and releasing the rapier as not to be burned by the flames that were building up their burn.

Alex stumbled back after some groans of pain and looked up to see Zefer was charging him once again. "Just what the hell is going on!?" Alex thought to himself since his flames didn't seem to affect Zefer. His flames should have burned Zefer's fists and hand. The flames around his sword were not some meek flame. They burned a scar on Zefer's shoulder moments ago, but now it was like they had no effect.

Alex quickly sidestepped Zefer's attack once more, but instead of countering with his sword, he quick-stepped past Zefer only to slam his elbow into the back of Zefer's head to push him forward. Afterward, he turned on his heel with a pivot and quickly slashed at Zefer's back three times before backstepping to great a distance.

Zefer stumbled forward from the sudden attack to the back of his head, and just before he could turn around, he was cut thrice. If it weren't for his shielding, he would have been deeply wounded and burned, but he wasn't. Sadly, he needed to cancel out [Rune Layering] since he didn't want to consume too much Rune Energy. As for [Rune Shielding], it ended just now, meaning the dark purple and neon blue aura around his body dissipated.

Alex could see that the aura around him was gone, but he couldn't attack right now, even if he wanted to. He was still feeling the pain from his stomach and cheek. In fact, it was a miracle he was even able to pull off what he just did since his vision was hazy. "Those punches... were more powerful than the previous ones... what the hell is going on!?" Alex thought to himself. He wanted to find out Zefer's strength. He wanted to know if Zefer was holding back this entire time.

However, it was more like Zefer suddenly obtained raw, unrefined power. His respect for Zefer did not waver from this knowledge, but rather, he became more interested in Zefer. He wanted to find out where Zefer gained this power, what he would do with this power, and most importantly of all, how far this power would take him.

Yet, just as he was about to take another step forward, his vision went black. He released his blade and collapsed onto the ground. The battle was over with Zefer as the winner.

Ding!

[Level up!]