Published at 24th of September 2026 6:50 am

Chapter 2044: Slippery as a Snake

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

While Luca and the rest had defeated the spider monster and were uncovering the secrets of this land, Adam had fallen into a precarious situation.

He was battling Holstein and Kayne all by himself.

Their figures could not be seen by the naked eye at all. Only shifting shadows and fading silhouettes could be seen among the trees, accompanied by the constant sound of blades clashing.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sounds echoed through the dark woods as the battle continued at an incredible speed. After dozens of clashes, the three figures suddenly appeared again in a clearing.

Adam stood in the middle, his hands crossed before him as he tightly gripped two daggers. The veins in his trembling forearms were visible. And his daggers were augmented by wind magic.

But still, he was struggling.

On one side, Kayne’s shadowy dagger was locked against one of his blades. On the other, Holstein’s sword was pressing against the other.

For a brief moment, the three remained locked together.

"Hey, hey! Don’t you think this is unfair?" Adam forced a smile. "At least, fight me one-on—"

Kayne suddenly retreated in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Holstein stepped forward and, with a loud grunt, swung his massive axe toward Adam with tremendous force.

Adam’s eyes narrowed as he saw the incoming weapon. He quickly dodged it as he leaped backward. His body rose into the air as he prepared to cast a massive wind spell.

But Kayne had already appeared mid-air beside him like a ghost. The vampire lashed out with a vicious kick that shot forward like a whip.

Adam was instantly forced to block.

Bam!

But even then, he was sent flying downward, crashing toward the ground.

He didn’t even have a moment of respite as Holstein was already upon him, violently swinging his sword in a downward arc straight at where Adam had landed.

Adam gritted his teeth and agilely pushed his body backward, narrowly dodging the giant vampire’s attack. He retreated several meters before finally coming to a stop.

In front of him, the dust and debris from the previous attack cleared, and the two vampires came into view.

Kayne stood gracefully, one hand behind and the other holding the dagger close to his chest. Behind him, Holstein stood like a gigantic pillar.

"My, my." Kayne chuckled. "You were right, Holstein. He does possess excellent fighting experience. Slippery as a snake, this one."

"Indeed, my lord." Holstein nodded.

On the other side, though Adam displayed an easygoing look on his face, inwardly he was very, very serious.

Holstein was already proving to be a big problem when he was fighting him earlier inside the fortress. Now, with Kayne working together with him, things had gotten exceedingly difficult.

The pair just wouldn’t allow him to weave hand seals!

For the first time, Adam was understanding how truly troublesome it was for a Magus to fight a Paladin.

He sighed as he straightened a little. He let go of the daggers — ones that he had looted from the vault recently — from his hands. The moment wind magic stopped swirling around the blades, they shattered.

His weapons could not take the pressure of constantly clashing with his opponents’ weapons that were of superior quality.

"Oh?" Kayne smirked. "What’s this? Given up already? Or perhaps you’re trying to cast spells again."

Adam smiled. "I know you won’t give me the time to weave hand seals, little man."

Holstein growled. However, the subject of Adam’s taunts did not care for his words.

That was another issue with Kayne. Adam was used to getting under his opponent’s skin and getting them to make a mistake. However, Kayne remained cool as a cucumber, not letting any insult faze him.

Good for you, Adam silently praised.

He extended his Sphere of Resonance wide, encompassing the woods. In a moment, he could already sense the presence of over a dozen ravens. All of them watched their battle with rapt attention.

I guess I have no choice but to reveal some of my cards, he mused helplessly.

Of course, he could have already escaped by now. But he didn’t. For good reason.

He was made aware of the existence of Generals under the Vampire King. Adam did not know how many Generals served Jacob, but he had a feeling they outnumbered the Mana Seed Magi and Templar Paladins.

That was why he wanted to kill as many of these Generals as possible. He had already taken care of two. He might as well kill two more.

Adam’s tenebrous eyes narrowed as they momentarily gleamed with a holy white light.

In the next moment, the three disappeared from their spots again!

Once again, only fleeting shadows could be visible among the trees as they clashed at incredible speeds. Adam acrobatically dodged one attack after another while wielding a new pair of daggers, constantly searching for an opening to strike.

As minutes passed, his daggers became unstable and on the verge of shattering again.

Then, for a brief moment, Adam’s gaze met Holstein’s. Their eyes locked. And Holstein’s crimson eyes suddenly glazed over.

At that instant, Adam’s illusion took effect!

For Holstein, his perception of the next few moments slowed and became distorted. In his mind, he had already begun his next attack. He saw himself swinging his sword toward Adam’s neck and felt as though the blade had already begun its deadly arc.

But in reality... Holstein had barely started moving.

His sword was still only beginning to rise.

Kayne immediately realized something had gone wrong, and he cried out loud:

"Holstein!!"

His voice rang loudly through the woods.

At the same time, he thrust his shadowy dagger toward the back of Adam’s neck in an attempt to help his stalwart servant.

Adam’s lips curled into a savage grin.

In that split second, he cast [Amplify Gravity].

It required only a simple hand seal, and the effects of the spell were minimal. It only affected the opponent in front of him, which was Holstein. The spell lost some of its power, but in return, his casting became quicker, which he desperately needed at the moment.

The sudden increase in gravity disrupted Holstein’s movements. His knees buckled abruptly, and his massive body stumbled downward.

The illusion suddenly vanished, and Holstein finally realized what had happened.

But it was already too late.

Adam’s hand was waiting directly beneath his chin.

[Hand of Doom: One Hit]

Boom!

Holstein’s head exploded like a firework of blood and flesh.

At the same time, Kayne’s shadowy dagger found its mark.

STAB!

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