[Amelia] The Level Zero Hero Chapter 173 (Patreon)

Nicholas teleported forward with a [Noble Step]. It was one of the best movement Skills in the world. An upgraded version of [Flash Step]. He could teleport near-instantaneously over hundreds of feet, and there was barely a few seconds of cooldown between each use. However, somehow, Noele managed to keep up with his speed.

His eyes flickered as the Noble Spellsword appeared behind him, slashing down with her two blades. A fiery golden aura enveloped her weapons, before being unleashed at him. He raised his rapier as a purple sphere engulfed him— a barrier created from the Void.

It should have been enough to stop even an S-ranked attack. And yet, Nicholas watched as the golden flames ate through the purple barrier. He gritted his teeth, looking on as Noele’s attack made its way towards him. As he began to feel the heat of the golden flames creeping its way across his skin, his [Noble Step] returned to him.

He teleported out of the way as a powerful explosion rocked the forest. Nicholas landed as he clicked his tongue.

“How…?” he whispered softly as he stared at the blast.

Behind him, there was a flash of blue light. He spun around just in time to see the Noble Spellsword flanking him once more. This time, she stabbed him, but he parried the attack. She was relentless. With both her blades, she unleashed an onslaught of strikes his way.

At first, the Noble Knight managed to keep up with her pace. But then her two blades shone with a golden light. He recognized what it was immediately— an aura blade.

“[Noble Aura Blade]!” Noele cried out, before slashing for his head.

He ducked out of the way, not even bothering to block the attack. He knew how aura blades worked. Even he doubted whether his S-ranked Oricalcum Rapier could withstand the strike without shattering.

The Noble Knight’s eyes flickered as Noele’s longer blade barely whizzed by his head, before he caught a glimpse of the shorter blade from the corner of his eye. He tried to back away, only to feel a searing pain erupt from his shoulder.

Noele was too fast. She struck him with her shorter blade, before slashing him across the chest with her other sword. Nicholas screamed, feeling the blood pouring out from both his wounds. He leapt back as he avoided another follow-up swing from the Noble Spellsword.

His wounds began to close, but he still groaned in pain regardless. Even if the power of the Void let him heal from most of his wounds, he still felt his injuries. He was acutely aware that he had been sliced across the chest.

Nicholas gritted his teeth as he looked back up at Noele. She flicked his blood off her blade as she pointed at him.

“Your regeneration is quite annoying, isn’t it?” she said with an annoyed look on her face.

“Coming from you, that’s rich.” The Noble Knight tried to muster up a smirk, only to grimace. He raised his rapier as a purple aura protected him like armor. “You are supposed to be dead.”

Noele shook her head, taking a step forward. “Maybe if you weren’t such an arrogant piece of shit, you’d have finished the job. But unfortunately for you, you are.”

And with that said, she dashed forward, thrusting for his head with her two blades, still coated in the golden aura. He recoiled, ready to move out of the way. But she teleported at the very last moment.

He blinked, before he spun around. Once again, there was Noele, attacking him from behind. He expected it— she was getting too predictable. In response, he teleported out of the way with his own [Noble Step]. He grinned as he flew up into the air, staring down at her.

“Did you really think that would work—” he started as he pointed at her, conjuring a purple sphere.

But Noele’s body disappeared with a blue light. Once again, she teleported. This time, she appeared right in front of him. It happened so quickly, Nicholas couldn’t even use [Noble Step] again.

He just stared at her as she raised her two blades.

“With just a [Flash Step]...?” he whispered in awe.

And Noele screamed, swinging down at him. “Glorious and Elegant Noble Slash!”

The golden light engulfed him as he braced himself, trying to block the attack. But it was too much. His Void armor began to rip apart, and his skin tore away. He closed his eyes as the explosion overtook him.

—--

Sienna came to a halt as she saw the flash of light coming from behind her. Turning around, she watched as a powerful cross-like blast shot into the sky, shining brighter than the sun. She covered her eyes for a brief moment, before shaking her head.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened. The Noble Spellsword had defeated the Noble Knight. Of course.

