Chương 15: Light vs Bubble

We finally reached Plew as the first light of dawn touched the horizon. The village we came from was still shaken from the mantis attack, so guards had to be sent there as reinforcements.

The Graf expressed visible relief after Galer and Husher reported everything in detail at the Mercenary Registry: the mantis swarm, the anomalous light-green variant that was stronger than the others, the bandit ambush on the road, and the destruction of one major bandit den belonging to the Gothian Bandit Group (SiS) under a Leader named Wutta. They spent a long time talking with the registry lead, a stern man named Fuixs. Fuixs listened carefully, his expression growing more serious with every incoming detail.

When they mentioned the collapse of that large den, he leaned back in his chair and let out a low whistle.

"That explains a lot," he said.

"Many missions recently have been weird, far more chaotic than usual. Bandits have always been active around here, but for the past two months their intensity has been incomparable to the past. They've been bolder, striking harder, and operating with better coordination. If one of their main dens has been wiped out so close to here, it might explain why they've been acting so desperate and aggressive with our road users. Good work, you three.

The Graf in Sufil will be informed immediately as well, and his reinforcements will be sent to secure the area too to halt their activity." We received the five gold coins for the mantis mission. After that, all three of us were completely spent. The short but brutal series of events had taken a heavy toll on our bodies and minds. I went straight to a soft bed in one of the guest rooms from the tavern The Bloody Scabbard.. After the cold, wet, humid cave, the clean sheets felt like heaven.

I fell asleep almost instantly. Galer and Husher also collapsed into beds shortly after paying for the stay with an inclusive breakfast deal of 45 silver. We slept through the entire night and most of the next day only going down for the food, enjoying a good hardy meal, that was tripe stew a fiery soup made from boiled animal tripe (stomach), heavily laced with garlic, vinegar, and crushed hot peppers, was the ultimate remedy for mercenaries nursing back to health in Plew. Still rest was desperately needed.

When we finally woke on the next day, refreshed but still sore, we decided to return to the cabin. Husher insisted on following us"I've been waiting for this rematch the whole time," he said with a grin.

"No more excuses." Galer finally agreed.

"Fine. The Abandonment Zone near the cabin is perfect for it." The moment we reached the cabin, we didn't even bother unpacking. We dropped our things outside and headed straight to the clearing where Galer and I usually trained. I sat on a large rock to watch, heart pounding with excitement. This was the duel that had been teased for so long by Husher. I cheered loudly for Galer.

"Come on, Galer! Show him what you've got!" Husher shot me an annoyed glare.

"Ey! Cheer for me! I'm the one who wants this rematch!" I clapped back with a grin.

"Yes, mister scammer!" Husher nearly tripped in mock outrage.

"You still on about that? The scam was fair and square! I did the hard work fighting the lesser ones while he took on the main Drizbus, so it's right for me to take the carcass as proof. That thing was like a giant anteater but way bigger and tankier,... it devastated a beekeeper's farm." Unfortunately back then Galer caught up and beat me down… but now fortunately I wasn't as strong as I am now, so thanks to him I got stronger. I'm confident I'll win this time. Galer rolled his shoulders and smiled faintly.

"Seeing you again has made me glad to clap back on that hope of yours. Let's settle this properly." Both men stood facing each other, weapons drawn. They released their Animo at full power. The air grew thick with intense aura. Sweat already beaded on Galer's nose. Husher took two deliberate steps forward. Then it began. Galer dashed first, throwing a bright light projectile from his knives. Husher had already activated his Bubble Way the moment I called him "scammer."

He vanished in a blur of bubbles and reappeared behind Galer. Galer reacted instantly, kicking the ground hard and turning it into an uneven, broken field. It didn't bother him, but Husher struggled to aim his bubble implosions precisely on the unstable terrain. Galer seized the upper hand. He jumped behind where Husher had dodged, anticipating the movement, and landed a piercing strike that cut through cloth and grazed Husher's side.

