Seeing the eyes of the crowd converge on him, Izer knew exactly what was happening.
If he didn’t provide a seemingly reasonable explanation now, it would be difficult to settle today’s matter, and the subsequent trouble would only grow.
He raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, a shy smile appearing on his face as if he were embarrassed by everyone’s gaze, but his mind had already raced through several possibilities.
Suddenly, he had an idea. Taking a deep breath, he spoke to the group.
“Um… actually, I didn’t tell you the whole story earlier.”
His tone carried a hint of sincerity, as if he were making a full confession. “What I obtained in the Realm of Law… might not be double talents.”
This statement immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“Not double talents?” Sara repeated in confusion.
“Yeah,” Izer nodded, as if struggling to recall and describe it. “It should be a Triple Talent.”
“Triple Talent?!” Luke was the first to cry out, his eyes widening even further than his large head. “Senior! You were hiding it that deeply?!”
A Triple Talent awakener? What kind of heaven-defying luck was this!
The gazes everyone cast toward Izer instantly became incredibly complex.
Li En felt a surge of sour, searing heat rush to his heart. Why? He only had a single talent, [Magic Perception], yet this Izer—this guy who opposed him at every turn—actually possessed three talents?
Whether it was the inconceivable [Massive Mana], the enviable [Rapid Casting], or this unknown third talent, any one of them would have been enough to make his own strength skyrocket and leave everyone far behind!
Izer acted as if he didn’t notice Li En’s murderous glare and continued his explanation.
“The third talent, I call it [Fast Thinking]. It… it mainly acts on my mental level.”
He chose his words carefully, striving to make this fabricated talent sound reasonable while explaining the earlier anomaly.
“The effect of this talent is somewhat special. It normally provides a small boost to my Spirit Power, but once I sense danger or need to concentrate intensely—like the moment you swung your sword, Master—my Spirit Power is temporarily amplified to an exaggerated degree.”
He gestured with his hands, trying to make the description more vivid. “That feeling is like everything around me has slowed down. The sword’s trajectory, the sound of the wind, and even the path of falling dust become exceptionally clear.”
“I can ‘see’ where your sword will land and where the gaps in the attack are much earlier and clearer… That’s why I was able to react in advance and barely dodge.”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions varied.
Did this explanation make sense? Extremely high Spirit Power bringing extraordinary dynamic vision and predictive abilities, supplemented by physical fitness slightly better than average… perhaps it really was possible to achieve that level of evasion?
Emma nodded in realization. As a healer, she had a deeper understanding of Spirit Power.
“I see! Powerful Spirit Power can indeed greatly enhance perception and reaction speed! Junior Izer, this talent of yours is incredibly useful on the battlefield!”
If it were a mental talent, it seemed to explain Izer’s earlier ability to warn them of danger.
However, Laura’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She remained silent and did not immediately state her position. As an Empire Sword Saint, her experience far exceeded that of ordinary people.
It was true that powerful Spirit Power could improve perception and reaction, but what Izer had just shown was definitely more than just “seeing clearly” and “predicting”!
Seeing the trajectory was one thing, but whether the body could keep up with the speed of “seeing” was another.
Especially the speed and variations of her final few strikes—they had already exceeded the limits of normal human neural reflections and muscle movement.
Even if the brain could process the information, the body still needed time to execute the command.
But Izer’s micro-adjustment speed was almost like instant movement. It was so fast that even she found it inconceivable.
It was definitely not something that could be explained simply by “high Spirit Power” and “fast reactions.”
‘Triple Talent… [Fast Thinking]…’ Laura chewed on these words in her mind. She didn’t dismiss it entirely, but she certainly didn’t believe it fully either.
She had a faint feeling that the explanation Izer gave was more like a carefully prepared cover-up used to hide a deeper secret.
“Um, it’s really getting late.” Izer keenly sensed that the scrutiny in Laura’s eyes had not dissipated.
Alarm bells rang in his heart, and he immediately decided to make his escape. “Having matches one after another today has really taken a lot out of me. I’ll go back and rest first.”
He didn’t plan on staying here to be a “research subject.” This Sword Saint’s gaze was too penetrating; he wasn’t sure how much she had seen through. Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreating was the best!
Emma reflexively looked up at the sky. The setting sun had not yet completely sunk below the horizon, and brilliant sunset clouds still hung in the sky.
She asked in confusion, “Izer, it’s not completely dark yet…”
Izer immediately clutched his forehead, putting on a look of exhaustion and mental overexertion.
