Note 2: Will do a simple YouTube video and answer some Q&A! Ask your questions in the comments of this chapter and I will answer whichever ones I can - except spoilers ????

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"W-what is happening? Since when could illusions speak?"

"What did the drow say? Anyone know Anyone?"

"Forget that, look out #777! Get out of the way!"

Lars' eyes bulged as he strained with all he had to get out of the way of the incoming sword. From the power behind the first strike, he knew that his defensive spells would be shattered like an eggsh.e.l.l!

'C'mon move move move move move!!!' He screamed in his head and slammed his foot onto the ground while simultaneously triggering the instant-cast Level 1 spell Force Push on his opponent despite knowing it wouldn't even faze him!

But the combination of his efforts bore fruit. He could not avoid the strike, but his evasive manoeuvres successfully kept it from landing on his vitals.

It *DID* cut a deep wound on his ribs, though, sending him spinning as the blow shattered his magical and blood energy defences.

At that moment, the crowds around him gasped and cried out in shock.

"He's hurt!"

"How can that death-dancer be so strong? No wonder even Natalie Sarouneh was cut down in one stroke!"

"Wait, doesn't that make #777 even more amazing than the dragoness?!"

"No you fool! Skills and combat power are just one aspect. In terms of cultivation level, she's leaps and bounds ahead of him! A gap that can never be crossed!"

"Hold up! Do you see that...?! Is something wrong with my eyes...?!?"

"He... He's...!"

"What is going on?!! How can that be???"

"Administrator! Administrator!"

"Someone! Come quickly! Something's wrong!" They called out in fear when they saw something incredibly wrong happening with the boy.

Meanwhile, before Lars could even gain his bearings, the drow death-dancer was upon him once more.

'Lars! Something's wrong!'

'I know something's wrong!!! How can an illusion automaton speak!??'

'Not that...! It's much much worse...!!!'

Lars' heart skipped a beat as he sensed fear in the penguin's voice for the first time ever; even as he struggled to keep himself from being skewered or sliced to pieces from the drow's relentless slashes.

Then Lars coughed as he felt a pang of dull pain in his left side, almost as if he were wounded in real life.

'No, Lars! You really are--'

Lars' eyes widened in shock when he heard that, and he was nearly decapitated in his moment of hesitation, but still managed to throw himself backwards just in the nick of time.

Then he heard clearly what Kizorik was trying to say.

'You really are bleeding, wounded in real life! You need to win here and fight with all your strength!'

'What the f***!?? How is that possible?? And... Dammit! I *AM* FIGHTING WITH ALL MY STRENGTH!!'

'No! There's still something more even in this restricted testing field! Focus on your rage and the bubbling vigour in your bones and blood! Just do it!' Kizorik exhorted the boy, not leaving any room for discussion.

The golden-haired boy struggled to do what the demon said, but could hardly catch a breath between dodging, defending and parrying the flas.h.i.+ng sword strikes flying his way.

Then he was flung into the air when he was forced to block one particularly vicious cross-bladed blow... And he felt a chill run up his spine.

The drow bent down low with his swords held out at either side, one angled upwards while the other was slanted down. And the dark elf began to spin.

"RODA MAUT!!!" (Death Wheel)

This sight of the drow about to strike the boy down drew worried cries of exclamation from the crowds! All the more as they saw the boy bleeding in real life!

"What's he saying??" "Oh no!!!" "Watch out!!!" "DODGE IT!!!" Even Natalie could not help but to call out to Lars despite knowing that their voices couldn't reach him. Yet the sense of ominous foreboding could not be shaken and caused the crowds to cry out in warning to the heroic golden-haired boy!

At that moment, the dark-skinned and silver-haired elf rotated at a blinding speed, sending stray blades of wind Lars' way and lacerating his skin even before the steel blades arrived to slice him apart!

's.h.i.+T!!! NO!! I WON'T DIE HERE OF ALL PLACES!!! GRAHHRHGGGH!!!!!!!!!' Rage began to flare up in the boy's heart. An anger and unwillingness to lower his head, a domineering spirit he himself did not know he had. And his voice changed to be slightly lower and deeper as he bellowed his cry of resistance.

And in reality, his body began to bulge slightly, triggering shouts of awe at his bloodline awakening, while in the illusion world, he felt a surge of strength, triple - no, quadruple the strength pulsing through his body!

