219 Forgot

Azrael didn't say anything, but Sylas could almost read him. He felt that the man was in shock that he had to use such a Skill the moment their battle began. It seemed like fury was billowing deep within him, but his expression was as calm as the surface of a lake.

The sphere flickered and vanished. A black blade appeared in Azrael's palm, and he took a step forward. He fell from the sides, and his body became as swift as a swallow. Sylas almost saw the arc of black before it descended, sealing off his paths of retreat.

Even with his mind, Sylas simply couldn't find an easy method through this. Even if he had been at his peak state, this battle would have been nigh impossible. This man felt even more powerful to him than the poison bouncer he fought earlier in the day, but the worst part was that this Azrael didn't even seem to be trying very hard.

Sylas could only retreat. Relying on his visualization, he locked onto the trajectory of the blade before it landed, sidestepping it. However, his mind was still on full alert, using his three kunai to swarm the man from all sides. He didn't know if Azrael had a method like <Momentum Shift> or not.

Azrael was shocked once again that Sylas managed to dodge such a straightforward attack from him, but his response was still calm. His body was the most fluid that Sylas had ever seen. He dodged the kunai as though they weren't even there, almost like he was dancing rather than stuck in battle.

Every single one of his stats overwhelmed Sylas, and the latter couldn't help but think that if this man started to use Skills, or even a Comprehension, would he even still be alive right now? Without his visualization, he would have already been dead. There was no way to compensate for this man's Speed and Dexterity outside of acting two or three steps early.

The feeling was growing more and more suffocating, and it felt like the despair he had tried to push down was surging up again.

It wasn't enough. Nothing was enough.

Just wanting to change hadn't done anything. His mind was being suppressed by his own thoughts, and it seemed like he might fall back into an endless cycle of self-doubt and fear once again.

It made him angry.

He had already made his decision, why would his body not listen?

It had always done so before.

When he wanted to get up at 5 a.m., he would do so without fail. When he wanted to give up on sugar and eat a healthier diet, he had done so without missing a beat.

He couldn't stand the weakness; he couldn't stand the lack of control. It was absolutely suffocating.

He just wanted his mind to listen to him. He just wanted his body to be molded by his hands and that of no one else.

Sylas' eyes reddened, and his Madness seemed to spiral somewhat out of control. For the first time in a long time, it even began impacting his own state. But rather than increasing the strength of his Madness, it dissipated it.

His kunai, which had been able to display over 200 Physical in power, lost at least 20% of their strength.

His control over his body faltered, and he slipped up. An arc of black cut into him and almost took his entire right arm off. The spike of pain alerted him to a change, and he was shocked away. He hurriedly retreated again and again, not bothering to use <Solidify> because he knew that there was no way the shield could block the Physical of this man.

However, that moment of alertness seemed to last for only a moment before the fury came back.

He was actually being so pathetic again.

'Calm down.'

The roar came from Sylas' own mind. Almost in a maddening sort of rationality, he came to understand that fury would do him no favors in this situation. In fact, it might be even better if he could feel nothing at all.

He pulled on <Maddened Enlightenment> harder and harder, focusing not on Aether, but his state of mind.

Arcs of black light roared through the air, leaving splintering wind in its wake. Sometimes this wind alone was so sharp that more and more wounds began to appear around his body.

With every wound that Sylas suffered, another spike of pain would come with it, but he seemed to use it like a tempering. Every slash was another reminder to wake up, and every spike of pain was something he had to fight against to maintain his focus.

He wanted more control, more calmness.

He wanted his Will to be forged through iron and tempered with the blood of the heart if he had to.

Azrael suddenly kicked out, catching Sylas off guard. The powerful stroke forced Sylas to use <Solidify> even if he didn't want to. But it shattered his shield with spine-tingling swiftness, and then the sole of his foot landed squarely on Sylas' chest, forcing a clean break on his already fractured ribs.

Sylas was blown back and he slammed into a tree. Its leaves rustled violently, and blood flew from his mouth.

The shock of pain hit him in a whirlwind, yet his eyes remained unprecedentedly focused as though nothing at all could shake him.

Then he felt it.

[Your understanding of <Maddened Enlightenment> has deepened]

[<Maddened Enlightenment> has reached Common Mastery]

[Your understanding of <Maddened Enlightenment> has been temporarily raised by Madness Comprehension] [<Maddened Enlightenment> has temporarily reached Bronze Mastery] The rush of Aether coming toward Sylas exploded, but the change to his mind was even greater. It was almost as though he had changed the path of <Maddened Enlightenment> down a completely different route.

The glow in green irises, mostly just a facade in normal times, became more real and tangible as though his eyes had truly become their own light.

He forgot everything.

He forgot fear.

He forgot despair.

He forgot pain.

His mind was entirely focused on finding a method to kill the opponent before him.