Alex had fought Paragon warriors and mages stronger than him.
He'd killed his first opponent when he was still a stage one warrior — a stage three mage, no less. The memory still sat sharp in his mind.
But today was different.
A big piece of his strength was missing.
He didn't have his axe, He didn't have his qi gun, He didn't have the qi cannon.
And none of those advanced techniques that usually carried him through fights were available either.
All he had was his body… and his nerve.
And to make it worse, he had pushed his own stage down to one.
He could feel the limit, the dullness inside his body. His qi moved like it was crawling. The odds were stacked against him, and he knew it.
Still, he stood there.
"Alex, you are really stupid to think that a day of training is enough to challenge a stage four warrior," Zephyr said with a sneer.
"They don't seem to teach you guys not to underestimate your opponent," Alex shot back, voice dry and sharp.
Jimmy snorted. "You just keep running your mouth, don't you? I'm going to shut it soon."
The Wyndham siblings stepped aside. Henry moved with them. Even Clifford shifted back, hands sliding into his pockets again, eyes glued on the match like it was a show he'd paid for.
The space between Alex and Jimmy cleared.
The air got tight.
Alex rolled his shoulders once, steady.
'No axe. No qi boosts. No fancy moves,' he thought.
'Just me. Let's see how far that gets.'
Jimmy cracked his knuckles, smile wide and confident.
Alex adjusted his stance beside the pond, feet spreading slightly, shoulders loose.
Across from him, Jimmy rolled his own shoulders, lowered his body, and took a stance that looked like someone about to charge straight through a wall.
'Okay… look, what will happen. I will—'
Alex didn't finish the thought.
Jimmy launched forward like a full-grown bull let out of a cage.
No qi flare. No aura spike.
Just raw, heavy, stage-4 muscle moving fast.
He crashed into Alex before Alex could fully set his balance.
The hit lifted Alex clean off the ground.
The next moment, Alex's back smashed into the pond water with a loud splash, the cold rushing over him.
Jimmy barked out a laugh.
"Ha! You weakling. That wasn't even a real attack."
He stepped into the shallow pond, reaching for Alex with one arm.
"Argh—!"
As Jimmy leaned in, Alex swept his hands hard across the water.
A sharp splash hit Jimmy straight in the eyes.
It didn't hurt him, not even a little.
But it blinded him long enough.
Jimmy staggered, blinking rapidly.
Alex rolled away through the water and pulled himself back up, panting.
Both of them were now knee-deep in the pond, movements slowed by the drag of the water.
'Alright, Alex… you're stuck at stage one right now. He's a stage four warrior. I need at least the body strength of a stage three if I want a chance,' Alex thought, breathing heavy.
He wanted to release his suppressed qi.
He wanted to let his body adjust to the true natural power of a stage three warrior. It carried the same raw weight a stage four had when they weren't using qi. But he couldn't pull it out fully.
He couldn't risk being exposed. Not here. Not in this stupid pond fight.
"Arhhh…!" Jimmy roared and rushed in again.
He threw wild punches—left, right, high, low—like somebody swinging at shadows.
Alex had no room to run. His legs were buried in the water, every step dragging like chains. But he still moved. He bent at the last second, dodging each punch with sharp tilts and tight shifts—back, sideways, down.
Splash after splash.
"Ahh…!" Jimmy snapped. The sound came out rough and irritated.
It looked like Alex didn't even have a chance to land a hit. But the funny part? Jimmy, the stage four warrior, hadn't managed to land a single clean strike either.
Annoyance built in Jimmy's eyes. Anger too.
It mixed into something messy.
Out of frustration, he spread both arms wide like he wanted to hug a bear. Then he slammed them together, aiming to crush Alex straight between them.
Alex slipped down again—barely—his body folding just in time.
BOOM!
The clap exploded like thunder across the water. Ripples shot in every direction. A hot line of sweat rolled down Alex's cheek.
'That attack had qi in it…' Alex thought, tightening his fists. 'He used qi without thinking.'
Alex pushed himself back up and drove forward.
He pulled his fist from low to high, channeling what strength he could without breaking his own rule.
A clean uppercut shot up under Jimmy's jaw.
Crack.
Jimmy's head snapped back, his whole body jerking from the hit.
Meanwhile, the Wyndhams siblings stared like they'd seen a ghost.
It wasn't a finishing blow, not even close.
But the fact Alex actually landed a clean hit?
That alone left them stunned.
Alex didn't wait.
He kicked off the water, flipping backward. As he flipped, his heel crashed into Jimmy's chest, sending the bigger boy splashing hard into the pond.
