Heavy footsteps pounded the damp soil of the primeval forest in a steady rhythm. The figures of the two Awakened surged through the dense thicket, heading straight toward the Orc Sniper hidden in the canopy 400 meters away.
The atmosphere around them was heavy with the suffocating stench of blood and the killing intent of monsters lurking in the shadows. Along the way, three or four giant Orc Hunters suddenly leaped from the bushes, attempting to ambush them periodically like a pack of starving wolves.
Instead of feeling annoyed or rushing to clear them out of the way, Owen saw a 'golden opportunity' amidst this chaos. He glanced at Ryan flying beside him before deciding to turn this dangerous battlefield into a real-time 'special classroom'.
"Watch closely, Ryan..." Owen shouted over the howling wind, his tone serious and composed. "I'm going to show you exactly how 'Mana Efficiency' is done... I know that deep down you don't want to listen to others, whether it's because of your ego or whatever else. But the real world doesn't care about your ego. It only cares about how well you can survive and fight... To be truly strong isn't about indiscriminately exploding your power; it's about striving to use the absolute minimum amount of mana to achieve the maximum result!"
Right as he finished speaking, the opportunity to demonstrate charged right at him!
ROAR!!
An Orc Hunter, towering over two meters tall, lunged from behind a massive tree ahead. It roared so loudly that thick saliva splattered everywhere, raising its colossal iron battleaxe high above its head before viciously bringing it down toward the center of Owen's face! It intended to cleave the human in two with a single strike!
Instead of jumping back to dodge the sudden attack, Owen continued surging forward at the exact same pace. He didn't need to use the [Instant-Mind Palm] like before. The young man simply gathered a small amount of mana to apply basic 'Reinforcement' to his muscles and the [Gauntlets of the Sun God] equipped on both his arms.
In the very second the lethal axe blade descended, merely inches from his face!
Clang!
Owen raised his left arm and used the 'back of his hand' to swat the side of the heavy axe blade with absolutely flawless timing!
It wasn't a clash of raw power or taking the weight head-on; it was 'deflecting' the trajectory of that immense momentum. With a technique as precise and fluid as water, the axe's path veered, grazing past Owen's shoulder by mere millimeters and smashing into the ground beside him, sending dust and dirt flying.
The wasted momentum threw the giant Orc off balance, causing it to stumble forward. Its grotesque face was left wide open and entirely defenseless!
And Owen didn't let this golden opportunity slip away. The moment the enemy lost its footing, he closed the distance in a flash, unleashing a vicious, brutal close-quarters combo like a killing machine!
BAM!
A left hook packed with raw power slammed right into the side of the Orc's face. Thick green blood and several teeth flew from its mouth as the massive body staggered back half a step.
THUD!
Followed immediately by a straight right uppercut that perfectly caught its chin. The impact violently rattled the monster's brain. Its eyes rolled back, inflicting a momentary stun!
CRACK!
Owen sprang lightly off the ground before dropping his left elbow, putting his entire body weight into a ruthless strike square in the center of the enemy's thick forehead. The sickening sound of a cracking skull echoed.
CRASH!!
The final strike of the combo concluded in the most beautiful and devastating manner! As Owen landed, he pivoted into a spinning heel kick, slamming into the critical weak point at the back of the collapsing Orc's neck with tremendous speed and momentum!
SNAP!
The short, heavy sound of its thick neck snapping echoed. The giant Orc Hunter collapsed stiffly onto the damp earth, dying instantly without even the chance to let out a single groan...
Everything ended within four fluid, continuous, and seamless strikes. Like a symphony of death played to completion in less than three seconds!
Ryan, who was flying close behind, dropped his jaw. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the corpse in front of him, then back at Owen's back in sheer, absolute disbelief. If measured strictly by killing speed, his one-shot lightning sword was undoubtedly faster. But... if measured by the 'amount of mana' expended... he lost completely! A total, humiliating defeat!
Based on Ryan's high-level senses, the total mana Owen used just now... wasn't even a tenth of what Ryan used to coat his sword for a single swing!
As a genius of the Association, Ryan could see that the terror and power of that attack wasn't just about saving mana... It required 'martial arts' integrated into every single movement to make those combos so fluid and lethally devastating!
'Did he just deflect an Orc's axe barehanded?' Ryan's eyes filled with an admiration that grew with every passing second. Having blocked an Orc's attack with his sword earlier, he knew exactly how immense a B-Rank monster's physical strength was!
The young man realized that if one only used standard 'Reinforcement' without any supporting martial arts techniques, trying to stand there and parry an Orc's axe wouldn't just fail to deflect it—the axe would cleave right into their face.
And the fact that Owen could execute it so easily, fluidly, and flawlessly... meant this man's close-quarters combat or martial arts must absolutely be at the 'Advanced' or 'Master' level!
