The atmosphere inside the abandoned warehouse, once raucous with mocking laughter, had now fallen dead silent, leaving behind only the cloying scent of blood and the corpses of low-level minions scattered breathlessly across the floor. The dust kicked up by the explosion of the [Asura Palm] moments earlier still hung in the air like a mist of death.
In the center of that killing field, two figures stood facing each other, separated by a distance of merely ten meters.
Owen stood calm and still, his sharp gaze fixed unrelentingly forward. Opposite him... Jagger, the giant leader, stood grinding his teeth in fury until the veins on his temples bulged.
"Hmph..."
A low growl escaped through Jagger's clenched teeth. It wasn't the sound of a human, but akin to the growl of a cornered beast ready to crush its enemy to pieces. Suddenly, massive pressure exploded from his body!
BOOM!!
Pitch-black mana erupted from Jagger's body like smoke from a volcanic vent. It was so dense and violent that debris and dust around him were blasted away in a wide circle. The killing intent embedded within that mana was so heavy it distorted the very air.
However... Owen didn't retreat a single step.
"Thinking of intimidating me with mana pressure?"
Owen murmured softly before his eyes flashed. Instantly, a crimson, blood-like aura was unleashed to resist it!
Vwooooom!!
A high-pitched ringing pierced the ears of everyone in the vicinity as two waves of opposing power clashed in mid-air. The air pressure generated by the impact created a violent gust of wind that swept past the faces of the surviving minions, forcing them to raise their hands to shield their eyes.
And in the second their auras touched... a certain truth was revealed.
Jagger's furious eyes widened slightly. His pupils constricted as the instinct of a B-Rank Awakened screamed a warning in his head.
'Wait... what is this?'
Information clashed in Jagger's head chaotically. The report he had received clearly stated that 'Owen Marlowe' was just a rookie Awakened with trash-tier F-Rank mana, or at best early E-Rank relying on support items... but what he was facing now was a completely different story!
The density of the mana... the continuous flow... and the pressure that could resist his own mana on equal footing...
'This isn't just F-Rank... No way is this F-Rank!' Jagger grit his teeth so hard his jaw clicked. 'This level of power... it's clearly in the realm of B-Rank!'
The logical impossibility dizzied Jagger's brain. For a person to make a quantum leap from bottom-tier trash to matching an elite within a few months went against the common sense of this world. This wasn't just 'talent'; it was a terrifying anomaly.
From shock, it turned to confusion, and finally... it exploded into extreme rage!
"Those pieces of trash!!"
Jagger shouted to vent his fury. He wasn't angry at Owen... but at the inefficiency of his own intelligence unit.
'Which bastard went to gather this info!? This garbage data made my entire assessment wrong! If I knew he was at this level, I wouldn't have played around like this from the start!'
Jagger inhaled deeply, trying to suppress his surging emotions. He realized immediately that carelessness meant disaster. Since the information was wrong, he had to correct it on the fly... He could no longer view Owen as 'prey', but had to view him as an 'equal enemy'.
Fwoooo...
Jagger exhaled a long breath, calming the rampaging black mana around him, and began the process of compressing the energy.
Owen narrowed his eyes, watching the action with caution. He saw the mana, which had been billowing like smoke, gradually contract and coat Jagger's skin and clothes. It condensed into a faint, translucent black film that had a sheen like an invisible suit of armor, yet exuded a sense of strength and solidity like steel.
That image triggered a memory in Owen's head...
The image of the training room in Nova's gym... and the stern voice of the muscular female teacher instructing him.
"Remember, Owen... muscle-heads who only have brute strength are easy to deal with. Just dodge and counter... But whenever you meet an enemy who can perfectly use the 'Mana Armor' technique... don't even think about messing with them."
"Mana Armor isn't just releasing power for defense, but compressing and maintaining the mana flow to be constant, covering the entire body at all times. That means their mana control must be at an expert level... You, who can't even stabilize a shield for more than 10 seconds right now, I don't need to tell you what the end will be if you force a direct clash, right?"
Nova's warning echoed in Owen's head. He frowned tighter. He knew instantly that Jagger's danger level had just shot up another notch. This wasn't just a street thug, but a real professional.