"DIE!!!!" Lars roared in a grating voice and suddenly exhibited incredible strength, smas.h.i.+ng downwards with the heaviest and sharpest of his four self-created moves!

"VOID SPLITTER!!!" He gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that the veins on the backs of his hands bulged and a cracking sound could be heard from his knuckles, then in an unbelievably short amount of time, the curved blade descended like a reaper's scythe.

*KRRIRIIIINNGGGG!!!!!*

An ear-splitting breaking sound of metal on metal was heard, followed by the sick sound of flesh being cut apart violently.

Then everything fell silent.

The watchers and spectators stopped with dropped jaws.

General Weres and his companions could not believe their eyes, whether they looked at the real-world Lars or the illusion-world projected on the screen.

And Natalie's heart began to palpitate, pounding hard and causing her cheeks to turn red in exhilaration at the sight.

The drow death-dancer stood stunned, slowly spinning to a halt.

Lars remained in a half-crouching, half-kneeling position with his sword low and almost touching the ground.

The two had pa.s.sed by each other and stood unmoving for a moment.

Then blood began to spurt from Lars arms - 6 long cuts along his hefty and muscular arms, expanded from his triggering of the minotaur legendary-level bloodline.

Then the drow death-dancer turned around and pointed his sword at Lars back.

And spoke, "K-kamu... Kamu... Syaitan..." (Y-you... You demon...)

And then the front of his body ruptured and splashed blood out onto the ground before him as the drow death-dancer fell to his knees and dropped his swords.

He pressed his arms against the long slash that ran from his neck and shoulder all the way down to his stomch and tried to staunch the bleeding, but it was like trying to block a river with a cork. The blood continued to flow, and despite his defiant spirit, the dark elf began to gasp - then fell to the ground, lifeless.

The last boss who had stifled dozens of great talents had finally fallen at the hands of a simple, unknown orphan boy, a mere sojourner to Gorun City.

At first, the audience could only look on entranced by the intense battle that had just occurred before them.

Even the junior leaders of the city located high in their private viewing boxes could only stare in shock, unable to comprehend what they had just seen despite it happening right before their very eyes.

Then from somewhere unknown, one lone pair of hands began clapping.

A slow clap, just less than one clap at a time. Then another. Then once more, the same pair of hands struck together sharply, creating a resounding crack in the deafening silence of the training field.

A slow clap that was joined by another pair of hands. Then another. Then one more. Then many more. Then dozens and hundreds more pairs of hands began to join together in booming applause, filled with excitement and wordless pa.s.sion from the blood-boiling display of courage, tenacity and sublime skill!

This was the birth of a heroic talent that would leave his name in the annals of history!

This was the unveiling of a true genius who exceeded the nation, a continental prodigy who would surely go on to shock their neighbouring countries!

This was the beginning of a glorious, ill.u.s.trious legend that those who bore witness today would retell for years, decades and even generations to come!

This was the inauguration of a kingly warrior, supreme in both magic and sword arts...

One who would surely rule the city with a fist of absolute might!

One who would stupefy their rival nations with his extraordinary gifts!

One who would shake the world with his legend of grandeur!

The beginning of the legend of Miller Knight Lars, the greatest mage and unparalleled swordsman who would retire undefeated for a thousand years!

The legend began today in a humble illusion array - with a blood-soaked boy panting from fatigue.

But the story for today was not yet over.

"Completed in 3 minute 22 seconds. Congratulations, proceeding to level 10."

His eyes bulged. He couldn't believe his ears.

It was not yet over!??

'Get a hang of yourself, kid! You gotta live! Survive! Don't lose hope!!! Come on!!!! I'm sure there's a huge secret which only demons and their contractors can trigger!!! Fight-ing! Fight-ing! Jiayou! Jiayou!!!'

"Level 10 (Final stage): Beginning Master level."

"Demon-Hunter Marzinus."

Lars lifted up his sword as his enemy emerged from the mists, eyes glowing purple and sinister.

Despite being suppressed, this was the preserved true-soul of Demon-slayer Marzinus, a Myth level supreme warrior of the ancient era.

Lars gulped as he raised his guard and focused his 101% concentration, preparing countless spells and triggering all his remaining strength.

This would be the defining moment of life or death.