If this ghost couldn't shadow walk as I could, the fight would be easier, but since he had that ability, I had problems with gaining any distance. I had my hands full with just parrying the attacks.

I tried to use the barriers to gain some advantage, squeezing putting a few of them in tight windows. I then did my best to avoid that place, before I build up some kind of small maze there. When It was ready I finally stepped inside. He was swinging widely, and heavily, so his blade crushed in some of my walls, breaking them into pieces.

They shattered easily, but what I needed was just a small window, and I got myself one. Just enough for one single thrust. I put all my might and technique into that, and the blade hit the target but slid off the skin like it was made out of diamonds.

I immediately moved my body, trying to shadow walk the hell out of there and dodge at the same time, but his sword caught me, slightly, but still. The skin on my left hand got cleanly peeled off with a very slight part of muscle tissue.historical

- ARGH! - escaped my mouth, as I pointed the pudao at him, sending a building side fireball.

The explosion was immense, sending me flying even at the distance I was standing. The ground shook, and my eardrums just poped.

He shadow walked from the explosion, emerging midair with another swing, which I blocked, letting his blade slide out of mine, and hit the ground with a heavy impact, just as my eardrums healed, itching annoyingly.

His clothes were leaving traces of actual smoke, as they probably caught a fire, which then died during the short travel throughout the void.

I gained some distance, which was immediately reduced to nothing. All I could do was to think in a rush, and do my best to parry.

I quickly connected the dots. The fire was definitely working and it was also my strongest magic, so if I went on it strongly enough, I should deliver at least some damage, but for that I needed time. Casting such as pell wasn't instantaneous. The thing was, I hardly could do that. There was no way of me getting any distance, which meant I had to blast him from a short one, and that was not only impossible but also dangerous. I could heavily damage myself, or even die from my own attack.

I started by summoning shadows in numbers. They couldn't do shit to the ghosts but were just bodies to make space for me. I made them crawl out from every dark space around us, and just throw themselves at him. Hundreds were dying with his every swing, and he still kept rushing after me, but at least I had time to gather that much of the energy.

I drained every last drop of mana I could from my pool and started casting a spell. The ghost noticed, and screamed again, then increased his speed. It took few seconds since we both were abusing shadow walk, but he caught up to me, and I couldn't do anything but release the magic.

The spell was incomplete, and some of the mana just got wasted, but a ray of blinding white energy fell from the sky above us both, catching my extended hands, and enveloping him completely. I immediately went blind, and all I could feel was immense pain in my hands.

Without wasting any time I activated 'Eyes of the void', and then I felt he was gone. I fell on my back shortly after and slid on the ground painfully because of the speed and rough terrain. I git few larger pieces of rubble and ripped off pieces of metal.

- You are insane - I heard in my head.

It was The Great One, obviously.

- You should have returned to your anchor in Loistavadvaar, and not do something this risky - he continued.

- But I won - I said, enduring the pain.

It was terrible. So bad that I couldn't feel my whole arms, even when they were burned out just by the elbows. I could feel my own exposed bones thanks to the skill, probably blackened by the heat. But that wasn't everything. Most of my clothes were damaged, the pudao got destroyed, and my face was terribly burnt, just like the rest of my torso.

Still, the pain in my arms was the worst. I used all healing magic, but it was barely enough to deal with the skin. Even my resistance was not enough to protect me.

It took a moment to stand up. I was grunting and panting heavily. The air was still hot, but I slowly stumbled forward and approached the hole. It was around three meters in diameter, and deep enough that I couldn't feel the bottom. Then I summoned shadows. Dozens of them, to go in there and pick up my trophy.

I kept summoning them, until they piled up on each other, and got my crystal outside. Then I touched it with my leg and moved to the vault.

- Take me back. I need healing - I said, and almost immediately felt the change in the air.

I was back in the Loistavadvaar, next to the device. I hugged it and healed myself for 51 000 points, then I felt on my ass, laughing that somehow I managed to survive.

- It was a very stupid move, Peter - the voice again appeared in my head. - You should have escaped.

- I know I'm sorry.

- Next time don't risk your life. Although we are on the clock, your death would be a setback - those words didn't just appear in my mind, I heard them.

This made me look at the way they came from. The Great One was slowly walking towards me from afar, with his long fingers braided together on his waist.. He looked quite sad in the silver light shining upon the city, even considering his alien appearance.