Rhode punched out, but the opponent quickly dodged and countered with a high side kick.
Rhode raised his arm to block it steadily, but the opponent's figure had already vanished.
Hearing a sound behind him, Rhode quickly shifted his body, but his shoulder got grazed. He wobbled slightly but immediately steadied himself and swung his fist backward.
Bam!
The punch landed solidly; the opponent had crossed his left arm horizontally and right arm vertically to form a cross and blocked the blow.
"That punch is heavy, you guy, much stronger than they said!"
The opponent retreated half a step, swiftly did a couple of backflips to create some distance, and rubbed his forearm.
Sarusuk, nicknamed Jet, wore a purple shirt and a wide-brimmed hat about a foot tall. His lower body was clad in loose breeches, and he wore long boots for running.
He was a member of Reby's Lane Engine Squad. Since their last mission, the three hadn't gone out to work again, spending days laughing and joking with their fellow guild members.
Not sure if it was because he was interested in the rumor that Rhode was planning to fight everyone in the guild or because Reby frequently spent time with Rhode learning foreign languages, causing him some discomfort.
Anyhow, Jet actively asked to be on the "waiting list" to fight Rhode, just like his teammate Troy.
The two had been exchanging blows and kicks for a few minutes. So far, Jet was the first opponent Rhode had encountered who matched him in combat.
He wasn't sure if he had gotten stronger or his opponents weaker, but he hadn't lost today:
"You're pretty good too, your movements are incredibly agile."
Just lacking a bit in strength... This couldn't be said aloud, Rhode silently reminded himself not to get too cocky.
"Jet! If you can't win, just admit defeat and let me take over quickly!" Troy shouted encouragement for Jet, "Reby also thinks I can win!"
Jet yelled back, "Shut up, Troy! Reby is clearly rooting for me more!"
Reby sighed and muttered softly, "I never said anything like that... but Rhode is improving so fast, already evenly matched with Jet."
After yelling at his best friend, Jet adjusted the brim of his hat, smiled at Rhode, and then assumed a starting position:
"It's time to show you my magic. I'm the fastest man in the guild, and that's why they call me Jet!"
"Divine Foot!" Jet shot out like an arrow.
Rhode had just seen him take off when he heard the whooshing sound—Jet zipping past him stirred the wind!
Jet didn't hurry to attack but instead started running circles around Rhode.
The combined sounds of wind and footsteps made it difficult for Rhode to capture Jet's silhouette.
From his judgment, the River Crab's sprinting speed was approximately equal to Jet's, but the River Crab could sprint and stop abruptly but couldn't turn and run in such a tight circle as flexibly as Jet.
This scene reminded Rhode of Xiaoli running circles around Gaara next door on the set.
He wanted to stick out a leg and trip him...
However, before Rhode could make a move, Jet had already flashed back to his original position. He pressed his legs left and right and loosened his neck:
"Warm-up is over. I remember you have a fast crab, don't you? Aren't you calling it out?"
"No, it's not the Gorge Swift Crab making an appearance today." Rhode held his pendant, and magic power surged through him.
"I am the one who communicates the path between two realms. You, creature of the Summoner's Rift, respond to my call and cross the threshold! Ancient Stone Beetle!"
"Beetle?" Troy shivered as he was about to continue 'encouraging' Jet, "Are you going to summon a swarm of bugs? That's too scary!"
If it were really a swarm of bugs, he'd even want to hide behind Reby.
The pendant in Rhode's hand emitted a blue light, and the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly. Then, two Stone Beetles broke through the earth and stood before him as guards.
The larger one was over two meters tall, with four stone pillar-like thick legs, a giant pincered mouth, and a stone-seam-like crack on its back.
The smaller one was nearly identical to the larger one but stood only about 1.5 meters tall.
When the two Stone Beetles were motionless, they seemed like one large and one small rock. Once they moved, the cracks on their backs flashed with blue light.
"Ka-ka-ka..." The Stone Beetle's pincers gently opened and closed, awaiting their master's command.
Rhode once again checked his magic power consumption—about the same amount of magic as summoning three Gorge Swift Crabs, just like when he tried summoning for the first time with the President yesterday.
However, perhaps due to being more adept than yesterday, the consumption had decreased slightly, about the amount of a Poro, which was better than nothing.
"A beetle?!" Troy was no longer afraid of them, but another fear soon replaced it.
"They look very strong!" Facing these two behemoths, Jet felt the pressure.
Mainly, with their rock-like appearance, they looked sturdy. Jet was not a mage known for destructive power.
"In that case, I'll just have to bypass them and attack you directly!" Jet sprang out instantly.
Rhode was also decisive; he bent down and turned, hiding inside the hind legs of the Ancient Stone Beetle.
Secret Skill: Qin King's Column Wrapping!
The stone pillar-like thick legs and solid abdomen of the Ancient Stone Beetle gave Rhode a sense of security.
The only issue was its height, but that was also an advantage at this moment, as Jet would have to crouch to get in and attack him, affecting Jet's speed.
Indeed, after circling the Stone Beetle, Jet made a sudden stop: "Hey, this is such a cheat!"
Rhode was indifferent: "A defensive summoned creature is used this way. Back when Erza fought me, she didn't remove her armor either."
Jet wanted to ask if Erza's armor influenced the outcome.
But thinking it over, he couldn't deny Rhode his defense.
"Alright, let's try this move—Falcon Heaven Soaring!"
Jet's figure traced a beautiful arc across the courtyard, and he lifted his leg and kicked heavily at the leg of the Ancient Stone Beetle.
Rhode could feel the 'pillar' he was leaning against tremble, the head of the Ancient Stone Beetle subtly tilting up as if in pain.
"Stone Beetle!"
Rhode called out, and the smaller Stone Beetle beside him turned around to ram into Jet.
"It's hard, but it's effective!" Jet agilely dodged, retreated to a distance, and then sprinted forward again, "Super High-speed Impact!"
Isn't that Iron Mountain Lean? Rhode glimpsed Jet's posture and quickly dodged out from the front.
Bam!
Jet's shoulder slammed into the hind leg of the Ancient Stone Beetle, causing it to stumble a bit, almost falling.
Before the Stone Beetle could counterattack, Jet had already dashed away: "What a headache, even that didn't bring it down."
Leveraging the cover of the Ancient Stone Beetle, Rhode poked his head out: "If you stop, I can attack instead!"
Jet smirked confidently: "That clumsy creature can't keep up with my speed!"
"To deal with someone fast, you need a bit of strategy." Rhode gripped his pendant and, after a brief chanting of words, the Gorge Swift Crab made its appearance.
"He can summon two creatures at once!"
Reby, familiar with Celestial Spirit Magic, knew that mages who could open two doors simultaneously were quite rare; a summoning magic similar to Celestial Spirit Magic must be equally difficult for Rhode!
Moreover, if you count the Poro nearby, Rhode was now maintaining three doors open at once!
Even if the Poro was just a decorative creature, it was impressive beyond words!