Before Samimi could reveal her true strength, Niubao had to hold off the Twin Ghost Sisters’ assault on her own.
It was an extremely difficult task.
With her Mage skills sealed, fighting one against two remained a struggle even with her stats maximized by buffs.
“Come on! Let’s fight for another 300 rounds!”
Red Ghost laughed as she charged straight at Niubao, her hands still empty and her blade remains sheathed.
Niubao remained unmoved, holding her ground at the center line. She had to protect the Priestess behind her. This stubborn cow, who usually couldn’t care less whether her teammates lived or died, showed an extraordinary sense of teamwork when grouped with Samimi.
*Clang!*
Red Ghost suddenly crouched and kicked off the ground, leaping into the air. She drew her massive tachi mid-air, using the speed and momentum to fling the scabbard away as she brought the blade down in a heavy Invincible Dragon Rise Slash.
This single strike made a certain “fake tachi swordsman” pale in comparison.
What did a real Dragon Rise Slash look like? What was a true warrior’s blade?
By comparison, those flashy draw-and-slash techniques were like children playing house. They had the form, but no soul.
From this moment on, Samimi silently decided—’I’m deleting all those showy sword moves from my skill bar.’
‘They could fool the people in the Royal City, but in front of a real adventurer, they would only be mocked.’
Moreover, the Slaying Demon Sword was indeed not as useful as the Runic Staff. The difference in combat practicality was far too great. She felt a bit discouraged; her confidence had taken a hit before she even joined the fray.
In this world, there weren’t many people who could dampen a Miworm’s spirits. However, these two pure-blood tachi swordsmen were among them. She even began to understand how the Hero of the Gale felt after losing to Serina.
Losing to anyone else was fine, but losing to someone of the same class was unbearable. It was a denial of one’s entire profession.
Of course, Samimi’s situation wasn’t that bad. She wasn’t a real tachi swordsman, after all; she was just a “frail” little Divine Official. But for a Hero to lose to another Hero—that was a true breakdown.
She scanned the spectator stands. ‘Where is the Hero?’
The Hero of the Gale had not come. Clearly, her injuries were quite severe.
‘Very well,’ Samimi sneered inwardly. ‘After I trample Bemore, I’ll send you two back to the farm to plant crops.’
She quickly restored her mental state through self-consolation.
—
*Boom!*
Red Ghost’s blade struck the ground, sending sand and dust flying. Niubao had already dodged. This kind of wide-reaching, heavy slash wouldn’t hit anyone unless they were a stationary wooden stake.
‘A swordsmanship style only an amateur would use,’ Niubao evaluated in her mind.
If she weren’t fighting one against two, she would have counterattacked long ago. But for now, she chose to stay firm and protect the backline.
The moment Red Ghost landed, she was wide open. Niubao decisively swept her twin swords, aiming directly for the landing spot.
*Whoosh!*
Blue Ghost suddenly flicked out from the side, delivering a horizontal slash.
*Bang!*
Niubao instantly retracted her swords, performing a desperate cross-block. She stopped the lethal blow.
“Oh?” Blue Ghost was surprised.
That strike should have been a guaranteed hit. The Beastman Nun’s speed had changed significantly. Niubao followed up with a spinning backhand slash, but Blue Ghost had already vanished.
‘Another positioning freak,’ Samimi commented.
Blue Ghost changed direction and charged straight for the backline. Her target: Samimi. However, Niubao retreated to defend instantly, intercepting her a step ahead.
‘Speed… did I lose?’ Blue Ghost frowned.
This was completely different from yesterday. Soon, she noticed a faint light shimmering on Niubao’s body.
‘As I thought, it’s that Priestess’s doing.’
Support classes were extremely rare in the South, let alone a Divine Official of this caliber. An ordinary priest could only heal because their chanting was too slow. But Samimi could churn out dozens of amplifications in a single second. They were on entirely different levels.
“You want to compete with me in speed?” Blue Ghost sneered. “Naïve.”
She erupted with full power, lunging forward like a blue phantom. She bypassed Niubao in an instant. Niubao whipped around to give chase, once again employing her eerie footwork. Even though she appeared to be standing upright, she was gliding at high speeds.
She caught up again. The two were locked in a literal race.
Blue Ghost was shocked. She actually couldn’t outrun her.
“Heh… You just boosted your movement speed,” she sneered, refusing to admit defeat. “What does it matter if you’re fast? Let’s compare sword speed!”
She drew her blade instantly. Silent and shadowless, a flurry of slashes erupted—ten strikes in a single heartbeat.
However, Niubao held her twin swords vertically like two doors. With only slight adjustments, she blocked every single one.
*Whir!*
Blue Ghost suddenly changed her move, aiming a sneak attack at Niubao’s lower body. Niubao, however, suddenly “lost control” and slammed into her with an Iron Mountain Lean.
The shoulder strike hit home first.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Blue Ghost retreated three steps before she could steady herself. She was both shocked and enraged. Niubao, however, regained her composure and returned to a defensive stance.
Her combat style was like a split personality: shifting constantly between a wild bull and a tortoise. Even in a one-against-two situation, she actually held the advantage.
The entire arena went silent. But the truly absurd thing wasn’t the battle itself—it was what was happening in the back.
Samimi had already run to a corner and set up a tea set. There were tea leaves, a kettle, a small stool, and even a tiny tea table. She ignited her staff to boil water and began steeping tea.
While the world was being turned upside down by the fight in front of her, she was leisurely drinking tea in the back. The entire audience was completely dumbfounded.
“What kind of maneuver is this?”
“What is she doing?”
Where did those things even come from? The answer was simple: Niubao’s Ruby Ring. A portable storage space made it possible to have tea anytime.
“Fire is prohibited indoors,” the referee said, instantly dousing the flames.
However, the water had already boiled.
“Would you like a cup, Miss Referee?” Samimi invited warmly.
“This is against the rules…” the referee hesitated.
“Don’t go over there and get hacked; come join me,” Samimi said, pulling the woman over and forcing the social interaction.
The referee had no choice but to drink.
In the distance, swords clashed and rang. Close by, the aroma of tea drifted through the air. The scene was utterly surreal.
On the other side, Blue Ghost continued her fierce assault, but she remained unable to break through Niubao’s defense.
“I can stall you until tomorrow,” Niubao said, finally beginning to mock her.