Owen shifted his right foot back slightly, lowering his stance and raising both hands in a guard, switching from a relaxed standing posture to a full combat stance.
On Jagger's side, once the Mana Armor was complete, he smirked ruthlessly. Although his anger still simmered, his experience made him choose not to rush in rashly. He wanted to see Owen's attack patterns more clearly first.
"What the hell are you guys standing there for!!"
Jagger bellowed at the three surviving C-Rank minions who stood frozen in hesitation.
"Go deal with him! Drain his mana and cut his strength! Anyone who retreats, I'll kill them right here!!"
That death order was like a lightning bolt. The three minions flinched; their fear of their boss was greater than their fear of the enemy in front of them. They gritted their teeth to summon their courage, then unleashed all the power they had!
"Yaaaahhh!!"
The first man, a speed type with the ability "Agility (Rank C)", regained his senses first. He accelerated mana into both legs, making his body look lighter instantly, before launching himself like an arrow, leaving a faint afterimage behind, dual daggers gleaming in his hands.
The second man was a swordsman. His ability was "Weapon Sharpening (Rank C)". Upon hearing the boss's shout, he didn't hesitate, gathering soft white mana into the long sword in his hand until the blade glowed. Sharpness capable of cutting through steel was raised, ready to slash.
And the last man, possessing a massive body and the ability "Strength Enhancement (Rank C)", roared loudly. His arm muscles expanded until his shirt tore, veins bulging terrifyingly. A giant axe was raised overhead, ready to crush everything in its path.
All three enemies charged from three directions simultaneously to narrow the kill zone!
Owen inhaled deeply, his golden eyes sweeping over the movements of the three calmly. His brain began calculating attack trajectories rapidly...
The first wave of collision had begun!
To the left... the silver glint of dual daggers traced an arc through the air, aiming to slice the tendons at his ankles.
To the right... the long blade bathed in white mana thrust silently and swiftly toward his ribs.
And from the front... the looming shadow of the giant axe was raised high, ready to split Owen's skull in two!
The distance closed to zero in a blink. Every weapon was merely a hand's breadth away from Owen's body. A perfect crisis with no escape had occurred. Anyone watching would think the young man's body would be torn to shreds in the next second.
However... in the second that death stood waiting right in front of him, Owen's golden eyes remained eerily calm.
Vwoom...
With the [Instant-Mind Palm] technique, the time in Owen's thoughts was stretched out until the world around him almost stood still. The enemies' lightning-fast movements turned into slow-motion images that were sluggish and laughable.
Whether it was the sound of rapid breathing or beads of sweat rolling down their faces, everything looked as slow as a crawling turtle. The attacks that were supposed to be fast became mere continuous images where Owen could see the trajectory and impact point with total clarity.
'Left... Right... and Center...'
Owen processed calmly in his mind. He didn't move his feet to flee, didn't crouch to dodge. He simply... drew his hand up slowly, then pushed it forward lightly as if swatting an annoying insect.
Vwoom! Vwoom! Vwoom!
[Asura Palm]
A split second later, crimson mana exploded around him! Three massive energy palms appeared from the void like the guardians of a Demon God. They shot out to counter the bodies of the three enemies simultaneously before they could even react!
That caused those who were confident their weapons would touch flesh to widen their eyes in shock, when suddenly a wall of red energy rushed in to slam into their torsos hard before their brains could command a defense.
BANG!!!
"Ugh!!"
A heavy, dull thud echoed loudly. The bodies of the three minions were "slapped" full force, sent flying backward to crash violently against the warehouse walls and concrete pillars.
And the enemy's attack seemed far from over...
Fwip!
A dark shadow lunged in immediately the moment the three bodies were sent flying out of the way.
Jagger! The experienced giant seized the opportunity in the split second Owen had just finished releasing his skill, rushing in close with lightning speed! He intentionally waited for this moment to test if Owen's strange skill had a "cooldown" period.
A right fist, "reinforced" and coated in pitch-black "Mana Armor," was cocked back fully, prepared to punch into the center of Owen's chest, intending to crush it to pulp!
