BUILDING MY OWN EMPIRE - My Journey from Nothing to Overwhelming Power-Chapter 103 - 102 – Fourth-Rank Lord II

My smile was wide… despite trying to remain composed, pretending heaviness.

Yet I was completely natural—unlike everything else.

My gaze went directly to that place… the former location of the sphere. Thousands of independent flame threads…

The ones that had severed their connection to me, drifting in the sky, slowly pulling in the surrounding accumulation…

"It seems that reaching the Fourth Rank has elevated the capabilities of Flame Art within me as well…" I whispered inwardly.

"The mastered weapon… it's somewhat like the White Flower… once you obtain it, it operates according to your rank's capabilities. The higher you rise, the more it evolves… until it reaches its peak. The same applies to a mastered weapon…"

I raised my hand.

Ten crimson threads shot forward… heading toward the independent threads.

Back when I was Third Rank, I never felt those whispers…

It seems my connection with the weapon has become stronger.

"Now…"

The threads drew closer…

Then connected.

"I can feel it."

Suddenly—

A powerful pulse struck my heart.

It wasn't painful… but more like a violent jolt.

Then—

I began to feel resistance.

The independent threads… started slipping away from my control.

I smiled.

"I'm not who I used to be," I whispered… then poured in greater pressure.

I suppressed the resistance quickly.

Then suppressed it further… until it completely vanished.

In an instant…

The threads were under my control.

I turned toward the Fourth-Rank Lord.

"Now… here's the new deal," I said.

"If you want to keep your life… hand over all your weapons, resources, and abilities."

"Hahaha!" the Lord laughed.

"You think reaching the Fourth Rank makes you capable of facing me? What an idiot."

I didn't respond.

Quickly—

I dashed toward him.

"Oh…" I whispered.

I was incredibly fast.

A simple burst of movement… far faster than before.

I reached him—

Raised my fist—

BOOOOM.

The impact thundered.

The Lord was sent flying.

"That was a test," I said.

"Now… it's time to get serious."

I dashed again—

The air behind me howled violently.

I reached him—

Raised my left hand, infused with Flame Art—

Then—

BOOOOOM.

Again, he was blasted away.

I didn't let him go.

I was already in front of him.

No space to recover—

Another attack—

He was pushed back—

He raised his hands—

Took another hit and let himself be thrown back—

I stopped.

I didn't chase him.

"So this is your plan…" I whispered.

"You take the hit… let your body be thrown back… so you don't stand still and face a barrage of attacks… but why…"

My eyes shifted upward… toward the blue net.

"I see… the time of the Stealing Cube is running out… so you want to keep escaping…"

I closed my eyes…

Then commanded the independent threads to come.

They drew closer…

Then—

Wrapped around my body.

I turned toward the others.

"Move farther away," I said.

I exhaled.

I let my body absorb the threads.

Then—

I began commanding them to form a shield.

One by one, the threads turned into red energy…

Enveloping my body like armor.

The shield grew heavier…

Then became transparent…

Then—

I extended both hands.

Summoned two wind blades.

I began controlling them… making them spin rapidly.

Then—

I narrowed my eyes in focus.

I ordered the blades to change shape.

My accumulation began to drop—

rapidly—

violently.

The moment I issued the command—

10% of my accumulation was gone.

The blades resisted fiercely—

Then—

Suddenly—

The resistance grew stronger.

A massive headache struck me.

30% gone.

"Damn it…" I hissed.

The blades refused to change form.

I commanded them—

Again and again.

40%.

Sweat began to drip.

Then—

70%.

"Damn it… I can't back down now."

Suddenly—

My will began fighting the blades.

70% of my accumulation… gone in an instant.

The headache intensified.

It felt like my head carried the weight of a mountain.

At that moment—

I stood completely still.

Unable to do anything.

If the Lord attacked now—

I'd be an easy target.

But he didn't.

He remained at a distance.

80%.

I tried to pull back my will—

I couldn't.

The struggle continued.

Then—

The headache vanished suddenly.

I opened my eyes.

{Ding… Ding… Ding}

{Wind Blades ability has been upgraded}

{→ Flexible Wind Blades}

"What—?!" I shouted.

"What is happening…?"

I truly didn't understand.

How did it evolve?

I was only trying—on a whim—to reshape the blade into something elongated… like a sword.

I've made blades large and small, fast and slow before…

Even merged multiple blades together…

Why now?

Is it because of my Fourth Rank?

