A sword thrown from over 10 meters away almost pierced all the way through a tree trunk almost two meters in diameter. It was impossible to achieve this sort of power—even for Feng Luo using his Barrett together with an energy armor-breaking bullet!

Furthermore, Nightingale had clearly avoided the blade, yet a cut still appeared on his face, spilling blood!

This situation was undoubtedly a little illogical; Feng Luo had guessed that this was likely the reason that the samurai sword was covered in a layer of mysterious golden energy.

This means that this type of energy can actually be affixed to a weapon that has left one’s hand, thought Feng Luo. If affixed to bullets, would it enhance the bullets’ destruction and attack power or have other special effects?

However, in such a situation, where even the type of energy was unknown, this kind of completely could not be proven.

Having halted his attack, and even having his face wounded, Nightingale looked grim, but he calmed down from his rage. “Your power has already reached this level?!” he said, looking at Haruko coldly, trying to hide a bit of fear in his eyes.

“I, too, didn’t think that she had already grasped her power at this kind of level.” Hunting Tiger’s silhouette walked into the battlefield, too, his calm face now carrying a bitter smile. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to attack her with caution!”

There were no obvious injuries on his body, but that hole on that exceptionally thick and heavy, spiked shield in his hand, which had been pierced straight through by a sword, indicated the conclusion of his battle with Haruko before.

Hunting Tiger stared at Nightingale as he said, “However, by using ‘power’ when fighting the investigators, you’ve certainly gone against our prior agreement!”

Nightingale’s face was grim, but facing Haruko’s and Hunting Tiger’s scrutiny, he could only say, gritting his teeth. “Humph… Then I’m considered to have failed? This must be the case, right?”

“Instructor!”

However, Number 74, who had been listening to his words from the side, wore a completely changed expression.

When Haruko had forcefully intercepted, he had temporarily halted his actions, letting Big Pineapple charge to the line of defense. Then, throughout the course of the three NPCs’ discussion, the two had not engaged in battle again. He did not know that Nightingale, who still had a look of might, had just now given in! In that case, wouldn’t he be in a one-against-three scenario?

No—not three, but four. Because that female NPC instructor, whom even Nightingale feared, was similarly on the opponent’s side. One against four. Even if there were four of him, he still might not have stood a chance!

Big Pineapple turned his head to reveal a smirk to Number 74. “Hey, f*ck this. You’ve had your fun beating me just now. Now I want payback!”

However, to everyone’s surprise, Phoenix, who had not spoken at all until now, suddenly said coldly, “I’m going to take him on one-on-one. You all, don’t interfere!”

She picked up her alloy longsword and walked past him toward Number 74.

“What?” Big Pineapple was a little dumbfounded, not yet noticing Phoenix’s abnormality. “Phoenix… this investigation is a team battle. Why would you…?”

But Feng Luo had long before noticed Phoenix’s oddity, so he just creased his forehead and did not express any objection.

“One on one! You’re the one who said it!” Number 74 had a delighted look on his face as he leaped up with his alloy longsword raised high in his hand, slashing down at Phoenix. It seemed that Phoenix would regret this decision.

But Phoenix let out a cold “Humph!” Her leg instantly side-stepping the moment the longsword came close!

Hu!

In this “Thunder Leap Slash” attack of Number 74’s, the gray alloy longsword brushed past Phoenix’s body and slashed through the air.

Pai!

−245

Just as his longsword slashed through the air, Phoenix’s fiery red longsword carried a wave of energy as it was raised and slapped onto his face!

Correct—it slapped, rather than slashed. Phoenix had only used the flat of the sword! This attack did not use a skill, and it did not use the sword’s blade either. Thus, the damage caused was very low. It was not even 300!

The problem was, this was a literal slap in the face! This was different from the slap that Feng Luo had given September Night Rain. This was truly a slap in Number 74’s face. Consequently, Number 74 was entirely unable to control his anger.

“Heavy Slash!”

