123: The mighty El (4000 words)

"Hiss~"

High up on a thick tree, a pair of dark, bloodthirsty vertical pupils stared intently at two young men steadily walking not far away.

Its body color blended perfectly with the tree, and it occasionally let out a sharp 'hiss' as it flicked its tongue.

"Aier, have you killed too many? Are they afraid to come now?"

Looking at Aier in front of him, Anthony asked casually.

After spending half a day together, he found that Aier was not inherently cold; his maturity and composure simply made him less talkative.

Aier replied in a deep voice, "It's not that I killed too many; it's that they all enjoyed running into my sword."

"Uh, that's certainly a strange way to put it."

Anthony gave an awkward laugh, then said admiringly, "Based on the number of Magical Beasts and regular beasts you've killed so far, you definitely deserve the top spot."

"Adding in what others have killed, I doubt there are many Magical Beasts or regular beasts left in the Ironthorn Forest."

"Perhaps."

Although Aier spoke casually, he was actually very concerned about his ranking in this assessment.

He remembered clearly: since the assessment began, three Magical Beasts and fifteen regular beasts had died by his sword.

However, he felt this wasn't enough to secure first place, and since all three Magical Beasts were only equivalent to Bronze Rank 1 strength, it didn't truly prove his power.

To be worthy of the title of the top newly selected Knight, he had to kill some higher-ranked Magical Beasts.

This was not only for the generous rewards but, more importantly, to gain Lister's recognition; otherwise, he would fail to repay Lister's kindness in nurturing him.

Since he became an Apprentice Knight, his mother and sisters had been overjoyed. His mother felt pride, glory, and relief, while his sisters felt infinite adoration.

Every time they met, his mother would talk about Lister's great favor to their family, urging him to be absolutely loyal to Lister and train hard as repayment.

He felt the same way, which was why he trained desperately. Even though his talent was excellent, he never became arrogant because of it.

While he was thinking, a strong sense of crisis suddenly arose in his consciousness.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Accompanied by a piercing sound of rushing air, he quickly turned his head and shouted, "Anthony, look out!"

Although Anthony was not as strong as Aier, he was still an Apprentice Knight.

The moment he heard Aier's warning, he immediately rolled backward, avoiding the direction from which the sound of rushing air originated.

The next moment, under their astonished gaze, a huge python, appearing from nowhere in mid-air, zipped past between the two of them.

Bang!

Only when the python crashed to the ground did the two clearly see its full appearance.

Color-Changing Python!

A serpentine Magical Beast capable of freely changing its body color to blend with natural objects.

"Its strength is roughly equivalent to Bronze Rank 2!"

With just a glance, Aier used his powerful sensing ability to determine its approximate strength.

Anthony, who had just dodged a deadly strike and stood up, was angry about the Color-Changing Python's sneak attack, but felt mostly lingering fear.

If Aier’s warning or his own movement had been even a moment slower, he would definitely be decapitated by now.

The Color-Changing Python, having stabilized itself, showed a hint of rage in its vertical pupils over the failed ambush.

It had intended to kill one first, and then deal with the other.

This would not only increase its odds of victory but also reduce the likelihood of injury during the fight, but it had underestimated Aier's powerful sensing ability.

"Hiss~"

Without giving the two men a chance to breathe, accompanied by the piercing sound of its tongue flicking, it twisted its thick, long body and charged towards them again.

"Anthony, I'll handle the distraction. You look for a chance to attack the weak points on its body."

Speaking quickly, Aier gripped his longsword and moved to meet the Color-Changing Python.

Seeing that he dared to charge at it alone, the Color-Changing Python felt no anger; instead, its eyes showed delight.

If it could kill one of them in a one-on-one fight first, it would greatly reduce its chances of being injured.

This was something all Magical Beasts and regular beasts naturally cared deeply about.

After all, the wilderness environment was perilous every day, and even a slight injury could lead to being targeted by other Magical Beasts or regular beasts.

Therefore, they absolutely would not engage in life-and-death battles unless absolutely necessary.

Aier was also well aware of its concerns.

Because his family was poor, he had hunted on the outskirts of the Ironthorn Forest since childhood, and he understood the psychology of these beasts very well.

However, if the Color-Changing Python thought it could easily take him down one-on-one, it was gravely mistaken.

He was merely Bronze Rank 1, but that didn't mean his strength was limited to Bronze Rank 1.

Looking at the Color-Changing Python, which was now less than ten meters away, Aier forcefully pushed off with his legs, leaping high onto the python's head.

The longsword in his hand, like a chef's knife, sliced smoothly across its back.

Although it seemed like he hadn't used much force, a long, thin wound was forcibly cut open.

