Elliot stared at John, who began to laugh even more horribly.
'No matter what happens, he's still someone who awakened four years ago. His strength might not be overwhelming, but he must have definitely trained in martial arts or sword techniques that can be enhanced by using his ability. All that will give him a major advantage over me—I've only awakened a week ago. Still, I will avoid using my Class as much as possible. I need to try and beat him with just my current strength.'
John's ability was highly coveted by the masses. It was simple to activate, powerful in combat, and required little effort, giving the wielder a clear advantage in terms of fighting, and one could also use it without too many complications—it was a dream for most.
In all that, he had the advantage.
But Elliot's Class—Summon—was on an entirely different level. It was much more coveted than any other ability, with a few exceptions. It was far rarer and far more potent.
This was because in a one-on-one duel like this, a Summoner's power could flip the entire fight, making it an easier win.
But Summoners also had to be careful.
As coveted as their ability was, it also came with a dangerous flaw. It wasn't like there weren't many Awakened who were summoners; it was because most would end up dead very quickly.
That was why showing his summoning ability in a place with so many people was not the right choice to fight this duel. In fact, it might turn out to be the most dangerous mistake.
He needed to win this with his own strength and cunning, if he could.
That's why he didn't take out his knife to fight. He didn't know how to fight with it and had only used it to kill because it was relatively easier than relying on his fists. But if he wanted to tap into his full strength, he would need to rely on the martial arts he had trained in.
His stance had steadily improved in the last few days. He would make time each day to perfect the movements he had memorized, especially since he wasn't allowed to attend the martial arts center.
When John saw Elliot's stance, his grin widened.
'A monk-type fighter against a swordsman…? Hehe… it's not like you stand a chance, Elliot, but right now you're doomed.'
John drew his sword, violent energy flickering chaotically around the blade.
"I don't need to prepare to take you down. Hope you're ready to feel crippled again, Elliot Clark."
With a powerful leap, John launched his frontal attack. The sword, charged with that violent energy, streaked towards Elliot's vital point, brimming with lethal power.
He wanted to end the fight in one blow—then he would mutilate Elliot without killing him, just for fun.
Elliot stood his ground in the face of the incoming attack, his gaze fixed on the approaching sword. He had no real combat experience, but he had spent countless hours watching John fight—studied his every move carefully so that he could have his revenge one day, and now he knew what John would do next.
His finger itched to take out the mirror he had recently obtained, but he hesitated. After examining it, he discovered its limit: he could only use it seven more times before the mirror's power would fade away for good.
It made sense. A tool as powerful and amazing as that shouldn't be able to be used freely as if it were infinite. That's why he didn't want to take it out; it was better to save it for a moment when there truly was no other option.
Without that crutch, he knew he would have to rely solely on his skill and cunning to win. Luckily, he had an edge. Unlike John, whose stats were specialized, Elliot could use all four stats without any problem. That gave him the upper hand—if he played it smart.
While weighing up the advantages, Elliot carefully observed John's movements.
John was closing in fast; his approach was swift but predictable: a basic attack.
'This is it. My chance.'
Elliot waited until the very last moment to defend himself.
While John grinned, already savoring his great victory, Elliot raised his left arm as if to use it as a shield and block the incoming strike directly.
"You idiot!" John couldn't help but laugh out loud in his head, but that was until he noticed the raised arm bending ever so slightly like a bow just as the attack was about to land on him.
That smooth but firm movement caused the sword to slide over something strange on the arm and pass by, leaving John shocked and at a complete disadvantage.
In that instant, Elliot immediately countered. His right arm shot forward and delivered a brutal punch straight to John's nose. The blow sent him rolling across the floor several meters backwards.
Blood spurted from his nose on impact, momentarily stunning him.
"I can do this!" Elliot shouted, adrenaline rushing through him.
He quickly leapt out of John's blind spots and landed a devastating blow to his right cheek, slamming him hard into the ground.
John, dazed, slowly came to his senses—only to realize that his head was ringing and his face was pressed into the floor.
'How the hell is he so fast? Did he awaken as a killer? No way… he's too powerful! And what the hell is on his arm?! Some kind of reinforced armor?!'
Desperate, he tried to recover quickly and activated his ability before launching a powerful backward slash, aiming at where Elliot had just been.
However, it was too late.
His sword only cut through the air, releasing powerful bursts of wind in every direction—except towards Elliot, who had already appeared in front of him.
His body moved like a shadow to John, but Alexander was seeing something amazing from the outside.
'Shit… This guy can use agility and strength on par with John's level. Maybe he is not exactly at the same level, but the way he moves and uses it shows that he has a lot of experience. Besides, that blow from John on the arm earlier? It didn't even move his arm. How high is his resistance? Could it be over 30…?'
Alexander's fists clenched involuntarily, unable to accept the reality before him.
If Elliot's resistance was really that high—and if he was focused on agility and strength, as was already evident, he could still effectively use 50% of his resistance in an active combat. That alone was a considerable amount, considering he was a powerful attacker.
The way he fought reminded Alexander of grim days past… and a certain talent he had hoped never to see again.
'That damn bastard… he has to die.'
The thought settled deep in his mind. His body wanted to act, but he had to be patient.
While he was deep in thought, the fight continued.