Refining the Heavens (炼天)

Chapter 25: The herald of fury

It started off with Edward who was fighting alone against two Orc Captains. The Orcs had smelled danger on him, so while each of the eight fought one Orc Captain, he was attacked by two.

Perhaps it is just a beast's instinct to sense danger, but indeed Edward has become a dangerous opponent in close-combat thanks to the fighting style and weapon that Kairos and Jim created for him.

His combat techniques are forged with the purpose to kill or disable his opponents in the shortest amount of time using the least number of moves, so that he, as an archer, may escape quickly from close combat and go into his comfortable distance.

But being pinned down by two Entry D rank Orcs, both higher ranks than him, Edward is barely managing to hold them off. However, when he saw the danger Kairos was in, he panicked.

"No! Stay away from him!" with an outraged yell a strange power exploded from Edward. It was unlike anything the Orcs had felt, and they trembled when facing him.

The energy that Edward is using is similar to what Calculus gained after activating his family's forbidden technique. In a way, the archer had copied it with a glance, but there is a huge difference between the two.

Unlike Calculus damaging his life capacity to squeeze out his life force, Edward did not have to harm himself to use this power.

Being an Origin Energy user, didn't he already have plenty of practice?

The Soul Perception that the boys use is, in fact, sending out their life energy into the surroundings to retrieve details. This time, instead of sending it out, the archer excited his life force from its dormant state and unleashed it in one go within himself.

He looked coldly at the Orcs still blocking his way. Despite feeling that he is now a threat to their lives, they refused to budge, fearing their leader more.

He knew that he could not keep this up for long. Unlike Ki that could be replenished from cultivating the surrounding Heavenly Energies, life force depends on how fast a person can recover.

Edward charged towards the two Orc Captains opposite of him, planning to use this newfound burst of energy to break through and go to Kairos' aid quickly.

He viciously attacked, aiming to blind an eye, slash a throat or pierce one's solar plexus like before, but the Orcs have gotten used to his tactics and are much more prudent in fighting him. Losing patience, the archer smacked one of the powerfully muscled Orcs that stood nearly three meters tall with his bow, and he easily sent it flying back into a tree at a distance away.

"Those that block my way DIE!" He shouted. His heart filled with urgency to get to Kairos. There is no time to lose, yet his way is barred. These Orcs has become an unforgivable existence that he must remove no matter the cost. He charged forward at full strength, far swifter than his rank would suggest.

Then like a dart, while keeping his torso close to the ground, he dashed underneath the second Orc's club and shield. Edward's blitz attack was so quick that for a second, it looked as if he had disappeared. Even the D rank beast with powerful senses found itself incapable of keeping up with Edward's sudden burst of speed.

He is now fighting at several times his usual speed and threw off the Orc that had gotten used to his attacks. To the Orc, Edward seemed to materialise right underneath its guard and promptly struck it at its solar plexus. The hidden blade strapped to his wrist sprung out like a snake and impaled it through its thick muscles.

A wailing death cry wheezes loudly from the Orc's mouth, and a mixture of pain and anger could be seen in its large black eyes, but still, it refuses to die.