With that realization, the blood in the young knight's veins began to pump with excitement. The enthusiasm and desire to challenge his own limits blazed in his eyes. He wanted to show this 'senior' that he too was a genius capable of learning and adapting just as fast as anyone!
True, he wasn't adept at hand-to-hand combat like Owen, but he had trained in 'Basic Swordsmanship' to a proficient level, taught personally by a Swordmaster from the Association. Combined with his superhuman reflexes and a 'mana pool' many times larger than Owen's... if he just copied the "method" Owen used, he could definitely do it!
ROAR!!
The second and third Orcs lunged from the bushes to the side!
"I'll handle this, Brother Owen!" Ryan shouted loudly, a confident smile appearing on his handsome face. He immediately surged toward his next targets!
This time, Titan City's Golden Boy didn't unleash a blinding golden lightning aura or blindly spam wind skills. He focused, carefully observing his enemies, refusing to leave wide openings to be sniped like before. His goal was to reduce his mana expenditure to merely 30-40% of his usual output.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Ryan utilized the aerial advantage granted by [Blessing of the Wind] combined with his own agility. He narrowly dodged the Orcs' incoming axe swings two or three times, teasing them until the Orcs grew furious. They swung their axes so wildly that they lost their balance and stumbled forward!
When the opening appeared... Ryan didn't hesitate!
He accelerated, surging back into close range. He channeled a fraction of his mana, coating his blade with just a thin 'razor-sharp wind current' swirling around it, rather than the blinding, explosive power he used previously.
SLASH!!
The wind-coated blade swung once at high speed, sliced through the Orc's neck like a hot knife through butter! Its ugly head flew into the sky, green blood spraying like a miniature rainstorm.
"Hahaha! How do you like that, you stupid green-skins! Isn't my new technique sharp?!"
Ryan laughed joyously in a great mood. He flicked the blood off his blade and taunted the headless corpse with the arrogance and pride typical of a Golden Boy who had just successfully executed a masterpiece.
Owen, who was quietly observing, nodded slowly. A rare, faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He didn't praise the boy aloud, but internally, he acknowledged the rapid learning.
'This egoistic kid... is starting to use his 'brain' alongside his power,' Owen thought to himself, his mood improving slightly. 'It seems this Golden Boy isn't as foolish and beyond saving as I thought...'
...
Ryan and Owen continued to surge through the dense forest, heading straight for the Orc Sniper hidden in the large tree ahead. The distance between them and the grim reaper of the forest rapidly closed. From 300 meters... down to 200 meters.
High up in the branches, the perfectly camouflaged Orc Captain narrowed its blood-red eyes. It saw the two targets relentlessly approaching. The fury of its prey escaping its lethal arrows twice still burned in its chest. It growled low in its throat before drawing its giant bow once more. Its arm muscles bulged grotesquely as it took aim at the blond knight soaring through the air.
Thwip! Fwoooosh~
The dark red, mana-infused iron arrow was loosed, tearing through the air at over Mach 2 once again. This time, it aimed for Ryan's "blind spot", intending to blow a massive hole straight through the young man's body.
But the current Ryan wasn't the same mindless, power-crazed Ryan from before...
Vwoom!
The young man's blue eyes flashed. His well-trained senses shrieked in warning. He felt the abnormal wind current and the killing intent piercing through the air toward him. Because he wasn't hovering as a stationary target or busy casting flashy skills like before, he could dodge fluidly and rapidly. Relying on the momentum from his [Blessing of the Wind], he twisted his body, narrowly evading the giant arrow as it grazed past his side!
Screeech! BOOM!
The lethal arrow missed entirely, smashing into a giant tree behind him and blasting the bark to splinters.
"Heh! Is that all you've got, you stupid green freak?! Next time, try aiming a little better!"
The moment he dodged, Ryan couldn't help but turn and shout his taunts up at the canopy in the irritatingly arrogant style of a blond youth.
The Orc Captain roared in utter rage. It realized that this blond youth had become cautious and was no longer leaving massive openings. Hitting a fast-moving, wildly maneuvering target in mid-air was incredibly difficult, even for the greatest sniper.
So, it changed its target...
Its blood-red eyes shifted downward, aiming at the "black-haired human" jogging on the ground. This human looked relaxed, wasn't using any movement skills, and most importantly... "seemed to be leaving massive openings at all times."
Creak... Thwip! Fwoooosh~
The next giant arrow was loosed. The target: straight for Owen's heart!
Little did it know... those openings were entirely intentional by the mastermind human.
With his [Insight Field] permanently active, no movement or attack could possibly slip past his perception within a 100-meter radius.
The very second the giant arrow pierced into the 100-meter zone, Owen instantly calculated its direction, trajectory, velocity, and exact point of impact. Therefore, he simply took "one short step backward" with absolute calm. His movement was incredibly simple, natural, and precise, as if he had measured the distance flawlessly in advance.
