"Make your move," Sherry uttered, her gaze cold as ice, as if Ethan was already dead in her eyes.
Ethan remained still, casting a casual glance at Sherry.
His dismissive gaze ignited a raging fire in Sherry.
Unable to bear it any longer, she dashed towards him with her gleaming dagger, leaving only a shadowy afterimage in the air.
"He does have some skills after all, no wonder he's so audacious," Ethan commented on Sherry's technique.
Standing on the sidelines, Pale Wolf couldn't help but shake his head, muttering to himself, "He knows full well how powerful the opponent is, yet he continues to underestimate and provoke her. Such reckless behavior. I can't fathom how this young man Ethan could have achieved a Rank S Hero status."
Mia overheard Pale Wolf's words.
She glared at him, fervently defending Ethan. "How dare you speak ill of him! That woman is no match for him!"
"Oh? You think Sherry is no match for Ethan?" Pale Wolf said, a reminiscing look in his eyes, clearly awed by Sherry's past.
"Little lady, you say that because you have no idea who Sherry truly is."
He continued, "Sherry, like me, hails from the snowy north. But our primary difference is that while my power largely stems from sheer luck, Sherry's is innate. She was born an assassin, blessed with a formidable Bloodline, and possesses the arcane art of assassination. Before arriving in the Red Jade Valley, she had already claimed the life of a Rank S Hero."
"Do you still believe Ethan stands a chance against Sherry?"
After hearing Pale Wolf's account, worry etched itself onto Mia's face.
In her eyes, Ethan had always been invincible, and no one could rival him.
But no matter how powerful Ethan was, being a Rank S Hero was one thing; facing someone like Sherry, who had already defeated a Hero of the same rank, was another.
"Oh Ethan, please stay safe," Mia prayed silently, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on the ongoing clash between Sherry and Ethan.
"I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!"
Sherry hissed with malevolence, her dagger aimed straight for Ethan's heart, showing no signs of holding back.
"What a venomous woman," Ethan remarked sarcastically, nimbly dodging her thrust.
He sidestepped, evading the gleaming blade and, in one fluid motion, threw a punch at Sherry's face.
Sherry's reactions were just as swift.
Sensing Ethan's incoming fist, she quickly adjusted her stance.
Pushing off the ground with her long legs, she sprang into the air, swinging her leg towards Ethan's head in a powerful kick.
Ethan chose to block.
As Sherry's leg came at him, he caught it in his grasp.
Sensing trouble, Sherry twisted her body mid-air, managing to break free.
"It seems you do have some skills. Now, it's time for me to get serious," Sherry remarked, slightly surprised at Ethan's strength, but only just.
In her mind, by the end of today, Ethan would surely fall beneath her dagger.
"Shadows!" Sherry cried out.
Suddenly, two indistinct figures materialized beside her.
Especially given the overcast weather, it was nearly impossible to make out the forms of these shadowy entities.
Ethan's focus sharpened as he fixed his gaze intently on Sherry.
In the next moment, Sherry charged at Ethan once again.
But this time, as she approached, she herself transformed into a shadow, merging with the other two, making it impossible to distinguish the real Sherry among them.
"A peculiar mode of attack," Ethan remarked, his expression grave.
He belonged to the Dark Lord faction, particularly as the powerful Golden Divine Dragon, proficient in myriad magics.
Yet, he had never before encountered a technique like Sherry's.
"Heroes stand in opposition to Dark Lords. They surely wouldn't be simple adversaries," he mused to himself.
"The Heroes I've met before were too weak, leading me to underestimate the entire faction. It seems that even among Heroes, there are formidable ones."
With these thoughts in mind, Ethan shed his earlier contempt and began taking Sherry seriously.
He then released his spiritual consciousness, attempting to discern the true Sherry from the shadow triad.
But to no avail.
Sherry's speed was astounding, akin to lightning itself.
Before he could react, the three shadowy figures appeared before him, each wielding a dagger aiming for him.
As Ethan darted around, evading their thrusts, he felt a stinging sensation on his cheek.
Touching it, his fingers came away damp and crimson.
Ethan was bleeding.
"How intriguing! I've actually been injured!" Ethan laughed manically, his demeanor turning unhinged.
Fascinated by the blood on his fingers, and the superficial cut on his face, his excitement grew palpable.
