I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 357: The Red Web

Rhys’s hand moved in a pulling gesture, and wind currents responded instantly. The dagger lifted from the ground and flew back to his waiting palm, pulled by the wind.

”Retuning your weapon with the wind,” Jack said with genuine appreciation beneath the mockery. ”That’s actually clever. Most wind mages can’t manage that level of precision. You’ve been putting in real work. Shame it’s still not enough.”

”You don’t know what I’m capable of,” Rhys snarled, his mind clearly struggling to regain control over emotions Jack had weaponized.

”Don’t I?” Jack’s grin sharpened. ”Let me guess, you’ve got water magic as a secondary affinity. Probably B-rank talent there, compared to your A-rank wind affinity. You’ve been focusing almost exclusively on wind because that’s where Sylph’s boost is strongest, but you’ve got some water techniques in reserve for opponents who adapt to pure wind attacks.”

He paused, letting the accurate assessment sink in. ”You’re planning to use water defensively, create barriers, redirect attacks, maybe combine it with wind for some attacks you haven’t mastered yet.”

Rhys’s expression confirmed every word. He looked down for a second, but that’s all it took. Jack dissected his plans and displayed him like a biology specimen in science class.

”How...” he started.

”Flawed Sight,” Jack tapped his temple with casual arrogance. ”I can see your affinities, your talent ranks, your entire build. You’re an open book, Rhys. A well-written book with some interesting Chapters, but I’ve already read the ending.”

The revelation shattered whatever remained of Rhys’s composure. His strategic approach had relied on surprise, on forcing Jack to adapt to unknown capabilities.

Learning that his opponent had complete information from the start transformed tactical combat into a performance where only one participant knew the script.

”Enough talking,” Rhys’s voice conveyed a profound displeasure, surpassing mere anger and bordering on genuine animosity. ”Let’s see how well you analyze this.”

His daggers moved in perfect synchronization, tracing horizontal, vertical, and diagonal arcs that released concentrated wind blades in rapid succession.

Green crescents of cutting force filled the space between them. A barrage designed to overwhelm through sheer volume rather than individual power.

Jack’s response was almost lazy in its efficiency. Red lightning exploded from his body in a spherical wave, meeting the wind blades with opposing force that detonated each attack in midair.

The explosions created a light show that illuminated the garrison in alternating green and crimson flashes.

Suddenly, he was gone.

His speed eclipsed anything Rhys had demonstrated despite the seventy-five-point stat boost. He crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his right fist driving toward Rhys’s solar plexus with enough force that it would collapse his lungs.

Rhys barely twisted aside, the punch grazing his ribs instead of landing clean. Even the glancing contact sent shockwaves through his body, and he felt his bones creak under pressure that shouldn’t have been possible from a partial hit.

’He’s stronger,’ Rhys cataloged even as pain lanced through his side. ’Much stronger. Even with the massive boost from Sylph.’

He created distance with a wind-enhanced leap, putting twenty paces between them in a single stride. His left hand moved in complex patterns, and water began condensing from ambient humidity, forming a defensive barrier that swirled with wind currents to create a razor-edged shield.

”Water defense already?” Jack called out with false disappointment. ”We just started! I haven’t even warmed up yet, and you’re already reverting to defensive techniques. This is what happens when you rely on borrowed power instead of genuine skill.”

The taunt worked precisely as intended. Rhys dismissed the water barrier and launched himself forward, abandoning defense entirely for aggressive assault that prioritized damage over survival.

His daggers became extensions of will. Each strike carried wind enhancement that made them cut through space itself.

His footwork incorporated air-stepping, brief platforms of compressed wind that let him attack from impossible angles and fight not just from the ground, but from the air.

The assault came from every direction simultaneously.

And Jack dodged them all.

His movements were minimal, each evasion calculated to require the least energy while maintaining perfect positioning.

”You’re fast,” Jack acknowledged, swaying past a thrust that would have opened his femoral artery. ”Definitely faster than last time. The agility boost from Sylph is impressive. But speed without precision is just noise, and precision without strategy is just suicide.”

He demonstrated by catching Rhys’s wrist mid-strike, his grip like iron despite Rhys’s enhanced strength. Red lightning crackled down Jack’s arm and into Rhys’s body, muscles seizing involuntarily under the electrical assault.

Rhys gritted his teeth through the pain, forcing his left hand to move despite the lightning trying to lock his muscles. His dagger traced an arc toward Jack’s exposed throat. A desperate counter that relied on Jack prioritizing safety over maintaining control.

Jack released Rhys’s wrist and pivoted backward, the blade missing by inches. But instead of creating distance, he stepped forward into Rhys’s guard and drove his palm into the elf’s sternum.

The impact sent Rhys flying backward, his boots leaving the ground as he was propelled. He crashed into the garrison floor twenty feet away, stone cracking under the impact.

Pain exploded through his back and chest, and for a moment, his breathing became erratic. The green tattoos pulsed frantically, Sylph’s power flooding his system to accelerate healing and restore damaged tissue.

’Get up,’ Sylph’s voice echoed in his consciousness. He’s baiting you into making mistakes. Stop letting anger control your actions.

’I know,’ Rhys thought back, forcing himself to stand despite the strain. ’But he’s right about everything. The power boost isn’t enough. I’m still outmatched.’

’Then stop fighting his fight,’ Sylph countered. ’Use your advantages. Wind magic excels at area control and pressure manipulation. Stop trying to match his direct combat style.’

Rhys stood slowly, his mind reasserting control over emotions Jack had systematically weaponized. The green tattoos stabilized into steady pulsing rather than frantic flickering, and his breathing regulated into a controlled rhythm.

”Good, good,” Jack observed from across the garrison, he looked at ease, but the balls of his feet never touched the ground. ”You’re adapting. Took you longer than I expected, but at least you’re learning.”

”Noted,” Rhys replied curtly, refusing to engage with the verbal baiting anymore.

His hands moved in synchronized patterns, and the wind responded to his call. The air currents in the garrison shifted, and pressure differentials created zones of high and low atmospheric density.

”Area control. Nice. Let’s see if you can actually capitalize on it.” Jack replied dryly.

He moved forward, showing no signs of stopping, crossing into Rhys’s prepared battlefield with confidence that bordered on arrogance.

The moment Jack entered the controlled zone, Rhys’s hands clenched into fists.

Wind currents reversed violently, creating a vortex that tried to draw Jack toward its center while simultaneously bombarding him with compressed air bullets from multiple angles.

The attack came from six directions simultaneously, above, below, left, right, forward, and backward.

Jack grinned from ear to ear.

Red lightning exploded from his body in a spherical field that created a static barrier.

The compressed air bullets hit the electrical field and detonated prematurely, their force dissipated before reaching their target.

But the lightning didn’t stop at defense.

The electrical field expanded outward in a web-like pattern. It coated the walls and the ground, resembling a giant spider web that Jack had just created.