Only I Am A Reader

"He is all yours!"

In the end, Yeon's trust in Leo was unshakeable. Their silent exchange didn't say as much this time, but there wasn't really a chance to deliberate that in a situation like this.

Swish!

Geochin's sword wasn't frozen in time as they came to a decision. Although he wasn't exactly enjoying the situation, being brought out of his delightful delusion about how things would come to an end only made his assault brisker.

"Nice to meet you again."

Thankfully, the White Tiger was more than prepped and ready to meet the Lightning Dragon. Leo had read and watched enough during his time blending around to perfectly understand the protagonist's special methods… And he was more than ready to counteract them!

Geochin also didn't answer with words, but his eyes told everything. Considering how he had been obsessed with Yeon, how could he not remember the silhouette standing next to her? Especially when that person had beaten him fair and square and forced him to alter his plans.

Denying him the Mount Hua Sword Conference's Championship wasn't all that Leo had done, he had somehow acted out of the Heavenly Strength Society's norm and roamed around to help people.

Though indirectly, the way his path coincided with the locations that were on Geochin's list had left a visible mark in the protagonist's memory.

"I wouldn't call it nice, but it's good that we finally meet for a rematch."

Having learned enough from his exchange with her, Geochin was fully aware of how dangerous Yeon was on the battlefield. With how balanced things were earlier, he could afford to stretch it up until things spiraled to his advantage, but a single move from Leo destabilized it whole!

The loss of a single Unrestrained Martial Artist wasn't that scary, but the release of a skilled one was. Unfortunately, no matter how much he wanted to, Geochin couldn't just dodge Leo to stop Yeon in her tracks even if he could. After all, Leo proved himself to be just as dangerous by claiming the first noteworthy victim.

On the contrary, however, Geochin felt that this was more of a chance. Rather than leaving Leo to cause more havoc on the battlefield, the fact that he had run up to him made things simpler.

Despite not knowing the limit of Leo's capabilities, Geochin had quite a bit of confidence in taking Leo down based on the exchange they had years ago. Of course, Yeon was a surprise, but there couldn't be too many people that received the Heavenly Demon's Inheritance, right?

"...Although it might not last long."

He was going for the kill!

"Aahhhhhh!"

Right as Geochin's force exertion popped out of its rhythm, another loud scream echoed through the flat plains. Those who could afford to, turned around to see a man with a hole in his torso.

Though the overwhelmingly large wound made it hard to believe, this was yet another Unrestrained Martial Artist! The Absolute Spear that was no longer held down by three of his peers was just starting to show his claws!

'Senior Brother is another wild card for sure.'

The stray star that should have perished on the day the Emerald Calamity struck wasn't just a butterfly waving its wings, he was more of a dragon that had just woken up from its hibernation to bring about a storm.

Unlike what many spoke about standing at the peak, Cheon Chang had been showing an absurd level of growth considering the height that he stood at. With some more time, Leo believed that the Society might be expecting the addition of a new Profound Martial Artist to its ranks, but…

Klang!

'This is a whole new thing.'

Leo's thoughts could no longer focus on Cheon Chang's achievement. His heart simply beat too quickly for that as he received Geochin's undivided attention, his excitement was at its peak… If he could call it that.

His emotional state was in a mess ever since he spotted Geochin, yet everything seemed ambiguous. It was only now that Leo partially understood what he was undergoing.

For a reader, a protagonist was the centerpiece of their most enjoyable experience. Some were unlikeable, while some were personal favorites, but in the end, they become the reader's focal point as long as he decides to continue reading, regardless of how imperfect they were. Meeting or becoming that protagonist is often the fuel of their fantasies.

However, for Leo in particular, meeting Geochin wasn't such a special opportunity as he already had the chance to meet Ray who was a little bit more agreeable.

Instead, it was the fact that he was standing up to said protagonist that made things interesting. Leo might not have interacted with Ray a lot, but eventually, they did work together to achieve a less horrid epilogue. At the moment, the epilogue in sight wasn't as promising.

Although Leo had already fought Geochin once, a mock battle was far different from a battle to death. Leo certainly had no plans of letting Geochin go, and Geochin's aggression spoke of the same intention, only one of them could walk away with their head still attached!

There were obvious reasons for not using Yeon's help, including the possibility that the Main Quest wouldn't be cleared if she had a hand in Geochin's death. However, Leo also had something else in mind.

In a show-off between a reader and a protagonist, a true one this time, who would be the victor?

Despite being fully rational, Leo couldn't help getting a little bit spiked on this 'high'. No matter the result, this wasn't something that he could experience often!

"Indeed, let's find out the ending to this story."

Since Geochin had picked up the pace, the only proper answer that Leo could give was to get serious as well. Geochin might be able to up his skills with cheats, but he couldn't jump to the next stage… Without the help of a miracle.

Thud!

It was time to show the ignorant protagonist how Unrestraineds really fight!