Timeless Assassin

Veyr still had no idea what Leo was up to, as Leo hadn't gotten the time to explain anything to his cousin brother just yet, especially with how suddenly Dupravel had pulled him into this secret meeting.

And by the time it was over, Leo's mind was already shifting toward the upcoming duel, forcing him to cast aside all other thoughts as he began mentally preparing for battle.

He didn't think that relaying the information to Veyr was an urgent priority, and hence did not even pay it any mind.

But others, who weren't privy to the truth, had already started misreading the situation entirely.

—----------

"I'm telling you My Lord, I saw Viper bringing the enemy Commander Su Pei into our camp secretly!

I saw him meeting the Shadow Dragon in an abandoned meeting.

This is not good….. they might be plotting something bad!" Valterri pressed, only for Veyr to raise a quiet hand in denial.

"You don't know enough to be sure as to what Cousin brother is up to…. I'm sure there is a genuine explanation to this whole situation." Veyr replied, as he projected his blind faith towards Leo.

"My Lord, even if there is an explanation, this situation needs immediate monitoring! I have placed a tail on Lord Shadow Dragon, and I urge you to follow him.

He seems to be heading towards the open forest.

Perhaps to organize a second meeting!" Valterri pleaded, as Veyr looked hesitant to both follow or dismiss his request.

"Think about it, my lord, why would the Shadow Dragon need to meet the enemy Commander in secret? And if he's making a big move, why would he not tell you about it?

Are you not the commander in chief of this army?

Are you not the man leading everyone in here, including the Shadow Dragon?" Valterri reasoned, as he placed small seeds of doubt in Veyr's mind.

"His guard, that Monarch Tier Fighter, 'Viper', he was supposed to kill the enemy Commander, not walk back in here with him.

No matter how you look at it, there's something extremely fishy about this situation!

Please sir, please I beg you to look into it." Valterri pleaded, as finally, Veyr seemed to be convinced by his words.

"Fine…. I'll follow cousin, but not because I doubt him, but because he might be in trouble." Veyr said, as Valterri kowtowed in thanks.

"Thank-you my Lord, thank-you, please follow me, I'll lead the way for you—"

—------------

(Meanwhile, the isolated forest, Leo's POV)

The isolated forest earned its name from its unique geography, being the sole patch of woodland nestled in the heart of a barren continent, surrounded on all sides by endless stretches of desolate, lifeless terrain.

With barely any adventurers passing through and only the occasional wild beast roaming its quiet expanse, it served as the perfect place for Leo and Su Pei to settle their duel, far away from civilians, and free of the burden of collateral.

"Would you prefer that I place one arm behind my back when I fight you?

Although I'll handicap myself to the Grandmaster Tier, the difference in experience between us as fighters is simply too large.

I've seen a full century or two of battle more than you, so if you wish, I'll really tie one arm behind my back." Su Pei offered before the two of them faced off, as Leo felt his eyebrows twitch in disrespect at his words.

On one hand, he was not the kind of fighter that threw away any unfair advantage coming his way.

But on the other hand, he did not need unfair advantage when facing a Grandmaster Tier warrior.

He himself was a peak Grandmaster, and had the confidence to beat anyone fighting him at the same level.

"No need, I'll take my chances fighting you with both arms." Leo replied, as Su Pei grinned at his words.

If nothing else, at least his potential future master did not seem like a coward.

"Very well…. I hope you don't regret this choice later." Su Pei said, as he unsheathed his long sword, and gripped it with his right arm, before assuming a fencing like battle stance.

"Just bring it." Leo responded, as he unsheathed two daggers from his utility belt and crouched slightly, his stance wide, as he invited Su Pei in for the first attack.

*Rustle*

A faint gust of wind breezed past their cheeks, plucking a single tree leaf from a nearby tree.

And as soon as that leaf fell, Su Pei burst into motion.

*Shua*

*Shua*

*Shua*

He closed in the distance between himself and Leo, thrusting quickly to try and test his opponents reflexes, however, Leo was not amused by his attempt.

*Parry*

*Parry*

*Parry*

Having activated [Parallel Processing] as soon as the battle started, Leo saw the strikes coming towards him at a rather slow motion, as he felt underwhelmed by how genuinely sluggish they were.

"Oh please, at this pace, it would be me who would tie a hand behind my back." Leo countered, as he easily parried all three thrusts with just one dagger, pleasantly surprising Su Pei in the process.

"Are you really just a Grandmaster?" Su Pei asked, as he upped the tempo and struck Leo once more, this time with more speed and power.

*Block*

*Block*

*Block*

Once again, Leo blocked all attacks with just a single hand, as although this time the jabs were 50% faster than before, it seemed to give Leo no trouble at all.

'The hell….. his speed and reflexes are already akin to a peak Transcendent Tier. The kid is unbelievably agile for a Grandmaster.

And even the mana flowing in his body is smoother than that of any Grandmaster I've ever met.

It's almost as smooth as that of a mid tier Transcendent Warrior, with an unnatural concentration of mana near the centre of his chest.' Su Pei thought, as he saw the mana flow within Leo's body, and was stunned by the sight before him.

Mana flow within Grandmaster warriors usually looked turbulent. It had ebbs and flows as it travelled throughout the body, and those ebbs and flows became less and less noticeable as one progressed as a warrior, completely disappearing once they became a Demo-God.

However, Leo at Grandmaster Tier, already had the smooth mana flow of a Transcendent, in what was a phenomenon that completely blew away Su Pei's mind.

'This kid….. just what the hell is he?'