“Senior Emma, you don’t understand. Using this [Fast Thinking] talent is particularly taxing on the mind. It consumes a huge amount of brainpower.”
“I feel dizzy and bloated now, and I’m so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open. I must lie down and rest immediately, or I might faint.”
After saying that, he didn’t give anyone a chance to ask further questions.
He hastily bowed to Laura, Sara, and the others, then walked away from the training grounds without looking back.
His retreating figure seemed a bit like he was fleeing for his life.
Once the protagonist left, the atmosphere in the area became subtle and quiet.
Everyone looked at each other, feeling that the information overload today was too much and needed time to digest, so they also began to disperse.
Dio took a deep look in the direction Izer had gone, then glanced at Li En, whose face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink.
He turned and left in silence. Luke gave Li En a smug expression, hummed a little tune, and walked away with an arrogant swagger.
Soon, only Sara and Laura were left on the training grounds.
The afterglow of the setting sun pulled their shadows very long.
Sara noticed that Laura kept staring in the direction where Izer had disappeared, her brow slightly furrowed, her calm face carrying a hint of rare solemnity.
“Master,” Sara stepped forward and asked in a low voice, “did you discover something else? About Izer.”
Laura withdrew her gaze and slowly nodded, lowering her voice. “This junior of yours, Izer, is not simple at all. There’s a clear contradiction between the explanation he gave and his actual performance.”
“A contradiction?” Sara’s heart skipped a beat. “Where is the contradiction?”
“The [Fast Thinking] he mentioned focuses on mental perception and prediction. This might partially explain his duel with Li En,” Laura analyzed calmly.
“But in the spar with me, the situation was completely different. My sword—especially the speed and changes of the last few strikes—is not something that can be avoided just by seeing it clearly.”
“That requires the body to explode with a movement speed far exceeding the limits of an ordinary person in an extremely short period of time to execute the brain’s commands.”
She paused, a sharp light flashing in her eyes. “The most critical thing is that in every moment he seemingly clumsily avoided my attacks, I faintly captured an… anomaly.”
“His body, or a certain part of his body, would complete a micro-adjustment at the moment of impact with a speed I can hardly understand. That momentary burst of speed was eerily fast, to the point where I even suspected the kid was using [Space Magic].”
Sara was horrified by what she heard. Even her master felt it was “hardly understandable” and “eerily fast”? Just how much strength was Izer hiding?
The image of the mysterious black shadow from Raymond’s territory instantly flashed through her mind—the one that appeared like a ghost and crushed Horn with absolute power.
That shadow’s speed was also suffocatingly fast! A bold guess became increasingly clear in her heart.
“Master,” Sara suppressed the turmoil in her heart and suggested, “since you also have doubts, why don’t we… find another opportunity to invite Izer privately?”
“You can spar with him again. This time… perhaps you can relax the restrictions a bit. Without harming him, use your Battle Qi to appropriately increase your speed and strength.”
This suggestion made Sara’s own heart race.
Having a Sword Saint personally take action and gradually increase the pressure to test Izer’s secrets was undoubtedly the most direct and likely way to reveal the answer.
With Laura’s precise control over her power, she could ensure the effectiveness of the test while guaranteeing Izer’s safety.
Upon hearing this, a trace of interest indeed flashed in Laura’s eyes.
As a warrior, encountering such an interesting and mysterious “opponent,” it was almost instinctual to investigate their secrets.
The contradiction and unknown surrounding Izer had indeed piqued her strong curiosity. she also wanted to know what kind of truth was hidden beneath that seemingly ordinary exterior.
“I think that’s possible,” Laura mused for a moment and nodded slightly.
However, just as Sara was about to get up to find Izer and discuss the “extra training”—
“Woo—woo—woo—”
A shrill and urgent warning horn blast suddenly rose from all directions of the Betty Territory! It instantly tore through the brief tranquility of the dusk! The sound grew more urgent with each blast, filled with emergency and bloodlust!
Sara’s expression changed instantly as she bolted upright, all her thoughts snapped back to reality. “Master! It’s the highest-level enemy attack alarm for the Betty Territory! The Blood Race… is back!”
…
Almost at the same time the alarm sounded, the entire Betty Territory quickly entered its highest state of combat readiness.
Well-trained soldiers sprinted from their barracks and resting places, rushing to their respective defensive positions.
Izer had just returned to the entrance of his temporary residence. Before he could even catch his breath, the piercing alarm startled him. He spun around and looked toward the city walls. ‘The Blood Race is here?’
Like the other core members, he converged at the fastest speed possible onto the city walls of the Betty Territory, which were scarred by war and filled with repair marks.
