Murphy's voice was calm, yet it seemed to freeze the very air around them.
Beneath his hood, the Shadow Hunter's expression flickered.
After the initial shock and searing pain, the cunning and survival instincts of an Official Wizard kicked in, his mind racing.
He panted, his voice hoarse and probing.
"Heh... *cough, cough*... That last strike... took a lot out of you, didn't it? Such power is far from ordinary. Wielding something like that must place a heavy burden on you, right? Otherwise... you wouldn't be standing here wasting your breath on me."
His eyes scanned Murphy's placid face, searching for any sign of mental exhaustion or physical weakness. At the same time, the shadows at his feet began to creep outward.
