CHAPTER 398: FIGHTING THE BLOODSUCKER AGAIN

Orion slowly exhaled, standing tall and calm, his expression entirely unaffected. He merely shook off the embers of lingering flame from his blade, the Realm Guardian still glowing faintly from the intensity of his attack.

He said calmly, "This much is nothing impressive, Lumi. Don’t overpraise me. But..." he slightly paused, then said with a slight smile, "This does feel nice. Feels like butchering chickens."

Lumi bobbed energetically, quickly affirming his observation,

[Exactly, Master! Your growth is truly monstrous!]

"Alright Lumi, let’s not waste time, that was just warm up."

Lumi bobbed energetically in agreement, her screen pulsating with excitement as she eagerly asked,

[Who do you want to fight next, Master? (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]

Orion’s gaze sharpened as he carefully scanned the interface once more. His voice was calm, "I will fight the Tier 7 Assassin from the forest next. Last time, I had to rely heavily on Asteraxa to win. I want to see how much easier it’ll be this time with my own strength."

Lumi’s glowing screen flickered in acknowledgment,

[Understood, Master! Generating the Tier 7 Assassin now! The cost is 2000 SP. ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و]

She said the second part quietly. Orion heard that but decided to ignore the cost now.

Almost immediately, another figure began to materialize from wisps of glowing mana in front of Orion.

Unlike the previous assassin, this opponent stood taller, radiating a more dangerous and oppressive aura.

Noticeably, he carried no visible weapons this time, merely clenching his fists tightly, each knuckle wrapped in faintly glowing crimson runes indicative of a deadly Fist Aura technique.

Orion’s expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing as he decisively channeled mana into his dual swords.

The Realm Guardian ignited vividly with searing Intermediate Grade Fire Sword Aura, while the Bonesteel Sword crackled violently with a potent Intermediate Grade Thunder Sword Aura.

Without exchanging unnecessary words, the assassin lunged forward, his speed shocking. In response, Orion moved swiftly, meeting him head-on.

Their clash sent ripples of force surging through the training hall, the runic walls illuminating subtly as they absorbed the tremendous impacts.

Orion and the assassin exchanged relentless, powerful blows. The assassin’s fists, reinforced by powerful Fist Aura, were incredibly swift and devastatingly precise, each strike aimed at Orion’s vital points.

However, Orion skillfully countered, weaving between fist strikes while delivering his own precise sword blows, each swing accompanied by roaring flames or explosive lightning.

Soon, Orion started to get bored as the opponent was underwhelming compared to the image he had formed of him.

Gradually, his sword strikes grew sharper, more ferocious, and his mana flowed more freely at this realization. His dual auras complemented one another seamlessly, overwhelming the assassin’s fist techniques.

With an inward decision to end it decisively, Orion channeled even more concentrated thunder and fire mana into both swords.

He executed a complex sword maneuver, creating overlapping waves of destructive elemental power that engulfed the assassin entirely.

The simulation trembled violently before shattering apart, dissipating into floating motes of mana.

Orion exhaled calmly, feeling deep satisfaction. This victory felt significantly easier compared to the near-death struggle he’d endured previously.

His expression was unchanged, however, as his gaze calmly returned to Lumi’s floating interface. He said with a soft voice, "Lumi, manifest Valerian next."

Lumi immediately understood the gravity of his request, her tone growing serious,

[Understood, Master. Manifesting Valerian Von Erebus. Be careful, even if it’s a simulation, his abilities are tricky. He costs 5000 SP. (｡•́︿•̀｡)]

Orion nodded slightly, steadying his breathing. Slowly, motes of blood-red mana coalesced in front of him, forming the unmistakable image of Valerian. The air around him thickened palpably with a bloodthirsty, oppressive aura.

Valerian stood silently, gripping his menacing scythe attached to a long chain, its end carrying an additional vicious blade. Gradually, Valerian opened his cold crimson eyes, locking them immediately onto Orion, his lips curling into a subtle, arrogant smirk.

Without hesitation, Orion activated his Thunder Dragon form. His body expanded rapidly to about three meters tall, becoming muscular, draconic scales of purple gold spreading rapidly over his powerful physique. His eyes transformed into slit pupils crackling with intense thunderous energy.

Quickly, Orion stored away the Bonesteel Sword, retrieving a massive, heavy greatsword suited for his transformed body, while the Realm Guardian expanded proportionally with him, both weapons radiating potent, crackling lightning.

Both combatants paused briefly, sizing each other up, before charging simultaneously, initiating a ferocious clash.

The entire hall trembled from their relentless, explosive collisions. Valerian’s scythe swung with viciousness with the power of Blood and Darkness, chains slicing unpredictably through the air, while Orion’s dual blades countered with thunderous power as he decided to use Thunder Sword Aura alone.

Throughout the relentless battle, Orion inflicted numerous deep wounds upon Valerian. Yet frustratingly, each injury instantly regenerated, the simulation perfectly replicating Valerian’s real-life regenerative capabilities.

Orion, on the other hand, accumulated injuries slowly but inevitably, each strike draining his stamina and vitality.

Despite his relentless assault, Orion felt the strain growing within his body, each breath gradually becoming heavier.

Valerian, meanwhile, remained tirelessly aggressive, his eyes reflecting a mocking confidence as he relentlessly pressured Orion.

After a full hour of fierce, continuous battle, Orion finally reached his limit. His body, battered and bruised, trembled slightly from exhaustion.

Despite his immense strength and mastery, the gap in healing capability and endurance became insurmountable. The figure of Valerian flickered slightly before finally dissolving back into mana particles, marking Orion’s defeat.

Orion stood silently amidst the aftermath, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. Taking a deep breath, he muttered, "His abilities... they became stronger. He can drain my mana with his Blood abilities..."

Lumi appeared quietly beside him, her voice thoughtful,

[The Small World was limiting him heavily, Master. Most of his abilities were locked due to the suppression. But in this Prime World, no such suppression should exist for him. Or at most on his abilities.]

Orion took a deep breath and nodded, "That might be the case. But at least I have gotten a good sparring partner now who won’t hold back against me."

[That’s right, Master. Even if you couldn’t defeat Valerian yet, you’ve improved tremendously since last time. With your rate of growth, it won’t be long until you surpass that damn bloodsucker. (｡•ᴗ•｡)♡]

Orion exhaled deeply, nodding slowly with calm conviction, "I know. Defeat isn’t a setback, but motivation. This was exactly the reality check I needed to keep myself sharp. There are too many people stronger than me. I can’t be complacent with my little speed of growth."

[Hehe, will you continue to train now, Master?]

Orion nodded his head, "Of course, I will rest and train again. I need to master my existing abilities at least. I still haven’t used the majority of my abilities against that bastard."

***

He continued his relentless training over the following days, carefully balancing his rigorous sparring sessions in Limitless Arena Mode against Valerian and his vampire generals with extensive studies of ancient tomes he had acquired from Selene and Magi.

These dusty volumes, filled with faded pages and cryptic texts, contained fragmented histories and scattered legends of the continent of Zorathal.

Although Orion meticulously combed through each page for hints about the Human Emperor’s legacy, frustratingly, nothing truly insightful emerged.

During these quieter moments of research, he often found himself accompanied by Fiora and Rina, who sat nearby, immersed in their own quiet conversations or diligently assisting him in organizing his notes.