From Slave to King: My Rebate System Built Me a Kingdom With Beauties!-Chapter 199: The Desperate Fight!

Byung watched as the elf stood and faced the dwarf, her hands beginning to weave intricate patterns in the air. She was preparing to fight with pure magic, casting spells with the kind of precision that came from centuries of practice. There were no weapons, no physical tools—just her mastery of the arcane against whatever the dwarf had brought from the dark continent.

The dwarf’s confident smile widened as he reached into his cloak and produced a single object—a cube made from that same black metal Byung had seen before, an artifact that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. "You came prepared with your magic," he said, his red eyes gleaming with stolen elven power. "But I’ve been preparing for this moment far longer."

"We’ve been watching you for decades," the elf replied coldly, completing her first spell. A barrier of shimmering force materialized around the chamber, sealing the exit and creating a contained battlefield. "Your tool won’t save you."

Then the battle began in earnest. The elf launched a barrage of magical projectiles—lances of pure energy that streaked toward the dwarf with deadly intent. But he activated his device, holding it before him, and the projectiles simply dissipated as they approached, absorbed or disrupted by the artifact’s field.

She adapted immediately, circling while firing more projectiles from different angles, trying to overwhelm the single disruption field. But the dwarf was experienced, rotating to keep the cube between himself and her attacks, using it like a shield that nullified magic on contact.

The elf moved with magically enhanced speed, trying to flank him, to find an angle the cube couldn’t cover. She fired rapid bursts of energy projectiles—some high, some low, forcing him to choose which to block. A few slipped past his defense, scoring shallow burns on his arms and shoulder, drawing dark blood. But not enough to slow him down.

The dwarf pressed forward aggressively, closing the distance between them. Byung realized the strategy—the cube disrupted magic in a limited area around it, so the dwarf needed to get close enough that the elf couldn’t cast effectively. And once in close quarters, his combat training would give him the advantage. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The elf recognized the danger and tried to maintain distance, backpedaling while continuing her projectile assault. But the dwarf was relentless, using the cube to carve a path through her attacks, advancing step by step. When she tried to teleport away to create space, the cube’s disruption field interfered with the spell’s formation, causing it to fizzle before completing.

She fired a concentrated beam of energy at his legs, trying to cripple his mobility. The dwarf dropped low, interposing the cube, and the beam dispersed harmlessly. Then he lunged forward, covering the remaining distance in a burst of speed that caught her off-guard.

Suddenly they were in close quarters, and the nature of the fight changed completely. The elf tried to form projectiles at point-blank range, but the cube’s field was too strong this close—her magic simply wouldn’t manifest. She was forced to fight hand-to-hand against an opponent who had survived the dark continent through brutal physical combat.

The dwarf struck with his free hand, a vicious punch aimed at her throat. She blocked, her centuries of combat training allowing her to deflect the blow, but the impact still rattled her. He followed with a knee strike that she barely avoided, then swept her legs. The elf jumped, backflipped to create space, and the moment she had distance she fired another volley of projectiles.

But the dwarf was ready, cube raised, and the attacks dissipated. He charged again, and they fell into a brutal rhythm—the elf trying to maintain range where her projectile magic could function, the dwarf using his cube and superior close-combat skills to pressure her relentlessly.

During their brutal exchange, Byung realized he was on the wrong side of this conflict. The dwarf was evil, pursuing goals that would doom the world. The elf was defending reality itself. But there was no way for him to meaningfully join the battle—this fight was on a completely different scale than anything he’d experienced.

The fight continued for approximately two minutes, and with each passing second, the dwarf’s advantage became more pronounced. The elf was breathing harder now, her movements slightly less precise. The constant need to avoid close contact while maintaining her projectile assault was draining her reserves. The dwarf, by contrast, seemed energized, his red eyes glowing brighter with stolen magic that fueled his endurance.

He feinted left, then closed right, getting inside her guard. His hand shot out in a grapple attempt—if he could grab her, hold her within the cube’s disruption field, she’d be helpless. The elf twisted desperately, his fingers grazing her arm but not catching hold. She fired a projectile directly into his face at point-blank range, but the cube was already moving, intercepting it.

The dwarf’s other hand struck her in the ribs, a brutal blow that Byung heard crack bone even from across the chamber. The elf gasped, stumbled, her concentration breaking for a crucial second. The dwarf pressed his advantage, driving her back against the white stone wall with a combination of strikes—punches, elbow blows, knee strikes, all delivered with savagery.

She tried to teleport away in desperation, but the cube’s field was too close, too strong. The spell formed and collapsed, formed and collapsed, each failure costing her precious energy. She managed to fire a few weak projectiles that barely pushed him back, but she was cornered now, her back literally against the wall with nowhere left to retreat.

The dwarf’s hand shot out, reaching for her throat where he could drain her completely, permanently, just as he’d done to Aelindra. The elf twisted desperately, managing to avoid the grab by mere inches, but she was gasping now, injured and exhausted.

Then the elf’s expression changed. Byung saw the shift—from desperate defense to grim determination. She’d made a decision, accepted something that clearly went against every tactical instinct she possessed.

While the dwarf prepared his finishing move, confident in his imminent victory, the elf suddenly pivoted. Instead of defending herself or attempting another failed escape, she threw herself toward Byung with the last of her strength.

"No—" the dwarf started, his red eyes snapping toward Byung as he realized what she was doing. He abandoned his attack position, lunging toward Byung instead, trying to intercept her before she could reach him.

But the elf was closer, and desperation gave her that final burst of speed. Her hand stretched out, fingers extended, reaching for Byung who stood frozen in shock and confusion.

"You’ll never have him!" she screamed, and her hand made contact with Byung’s arm.

The moment her fingers touched his skin, Byung felt reality twist violently around him. The white stone chamber dissolved into rushing darkness, the sensation of being pulled through impossible distances overwhelming his senses. The last thing he saw was the dwarf’s outstretched hand mere feet away, his obsidian face twisted with absolute rage, and the elf collapsing with magical exhaustion from whatever spell she’d just cast.

Then Byung disappeared completely, torn from that place by magic he couldn’t resist or understand. The chamber, the elf, the dwarf—all of it vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by disorienting darkness and the stomach-churning sensation of teleportation across vast distances.

Where she had sent him, Byung had no idea. All he knew was that one moment he’d been watching a battle he couldn’t affect, and the next he was gone, pulled away to somewhere unknown by an elf who had sacrificed herself to deny the dwarf his key piece.

The darkness lasted for what felt like both seconds and hours, time losing all meaning during the magical transit. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the sensation stopped.

Byung’s feet touched solid ground but he had no idea where he was.