BAM! frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
The impact sent her flying backward, her body crashing through multiple buildings. Each structure collapsed under the force, their weakened frameworks caving in as she was hurled through them like a meteor.
CRAAAAASH! THUD!
Anya finally came to a stop in the rubble, dust and debris settling around her as the moonlight bathed her battered body. She groaned, clutching her midsection as she struggled to rise. Despite the pain, a wry smile crept onto her face.
“Damn it… you really are a monster,” she murmured, coughing as she tried to catch her breath.
Anya’s breaths came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving as she fought to steady herself. Dust and debris clung to her roughed-up clothing, and her body ached from all the buildings she had burst through.
Despite the pain, she planted her trembling hands on the ground and pushed herself to her knees. She was struggling, but she was far from giving up.
Suddenly, a deep voice spoke up.
“Do you really intend to keep going in the state you’re in?”
“Are you so stubborn you don’t know when to admit defeat?”
Her head shot up, and her gaze met Alister’s. He stood before her, framed by the jagged hole in the wall of the building she’d crashed into.
The moonlight poured down from above, casting a soft glow on his tall, well-defined figure. The shadows he cast stretched across her, enveloping her like his presence already had.
For a brief moment, Anya’s thoughts drifted off. The way the moonlight glinted off his golden eyes, the calm yet confident look etched into his face… there was an undeniable charm to him.
Despite knowing this was not the time or place for such thoughts, she found herself momentarily dazzled.
Her heart skipped a beat. ‘H-he looks… like a king from a storybook. Almost like the ones my father used to read to me…’
Before she could linger on the thought, Alister’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“That will be all for today. We’re done here,” he said firmly.
Anya’s eyes widened, and she felt a surge of defiance.
“Like hell it is!” she yelled, pulling herself to her feet with sheer willpower. Her body screamed in pain, but she pushed through it. She clenched her fists and prepared to strike again, her crimson eyes blazing with rage.
But before she could make her move, Alister’s golden eyes flashed, their intensity suddenly increasing. His voice was calm, yet it carried a commanding weight.
“I’m not sure you fully understand, Guildmaster… I wasn’t making a suggestion.”
“I made a statement.”
His words sent a cold chill down Anya’s spine. Alister then heard a system notification in his head.
[Petrifying Gaze activated.]
Anya’s body froze mid-motion. She couldn’t move… not even a finger. She panicked as she struggled against the invisible force locking her in place, but it was no use. Her limbs refused to respond, as if they’d turned to stone.
‘What the hell? Why can’t I move my body?’
‘Is he the one responsible? Is this another sort of dragon magic? How is this even possible… How many abilities can he use?’
She thought desperately, but her body was completely at Alister’s mercy.
Alister stepped closer, his boots crunching against the rubble beneath him. His golden eyes, glowing faintly in the moonlight, never left hers.
“Seeing as you don’t fully understand the scope of the situation you find yourself in…”
“Allow me to enlighten you.”
Alister turned away from her, facing the hole in the wall and looking out over the ruined buildings. His eyes were fixed on the structures that caved in on themselves; most weren’t completely reduced to rubble.
“Watch closely,” Alister said calmly.
Drawing a line vertically in the air before him with one of his fingers, he spoke again.
“Void Rend.”
A golden beam-like claw strike erupted from the line Alister drew in the air, a radiant slash of energy tearing through the ruined city.
WHOOSH!
The claw-like projection roared forward, splitting the ruined buildings in its path into perfect halves. The air seemed to vibrate with its power as walls crumbled, debris exploded outward, and the remnants of the city shook under the sudden destruction.
CRAAAAASH!
The ground trembled with the aftershocks of the technique as a dust cloud rose, illuminated by the golden glow of Alister’s mana as the attack dissipated. He turned slowly to face Anya, his expression cold… almost distant, his golden eyes gleaming with confidence.
“So you see… If I wanted to end you from the very beginning, I could have,” he said, his voice calm yet heavy.
Anya’s crimson eyes locked onto his, a look of defiance and shock in their depths.
“But I didn’t…”
“Because this was supposed to be a spar, not a battle to the death. And in a spar, the one who finds themselves unable to resist… unable to move or fight back… has already lost.”
He took a slow step toward her, paused, then leaned forward, their faces practically inches
apart.
His gaze was so intense she felt as though he was gazing into her soul. Alister then lowered his voice as he spoke.
“And so… By that logic…”
“I win.”
Alister closed his eyes, exhaling softly as he turned away from Anya. The system’s calm notification echoed in his mind.
[Petrification deactivated.]
Anya suddenly collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath as the invisible hold over her vanished. She clutched her chest, taking in deep gulps of air.
“You nearly suffocated me to death!” she yelled between gasps, glaring at him.
Alister raised a brow, a thought flickering through his mind.
‘Does the skill prevent breathing as well? Seems like an unintended perk…’
He said nothing, observing her as she shakily got to her feet. Her crimson eyes darted around, taking in the wreckage surrounding them… the buildings split cleanly in half, the clouds of dust still lingering in the air, and the faint golden glow dissipating from Alister’s mana.
“You’re really something else,” she said, brushing some dirt off her torn sleeve.
“With power like that, you could easily be a guild master.”
Alister, uninterested in the compliment, turned his gaze toward her. “So,” he said casually,
“you owe me a favor.”
Anya blinked, then narrowed her eyes at him. A vein throbbed on her forehead before she
gritted her teeth.
“You know… your tone is beginning to get on my nerves,” she said, folding her arms.
“Don’t you have any respect?”
Alister tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes locked on her. “Is this your attempt to reclaim your pride after you lost?” he asked, a look of disappointment on his face.
Anya stumbled over her words, her face heating up. “T-that’s not it!” she stammered. Then, with a softer tone, she added, “Also, stop calling me Guildmaster. Just… Anya will be fine.”
Alister’s brows furrowed slightly. “Wouldn’t Lady Anya or Guildmaster Anya be more appropriate?” he asked awkwardly.
Anya’s expression darkened slightly, a touch of anger flickering in her eyes. “Oh, so now you want to be respectful? I don’t need it.”
Alister shrugged, his expression neutral. “Understood… Anya.”
Her name rolled off his tongue smoothly, and for a brief moment, Anya froze. Her cheeks
flushed a faint pink as she quickly turned her head away, pretending to brush dirt off her
sleeve again.
Alister raised a brow, noticing her odd behavior. “What’s the matter?”
Anya quickly cleared her throat, regaining her composure. She turned back to him, her
expression calm and composed again. “I’m fine,” she said firmly.
“Also, about that favor… since you won… what do you want?”