"How can I survive ten strikes?" I asked, unable to hide the disbelief in my voice. Even with his power restricted, Valen Ashbluff was still one of the most formidable necromancers alive.
"I will restrict them to below the level of the Wall," Valen pointed out, his lips curving into a slight smile. "So, won't it be possible?"
The Wall—the boundary between Integration-rank and Ascendant-rank, a threshold that separated the merely exceptional from the truly legendary. Still, even at peak Integration-rank, Valen's attacks would be devastating.
"It's possible," I conceded, calculating my odds. "Though I question whether surviving constitutes passing, or if you expect me to remain standing."
Valen's smile widened. "Conscious will suffice. I have no desire to explain to those princesses of yours why I returned their suitor in pieces."
I nodded, my mind already racing through defensive combinations. "Where shall we conduct this test?"