Sienna didn’t know what happened, but somehow, Noele was far stronger than any A-rank had any reason to be. In fact, Noele was stronger than most S-ranks Sienna had ever seen. It didn’t make sense. But it didn’t need to make sense for Sienna to make the most pragmatic decision and flee.

Whatever was the cause didn’t matter. All that mattered was how Sienna responded to it. And unlike Kale and Nicholas, she wasn’t foolish enough to pursue an enemy she couldn’t beat. After all, Kale was an idiot who didn’t know when he had lost, and Nicholas was too arrogant to ever admit defeat.

Sienna was simply intelligent, so she ran away. Although… she wished she escaped sooner. After all, there had been too many oddities with that group. A bartender that had been touched by the Void. A chicken with levels. A B-ranked adventurer who fought with the tenacity of any A-ranked adventurer.

She should have realized something was amiss sooner. It was only her fault that she failed to notice this odd discrepancy as a problem earlier. Fortunately, she now knew her mistakes, and she extricated herself from the situation as quickly as she could.

Now, she was safe. She was alive. Unlike Kale and Nicholas.

“Idiots,” she whispered under her breath as she watched the golden light fade away.

Spinning around, Sienna moved to leave Wolfwater behind. She would have to explain herself to Ammon later— he would very likely be upset about their failure, but he would laud her for having the intelligence to escape unlike his other apprentices.

Silver linings, she told herself as she took a step forward.

But then a glint caught her eye. From her peripheral vision, a speeding arrow shot towards her, moving faster than she could react. It struck her shoulder as she leapt back, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound, but unable to escape unscathed.

Sienna gritted her teeth as she stumbled back, before she spotted more arrows whizzing through the forest around her. This time, she expected the attack. She quickly whipped out her bow and shot down each of the oncoming bolts.

Or at least, that was what she thought. But somehow, the ground beneath her exploded into a giant, blossoming rose— one that was covered in sharp thorns and tangled vines, threatening to trap her and rip her apart. She screamed as her legs were cut open, and she loosed an explosive bolt at her feet.

Her own attack shredded the giant thorny rose, cutting her free. However, she also injured herself in the process. She leapt away from the explosion, covered in burn marks as she clenched her jaw. She swept her gaze over the empty surroundings as she called out.

“Show yourself, coward!”

Sienna’s voice echoed throughout the forest. In response, the vegetation surrounding her seemed to loom over her. Shadows crept across the underbrush, and it seemed like the canopy of trees had grown thicker than before.

Her eyes flickered as she tried to pinpoint her assailant. Finally, she saw a figure darting across the trees. Sienna smirked as she raised her bow, aiming for her target.

“There you are…” she started as she nocked an arrow coated with a purple aura.

But before she could unleash her attack, she watched as the figure stopped moving, dispersing with the leaves. No— like the leaves.

“A distraction?” Her eyes went wide as she saw the moving leaves settle.

Her attention had been drawn by leaves? Sienna couldn’t believe herself for making that mistake. She heard a shuffling behind her, and for a moment she thought it was another distraction.

But she saw the glint light, so she spun around. And behind her stood a man with a bow aimed at her back. He had green hair, pointed ears, and a smug smile on his face.

“So you really have been touched by the Void. Although… you can barely even use its power.” The elf snickered as Sienna’s eyes went wide

“You are—” She raised her bow.

But the elf just laughed and unleashed his own glinting arrow at her. “[Superior Blooming Deathhowl].”

She stared in shock as his arrow was engulfed by a scintillating aura. It seemed to grow in size, shooting forward towards her. In retaliation, she fired back with her nocked arrow— empowered by the Void. It was her strongest attack.

And yet, she watched helplessly as her purple bolt was consumed by the elf’s attack. A giant blast engulfed her, and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for oblivion. She waited for the pain. She waited for the all-consuming darkness. But there was none of that.

Because a second later, she felt nothing more.

Author's Notes:

I did a Twitter face reveal because I met Travis Baldree at Dragoncon! https://twitter.com/melas_delta/status/1700907256580317583

I'll be posting more dragoncon pics, so follow me on twitter plox ty