When the group reached the wall and looked out, many people still gasped despite being mentally prepared.
A dark mass of the Blood Race army, like a surging tide of dark red, had once again flooded the distant plains. Their numbers were even greater than the last time, their formation more rigorous. The gathered ferocity and bloody aura made one’s heart palpitate even from such a distance.
However, unlike the last time, the morale of the human defenders did not drop due to the enemy’s grand presence. On the contrary, a surging sense of battle intent and confidence flowed among the soldiers.
This was because a tall, pine-like blue figure stood upon the city wall.
The Empire Sword Saint, the “Azure Sword Princess” Laura Alwyn, stood quietly by the battlement.
She didn’t emit any intentionally overbearing pressure, but her mere presence instantly steadied everyone’s minds. Her existence itself was the most powerful encouragement and source of conviction.
‘The Sword Saint is with us!’ This thought made every defending soldier straighten their back and tighten their grip on their weapons, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.
At the front of the Blood Race army, several figures with exceptionally powerful auras were also clearly visible.
In addition to the familiar faces—Bart, who was brimming with battle intent and staring fixedly at Izer, and Kiese, with her cold expression—there were two new faces.
No.3 had a playful smile on his lips, his scarlet pupils carelessly scanning the human walls before finally landing on that conspicuous splash of blue.
He stuck out his tongue and lightly licked his sharp fangs, smiling at No.2 beside him.
“This woman looks like she’s something special. Her aura… is much purer than the small fry next to her. Her blood must have a very special taste.”
His words were filled with the contempt of someone viewing Laura as prey.
No.2 did not react to No.3’s words at all. He didn’t even spare a glance at Laura. His gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield and locked directly onto a certain spot on the wall—exactly where Izer was standing!
“Bart,” No.2’s voice was low and flat, without any fluctuation, yet it carried a cold texture. “Is that the black-haired human you mentioned? The one with massive mana and rapid casting abilities?”
Hearing this, Bart immediately withdrew his glare from Izer and turned to No.2. His face showed excitement as he slammed his fists together, producing a dull thud.
“That’s right! That’s him! Last time, I didn’t even use my ‘Blood Awakening.’ I was just playing with him!”
“This time, I’m going to personally crush every bone in his body!”
The blood qi around his body had already begun to steam uncontrollably, showing his internal impatience.
“I’m giving you only three minutes.” No.2’s voice remained calm, but he issued a cold time limit. “Solve him within three minutes, or we switch.”
The muscles on Bart’s face twitched, and the red light in his eyes flared up. “Three minutes? That’s enough! I’ll make him regret ever coming into this world!”
On the wall, Izer naturally noticed the two additional strange powerhouses at the front of the Blood Race line.
Especially No.2, who was looking at him, gave him an extremely uncomfortable feeling. He subconsciously glanced at Dio beside him.
He found that his usually steady and calm second senior was currently exceptionally pale. Fine beads of cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.
His eyes were fixed on No.2’s direction, and his body was trembling almost imperceptibly. In that gaze… there was actually a complex emotion of deep-seated fear intertwined with hatred!
Izer’s heart sank. He had never seen such a loss of composure on Dio’s face! Even when facing Horn, Dio had only been solemn, not terrified.
‘Could it be…’ A startling guess surfaced in his mind. ‘Did Dio die at the hands of this guy in his previous life?’
For a reincarnator who knew many future events and possessed the inheritance of a Sword Saint to feel such fear, how terrifying must this Blood Race member’s strength be?
Moreover, judging by their positions and the faint reverence Bart and Kiese showed them, these two newcomers were definitely ranked at the top. They might even be the monsters in the top three of the Blood Pillars!
Four Blood Pillars had come at once, and they were likely all top-ranked powerhouses who had mastered their “Blood Awakening”!
On Dio’s side, he only felt his scalp go numb. The pressure this time was completely incomparable to the last! Even with the peak Sword Saint Laura present, a strong sense of unease surged in his heart.
“Roar—!!!”
A violent, bloodthirsty roar shook the battlefield!
The Blood Race army below surged forward, launching their charge!
The one leading the charge was none other than Bart, who had already entered his “Blood Awakening” state. His body had expanded, blood-red wings had sprouted from his back, and his body was shrouded in blood qi as thick as a solid substance! His target was clear—he was lunging straight for Izer on the wall!
Those eyes, filled with a crazed crimson light, locked onto Izer from afar. His violent killing intent pierced forward like an ice pick!
“You little brat! Let’s see where you hide this time! I’m going to tear you to pieces!!!”
Izer: “…”
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