"Impressive, Galer," Husher admitted with a grin, "but I have something new you haven't seen yet." He activated Bubble Harmony. The protective bubbles that normally floated around his body suddenly released and levitated slowly, drifting up to a meter away. Galer popped one with a light knife and scoffed, "Is this supposed to be impressive?" Husher laughed.

"Watch." Suddenly, dozens of bubbles hidden underground surged upward, enveloping Galer completely. More bubbles kept emerging, surrounding him from every direction. Galer slashed wildly, trying to cut through them, but every time he made an opening, the bubbles healed and multiplied too fast. He even dove underground to strike at the source, but it was an omni-directional trap. Husher's voice rang out triumphantly.

"That was just the diversion! The real Bubble Harmony comes from my feet. It can ignore objects and travel through the ground. Now you're inside the biggest bubble implosion you'll ever feel!" He triggered the technique. The pressure inside the bubble compressed violently, threatening to rip blood vessels. Galer bled from his nose and ears, but he refused to fall. He kept attacking with everything he had, light knives flashing in a desperate storm. Husher watched with respect. Galer spoke to himself.

"You may be average in your family, but surviving as a mercenary for so long and improving this much… I see it now." Galer's eyes suddenly sharpened. In that moment of extreme pressure, he achieved a small breakthrough. His Light attribute evolved… light now flowed not only through his knives but also through his feet, allowing him to cut with his feet. With four times the attack speed instead of two, he broke free from the implosion. The pressure dropped, but it still hurt badly. Galer didn't stop.

He ran up a tree, then leaped to another, launching mid-range light cuts from both legs and knives. Husher blocked rather than dodged, his bubbles reducing the incoming impact damage. Galer loaded power into one leg and unleashed a devastating new upgraded move, a combination of light-infused kicks, slashes, and knives moving at nearly double their original speed with immense weight behind them. Husher couldn't reduce the damage enough. The strike cut deep into his body, gushing blood from the newly made damage.

Yet in that precise moment, Husher's Bubble Way activated again. He tanked the hit deliberately, using the momentum to land right behind Galer. Before Galer could react, Husher wrapped both arms and legs around him like a steel trap.

"Let me go!" Galer shouted. Husher laughed like a maniac.

"Let's see who has better endurance! I know for a fact mine is superior. Let's put it to the test to truly find out!" He triggered Bubble Harmony around both of them. Galer struggled wildly, head-butting and slashing, but Husher concentrated all his Animo into the technique. The two forces collided like wild nature itself, ripping, crushing, and compressing from the inside. Both men crashed hard to the ground, 24 centimeters apart from each other. Galer tried to stand.

Husher, smarter in landing, had dropped on his knee and took less damage on everything but his knees. He swung once more. Galer blocked, but the two final punches landed cleanly.. I watched in shock and awe, screaming at the top of my lungs in support of Galer. But it wasn't enough. Galer fell. Husher collapsed right after, screaming at the top of his lungs in pure triumph: "Finally! I took down the one target I wanted most!" For Husher, this was his first real victory he had truly strived for in all his 22 years.

He had done dirty deeds and half-baked schemes before, but never a clean, hard-earned win like this. His Animo was 2, 114 (he didn't know the exact number, as reading your own was difficult), just barely above Galer's 2, 109. That tiny edge, combined with his growth, had been enough to triumph. Galer, who was used to losing, didn't cry from pain alone. He cried because he was genuinely happy. He had grown by a bigger margin than he expected, and he was truly glad for Husher's victory.

I helped both of them up, still mesmerized by the duel which i could not yet fully follow. Even though I was saddened that Galer lost, I was in awe of how strong both were and how much they were still improving. I carried them back to the cabin, made them the best simple meal I could manage with one arm (the first time I cooked alone for two heavily beaten fighters), and they ate gratefully despite their exhaustion. That night, as they lay in their beds, they spoke to each other with new respect in their eyes.

For now, in this small dynamic, Husher held the number one spot, and he made sure to pompously remind us of it with a smug grin. The epic duel had finally concluded, leaving all three of us changed.