Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 175 Practical Magic Combat
In the center of the open space, the wind whipped up withered leaves, swirling and scattering them in all directions.

In the silence, there was an almost ritualistic solemnity.

Green slowly stepped forward and stood opposite Louis, gripping the hilt of his sword with a solemn expression.

"...My lord, please forgive me if I have been rude." His tone was low, but hesitation could be heard.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to spar, but rather that he feared his sword might actually injure the man.

But when Louis nodded and said casually, "Make sure you let go, don't hold back," Green finally loosened his grip on Louis's hand.

The next moment, battle qi surged out like a tidal wave.

A crimson battle aura erupted from his body, swirling around him like a tide. When he landed with a thud, the ground shattered, and rubble flew everywhere.

It's a feeling of oppression, like mountains collapsing or thunder crashing down.

"A high-level elite at full power..." Thomas's throat bobbed slightly, "Green is going all out."

“Indeed,” Lambert said in a low voice, “You can see that the way he looks at you is different now.”

Thomas: "I hope nothing goes wrong. I might hurt Lord Louis if I don't know my own strength."

Meanwhile, Louis quietly drew his sword and casually waved it, causing a ripple of light red battle aura to spread around him.

But that wasn't his main point.

It was the barely perceptible magical fluctuation that emanated from his other hand when he brought his two fingers together and closed his eyes slightly.

The air began to heat up, as if something was slowly brewing, suppressed, waiting to explode.

“The adult’s fighting spirit level… is quite different from Green’s,” Thomas swallowed, “but their aura is about the same.”

Lambert did not answer, but stared intently into those seemingly calm eyes, which were like undercurrents surging beneath a volcano.

That was the gaze of a "hunter".

Louis had already chosen the angle of the battlefield and predicted the enemy's first step, second step, and even their unbalanced retreat.

Since we're going to test its power in real combat, we need to go all out.

When both of them were ready, Lambert shouted in a deep voice, "Begin!"

next moment.

Green suddenly sprang to his feet, like a taut bowstring being released!

"Thrust!"

The longsword shot out, and the air exploded with a muffled thud in an instant.

The crimson battle aura, close to the ground, traced a lightning-fast path, aiming straight for Louis's chest!
His specialty is closing in on the enemy in an instant and ending the battle with a merciless slash.

He was confident that his speed and explosiveness were on par with any elite knight.

But this time, his heart was hanging in the balance.

"Lord Louis... after all, this is his first time using magic in actual combat. If he is truly injured—"

While he was still hesitating, Louis had already raised his hand and made a hand seal.

"Fire Wall!"

The intonation was not fluent, the pronunciation was slightly hesitant, and the flow of magic was a bit sluggish, but the magic was still successfully released.

boom!
A barrier of flames rose from the ground, halting Green's charge.

“…Ugh!” Green was forced to brake suddenly, his fighting spirit rippling beneath his feet.

"This firewall was erected too early, it's disrupted the rhythm." The firewall blocked the view, but Louis was not satisfied.

The next moment—"Beam Technique: Interference!"

Several beams of white light shot out from behind the wall of fire, piercing through the scorching flames and streaking out like meteors.

They had no destructive power, but they were precisely aimed at the chest, feet, neck and other "must-defend" areas. Each one was like a pre-planned killing move, forcing Green to subconsciously block.

"wrong."

A thought flashed through Green's mind, and he blocked two beams of light with his sword, only to find that the third beam would not hit him at all; it was a feint.

"Freeze-body spell".

Almost simultaneously, a cold magical energy surged from beneath his feet. Before he could even lift his leg, his ankle was already wrapped around it.

"This is the real goal!"

Green's eyes snapped open, and he roared, "Ha!"

A scorching red light exploded at his feet, tearing the newly formed spell into pieces.

He spun around, lifted himself up, and somersaulted back three steps.

However, this attack consumed a significant portion of his fighting spirit.

“He’s trying to get me to fight back…” Green landed and finally realized Louis’s purpose, his expression becoming even more serious.

Louis, behind the firewall, had sweat beading on his forehead.

His incantation sounded somewhat awkward, and his tone still carried a hint of hesitation.

Fortunately, he never sought perfection in his releases, but only aimed to restrain the opponent.

And each time he tried to restrain Green, it was almost always at the point where Green had to react.

This is not the power of a skilled person, but the cunning of a wise person.

"Burning Arrow - Triple Shot!"

Before Green could catch his breath, the wall of fire opened again, and three fiery arrows shot out, tracing irregular arcs.

Instead of a direct offensive, it was a "harassment-style interference" that locked down Green's movement and jumping routes.

Green spun to the side, swung his sword to parry two attacks, the last one barely being deflected by the ripples of fighting spirit.

Despite his perfect combat skills, he was still forced to use his battle aura, and he couldn't even get close to Louis's body.

"I've become somewhat passive."

Green's eyes turned cold as he finally realized that Louis was manipulating the entire battle as if it were a game of chess.

His magic had no suppressive power, no lethal force, but rather was like ropes, binding him one after another, restricting, wearing him down, probing, and disrupting him. "If this continues, it will truly become a war of attrition."

He finally stopped hesitating.

