Chapter 433

Chapter 433: Battle Rhythm

Battle Mage Skill: Dragon’s Tooth!

Ulhan was determined to make this a guaranteed hit.

The glowing patterns covering his body suddenly radiated dazzling light simultaneously, resonating in harmony.

The various power enhancements elevated the might of this "Dragon’s Tooth" to an unprecedented, terrifying level.

This was an all-out assault.

Through their previous clashes, Ulhan had accurately gauged Midi’s capabilities. He felt certain that even if Midi had been hiding his true power earlier, no sudden outburst could possibly withstand this pattern-resonance-supported Dragon’s Tooth.

Yet Midi showed no intention of retreating.

His gaze remained steady as the war spear thrust toward him, not even flickering when the lethal point neared.

At the final instant before impact, Midi moved. The Horn King Greatsword descended like thunderbolt, its speed defying perception.

"Hmph. You think such feeble slashes matter?" Ulhan sneered.

Though lightning-fast, this strike clearly lacked sufficient power to challenge Dragon’s Tooth. Ulhan dismissed it entirely – until blade met spear.

Against all expectations, the pattern-empowered war spear veered off course.

This strike landed precisely on the spear’s midsection.

A war spear channels 95% of its destructive force through the tip. The shaft remains protected behind the spearhead during attacks, only becoming relevant during defensive maneuvers.

Yet Midi had evaded Dragon’s Tooth’s killing thrust and struck the vulnerable shaft in that split second, redirecting the attack entirely.

This single move proved Midi’s combat skills far exceeded Ulhan’s.

The diverted spearhead shattered through the obsidian arena floor, spraying debris as shockwaves whipped up a Fierce Wind beyond the battlefield.

Had it connected, even Dragon’s Blood enhancement wouldn’t have prevented Midi from being hurled away like the meteor-fallen half-giant.

But it missed.

Coincidence! It must be coincidence!

Ulhan’s face betrayed nothing despite his inner turmoil. His dimmed patterns – drained from resonance’s magic expenditure – meant little to a Battle Mage. Patterns could be replenished.

After the next resonance-powered Dragon’s Tooth, let’s see you dodge!

He viciously renewed his assault, this time using Dragon’s Tooth not to kill, but to rebuild patterns.

Yet Ulhan froze in shock.

Every attempt to execute pattern-generating skills like Dragon’s Tooth or Sky Strike met instantaneous interruption. The colossal Horn King Greatsword now moved like chain lightning, its edge repeatedly biting the spear’s weakest point mid-shaft.

Missed attacks yielded no patterns. No patterns meant weakening strikes. The cycle became absolute inevitability.

After several exchanges, the glowing patterns around Ulhan grew increasingly dim, nearly vanishing. Meanwhile, Midi, who had sustained injuries during the earlier clashes, now appeared revitalized, gradually recovering from the initial shock.

This bastard!

Ulhan’s mind reeled.

Had this human actually deciphered his attacks?

Noticing Ulhan’s shaken resolve, Midi flashed a mocking grin. "I’ll admit the Battle Mage profession holds formidable power, and those magic patterns are impressive. But you, Ulhan? You’re pathetic."

"What did you say?" Rage burned in Ulhan’s eyes.

Pathetic? The Water Spider Tribe’s prodigy being called pathetic? Unthinkable!

Yet despite his fury, Ulhan’s assaults remained ineffective. The War Spear’s vulnerabilities, once minuscule, now seemed magnified under Midi’s scrutiny. The once-fluid spear now moved like a constricted serpent – all fangs and muscle with no bite. Even Ulhan’s own movements grew sluggish under the relentless assault.

No, not sluggish. Midi’s strikes simply came faster, denser, storm-like in their fury.

The arena’s balance shattered.

Gone was the initial stalemate. Gone was Ulhan’s pattern-enhanced dominance. Now Midi’s fluid offense pressed down like a tidal wave.

How?

Shock curdled into dread within Ulhan. Deep down, he remained an Ice Mage at heart – a tactician craving battlefield control. Yet Midi had not only broken free, but done so through methods Ulhan couldn’t comprehend.

Why? Equal strength, yet utter suppression? No patterns forming? This torment defied reason!

Ulhan silently raged, finding no answers.

But the keenest observers understood.

"Rhythm…" Simon of the Death Scorpion family muttered grimly.

"To command combat tempo like this – what level of precision does that require?" The Death Scorpion’s martial arts master watched with gleaming eyes.

Below the arena, Alexis frowned. "Impossible. No human eyes could predict every move. Is this environmental awareness? But where’s the psychic resonance?"

Alexis guessed correctly. Midi had pushed environmental awareness to its limits – undetectable to all but fellow masters. This wasn’t telepathy’s glaring beacon, but a surgeon’s precision honed through alchemical discipline. From Ulhan’s first reveal as a Battle Mage, Midi knew his Level 62 couldn’t stop a Level 64’s pattern generation.

He could’ve used Sky Sword Dance for aerial advantage. Could’ve shattered Ulhan’s skull with psychic sniping. But with Alexis and Simon watching, such trump cards stayed hidden for deadlier battles ahead.

So Midi wielded only the Horn King Greatsword and razor-sharp perception. While Ulhan stacked patterns through repetitive strikes, Midi dissected his magic flows and muscle twitches. By the time Ulhan’s patterns peaked, Midi already owned his rhythm.

The truth was simple – Ulhan lacked real combat seasoning. He’d fought mostly as Ice Mage, rarely using Battle Mage skills. Melee mastery requires bloodied experience, not textbook knowledge. Midi’s withheld techniques had been battlefield-tested in the Sea of Clouds, while Ulhan’s rigid patterns betrayed his inexperience.

Every feint, every thrust followed predictable loops. Ulhan prioritized pattern generation over kill strikes. His "finishing blows" came too isolated, too telegraphed. Miss one, and the tedious pattern-building resumed.

In the end, Ulhan became pattern’s puppet – all power, no purpose.