But the result disappointed him... when a red energy palm suddenly appeared in front of him to block the path instantly!
'So fast!' Jagger exclaimed internally. But with the instinct and reaction of a B-Rank Awakened, he realized in time, hurriedly raising both forearms coated in Mana Armor to cross as a "Guard" in the final split second.
BAAAANG!!!
Jagger's giant frame was blasted back by the massive push force. His combat boots scraped against the concrete floor, creating sparks and a drag mark over 5 meters long before he could plant his feet firmly to stop.
Jagger shook his slightly numb arms, looking down at the Mana Armor on his forearms...
'No cracks...' His eyes narrowed, accompanied by the corners of his mouth slowly lifting into a silent smile.
He realized immediately the truth hidden within... Owen's attack power, despite having massive push force, lacked "Armor Piercing" or "Penetration" authority. The attack just now barely caused any damage to the body beneath his "Mana Armor."
And most importantly... he sensed that Owen had to pay a large amount of mana to create those massive energy palms, while he spent only a tiny bit of mana to maintain the armor to absorb the impact.
'I see...' Jagger smirked. 'You're digging your own grave, Owen.'
"Get up!!" Jagger shouted orders to his subordinates loudly. "Don't let him rest! Keep attacking!"
"Y... Yes, boss!"
The three minions, doubled over in pain, scrambled up clumsily, then rushed at Owen again as ordered.
And that was the beginning of... the "Hell Loop".
The battle continued in the form of a scene replaying over and over until it looked pitiful. The four enemies rotated in, attacking Owen from every direction, whether slashing, stabbing, smashing, or charging.
But the result remained the same.
The moment they stepped into the kill zone... the [Asura Palm] would appear... and slap them back like shooing away flies.
Thud! Pow! Crash!
The sounds of impact rang out rhythmically. Owen was like an unshakable mountain. The red energy palms acted as an unbeatable iron fortress, parrying everything that came close, preventing them from touching even his shirt hem, not even a fingertip. It was as if they were fighting against an invisible wall.
One minute... two minutes... three minutes...
Until finally, this hell loop came to an end.
"Urgh...!"
The giant axe-wielder coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing to his knees on the floor, followed by the swordsman and the knife-wielder who fell face down, lying motionless. Their bodies, merely Rank C, could no longer endure the repeated impacts from the Asura Palms. Their internal organs were bruised beyond their limit.
Silence returned to the abandoned warehouse once more... leaving only two men facing each other.
Owen still stood in the same spot. His clothes weren't stained with dust in the slightest, but beads of sweat began to seep out along his hairline. His breathing began to grow slightly rapid.
A throbbing pain began to shoot up his temples... His brain was protesting from overworking without rest. Stretching the time of thought repeatedly wasn't something done without consequences. If he forced himself to use it for another minute or two, his brain might fatigue to the point of shutting down.
But what was more worrying than the headache was the status of the mana quantity within his body that he could sense clearly...
'Mana is down to only half...'
Summoning the Asura Palms to defend and counterattack dozens of times had burned his mana massively. While when he looked at his opponent... Jagger seemed not to have lost any mana at all. His Mana Armor was still functioning efficiently, using less than a quarter of his mana.
Jagger slowly straightened up to his full height. He raised a hand to brush dust off his shirt nonchalantly before using his thumb to wipe blood from the corner of his mouth with a relaxed demeanor.
His eyes shone with the look of a winner who had read the game... He had waited a long time for this. The time when the enemy's "battery" would weaken to the desired level.
"Heh heh..." He chuckled softly in his throat and stepped toward Owen slowly.
"I have to admit, Owen... you're very good..." Jagger praised with a voice dripping with mockery, his gaze watching Owen's condition with satisfaction. "Very good at handling all my subordinates without getting a speck of dust on yourself..."
He paused slightly before grinning widely until his white teeth showed.
"But... your battery seems to have drained a lot! Hahaha"
Massive pressure began to radiate from Jagger's giant body again, but this time it was several times more violent and savage than before.
"Playtime is over... Let's start the real thing!"
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