Chapter 187 Lightning Strikes (1/2)

Rhode immediately dodged the Core Guardian's attack by tipping his toes and jumping backward. The enormous golem's punch brushed past him and smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater. The aftermath wasn't pretty. It was as though the earth sank down a few inches and the flying debris managed to graze Rhode's body and face, causing a slight pain on his skin.

However, Rhode didn't bother about such minor matters. As he retreated, he gripped his sword firmly and slashed downwards in a single motion. When he confirmed that the golem was successfully staggered, he used this chance to roll backward before extending his left hand.

”———!!”

Accompanied by a crisp cry, a flurry of whirlwinds erupted beside Rhode. The Spirit Bird appeared behind him, spread its wings and stared at the enemy. Rhode unhesitatingly rushed forward with his sword with the Spirit Bird following closely behind him.

It was as though the golem ignored the existence of the Spirit Bird, it continued to rumble forward and punch out once more. The Spirit Bird darted forward without the intention to dodge and met the Core Guardian face to face. It was kind of surprising though; one would imagine that such a body with a large surface area would be clumsy and slow. The Core Guardian's movement was almost absurd for its size.

If any logical person saw the Spirit Bird charge head first towards that massive incoming fist, they would shake their heads. But reality was always unpredictable, and the punch simply phased through its body. Following that, a sudden massive electrical explosion occurred at the point of impact.

”Bam!!”

A deafening, thunderous roar echoed throughout the small room which numbed Rhode and Anne's ears. The Core Guardian tumbled a few steps back; its hard, metal body glinted with the color of lightning and sparks began emitting out from beneath its exterior shell. When the Spirit phased through the Core Guardian's body, it delivered an intense shockwave which paralyzed its foe momentarily.

But of course, the Core Guardian wouldn't fall just like this.

”—Chi!!”

Followed by a sharp, piercing sound, a massive cloud of white steam billowed out from the golem's body. The Core Guardian then raised its left arm, clenched its fist, and spun its torso 180 degrees. In an instant, it's left arm pointed towards its flank and locked onto the Spirit Bird. Just by looking at this, the Core Guardian's intention was obvious.

However, how can the Spirit Bird be an easy target? After delivering its payload, it immediately glided in an arc in an attempt to dodge the incoming 'rocket arm'. The Spirit Bird who barely grazed past the 'rocket arm,' apparently became agitated. It let out a high pitched screech, and a bluish electric charge discharged from its body. The electricity took the form of a whip and lashed out towards the golem, causing streaks of charred metal on the Guardian's outer shell.

The Spirit Bird can't be considered to be in the same league as before. In terms of battle strength, it couldn't be compared to Celia or the other summoned spirits, but a mere Core Guardian posed no major problem for it. The Spirit Bird was already at level 15, and the Core Guardian was only level 14 or 15. Thus, due to its unique innate wind element attributes, the Core Guardian had a hard time following its movements. On the flip side, the Spirit Bird was also unable to burst the Core Guardian down with heavy attacks. While the electric element could damage the Core Guardian, it still wasn't very effective as it wasn't its weakness. If both of them continued this method of fighting, then a long battle was inevitable.

Rhode wasn't worried. He summoned the Spirit Bird solely because he wanted to lock the Core Guardian's movements while dealing some damage to it. He would step onto the stage next to end the battle.

He was a Spirit Swordsman, not a mage that summons minions. This meant that his spirits would work in his favor forever, and not on their own.

Rhode held his sword in front of his chest on his right hand, then he stretched his left arm out, and in an instant, a pitch black card appeared. Rhode crushed the card without hesitation.

A black mist suddenly enveloped Rhode's body, and a vague image of the Centaur Knight appeared. A translucent barrier then covered Rhode as he merged into the center of the Centaur Knight.

And at this moment, Rhode darted forward.

While the Spirit Bird was distracting the Core Guardian, Rhode utilized this opportunity to launch a surprise attack using his Shadow Flash. His body slowly became one with the shadows, and he closed the distance between him and the Core Guardian within moments. Rhode then raised his sword, and along with this movement, the illusory Centaur Knight also raised its spear at the same time, matching Rhode's timing impeccably.

They struck forward.