Alex used the same momentum to rocket himself out of the water. His feet hit solid ground beside the pond, his body soaked but steady.
Jimmy burst up a moment later—red-faced, dripping, and furious. Embarrassment clung to him like mud.
His eyes scanned wildly.
Found Alex.
Locked on.
"That attack… you used qi," Alex said, breath sharp.
"Fuck your stupid rule. I'm going to kill you," Jimmy snapped.
He slammed both hands into the water and dragged his arms upward. Water followed him like a wave obeying a master.
Then he thrust his hands forward.
The droplets scattered in front of him suddenly sharpened, coming together as if pulled by strings. Every bead of water shot straight at Alex like tiny bullets.
'Mage…?' Alex blinked, caught off guard. He didn't fully understand what he was seeing, but there was no time to think.
He broke into a sprint, cutting left then right, sliding, ducking—dodging as many of the incoming droplets as he could. Each one that hit the ground splashed harmlessly.
But just when he thought he'd cleared them—
Wham.
Something invisible slammed into his side. Not droplets. Something heavier. Something shaped.
Alex was lifted off his feet and tossed back.
He hit the ground hard, skidding across wet dirt.
His breath left him in a sharp grunt.
'No… he's not a mage. This is qi. He's using projection qi,' Alex thought, jaw tight.
And he was right. Jimmy wasn't casting spells.
He was pushing his qi out, mixing it with a basic technique only stage-4 warriors and above had the foundation to use.
Projection qi—
Where qi becomes half-solid, half-air, and lashes out like a whip.
Alex only confirmed it when that invisible strike smashed into him earlier.
"Arhhh…!" Jimmy roared again.
He stomped hard into the pond, qi flashing. The water exploded under his feet as projection qi lifted his body upward, tossing him into the air like a launched spear.
He arced over the pond, eyes locked on Alex.
Then he dropped—arms raised high, ready to hammer Alex into the dirt.
Alex didn't wait.
He rolled off the line of impact just as Jimmy came crashing down, sending water and mud everywhere.
Alex pushed off the wet ground, twisting his body midair. He spun once and drove a punch straight into Jimmy's face.
A sharp crack sounded.
In the same heartbeat, Jimmy swung his arm. A burst of qi shot from his palm—raw, fast.
It caught Alex clean and blasted him backward.
Jimmy rubbed his cheek, surprised.
'His punches are oddly hard for a stage one warrior,' he thought, eyes narrowing.
Alex hit the ground, grunted, and pushed himself up. His gaze snapped to the Wyndhams siblings watching from the side.
"You guys won't stop him? No qi was the agreement," Alex called out, breathing rough.
Zephyr only smiled—calm, amused, not moving an inch.
"I'm not the one fighting you. It's not my place to intervene," Zephyr said, voice light.
Alex clenched his fist as he rose fully to his feet.
'Fine then… Lucius isn't here. I might just use a bit of what I already have,' Alex thought, a quiet decision settling in his eyes.
"That's enough, Jimmy," a voice cut through the noise.
Alex turned toward it.
Clifford. Calm face. Hands behind his back like he was inspecting a training ground, not a brawl.
"What do you mean it's over? I'm not done teaching the boy a lesson!" Jimmy barked. He swung around and started marching toward Alex again, splashing water with each step.
But Clifford stepped directly into his path.
"You broke the rule," Clifford said, voice still steady. "No qi. And I'm sure he's already learned his lesson."
Jimmy shot Alex a burning glare.
Alex stared right back at him—steady, unblinking, refusing to look away even though his ribs still ached. He didn't look scared. He didn't even look tired.
"Fine…" Jimmy muttered, jaw tight. He turned and started walking off.
Clifford exhaled once, then looked at Alex.
Alex didn't thank him. Didn't nod. Didn't show any hint of backing down. He just stood there, fists loose at his sides, like the fight wasn't over in his mind.
"This should be a clear show of power differences," Clifford said. "I won't deny it—you've got spirit. A good fighting spirit. But that can only take you so far."
He stepped a little closer.
"So next time, watch your mouth."
Alex didn't flinch.
"I still stand on what I said," he replied, voice sharp and loud enough for everyone to hear. "I can take any of you one-on-one. Without qi."
The pond went quiet for a breath.
Jimmy froze mid-step.
He slowly turned, his face twisting with anger.
"Arhhh!" he roared, sprinting straight at Alex.
Alex dropped into a stance again, ready to meet him head-on.
But he never got the chance.
A figure appeared between them—fast, silent, like the air itself pushed him forward.
"Enough!" Lucius thundered.
His aura blasted out in a wave, shaking the water and forcing both of them backward.