Or because I completely changed its form?

I don't know.

But—

I lost 80% of my accumulation.

What a stupid move…

Can I fight him with just 20%?

Suddenly—

The situation turned against me.

But—

My opponent doesn't know that.

I have several options—

Use another ability…

Continue with Flame Art…

Or continue experimenting with Wind Blades…

All options seem logical…

and illogical at the same time.

No other choice.

I have to try.

I focused inward.

Summoned the threads again.

They wrapped around me once more…

Forming a transparent crimson shield.

Then—

I extended both hands again.

Summoned two wind blades.

Ordered them to take the shape of medium-length swords.

Suddenly—

Their shape began to change.

They still spun rapidly—

Barely visible.

They stretched…

Contracted…

Until they reached about a meter in length.

"Heh… they look amazing," I whispered.

It was obvious—

They were several times stronger than any blade I had ever created.

Then—

I whispered inwardly.

Commanded Flame Art to wrap around them.

Suddenly—

The blades and Flame Art began to merge.

Everyone—including the Lord—watched in anticipation.

As for me…

I was just like them.

Watching in awe.

For the first time—

I was seeing a true fusion between Wind Blades and Flame Art.

Before, I only enhanced them…

Now—

They were truly merging.

Forming crimson swords that emitted a massive hum.

I raised both swords.

Then looked at the Lord.

"Time for the real test," I whispered.

At the same moment—

I dashed toward him.

Fast. Decisive.

A smile carved across my face.

The Lord raised his hands—

Protected by his milky weapon.

I raised my left sword—

Then brought it down—

SWOOOSH.

A loud impact.

A piercing hum.

The Lord screamed.

"Hahaha!" I laughed.

The moment the crimson blade struck—

The hum exploded—

And the milky shield shattered into pieces.

Then—

A massive scream of pain—

And a long cut across his chest.

He didn't fly back.

My strike wasn't pushing—

It was cutting.

The Lord regained composure quickly.

Raised his right hand—

Formed a sword—

Struck fiercely—

SWOOOSH.

His blade fell onto my body—

Without resistance—

Stopped.

It couldn't pass through the transparent crimson shield.

His face darkened.

Then—

Another scream.

He retreated several meters.

I didn't let him attack freely.

At the same moment he struck—

My right hand was already moving.

As my shield blocked his attack—

My flame-infused blade carved across his chest—

In the opposite direction.

"Damn you!" he roared.

"How do you have a shield this strong… while attacking with the same level of power?!"

"Luck," I laughed.

"The shield you see is formed from those threads that drained most of your accumulation… while the swords are from my own power."

"You bastard…" he growled.

He raised his hands—

Formed a full milky shield—

Then retreated.

I dashed again.

He smiled—

Stopped moving—

Waiting for me.

"A trap…" I whispered.

But I didn't stop.

Maybe it was a trap.

Or maybe it was meant to stop me from attacking.

Either way—

There's no way to be sure.

Attack…

is the only answer.

I reached him—

Struck—

The milky defense exploded again.

He screamed—

Retreated—

I followed—

Struck again—

Step after step—

Retreat after retreat—

I was behind him.

Every step he took—

I took two.

Every strike landed.

He could barely move—

Yet he kept evading.

The time of the Stealing Cube was nearing its end.

We both knew—

This was a race.

Either I finish him before time runs out—

Or time ends…

and he finishes me.

Every wound I inflicted slowed him.

Every wound that didn't kill him—

only prolonged his resistance.

My eyes narrowed with tension—

despite having the upper hand.

The fact that he hadn't fallen—

was terrifying.

My accumulation kept dropping.

Barely 10% remained.

But it was enough…

to maintain my momentum.

At the same time—

He allowed me to strike specific areas—

ones he chose.

My attacks were powerful—

But his will…

refused to break.

Suddenly—

A shadow appeared behind him.

Hazel eyes.

Shining hair.

Monali.

She raised her bow—

and fired.

The arrow struck him.

His body no longer had enough defense.

He leapt away—

Tried to jump again—

He couldn't.

The arrow acted like a sedative.

"Now—kill him!" Monali shouted.

The effect faded—

He raised his leg—

Tried to jump—

Above him—

I stood.

Like a shadow.

Fast. Still.

My feet slammed into the ground.

In my left hand—

one sword.

Filled with everything I had of Flame Art.

"Die!" I shouted.

Then—

SWOOOOSH.

A deafening hum.

Then—

The head…

flew.