Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Dance on the Demon Arrays

The five powerful Arena hosts nodded simultaneously.

The five experts instantly leaped from the crowd like enraged rhinos, charging toward Midi.

Leading the charge was a level 46 Sanshou fighter.

Towering and clad in heavy chainmail no ordinary fighter would wear, he resembled an iron mountain. Gleaming trident fist blades adorned his hands – weapons designed to break swords.

Longswords concentrate force on their edges while remaining fragile. The interlocking blades could trap sword strikes and shatter blades sideways. This armored Sanshou fighter, specialized in close combat, stood as a natural counter to Demon Swordmen.

Had Midi not rashly challenged five opponents, the Host of Red Lotus would’ve deployed this fighter first in attrition warfare. Now unleashed in group combat, the iron-clad giant attacked without restraint.

Behind him shadowed a short level 45 sword soul, cold moonlight gleaming from his Lightsaber. While the Sanshou fighter served as shield and blade-breaker, the sword soul lurked as executioner. Their coordinated assault formed an inescapable trap.

Flanking them moved a level 45 psionicist and level 44 judo expert. The psionicist gathered luminous Energy Waves – mid-range attacks alterable mid-flight to harass opponents. The lightly-armored judo expert hovered like a viper, his grappling techniques nullifying blocks and dodges. Their mere presence created psychological pressure.

Anchoring the formation stood a lean level 43 Ghost Cry user. Initially passive, he unleashed demon god power through his left arm as combat began. The Arena’s temperature plummeted. Four massive shadows bloomed beneath the attackers.

The Sanshou fighter’s iron frame shuddered before accelerating violently.

Ghost Cry skill: Speed Array!

The sword soul’s form blurred into transparency.

Ghost Cry skill: Afterimage Array!

The psionicist’s Energy Wave flared brighter as both flanks surged.

Ghost Cry skill: Power Array!

Four demon arrays activated simultaneously – two Power, one Afterimage, one Speed. Strategically placed, they boosted allies while corralling Midi within four shadowy rose-like formations.

Gasps filled the Arena at this flawless coordination and power display, reaffirming Red Lotus Arena’s prowess.

Yet Midi saw only clumsy teamwork compared to Wiseman of the Hand of Nightmare’s undead Demon Swordwomen – tireless, unkillable, truly seamless.

Compared to the storm-like barrage of dual pistols from the dark elf gunslinger encountered in the Elven Kingdom adventure, these attackers’ momentum resembled mild drizzle rather than a tempest. When measured against the level 50 peak Pretender’s army of blood-sucking bats and the magic-piercing red rays, their current assault appeared utterly insignificant.

Midi had already defeated three such experts – even slain them – during his weaker days. Now fused with the mysterious demon god’s power through his golden sword, his demonic energy, magic, Ultimate Intent, and sword essence merged into seamless unity. A mere thought could unleash thunderous strikes from this perfected amalgamation, rendering their coordinated attacks trivial.

Though the four attackers enhanced their speed and assault power while flanking him, with a Ghost Cry user lurking behind, Midi knew he could shatter their strongest defender and eliminate their strategist in two moves. Yet he restrained himself, recalling the Red Lotus Arena’s chain of four arrays. While unimpressive against him, this battlefield coordination held immense tactical value – precisely why he sought to claim this Arena.

Crushing them through brute force to enforce the Lionheart Arena merger would breed resentment, not loyalty. Having experienced the conquered’s fury in his past life, Midi sought mutual victory. To earn the Red Lotus Arena’s respectful expressions required finesse, not dominance.

Countless strategies flashed through his mind. The obvious choice was countering Ghost Cry with Ghost Cry, demon arrays with demon arrays. As a second awakening Ghost Cry veteran, their techniques seemed amateurish. His golden sword-forged skills dwarfed their crude demon arrays. Yet exposing these abilities risked alerting the Zhenlu Arena and Delos Empire to his identity – Midi Asreks, the black-haired Demon Swordman from Belmar’s Star of the South ship. At twenty, his level 40+ prowess and multi-skill mastery already drew suspicion.

Thus remained one path: array destruction. Dispelling the black mist formations purely as a sword soul, concealing his trump cards. Only this would truly humble Red Lotus’s prideful Ghost Cry users – a truth he understood from personal experience.

As the Union experts closed in, the Sanshou fighter activated Body Dominance, flesh hardening to iron impervious to storm and rain. His inch punch roared forward, backed by a swordsoul’s imminent strike. Midi dissolved into an afterimage, Black Sky sword chiming against the second attacker’s blade with prophetic precision.

The longsword flared, meteoric radiance piercing the seething demon array like starlight through smoke.