The Transmigrated Author

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

Rel lunged, aiming the arrow for Valencia's side.

crackle...crack...

But a crackle of lightning erupted in the air, the force field that protected Valencia's side deflected the arrow and sent a jolt of electricity surging through him.

Bang!

Gritting his teeth, he ignored the burning pain. This was his shot!

Just then, Valencia swung her blade downwards in a deadly arc.

Time seemed to slow down...

Then suddenly.

[Clockwork Of Time Has Been Activated!]

Rel activated [Clockwork of Time]. The world swayed, his perception stretching as Valencia's blade, descended towards him.

In that stretched moment, he twisted, the blade passing a hair's breadth from his chest.

huuuu...

Time snapped back to normal.

Adrenaline pumping, he clenched his right hand tightly, launching his fist towards Valencia.

SHAAAA!!!!

[Critical Hit!]

Rel's fist connected solidly with Valencia's lower abdomen.

A flash of black lightning erupted from the impact.

The force of the blow sent Valencia staggering back.

ackk!

A pained gasp escaped her lips.

"He... hits hard..." she muttered, eyes widening in surprise.

"Should I use that form now?" Valencia's voice sliced through the tense silence.

Jan, Louise, Jae Yoona... she had the techniques she originally planned to use to counter each. If the same attack worked on Jae Yoona, then surely this one would end Rel.

Was this the end? Valencia's mind wondered.

If he proves that he is by no means ordinary, then this attack will prove her theory that he is nothing but luck.

TAK!, TAK!, TAK!, TAK!, TAK!,

Rel didn't waste any time, He fired off five flame-infused arrows with his ability, [Quick Shot]. They streaked towards her like fiery meteors.

huuuu...

Valencia took a deep breath, a strange calmness settling over her.

The fiery arrows raced closer.

She shifted her stance, her katana held in readiness.

A massive amount of lightnning was building up within her, wrapping around her body like a shield.

"First Form of the Saints: Reckoning"

Her voice was a thunderclap, and with a sweeping motion of her blade, a crescent of pure, blinding lightning erupted.

It was a massive, unstoppable attack, obliterating the tiles of the platform in its path.

Rel stared, his heart hammering in his chest.

The lightning slash was a wall of destruction, and there was no way around it.

This was it.

If he couldn't dodge in time... the match was over.

[Clockwork of time has been activated!]

Time slowed under the strain of his repeated uses of [Clockwork of Time].

With each second, fatigue was biting away at Rel's stamina.

He watched the lightning slash moving slowly at an inch closer towards him.

Could Rel perfectly parry it with projectile disarm?

But he couldn't gamble on an ability that relied on timing.

So a desperate thought flashed through his mind: was this the moment to unleash the ability he'd been saving, the one hidden since the tournament began?

"I guess if I got Jan, I would've used this anyway..."

[Manifesting Mitigation's Phenomena...]

A swirling portal of light shimmered into existence as Rel activated [Mitigation Phenomena].

He could feel the immense drain on his mana, even as the pain spiked. It was almost unbearable, holding both powers active.

He released his hold on [Clockwork of Time]. The world snapped back to its normal pace as the massive lightning slash closed in. Rel shut his eyes tight, hoping for a miracle.

[Mitigation Phenomenon activated!]

[Absorption portal manifested!]

[Portal scaled to your body size!]

[Re-direction set!]

[Brace for impact!]

The blinding light of the slash consumed Valencia's vision.

She shielded her eyes, feeling the force of the attack even from a distance.

SHAAAAAAAAA!

Meanwhile, Rel was absorbing the entirety of the massive arc of lightning. While trying to slowly destabilise the entirety of the attack.

"Fuck..." Rel cursed, feeling the entire weight of two mountains on his shoulder.

FWANG!

[Warning!]

[Portal instability! You will sustain damage while redirecting this attack!]

Sharp pains cut through Rel's body as the power of the absorbed energy slashed against him.

...

...

BANG!

The slash finally dissipated, echoing against the arena barrier with a thunderous crash.

Opening her eyes, Valencia found a bloodied Rel who was standing like nothing happened...

"How had he survived?" Valencia's eyes were in total shock.

[Damage mitigated!]

[Current Mana Reserve: 49%]

HAAAH...

Rel gasped for air, his body a network of burning pain. "Even with mitigation... her power is insane..." he rasped. "Seriously, who made her this powerful?"

When he thought he had a little time to recover, Valencia was already on the move.

Unleashing a lightning streak that sliced through the air.

SHAAAAA!

Rel jolted to the side, barely evading the deadly arc. His mind raced. If he didn't come up with a plan – and fast – he was finished.

...

...

"He keeps dodging," Valencia muttered, frustration gnawing at her. "It's like time itself bends when he needs it to."

Should she just activate it? Use her elemental zone to crush him with overwhelming force?

She hesitated. The same mistake... Using it now left her vulnerable, and she couldn't risk Rel having another hidden ability up his sleeve.

Not when she was so close to victory.

Valencia shifted into another stance.

An ominous crackle of energy arced around her, a clear precursor to another devastating attack.

Gritting his teeth, Rel wiped the blood and dust from his face, adjusting his grip on the bow. "No way," he muttered, his voice ragged. "I'm not going down like this..."

***

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 -Arena A: VIP suite 1#]

"She did it..." Gerrard breathed, a mixture of pride and unease in his voice. "That technique... I haven't seen it since my wife..."

Kang's eyes narrowed. "The slash of the Sword Saint. It bears the mark of your wife's power, indeed."

"She's got the form down," Gerrard acknowledged, "yet... it's far from perfect."

"What gives you that impression?" Kang asked, genuinely curious.

Gerrard leaned forward, his voice low. "The Ten Forms of the Saints are more than just physical movements. They tap into the essence of one's soul, stamina, and elemental attributes. Each form places immense strain on the body..."

[Flashback to 37 years ago...]

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To Be Continued...

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Authors Notes:

- Mitigation Phenomena consumes only mana, whereas Clockwork of Time consumes both mana and stamina

- The 10 forms of the saints were created by Valencia's mother the ex-sword saint.