Neo cursed under his breath as the witch bolted. She moved like wind through the trees, her purple coat streaming behind her. He pushed off hard, boots tearing into the dirt, and chased.
She was fast. Faster than anyone he had faced before. Neo triggered Torch Man mode. Heat flooded his veins. Racial speed skill kicked in next. The world stretched. His legs became pistons. Trees blurred past. Still she stayed ahead.
He poured everything into the chase. Mana burned steady. He kept feeding pyro mana blocks into his core so stamina never dipped. The gap closed inch by inch. When he finally got close enough he lunged and grabbed the edge of her coat.
The fabric ripped free with a sharp tear. The witch never slowed. She left the coat behind and kept running, purple hair whipping like a banner. Neo tossed the empty coat aside and chased harder. His body was a blur now. The forest became streaks of green and brown.
Minutes dragged. Her pace finally broke. She started to lag, chest rising and falling in heavy pants. Neo stayed right on her heels, still burning pyro mana blocks to keep his stamina full. Up close he saw the tight purple witch clothes molded to her frame and the long purple hair that caught the light.
He switched into Lord of the End mode. Sword EN formed in his grip, dark and hungry. He lunged straight at her.
The witch skidded to a stop, still panting. A wide grin split her face. She opened her palm toward him. Something invisible hit Neo’s chest. His whole body locked. Muscles froze. He toppled forward and hit the ground hard, unable to move a single finger.
She stood over him, still grinning. "Invisible powder," she said. "I threw it while I ran. You breathed it in. It’s inside you now."
Neo forced the words out. "What does it do?"
"Special product of mine. Once it’s in your system I can switch the curse whenever I want. Hundred different ones. Paralysis is the main one right now. Blindness is another favorite."
He tried to move. Nothing. For a second he stayed still and thought. Then he opened the skill Negate. The system confirmed it could burn the powder out. Neo activated it in secret and wiped the paralysis clean, but he kept his body locked and motionless so she would not notice.
While she talked he asked the system a quiet question. Is there a way to fuse the TBATE sword and EN sword?
There is, the system answered. But the strain on your core will be massive.
How bad?
Best case a mid-sized crack. You will be bedridden a week. Worst case the core explodes and you die.
Neo felt the weight of it. How much strength would I gain?
Your power would jump to twenty stars.
He went silent, weighing the risk. The system scanned the witch for him. Eighteen stars. This was the best shot he would get.
She whistled once. Neo’s body stood up on its own. His heart hammered. She could control him even without the paralysis. He forced himself to stay calm and play careful.
The witch stepped close. She lifted his chin with two fingers. "I’ve seen you before. You’re that new blacksmith, aren’t you?"
Neo nodded.
"I chased you because I heard witch hair can strengthen a mana core inside a magic staff."
Her eyes narrowed. Then she threw her head back and laughed loud enough to echo through the trees. "My hair? You actually thought you could touch it?" She leaned in. "Two options. First, I kill you right here like a dog. Second, I test you. Pass and you become my disciple. Fail and you still die."
Neo nodded once.
She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and kissed him hard. A black rose tattoo flared across his cheek and raced over his entire face. Strength drained out of him in a flood. His arms felt heavy. His legs shook.
She pulled back, eyes bright. "Survive one full minute like this and you pass. Fail and you become my slave."
Neo gritted his teeth. No time left. He slammed into Lord of the End mode and shouted at the system. Fuse EN and TBATE now.
The fusion finished in a flash of light and pressure. The new sword appeared in his hand. It looked like a piece of the night sky itself—stars and void swirling along the blade. Neo’s eyes widened. He held a shard of the universe.
He swung.
The witch’s form shifted. Snakes writhed out of her purple hair. Her skin turned green and scaled like a dragon. She spat rapid words. Layer after layer of barriers snapped into place—countless thin walls stacked so thick Neo could barely see through them.
Sword X tore through every layer. The barriers shattered one after another with sharp cracks. The blade finally bit into her shoulder. Neo shifted his stance, planted his other foot, and cut clean through her neck. Her head flew free and rolled across the dirt.
He looked down at the severed head. Her eyes were still open. They locked on his.
Stone started crawling up his legs. Neo cursed. The head laughed, voice wet and broken. "Even if I die I take you with me."
The stone climbed faster. It locked his knees, then his hips, then his chest. Neo could not move an inch. The system screamed a warning inside his head. If the stone reaches your core you die.
Neo forced Torch Man mode back on. He pulled every pyro mana block he had left from inventory and jammed them into his core with thick mana threads. He launched himself into the sky, body still half stone, and sucked in more pyro mana as fast as the blocks would give it. Heat roared through him. He shoved the burning mana against the advancing stone, fighting it back with pure pressure.
His core expanded under the strain, forced wider and wider until the stone finally cracked and reversed. The gray shell peeled away and crumbled to dust. Neo gasped. Relief hit for half a second. Then total exhaustion slammed into him.
He dropped from the sky like a stone. The ground rushed up. He hit hard enough to punch a deep crater into the earth. Pain exploded through every bone. He felt them snap one after another. Neo dragged healing potions from inventory and downed them in quick gulps. The potions knitted bone and muscle, but the deep ache stayed.
Quest completion rewards waited in his inventory. He left them there for later. Footsteps approached. An adventurer walked past the crater, pack on his back. Neo called out, voice rough. The man stopped, took one look at the broken blacksmith, and waved down a passing carriage without asking questions. Neo paid him in coin and climbed inside.
The ride back was quiet. When the carriage stopped outside his shop Neo climbed down, unlocked the door, stepped inside, and locked it behind him. He made it three steps before his legs gave out. He hit the floor hard, chest heaving. The fight had been short, but it was the most dangerous one he had ever survived.
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