The next moment, he roared, "Battle Qi Burst!"

boom! !

The earth cracked beneath his feet, and a blazing red light burst forth from his body. The intense battle aura blasted a gap in the wall of fire like a shockwave.

The wind swirled scorching hot, and fragments of flame flew through the air, swirling into the fiery currents and forming a gust of wind that tore the battlefield apart.

Green transformed into a streak of light, leaping and charging forward!

"coming!!"

Louis immediately chanted: "Shockwave!"

He slammed his palms into the ground, sending out a semi-circular wave of air. Green's feet faltered, and he forcefully blocked it with his aura leg guards. After sliding a short distance, he continued charging forward.

"Beam spell!"

A white light fell like a silken curtain, and Green swept his sword energy across once more. With a soft explosion, the beam of light disintegrated.

Green pounced like a tiger.

Crimson battle aura surged around him, but due to the repeated attacks on magic, his battle aura became disordered, as if the raging fire was gradually being extinguished.

He forcefully suppressed the churning breath in his chest, and with a sudden swing of his right hand, swung his sword straight at Louis's shoulder and neck!
"drink--!"

This sword strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, containing all its remaining power. If one were to take it head-on, even the armor would shatter.

Lambert looked somewhat nervous and was about to intervene.

But Louis didn't take the hit head-on.

He abandoned the incantation, took a step forward, shifted his body to the side, and channeled his fighting spirit into his feet. Like a ripple on water, he flashed a sharp edge, dodging the attack by several inches from the force of the Green Sword, thus avoiding a fatal blow.

At the same time, instead of colliding head-on with his right-hand longsword, he deflected it with a backhand and, taking advantage of Green's forward lean, twisted it in one smooth motion.

"Boom!"

Before Green could return to his sword path, he felt a sudden impact to his chest; Louis's left elbow had struck his ribs precisely!

It's about having a tricky angle and precise timing.

Green grunted, staggered back three steps, and his sword-wielding arm trembled.

The moment his defense was broken by the elbow strike, he could no longer gather stable fighting spirit.

Louis, however, did not press his advantage.

He simply stepped forward, and with a flick of his sword, the blade was already pointed at Green's neck.

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

Green opened his eyes wide, his chest heaving violently, but in the end he did not struggle anymore.

He slowly knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, "I admit defeat."

The battle is now over.

Thomas slapped his thigh hard, as if letting out all the emotions he had been holding back: "Lord, you're awesome!!!"

He raised his hands high, his face filled with undisguised admiration and shock, as if he had witnessed something extraordinary.

"That elbow strike just now... was so cool! The fighting spirit reversed in an instant, pointing directly at the side of the neck! That's a combination of tactics, talent, and style!"

He kept chanting excitedly while turning to look at his companion beside him, as if looking for someone to share his excitement.

Lambert didn't speak, but his brows were furrowed, as if he were deep in thought.

His gaze was fixed on Louis, who stood in the center of the arena with his sword sheathed, as he weighed each word in his mind:
"The magic wasn't perfect, but the combined tactics were almost perfect... controlling the rhythm, depleting battle aura, and restricting movement... if the magic power were stronger, it could almost single-handedly suppress elite knights."

In his current state, he's at least... a high-ranking elite knight, or even stronger.

Sif's breathing was unsteady from tension, her fingertips were slightly curled, and her fists hidden under her cloak remained clenched.

She knew he would win.

But when she actually saw him force Green back with that sword strike, she still subconsciously bit her lip, her eyes slightly warm.

It was a respect tinged with a touch of excitement, mixed with a strange sense of peace.

But what's even more impressive is that Louis combined magic and martial arts aura into a real battle for the first time, even defeating a well-trained elite knight.

Louis silently sheathed his sword, appearing calm on the surface, but inwardly he was rapidly reviewing the battle that had just taken place.

This victory was not easy.

Only one wall of fire was set up, the beam of light was at the basic level, and the immobilization spell was not enhanced.

“Green is a subordinate, not an enemy,” he muttered to himself. “The best outcome is to suppress him at the lowest possible cost.”

Louis gazed at the edge of the swordplay arena in the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly. This was the first time he had truly brought magic into actual combat.

“There are still many areas that are not yet mature. The fire wall is misaligned, the beam spell is not fast enough, and the immobilization spell is too easily broken... Indeed, magic is still best used when it is 'unexpected'.”

He reflected on it, a satisfied smile curving his lips.

"But I only used it for a month."

It has only been a little over a month since Rashiel taught him magic.

He built a magical framework from scratch, using the "Primal Meditation Technique" to create more than ten spells that could be put into practice.

Today, not only has their survivability greatly increased, but they can even change the course of small-scale battles.

Given enough time, his magic will continue to grow, and his tactical system will become complete.

Primal meditation became one of his most important trump cards.

Louis sheathed his sword, his gaze sweeping over the four men, his tone calm yet unquestionable: "What happened today must not be told to anyone."

Thomas had been about to shout "Lord, you are mighty!" but upon hearing this, he immediately shut up and nodded repeatedly: "Understood! Absolutely confidential!"

The other three nodded and said, "Understood."

(End of this chapter)