"You're called Sherry?" Ethan looked toward Sherry, who had retreated to her original position.
A sense of unease washed over Sherry.
The oppressive aura emanating from Ethan was now more overwhelming than any foe she'd faced before.
"What kind of power does he possess?" Sherry wondered, regret flickering in her heart.
Yet her innate pride prevented her from yielding.
She looked at Ethan and defiantly declared, "Yes, remember this — it will be I, Sherry, who ends you!"
"Very well, very well!" Ethan responded, laughing heartily.
Off to the side, the spectating Pale Wolf couldn't help but shake his head, remarking to the still-praying Mia, "See? The outcome will soon be revealed. Ethan has been injured, a cut across his face. The first cut will soon be followed by a second, a third... Eventually, Ethan will be covered in wounds, bleeding out."
"Silence!" Mia shouted, her anxiety now completely palpable.
Seeing Mia's distress, Pale Wolf wisely held his tongue.
"Come on, Lord Ethan, you are the strongest!" Mia's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she continued her prayers.
Ethan seemed to sense something.
Turning his head slightly, he cast Mia a reassuring glance.
Sherry caught this exchange.
"An opportunity!" she thought.
She rushed forward, forsaking her dagger, and aimed a swift elbow strike at Ethan's head.
This time, it had no effect.
Sherry felt an overwhelming force envelop her.
Ethan had embraced her from behind, his grip ironclad, rendering her completely immobile.
"Attempting a surprise attack was a wise choice, but sadly, you lack the power," Ethan whispered.
Being held by Ethan, Sherry's back pressed firmly against his chest.
Their proximity was intimate, not resembling foes at all, but rather lovers lost in the heat of passion.
The warmth of Ethan's breath as he spoke tickled Sherry's ear, stirring an unfamiliar sensation within her.
"It was just a momentary lapse!" Sherry retorted defensively.
"A lapse?" Ethan queried, releasing his hold.
Seizing the opportunity, Sherry rolled over and launched another assault, her hands lashing out at Ethan.
But he swiftly captured her wrists in a vice-like grip.
"So, it was a lapse before, and what about now?" he teased.
"Also, for someone trained as an assassin, why would you opt for direct combat? An assassin is the king of shadows. You should be like a venomous snake, lurking in the darkness, waiting for the enemy to let their guard down before delivering the fatal blow."
Ethan's curiosity was piqued.
He had noticed inconsistencies in Sherry's techniques.
Apart from her shadow ability and some semblance of an assassin's style, her other maneuvers seemed haphazard and not in line with the typical assassin ethos.
Perhaps that's just how Heroes are?
Ethan couldn't figure it out and decided not to dwell on it.
His immediate concern was how to handle Sherry.
Although she had been relentlessly trying to kill him, he didn't see that as a fault.
In fact, he admired her determination.
She was precisely the kind of talent he needed.
"I'll give you another chance. Show me your most potent technique," Ethan said as he released Sherry once again.
Sherry's gaze was a maelstrom of emotions.
A fleeting gratitude was overshadowed by overwhelming fury.
She gritted her teeth, a palpable icy aura emanating from her, reminiscent of a blizzard descending upon the earth.
Frost even began to crystallize beneath her feet.
"You've brought this upon yourself!" she declared. "Frost Spike!"
In an instant, an icy spike erupted from the ground right beneath Ethan.
Reacting swiftly, Ethan evaded the strike.
But Sherry was relentless, invoking her shadow technique again.
Three shadowy figures encircled Ethan, while the ice spikes targeted him with deadly precision.
"Now this is getting interesting," Ethan mused, finally sensing a hint of challenge from Sherry.
Ever since he advanced to Rank S, Ethan knew he was powerful but was uncertain about the extent of his strength.
He hadn't encountered a worthy adversary.
The Victor he met at Stone Rock Harbor was somewhat of a challenge, and now Sherry was proving to be even more of one.
She was pushing him enough to reveal a portion of his true power.
Yet, for Ethan, this was still unsatisfactory.
He craved a greater challenge.
"If this is the extent of your abilities, then it ends here," he proclaimed.
"If that's all you've got, then it ends here," Ethan declared.
Hearing Ethan's proclamation, dread filled Sherry's heart.
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