"Hiss-Roar!"

The pain of its flesh splitting caused the Color-Changing Python to roar out, and its rapidly twisting body suddenly slowed down considerably.

Aier, whose front foot had just landed, kicked off forcefully again, charging towards the Color-Changing Python.

Although its back was currently exposed to Aier, it still felt an intense sense of danger.

Subconsciously, it swung its massive snake tail, slamming it towards Aier behind it.

However, Aier had anticipated this. While charging vigorously, he instantly mobilized a large amount of Dou Qi Energy within his body, concentrating it onto the sword blade.

With a 'swoosh,' a sharp cold light flashed, and the Color-Changing Python's huge snake tail was severed directly by the longsword as easily as cutting tofu.

The powerful Dou Qi Energy, like ants, began frantically tearing at the large expanse of flesh and blood exposed to the air.

The pain caused the Color-Changing Python to violently thrash and roll on the ground.

Seeing this, Aier shouted loudly, "Now! Anthony, attack its weak spot together!"

Anthony, who had been waiting on the side for a long time, was already prepared to strike.

The moment he heard Aier's call, he rushed forward like a magic projectile, hacking fiercely towards the Color-Changing Python's neck.

Aier, meanwhile, leaped into the air, gripping the sword hilt with both hands, aiming for the seven-inch spot (vital point) on the Color-Changing Python, and stabbed straight down, utilizing the inertia of his descent.

Swish! Pfft!

Accompanied by the sounds of the longsword cutting through flesh and blood spurting out, the Color-Changing Python convulsed violently a few times before collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.

"Haha, Aier, we actually managed to kill a Color-Changing Python with strength equivalent to Bronze Rank 2!"

Anthony laughed heartily, his expression filled with immense excitement and joy.

Hearing this, Aier let out a long breath, and his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

He then gave a barely noticeable faint smile, clearly also pleased with killing the Color-Changing Python.

Although this battle seemed effortless, victory or defeat in combat often happens in an instant, and his consumption this time was significant.

Especially when facing the Color-Changing Python and severing its tail earlier, he had consumed more than half of the Dou Qi Energy in his body.

Although the Color-Changing Python itself had no special skills apart from changing color, its body hardness was extremely high.

Its physical body was even harder than the Ironclad Crocodile that Lister had encountered previously.

Not to mention Bronze Rank 1, even a Bronze Rank 2 Knight of the same level would generally find it difficult to sever its body, and even causing damage would be tough.

This shows that Aier's current combat strength and the quality of his Dou Qi are both extremely powerful.

If they had encountered other Magical Beasts of equivalent strength, Aier would have fought even more easily.

After the exhaustion from this battle, Aier and Anthony decided not to delve deeper, choosing instead to conserve their stamina and steadily continue the assessment.

On the other side, the two-knight team formed by Pierre and Tony encountered their greatest crisis.

Looking at the Crystal-Patterned Tiger, the only Magical Beast in the Ironthorn Forest equivalent to Bronze Tier 3 strength, standing before them.

Both men couldn't help but secretly lament their bad luck—to run into such a massive prize.

If it were just an ordinary Bronze Tier 3 Magical Beast, they wouldn't be so nervous, but this was a Crystal-Patterned Tiger.

This type of Magical Beast possesses extremely strong fighting capabilities, holding a powerful dominant position among low-bloodline Magical Beasts of the same tier.

Even when compared to Magical Beasts a tier higher, it still possesses immense deterrence and fighting potential.

Given their Bronze Rank 1 cultivation, it was nearly impossible for the two of them to defeat the Crystal-Patterned Tiger.

Furthermore, although the Crystal-Patterned Tiger was large, its movement speed was also very fast, making the probability of a tactical retreat extremely low.

For a moment, the two men were locked in a stalemate, caught between a rock and a hard place.

However, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger opposite them had no patience to waste time.

Accompanied by a bestial roar filled with intense pressure, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger pounced fiercely towards the two men.

Tony reminded in a deep voice, "Pierre, don't confront it directly. Use a kiting strategy."

"Understood."

As soon as the words fell, the two men held their longswords and adopted defensive stances.

The next moment, the rapidly charging Crystal-Patterned Tiger opened its large mouth, and a white energy ball instantly shot out, heading directly toward the two men.

The intense sense of danger prevented them from trying to block it, and they quickly dodged to the sides.

With a 'boom,' the energy ball struck a massive rock nearby, instantly shattering the rock into fragments, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

At the same time, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger, possessing extremely sharp battle instincts and observational skills, executed a smooth turn and charged towards Pierre, who had not yet stabilized his stance.

Pierre, unable to react quickly enough to dodge, could only hold his sword horizontally in front of him.

