Chapter 81: The Battle Begins

Liu Zhihua paid no heed to whether Cutler was confident; he hadn't even noticed what was happening around him. After quickly surveying the number of enemies before him, he immediately decided to attack.

"Finish them!" Liu Zhihua bellowed, charging forward with his longsword and staff. Behind him, Vidnina led the remaining skeletons, following Liu Zhihua as they charged toward the enemy.

The skeleton archers seized this opportunity as well, loosing arrows at the native warriors approaching from the rear. It was clear to them that the few skilled fighters at the front could dodge their arrows, but the warriors behind lacked such agility. Their arrows were not limitless, so if Liu Zhihua gave no other order, they naturally hoped to take down an enemy with each shot.

When the skeleton archers shifted their aim, the native warriors panicked. Still reeling from the earlier chaos and unsure of what had transpired, they were helpless before the oncoming arrows; several fell before they could even react.

Amidst this confusion, Liu Zhihua closed in on Lloyd.

At that moment, Lloyd recognized Liu Zhihua’s face and involuntarily called out, “Sandru!”

Liu Zhihua ignored him. With a downward swing of his sword, he struck. Though it appeared to be a wooden blade, a gust of wind accompanied the strike, making it no less deadly than a real sword.

Lloyd was caught off guard, but his instincts took over and he countered with a thrust—a strike from his family’s secret “Z-Slash” technique. Yet his execution differed from Liu Zhihua’s; Lloyd’s sword tip gleamed black.

At first, Liu Zhihua thought this was the power of darkness, but he soon realized otherwise. When Lloyd traced a black Z in the air, Liu Zhihua sensed a profound tranquility in the darkness, the hush of nightfall—a sensation he had never experienced before. Surprised by this discovery, his sword faltered for a brief moment.

Lloyd, however, did not hesitate. Seizing upon Liu Zhihua’s momentary lapse, the black Z took shape in the air and darted toward the opening in Liu Zhihua’s defense.

Liu Zhihua, familiar with the Z-Slash, understood its nature as a counterattack technique—one that exploited the enemy’s weakness and pressed the assault relentlessly.

Realizing his flaw had been targeted, Liu Zhihua chose not to evade. With a flick of his wrist, the wind blades at his sword’s tip multiplied from one to three. At the same time, he swept his death staff horizontally at Lloyd’s waist.

Lloyd paid no mind and thrust his rapier forward, piercing the midpoint of the black Z he had drawn in the air. At that moment, the energy of the black Z gathered at the sword tip, focusing all its force into a single point aimed straight at Liu Zhihua’s exposed weakness.

Yet, just as the attack was about to land, Liu Zhihua’s death staff intercepted, meeting the rapier’s tip. The full force of Lloyd’s blow struck precisely where a lightning coral had been embedded in the staff.

There was a crisp sound. The nearly depleted lightning coral shattered, releasing its stored electrical energy, which traveled backward along the rapier and the staff.

But Liu Zhihua’s staff was wooden and did not conduct electricity; he watched as pale blue currents arced along the rapier and surged into Lloyd.

The shock caused Lloyd’s hair to stand on end. Seizing the opportunity, Liu Zhihua’s sword swept toward Lloyd’s neck.

Still numb from the electric jolt, Lloyd could only watch helplessly as the blade descended toward his throat.

At that critical moment, Lloyd’s body jerked back with a speed beyond ordinary comprehension. Liu Zhihua noticed that Lloyd employed the secret Z-Slash footwork—Midnight Counter, an advanced technique Liu Zhihua had never witnessed before.

Judging by Lloyd’s previous performance, Liu Zhihua doubted he could use such a high-level maneuver. Yet this display shattered his understanding of Lloyd.

A thought flashed through Liu Zhihua’s mind. Observing Lloyd’s movements, he realized the footwork, though powerful, was intended more to preserve his own life.

“Perkin!” Liu Zhihua shouted.

Lloyd froze for an instant, and a peculiar aura emanated from him. In his gaze, Liu Zhihua saw the presence of an old soul watching him.

“So it’s you, I—” Liu Zhihua began, but Lloyd was already retreating swiftly toward the blue portal. His actions made it clear—he had no intention of continuing the fight, his sole thought now was escape.

This was obviously Perkin’s decision. Liu Zhihua knew the Perkin family was a traditional noble house of Sise, though, like the body he now inhabited, their fortunes had declined. They had come to the jungle in search of the blood-stained tree to reclaim their place among Sise’s nobility.

If Liu Zhihua were in Perkin’s place, he too would do anything to preserve the family’s last heir.

Thus, escape was Perkin’s only goal.

With this in mind, Liu Zhihua quickened his pace. For whatever reason, he had no intention of letting Lloyd go. By now it was clear: Lloyd was the focal point behind this trouble. The system had even hinted that eliminating this rival would prevent new enemies from appearing.

But as long as the focal point remained, who knew if he would return with even more formidable foes? Liu Zhihua had no wish to face an endless stream of stronger adversaries.

Just as Liu Zhihua closed in, Lloyd suddenly smiled. From his parted lips came Perkin’s voice, “I knew you would pursue me. Then die—Z-Slash: Serenity Before Death!”

This was evidently the ultimate secret of the Z-Slash, a technique Perkin had never taught Liu Zhihua. As Lloyd unleashed it, Liu Zhihua felt an inescapable dread—as if, no matter how he tried to evade, the sword would pierce his throat and death was certain.

A sense of resignation crept in—if death was inevitable, why not simply accept it here and now?

At that moment, a figure stepped in front of Liu Zhihua, blocking the fatal strike on his behalf.