BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Erik tracked Vania's movements as she circled above him. Her speed remained incredible, but Erik wasn't as hopeless as he was earlier, when he couldn't even get closer to her.

After absorbing the mana from countless deaths below, his dexterity grew to levels that let him follow her blurred form, which also meant he could fight melee. Though it would be plain suicide, since she was still stronger and faster than him.

"I see you now."

He dodged a spectral chain that shot past his shoulder, missing by meters rather than centimeters.

<Progress.>

The battlefield below was still a huge clusterfuck because of the battle between his undead and the thaids. The Blackguards no longer existed as a fighting force. Only Erik, Vania, and the monsters remained.

Erik launched an attack, firing thousands of extremely powerful wind blades at her. Most missed, but one grazed Vania's leg, drawing a thin line of blood that closed soon after.

The First Division Commander growled and hurled more chains. Erik, not without difficulties, used telekinesis to avoid them.

[Your reaction speed increased,] the biological supercomputer said. [Keep it up. Every level-up increases our chances.]

<Telling me what I already know isn't helpful,> Erik said.

[I was trying to cheer you up!]

Vania lunged, her clawed hands reaching out. Erik made a barrier that shattered under her attack, as incredible as it was, but it slowed her enough for him to retreat to a safe distance. He was able to see her more clearly, but that didn't mean he could escape as easily.

In the meantime, the battle kept claiming the thaids' lives.

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.]

Erik felt the surge of energy as more thaids died below. He immediately allocated the new points to dexterity.

<How many now?>

[1112 dexterity points.]

He saw Vania's movements were clearer now.

<She is following some movement and attack patterns…>

He couldn't see it earlier because of her speed, but it was undoubtedly there. Vania might have lost reason, but it was clear her skills and battle instincts were still there.

Her spectral chains followed weird trajectories, and her physical strikes favored certain angles. But Erik recognized the patterns. The patterns were from the Kyokar fighting style, which he also practiced.

Erik started his offensive. Vania continued to be a challenging opponent. He created ice spears from the moisture in the air and fired them at Vania.

She evaded most, but one pierced her shoulder—or, better, the blood armor on her shoulder, going through it and ending up in her bone one. Her flesh hadn't been pierced, but she got mad nonetheless, and to protect herself from that attack, she used a fuckton of mana.

She howled, even scaring some of the thaids. Instead of retreating, she became more ferocious.

[Be careful… she didn't like that…]

Erik created a ring of fire around himself, then expanded it outward in a wave. Vania leapt over it, but he shifted the flames upward, creating a column that singed her legs.

The blood around her legs thickened, and so did the bone plates she conjured, which grew in size. Erik's attack, though, killed more thaids. Erik absorbed their mana, pushing his dexterity higher.

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[Hostile creature killed: Mana-absorbing process starting.]

[LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.]

[LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.] [LEVEL UP.]

[1162 now. You surpassed her strength,] the system said. [It won't give you that much difference, but for sure you can see what she does now.]

Again, Erik could only avoid her attacks because of his powers and mana. If he had had to rely on strength alone, he would have been dead a few seconds after the battle started.

Vania attacked again, but her movements lacked deadliness. Pain clouded what remained of her judgment, making her attacks predictable.

<I think I know what I have to do.> It would have been impossible before, but now it was.

Vania created more spectral chains, dozens of them, trying to trap Erik.

He went through them and countered with elemental attacks, alternating between fire, ice, and lightning. One lightning bolt struck Vania's blood armor and reached her. The lightning bolt caused her body to convulse. It only lasted for a second. Her blood armor conducted the electricity away from her body, absorbing the damage, but some still reached her flesh, so she wasn't unscathed.

Erik pressed his advantage, creating stone spikes that shot toward her from multiple directions. Two struck her body, one piercing her thigh and another grazing her arm.

[She is almost there,] the system said. [Keep varying your attacks to prevent adaptation, and once she lunges at you, get ready to trap and kill her. You've got more dexterity than you expected; you should be able to do this without risks.]

<I can still get mauled if I don't pay attention.>

[Then do it.]

The battle shifted as their combat drifted toward the ground. Thaids scattered from their path, avoiding the destructive energy radiating from the two fighters. Not all of them, though, as many got killed by the devastating flashes of powers.

However, the thaids below weren't weak, and some of them survived.

[You need to be fast. I can sense a giant mass of mana heading in this direction.]

<A thaid?>

[Most likely, but this one needs your complete focus to kill it…]

<It's on par with Vania, or is it worse?>

[More or less on par…]

<Then I have to move…>

Vania landed on a ridge. Erik kept his distance, hovering just beyond her reach. He created a massive water sphere above her position, then flash-froze it into ice. The massive ice boulder dropped toward her with crushing force.

She dodged at the last second, but the impact shattered the ridge and sent shockwaves through the ground. The vibrations disrupted her footing, giving Erik another opportunity and killing more thaids.

The landscape continued to transform under their battle. What remained of the forest became further distorted.

Vania launched herself at Erik again, her body a blur even with his enhanced perception.

[BE CAREFUL!]