Screeech!! BOOM!
The giant arrow buried itself perfectly into the dirt right where he had just been. The sonic boom generated by its velocity grazed mere centimeters past Owen's nose, but the young man didn't even blink. His body remained entirely unfazed.
In Ryan's eyes, this was a master-class evasion completely devoid of any wasted movement, leaving the hovering blond youth wide-eyed in sheer awe once again.
After fighting through just three more Orcs, the pair finally crossed the death zone and successfully reached the base of the target tree without a single scratch.
ROOOOOAR!!
A deafening roar erupted from the branches above. The Orc Captain realized its ranged weapons were completely useless against these two humans. It decided to abandon its sniping advantage, carelessly tossing its giant bow aside.
It reached to both sides of its waist, drawing two "massive dual axes" coated in dried blood, gripping them tightly. Its muscles bulged until its veins popped.
The primeval forest's Mini-Boss decided to initiate close-quarters combat! It leaped from the branch over 40 meters high, plummeting toward Ryan hovering below with pure, savage madness. Combined with the massive momentum from gravity, its dual axes were 'Reinforced' with mana, ready to chop the young knight to pieces!
'If it were before... I would have recklessly raised my sword to take that impact head-on like a man,' Ryan thought to himself.
The image of clashing with raw power like a man might look cool, but it came at the cost of immense mana and stamina, and could potentially fracture his arm bones.
But "the current Ryan" had learned a priceless lesson from Owen. He knew that clashing directly with such massive momentum was "utterly foolish and entirely useless."
If it were anyone other than Owen, Ryan would never have changed his mindset like this. But Owen was the senior who could orchestrate a date for him with the goddess of his dreams, Clara! Moreover, this senior possessed enough strength to earn his profound admiration. It was only natural that he would listen to the advice of a senior he respected.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He accelerated using the wind currents, darting away from the impact zone in a flash!
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The colossal body of the Orc Captain slammed violently into the ground. Its dual axes chopped into the earth, creating a thunderous explosion. Dust, mud, and shattered rock debris flew wildly in all directions, leaving a miniature crater.
Amidst the billowing dust, the Orc Captain slowly drew itself up to its full height. It stomped out of the crater, an aura of savagery and killing intent radiating outward to oppress the surrounding atmosphere.
But Ryan felt absolutely zero fear!
"Bring it on, you big freak! Today's the day I chop you to pieces!"
Titan City's Golden Boy surged forward to clash with the Orc Captain, abandoning his previous carelessness. Both sides unleashed everything they had, fighting ferociously. The fierce battlefield erupted once again!
The speed of the wind clashed against overwhelming physical strength. The deafening clang of metal echoed throughout the forest. Sparks from the clashing sword and axes flashed periodically.
Owen, standing at a distance, simply crossed his arms and watched the battle quietly. He had no intention of intervening, allowing Ryan to face true strength head-on so the boy could learn and fully develop himself.
Owen's sharp eyes meticulously evaluated the movements of both sides...
'Ryan is clearly at a disadvantage in close-quarters combat technique and experience...' Owen analyzed internally. 'This Orc is a veteran. It knows the rhythms of offense and defense. But...'
Despite his technical disadvantage, Ryan compensated for it brilliantly with a "mana pool" as vast as an ocean. He used Wind and Lightning elemental magic to disrupt, creating gusts to throw the enemy off balance, and utilized his flight advantage to weave between the ground and the air, constantly seeking openings.
The battle raged fiercely, but the advantage began to steadily shift toward Ryan. The Orc Captain started to pant heavily, its movements slowing. Wounds from the wind and lightning blades began accumulating on its body.
And finally... the deciding moment arrived!
Capitalizing on a moment when the Orc missed a wild axe swing, Ryan swept his longsword, generating a massive blade of wind that slammed directly into its chest.
BAM!
Although the Orc managed to raise its axes to block the attack in time, the impact caused its massive body to lose balance and stagger back several steps. It desperately tried to steady itself, but Ryan didn't let the golden opportunity slip away!
"This is where it ends!!"
Ryan roared, his voice echoing through the forest. The brilliant golden mana packed within his body was unleashed until it was blindingly bright. It condensed in his right palm, forming a "Golden Lightning Spear" radiating terrifying, destructive power!
Active Skill: [Golden Judgement]
Details: Forges a devastating spear of golden lightning. Hurls it at the target with the speed of a thunderbolt. The greater the distance between the user and the target, the more exponentially the destructive power multiplies.
(Note: The user can compensate for the loss of destructive power at short ranges by exponentially increasing the mana expended.)
Ryan pulled his arm back to its limit, then hurled the golden spear forward; it streaked toward the target like a bolt of divine lightning!
CRACK-BOOOOOOOOM!!!
Orc Captain: "..!!!.."
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