....
Without warning…
BOOM!
A part of the cave exploded with a deafening roar. Rocks and dust scattered in all directions, and the spot where "Dee" had stood just a moment ago… collapsed as if it had never existed.
The sound of the explosion echoed into the depths, like a warning that the silence was over.
**
In a corner drowned in darkness, "Dee" stood, his body slightly leaning, eyes narrowed, staring into the approaching shadow.
The Caravan Master.
Despite the obvious wounds on his body and the blood still slowly dripping, his voice came out steady:
"Hiding like a rat won't save you."
His words were laced with mockery.. no regret, no mercy.. just cold, unwavering contempt.
**
"Dee" didn't respond. He simply looked at him with a cold gaze that acknowledged no words.. only actions.
Had he hesitated even a moment before retreating, he would now be under the rubble, perhaps with a disfigured face or shattered ribs.
**
Inside him, silent thoughts flowed like a river:
"Even at death's door… he still has the energy to launch an attack like that."
Dee's expression shifted for a brief moment.
"Power… isn't just muscles or aura. It's in the resolve, in the will that refuses to fall silently."
He knew his opponent was wounded.. but not helpless.
**
Silence returned between them.. a temporary truce between two strikes.
In this darkness… nothing is settled with words.
The Caravan Master stared steadily into the shadows hiding Dee, his eyes half-open, oozing with suppressed hatred.
He raised his hand, and with a deadly calmness, slashed the air with a subtle gesture.
Shhhhhhk!
A slicing blade of wind suddenly appeared.. thin as a thread, but strong enough to split mountains. It shot forward with blinding speed, cutting through rock like paper, aimed right where "Dee" had just stood.
BOOM!
Rocks exploded and shards flew through the air, but…
Dee wasn't there.
From within the shadows, he silently emerged, appearing at a new spot, as if the darkness itself had whisked him away from death.
**
The Caravan Master growled, his breaths slower now, but his voice remained firm:
"If you don't show yourself… I'll bury what's left of your corpse under this rubble. A rat who's good at running doesn't even deserve death."
**
BOOM!
He kicked the ground and released another wave of wind. Blades surged from all directions, slicing rocks and walls, creating organized chaos that even shattered the shadows.
But Dee… was like smoke.
Every strike approached him only to strike air.. he vanished before they could land.
**
He slithered like a snake, his body leaving no trace, his eyes never leaving his opponent for a second.
**
At one point, Dee stopped at a wall, hiding behind a narrow shadow. Then he looked at the Caravan Master…
But this time, his gaze was different.
In his eyes… greedy interest.
No pity, no enmity. Just… pure appreciation for the value of a "precious prey."
**
He thought coldly, in a tone fit only for someone who saw humans as resources:
"Second Tier… I'm not far from it."
"If I devour him… I might force myself through the barrier. His body… his essence… his wounded soul.. they're all fuel."
**
Dee smiled.. a smile that never reached his eyes.
Not because he decided to fight… but because he decided that this man was no longer a rival.
He was.. a meal.
**
BOOM!!
The ground exploded once again. Rubble flew in all directions. Dust rose like a cloud of rage, blinding vision and choking sound.
Moments passed…
Then the smoke slowly cleared.
But this time…
Dee wasn't hiding.
He stood there, eerily calm, his body cloaked in shadows, but his features were clear. He didn't move. He didn't speak.
In front of him, the Caravan Master panted slightly, staring with tired eyes that still held a beastly gleam.
They locked eyes…
A heavy silence followed, as if time itself had stopped.
The Caravan Master spoke in a quiet voice, but it cracked like a whip:
"A mere ant from the First Tier.. dares to look me in the eye?"
Dee didn't respond.
Not a word. Not even a change in his expression.
But inside…
His thoughts flashed like lightning through a storm.
His opponent's body, despite the wounds, still held together.. but his strength was fading.
The cracks were starting to show…
Then… Dee vanished.
No sound, no flash.. as if his body had dissolved into light.
BOOOOM!!!
A sudden blow. His fist tore through the air, hurtling toward the Caravan Master's chest like a falling meteor.
But—
KAAANG!!
The sword rose at the last moment, blocking the punch.
The ground shook from the impact, nearby rocks cracked, and the earth sank beneath the Caravan Master's feet.
But he stood firm.
Dee took a step back, looking at his fist.
He had thrown that punch with full power… yet the sword didn't break.
Dee didn't smile.. but he stared at the sword like a rare treasure.
**
The Caravan Master roared and unleashed a surge of energy, slicing through what remained of the silence.
He surged forward like a hurricane, his sword leading the assault. Every strike sent blades of wind slamming into rocks and walls, leaving deep craters in the stone.
Dee evaded.. sliding, vanishing, appearing.. his body seemingly unbound by the physical world.
But he didn't just dodge…
**
At the perfect moment, he ducked under a swing, kicked off the ground, and launched upward like a dark dagger.
BOOM!!
A kick struck the Caravan Master's shoulder, sending him crashing into the wall, but he recovered mid-air.
He swung back with his sword, and their attacks met in the center, black sparks flying from the clash.
**
The air grew thick.
Every move carried death.
Every mistake meant the end.
**
Dee spun, darting behind the Caravan Master. His fist was now cloaked in a thick, black aura.. like a substance feeding on energy.
But before it could land…
FOOOOOOOM!!
The Caravan Master's sword spun behind him, following as if his body instinctively knew where Dee was.
They clashed again. Every strike shook the cave, feeding the chaos of its crumbling walls.
**
Dee began to feel the pressure…
But he didn't stop.
With each passing second, the wounds on the Caravan Master bled more.
The time was not in his favor.. but in Dee's.
I'll crush him.. in my own way.
And for the first time since the battle began…
A faint smile appeared on Dee's face.
....