From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 519

The massive Ice Soul sword erupted across the sky, slicing through everything in its path. The Frozen World ahead split in two right before everyone's eyes, the thick layers of frost shattered in an instant.

Everyone watching from below saw nothing but the icy blue glow of the blade, dazzling the sky so fiercely it was almost blinding. Zara and Liana, for the first time, felt a flicker of doubt toward the Chief Instructor they had always admired. Facing an opponent like the Hermit, they had no clue just how strong Leander had to be even to stand a chance.

The other Yelem elites thought the same thing. They couldn't imagine anyone capable of standing against a creature with such terrifying power. Almost everyone assumed Leander couldn't take that strike and would be cleaved in two just like everything else.

Only Maeve, Celia, and Aurora felt a measure of calm. They had never doubted Leander's abilities.

With a sharp hiss, the sword's glow slammed down, aiming to cut everything in its path. Leander's black hair whipped around wildly in the wind as his eyes narrowed. Just as the massive crystalline blade was about to crush his face, he finally moved. He lifted his palm slightly, extended two fingers, and then snapped them together with force.

A crisp, ringing click echoed across the sky. The ice-blue sword, which had come crashing down like an unstoppable force, seemed to freeze midair, as if someone had hit pause.

Those with sharp eyesight could see it clearly. The blade was caught between Leander's two fingers, held like a vise, unable to advance another inch. It hung there just a hair's breadth from his forehead.

For a moment, the entire scene froze in horror.

It wasn't just the spectators. Even the Hermit's eyes went wide, pupils shrinking as he struggled to believe what he was seeing.

Just two fingers. That's all it takes to snap through any ordinary weapon without much effort. Yet the Ice Soul sword, a strike that could slice a tank in half, can't even break through Leander's two fingers?

"This is impossible!"

The Hermit's expression kept shifting, twisting with every passing moment. The Primordial Energy building up inside him surged wildly, and the sword light from the Ice Soul sword flared even stronger. The icy blue glow stretched across the sky, but no matter how brightly it shone, it couldn't be forced down even an inch.

"You've spent fifty years refining your sword with Essence Core, that's impressive," Leander said, a sly, almost wicked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "But sadly, your blade still isn't sharp enough." With a flick of his wrist, his two fingers held their pose, and the long, hundred-foot ice-blue sword light exploded into a thousand shards, scattering across the sky.

Crack!

The sword light shattered inch by inch. Ice crystals rained down from the sky, and the Hermit staggered, stepping backward in the air, his face still reeling from the shock.

He had spent fifty years on the Arctic plains nurturing his sword with his Essence Core. Every ounce of his strength had gone into this strike. One swing was meant to release decades of painstaking effort. But even that was not enough to break through Leander's defense. His attack had been torn apart with just two fingers.

For the Hermit, all those years of dedication felt like nothing more than a fleeting illusion. The moment Leander shattered his sword strike, he knew the fight was over. He had lost. Completely and utterly.

Even though he had reached triple-turn Half-King, facing the young Astria before him, he wasn't a match. From start to finish, Leander hadn't even used a single move at full strength.

"Is this really the Chief Instructor's true strength?" Below, Zara and Liana, who had been worried about whether Leander could handle that strike, froze. Their eyes locked on him, and they didn't move or react for a long moment.

"Your Frostborne Epoch," Leander said, scanning the icy battlefield. "It's stronger than the Blood Demon's Blood World by far. But it's still not the true King's Domain. It has the form, but it lacks the essence."

Even my nearly invincible great-great-grandfather could only swallow defeat, so how much of a gap is there between Leander and me?

"Je…Jeff!" Denzel ground out the name through clenched teeth, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and disbelief.

"He still came out on top!" Celia's eyes sparkled with excitement. The Hermit had long been hailed as the untouchable king of the International Assassin Leaderboard, the one even Terek couldn't best. And now, Leander had stormed onto the scene, raw and unstoppable, showing the world that whether it was the International Combat Units or the Assassin Leaderboard, he could claim the crown without fear.

Maeve was practically bouncing with joy, clapping her hands like a little girl. Once again, Leander had displayed a level of combat prowess that seemed almost otherworldly. This was the man she loved with all her heart.

Aurora's eyes were sharp with unwavering resolve. She knew deep down that her life's goal was clear: carve out a place in Leander's heart, no matter what it took.

As for Nathan, Luke, Evander, and the rest, they were frozen in shock. Only now did they begin to grasp the true nature of their roommate, who vanished for ten, fifteen days at a time. Leander was no ordinary man.

The Hermit's eyes darkened. In over a century of fame, he had never tasted defeat. Not even against the mighty naval fleets of Agylae had he faltered. He had always handled threats with ease, slipping away unscathed. But today, he had been beaten by an up-and-coming Astria talent.

"I lost." The Hermit's voice was rough, each word spat out with effort. Yet by the time he finished, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, twisted with a cruel sort of triumph. "But here's the thing. Even though you beat me, I still win our bet. Because tonight, you're going to be buried right here in Yelem."

The Hermit's sudden declaration left everyone stunned. Even Celia, the strongest among them, couldn't hide her surprise.

Leander just smirked, a flicker of disdain in his expression. "You really thought your little tricks could fool me?" He waved his hand lazily, completely calm. "Go ahead. Call in everyone from the Arbitration Office."