Number 74 unleashed a loud yell as the alloy longsword in his hand violently struck toward Phoenix in a reverse-hand motion. But Phoenix looked as if she had long anticipated it, as she took two steps backward expressionlessly. The skill-enhanced longsword missed once again!

“Damn it! How’s it possible…?”

In the light of the flare on the forest battlefield, Number 74 howled continuously. In this battle that had restarted between the two, the tables had turned.

Phoenix’s expression was always icy cold, but it was as if she saw through all of Number 74’s attacks—Number 74’s seventh and eighth consecutive slashes and even the use of the Light Armor Warrior move “Hurricane Slash” all completely missed.

On the other hand, Phoenix had only counterattacked twice, and both strikes had landed on Number 74’s face.

Pai!

Number 74 was hit by Phoenix for the third time; even though he was not hit in the face this time, a damage coefficient of more than 2,000 appeared above his head! His HP—which hadn’t been full to begin with—had quickly fallen to less than a third.

“I’m dead!”

The expression on Number 74’s face was already grim to the extreme. But just then, he suddenly stomped on the ground with one foot. Following that, his speed surged rapidly as the longsword in his hand pierced at Phoenix with immense power!

It was the move Number 74 had used when facing Feng Luo and Big Pineapple before—a Rare-grade rapid advancement move! This move was extremely fast, and it was unexpected. Even top players would very likely have been caught off-guard!

However…

Clang!

The red feminine alloy sword blocked the gray longsword!

−534

−565

“An Expert-grade parry!”

Seeing the damage coefficients flash over the opponent and himself, Number 74 finally showed panic on his face. Phoenix then turned and raised her long, snow-white leg under the fiery red light armor—likewise garbed in a metallic combat boot—kicking hard on Number 74’s leg joint with a back-leg!

Ka!

Number 74 was actually kicked forward to his knees by this kick from Phoenix! At the same time, a red alloy sword was already stabbing through his armor with a cold and fierce energy.

Clang!

With a squeal of metal on metal, the red alloy longsword traveled through the armor, then stabbed through Number 74’s heart. The blood-stained tip of the blade was driven out through Number 74’s chest plate!

−3456

Red lethal damage!

“An Expert-grade Devastating Slash!” Big Pineapple exclaimed in surprise.

Only an Expert-grade Devastating Slash could have had the power to pierce through two layers of armor!

Compared to other Warrior skills, due to the very slow increase in the level of familiarity of “Devastating Slash,” this skill could only be increased through real combat. Probably not even 1,000 Warrior players had familiarized themselves with this skill to Expert-grade.

The power Phoenix had displayed in this battle was undoubtedly far stronger than before. This was quite strange!

******

For a moment, no one in the forest spoke.

This one-on-one fight had actually been quite brief. But from the start to the end, Phoenix had steadily owned Number 74. It even seemed as if Number 74—who was already considered a Warrior at the master level himself—had been played by her all along.

But Phoenix’s consistent, icy cold, expressionless face gave the impression that this battle was not a game.

“How…?”

With a vengeful, strenuous turn of his head, Number 74 looked at Phoenix before the white light of death flashed over him. Thereafter, he fell onto the ground with a splatter of blood after the sword had been pulled out of him, and a huge amount of loot spilled onto the ground all around.

As Nightingale watched this conclusion, he coldly blurted out, “Useless things!” But after that, he narrowed his eyes again as he looked toward Phoenix. “Woman, you have some sort of motive. You look as though—”

Boom!

But he had not finished speaking when there a loud noise attracted everyone’s attention once more.

On the last battlefield, tornado-like flames raged up tens of meters into the sky, lighting up every inch of the mountaintop and making it look like white chalk!

This scene was the effect of the Rare skill of “Fiery Windstorm” used by Number 37. Feng Luo had previously seen it at Dongsang City’s Number 1 landing point. If such a move had been used, then the outcome of the last battle seemed a foregone conclusion!