The next moment, the tiger's claw slammed heavily onto the sword blade, and Pierre instantly felt a terrifying force transmit from the blade into his body.

Pfft!

Pierre, sent flying backward, couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood as he violently crashed into the trunk of a large tree behind him.

Seeing this, Tony dared not remain on the defensive, and quickly swung his sword, hacking towards the Crystal-Patterned Tiger's back.

But the Crystal-Patterned Tiger seemed to have eyes on its back. It suddenly spun around, and its sharp claws sliced through the air.

Accompanied by the sound of tearing air, the claws struck the longsword in Tony's hand first.

A sharp 'zzzz' metallic sound rang out, and Tony's body was also sent flying backward.

However, both men were, after all, Bronze Rank 1 Full Knights, and they quickly recovered.

At the same time, through the brief exchange just now, they clearly understood the Crystal-Patterned Tiger's strength.

If they relied solely on defense, the result would surely be them being worn down to death, so they had to take the initiative and seek a glimmer of hope for survival.

The next moment, as if sharing a single thought, they simultaneously erupted with all the Dou Qi Energy in their bodies and charged toward the Crystal-Patterned Tiger.

Sensing the surging fighting spirit and killing intent of the two men, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger also became excited.

For a while, various metallic clanging sounds continuously echoed across the small clearing.

Neither side gave way in the fierce entanglement; sword lights infused with Dou Qi Energy clashed repeatedly against sharp tiger claws wrapped in magical power.

Although the Crystal-Patterned Tiger was powerful, due to the natural concern of beasts regarding injury,

it didn't use its full strength initially, aiming instead to avoid potential harm.

But as the battle deepened, it realized that Pierre and Tony were not as strong as it had thought, so it stopped holding back.

Soon, the imposing Pierre and Tony were completely suppressed by the Crystal-Patterned Tiger.

Their previous fierce offensive stance was reduced to a purely defensive posture, barely managing to parry the attacks.

Just as it seemed the two were about to be defeated due to exhaustion, a deep voice suddenly rang out nearby.

"We're here to help you."

A quick glance revealed Rodrigo and another Apprentice Knight, causing a slight flicker of joy in the two men's tense expressions.

Sensing the presence of additional humans, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger roared in fury.

It seemed to be saying that Pierre and Tony were already fighting two-on-one, and now they had backup—completely lacking in martial ethics.

Naturally, Pierre and Tony didn't care at all. Given their personalities, as long as they could win and survive safely, martial ethics be damned.

Thanks to the addition of Rodrigo and the other man, the balance of the fight shifted significantly back towards the knights.

Tony himself had already broken through to Bronze Rank 1 some time ago and was not far from Bronze Rank 2.

As for Pierre and Rodrigo, they possessed great talent, and adding another competent Apprentice Knight to the mix...

As a result, under the combined attack and coordination of the four men, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger genuinely couldn't do much against them for a time.

Unfortunately, apart from Tony, the other three were ultimately not the 'freak' that Aier was; they were much more inexperienced and immature in terms of combat skills.

Thus, the four men were quickly suppressed again, and due to the stalemate, they couldn't effectively retreat for the time being.

Just as the four men felt anxious, a streak of cold light suddenly slashed through the air.

Because the speed was too fast, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger couldn't react, and a deep, long, thin wound instantly appeared on its back.

Roaring in anger, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger unleashed the magical power within its body, shaking off the four surrounding men and sweeping its claw towards the rear.

However, the owner of the cold light had anticipated this. With nimble steps, he retreated backward, narrowly dodging the sharp glare of the claw.

Simultaneously, a sword light imbued with explosive Dou Qi Energy fiercely slashed toward the Crystal-Patterned Tiger's abdomen.

With a puchi sound, blood spurted out, immediately followed by a loud shout.

"Now is the time! Let's finish it together."

The four men on both sides, having reacted, did not hesitate. They circulated all the Dou Qi Energy in their bodies and hacked towards the Crystal-Patterned Tiger.

The next second, several massive wounds split open its flesh. Accompanied by a mournful, unwilling roar, the Crystal-Patterned Tiger's heavy body crashed onto the ground.

"Aier, you arrived just in time," Tony said happily.

Nodding, Aier said no more. He checked the Crystal-Patterned Tiger, and only after confirming it was completely dead did he relax.

The successful sneak attack was only possible because he had waited in the shadows for a while, and the Crystal-Patterned Tiger's attention was completely drawn to Tony and the other three; otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.

After a discussion, everyone equally divided the credit for killing the Crystal-Patterned Tiger.

By this time, the twilight sky bathed in sunset glow had fully appeared, and the assessment came to an end.