As the punches landed, Ricky used his forearms to deflect some of the blows, even though several heavy punches still struck his face.
"Ugh!"
Victor wasn't even being precise with his attacks; they were completely random, which allowed Ricky to find an opening to counter an incoming fist.
Seizing the opportunity just as Victor was about to retract his hand, Ricky wrapped his own hand around Victor's arm, preventing its movement.
Before Victor could react, a white light engulfed Ricky, and he vanished. The protagonist, who had been using Ricky's body as support, suddenly lost his balance and fell face-first onto the ground.
"You almost got me there."
Those were the words he heard before a kick that felt like iron slammed into his chest.
The impact knocked the air out of him, sending him into a barrel roll as he tried to lessen the pain.
Ding
⟦𓆩 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 [Quest]: A damn novice Forgesoul has accepted your challenge; show him what the Great Darkgod's spawn can do. 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Kill/Knockout (Killing grants additional rewards.) 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Reward: 18 Power Points. 𓆪⟧
The notification blocked his vision. He spat out blood and chuckled slightly.
Yes, he was in pain, but the notification brought him nothing but joy.
He forcefully jerked his body upward, attempting to get back on his feet, yet he staggered a few times.
Nevertheless, he managed to stand while holding his aching chest. He had just been kicked around, yet Ricky only stared at him, irritated by his persistence.
Hatred seared within him, like an active volcano on the verge of eruption.
"You... a damn Emberkind dares to lay your filthy hands on me."
Understanding the stages of power in this world was quite simple.
The human power system was divided into stages, and these stages represented how much Lumina energy a person could absorb and use to enhance their abilities.
An Emberkind was the lowest rank one could achieve. At this stage, a person could only slightly enhance their physical strength, becoming a little stronger than an ordinary human while boosting small-scale attacks.
A Forgesoul, however, was different. Their natural recovery accelerated, and they gained greater control over their Lumina, allowing them to channel it through their bodies for enhanced combat abilities.
Even physical enhancements, such as increased strength and durability, became noticeably greater.
In that moment, Victor blurted out,
"Analyze..."
⟦𓆩 Status 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Name: Ricky Coil 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Race: Human 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Level 2: Forgesoul 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Ability:Lux Warp 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Health: 80/100 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Attributes 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Strength: 20 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Agility: 15 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Stamina: 30 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Skills 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Teleportation 𓆪⟧
⟦𓆩 Energy Burst 𓆪⟧
Victor frowned at what he saw.
This person seriously surpassed him in attributes. It made him wonder how he had managed to successfully land those attacks that injured him.
'Idiot, don't you know that every time you activate your bloodline skills, you receive a ×4 boost to your attributes?'
He had never really thought much about the skills or bothered to check why he became far stronger than an ordinary human while using his bloodline abilities.
The problem wasn't whether this person was stronger, because at his full strength, he could destroy this human in a heartbeat.
The dilemma was how he could enjoy this.
This was the first time he had encountered someone whom Lunar Dash alone couldn't defeat.
Everyone he had fought before was destroyed by this single skill, leaving him unable to use the other two skills he possessed.
"I finally have a chance to test out my new skill. Thank you for this opportunity, Ricky."
Ricky stared at him in confusion, wondering if this individual was even sane.
For a moment, he thought he had gained the upper hand because Victor was ready to use his full power.
But why?
Why wasn't this person afraid of him?
He had even released his aura, intending to force Victor to his knees. Yet, seeing the jubilant expression on his face, Ricky began questioning whether his presence meant anything at all.
At this point, he was about to lose his patience.
"Phantom Hooooowl!"
A deep, thunderous howl erupted from his mouth, vibrating the very air as dense, destructive soundwaves burst outward. Every pane of glass within range shattered instantly, while everyone nearby cried out in agony as their eardrums ruptured.
As if that weren't enough, anyone within a 24-meter radius was immediately afflicted with a 50% debuff, leaving them significantly weakened on top of their devastating hearing injuries.
"Shit... what is this?"
Even Samuel was affected, though he managed to protect himself by coating his ears with a thick, fleshy aura before the shockwave could rupture his eardrums.
The other three VIPs weren't nearly as fortunate. They collapsed unconscious, blood streaming from both ears.
"Weak," Samuel muttered before kicking their unconscious bodies aside.
Then again, he was an Arcanis—a Level Four human. Even so, the attack had forced him onto the defensive.
"Where did an Emberkind get a skill this terrifying?"
He wondered if he'd ever get an answer.
Unbeknownst to him, the surprises were far from over.
Although everyone had suffered ruptured eardrums, Ricky—the true target of the attack—had it far worse than anyone else.
At first, he assumed it was nothing more than a powerful wind-based skill, so he crossed his arms in front of him to brace for the impact.
The blast shoved him back a few steps.
Then his abdomen violently caved inward.
The force was so immense that it slammed him into the wall, carving out a crater behind him as his internal organs ruptured. Blood burst from his mouth in a violent cough.
His eyes widened in horror as realization struck.
I should've dodged...
The vibrations hadn't merely weakened him—they had shattered both his internal and external defenses.
"W-What... the fuck...?"
As if that wasn't enough, Victor decided to make absolutely certain his opponent wouldn't survive.
⟦ Draconic Overdrive ⟧
[Cost: -4 HP]
⟦ WARNING: Health: 30/100 ⟧
⟦ Hands partially transformed. ⟧
The next instant, Victor was standing right in front of Ricky.
A wide grin spread across his face, like a child opening a long-awaited Christmas present.
Why wouldn't he smile?
His entire arm had pierced straight through Ricky's chest.
On the other side, his blood-soaked, clawed fingers protruded from Ricky's back, crimson droplets dangling from their razor-sharp tips.
Ricky's vision slowly faded to black. The world blurred, and all sound seemed to drift away. The strength left his body, and he collapsed onto the hard pavement.
Dead.
"Hmm... what line should I have said before his eyes closed?" Victor muttered with a sigh. "Every cool one I think of sounds way too cheesy."
He turned toward the petrified crowd.
His crimson eyes, with their vertical reptilian pupils, swept across them.
"So... what do you guys think?"