Chapter 223 – Chasing

“BOOM”!!

An immense amount of kinetic energy seemed to wrap around Punk like a windbreaker. Propelled by such a colossal force, Punk shot toward Bloodclaw like a projectile. To catch up with Bloodclaw, Punk had even abandoned Golem Two, who couldn’t keep up.

Bloodclaw, running ahead, was still brimming with confidence. He nimbly leaped over obstructing rocks, lightly tapping his feet on blades of grass as he went.

Bloodclaw had absolute faith in his speed, especially after activating his secret technique. Although the side effects from two consecutive activations would take at least a century to recover from, the speed boost granted by the technique was enough for Bloodclaw to look down upon most Formal-Level rangers and Stalkers.

In Bloodclaw’s view, if he maintained this speed for just a few more minutes, the pursuing Punk would be left far behind. Though Punk would undoubtedly return to Sunset City to claim the “Docleina Man-eating Tree” there, Bloodclaw believed that obtaining the “Black Eagle Ring,” hailed as the “Sorcerer’s Treasure,” made the loss of a mere Docleina Man-eating Tree utterly insignificant.

“He must have given up the chase by now!”

Bloodclaw thought this after covering several kilometers in just five or six seconds.

But… when Bloodclaw instinctively glanced back after sprinting at top speed for those few seconds, he nearly stumbled in fright.

What did he see? A figure shrouded in purple radiance, encased in a sturdy spell barrier, was hot on his heels. This pursuer violently shattered every rock in his path, crushed all flora underfoot, and used the resulting shockwaves—almost tangible in their intensity—to propel himself forward in a relentless, straight-line charge.

Without a doubt, it was Punk, who had caught up and was now in a state of furious rage. Though Punk’s speed was currently on par with Bloodclaw’s, and the distance between them remained constant, Bloodclaw was still gripped by uncontrollable terror.

Bloodclaw couldn’t clearly see Punk’s face, veiled as it was by the purple energy, but he could make out the bone-chilling killing intent in those azure pupils. Locked by that murderous gaze, Bloodclaw shuddered involuntarily, his intuition screaming warnings in his heart:

“Run, run, run! If he catches you, you’ll die horribly, die horribly…”

“Damn it, this guy is a complete madman.”

Bloodclaw suppressed his fear and cursed inwardly—he had to admit that Punk had caught up. His plan to escape quickly had utterly failed. Now, he faced a life-or-death crisis, as the likelihood of shaking Punk off through speed alone was virtually nonexistent.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit! What do I do now? What do I do now? What do I do now?”

Bloodclaw broke out in a cold sweat, frantic. His speed had already reached its limit; he couldn’t accelerate further. Turning to attack and hinder Punk was out of the question—Bloodclaw had some self-awareness about his offensive capabilities…

“Then… it all comes down to a battle of endurance.”Dozens of methods flashed through his mind in an instant, but Bloodclaw realized that among all the approaches, the only feasible one was the most foolish method of “endurance battle.” The fundamental reason was that the power gap between him and Punk was too vast. This assault had been impulsive and unprepared—he had initially believed it to be a great opportunity, never expecting it to become his death warrant.

“An endurance battle it is, then. I still have over a dozen Doclayna Man-Eating Fruits. There’s no guarantee I can’t outlast a level fourteen mage.”

Indeed, theoretically, Bloodclaw shouldn’t be able to outlast Punk at level fourteen. The cost of using his secret arts for acceleration far exceeded that of Punk employing spell-based acceleration. Those dozen or so Doclayna Man-Eating Fruits were his sole reliance in this contest of attrition.

With a bitter smile, Bloodclaw retrieved a small Doclayna Man-Eating Fruit and shoved it into his mouth. A sweetness ten times that of honey erupted on his tongue, and a surge of life force flooded every cell in his body, instantly restoring all his expended energy.

Yet, despite being fully replenished, Bloodclaw felt no joy. Doclayna Man-Eating Fruits were crucial ingredients for crafting Master-Level potions. Consuming them directly, as Bloodclaw was doing, was the lowest and most foolish utilization. Moreover, over centuries, he had accumulated only a mere dozen or so of these fruits. He couldn’t sustain this for more than half an hour.

Reaching this point, Bloodclaw still hoped to negotiate with Punk by offering concessions:

“Sir in the black robe, this Black Eagle Ring is a treasure belonging to warlocks—it holds no use for you whatsoever. However, it can help me achieve ‘Cage Escape.’ I’ll give you both the Quill and the Docleina Man-eating Tree. Let’s call it even, alright?”

Bloodclaw’s proposed compensation was undeniably sincere. The Docleina Man-eating Tree and the Quill were practically the only two pieces of Master-level Equipment of significant value in his possession. Now, to save his life, Bloodclaw was truly willing to sacrifice everything.

But Punk remained unmoved by Bloodclaw’s offer. Once Bloodclaw was struck down by a Kinetic Cone, Punk would claim all those spoils regardless. Attempting to trade with assets that were, in theory, already destined to be Punk’s was nothing short of treating him like a fool.

Growing increasingly furious, Punk coldly stared at Bloodclaw, who kept changing directions in his frantic escape, much like a black cat hunting a large rat. The System-adjusted kinetic energy continuously corrected its course, ensuring that no matter how erratically Bloodclaw darted about, he couldn’t shake off Punk’s pursuit.

Seeing Punk completely unswayed, Bloodclaw had no choice but to grit his teeth and consume a second Doclayna Man-Eating Fruit. No matter how precious the fruit was, it wasn’t worth more than his own life. Yet, the most immediate problem confronting him was—why wasn’t the pursuer behind him slowing down in the slightest?

“Damn it! Could this guy’s mana be absurdly limitless? How can he continuously cast such high-powered spells without showing any signs of depletion?”

As time passed, over the next few minutes, Bloodclaw grew more astonished and terrified the longer he fled. During these minutes of chase, he had intermittently consumed three Doclayna Man-Eating Fruits. However, the mana fluctuations from Punk, who remained hot on his heels, not only showed no signs of waning but instead seemed to grow even more vigorous.”What the hell, where did this monster come from? Even a Master-Level mage’s mana capacity shouldn’t be this immense!”

Bloodclaw could barely suppress his doubt about whether his decision to “fight a battle of attrition” or rather “turn on his criminal partner” was completely wrong. He thought having watched Punk’s two previous battles had provided sufficient intelligence, but now it appeared what he’d witnessed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

“No wonder everyone says mages are monsters with countless hidden cards up their sleeves. Just how many more tricks does this guy have left unused?”

Bloodclaw bit his lips until they bled, barely managing to suppress his fear-induced shivering. He didn’t know what trump card Punk had used, but he knew one thing for certain – if this continued… he would be dead for sure.

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(End of Chapter)