1-52) He Became Strongest Hunter After Awakening A Talent That Can’t Level Up / Manhwa Recap

0:00Itsuki was once just a normal child. But

0:02one day his entire life changed when

0:04monsters suddenly attacked the earth.

0:06Those monsters killed his parents right

0:08in front of his eyes. Left alone in this

0:10world, he swore that he would kill every

0:12single monster. 10 years later, the day

0:15finally arrived when he could awaken his

0:17power and become a hunter. He stepped

0:19onto the stage as the world's most

0:20powerful hunters watched. Placing his

0:22hand on the awakening stone. But little

0:24did he know, fate had other plans for

0:26him. He awakened the most mysterious

0:28talent, limit breaker, a power no one

0:31knew anything about. On top of that, he

0:34discovered that his level was fixed at

0:35level zero, meaning he could never level

0:37up. Now, the question is, how will our

0:40protagonist take revenge on the monsters

0:42who killed his parents? This is only the

0:44beginning. There is much more to this

0:45story, so like this video before we

0:47begin this tale. This story starts with

0:49the memory of that day. Countless eerie

0:52black monuments fell from the sky. They

0:54dropped through the clouds one after

0:56another. their shadows covering the city

0:58below. Strange glowing spheres and

1:00lightning-like energy swirled around

1:01them as they descended. Right after

1:03that, barriers were deployed. A massive

1:06purple beam shot upward from the middle

1:07of the city, twisting the sky like a

1:09vortex. People standing on the streets

1:12stopped and stared, watching the glowing

1:14tower rise in front of them. Monsters

1:16called disaster beasts broke through the

1:18barriers and invaded the human world.

1:20Among them appeared a giant dark figure.

1:23The demon of destruction, Ringa,

1:25standing tall with purple energy

1:27swirling behind him. Soon, countless

1:29terrifying beasts flooded the streets.

1:31Armored monsters, winged creatures, and

1:34huge clawed beasts rushed forward while

1:36people screamed and ran. Disaster struck

1:38instantly. A monstrous armored creature

1:40swung its arm, sending a man falling

1:42backward as he shouted for everyone to

1:44run. Nearby, his child cried and reached

1:47out, calling for his dad as his mother

1:49ran while chaos erupted around them.

1:51Across the streets, different beasts

1:53attacked from all directions. A winged

1:55creature swooped down, a burrowing beast

1:58erupted from the ground, and blue-flamed

1:59monsters charged toward the fleeing

2:01civilians. Bodies fell on the road as

2:03the destruction spread, and the entire

2:05area was swallowed by panic. The armored

2:07monster rushed forward with blue flames

2:10bursting around its body. Its jaws

2:12opened wide as it roared, blue light

2:14flashing in its eyes. It shot a swirling

2:16vortex of blue flames toward a woman who

2:19ran away holding a child tightly against

2:21her chest. The flames spread across the

2:23road as the monsters closed in. That

2:25woman was caught by the blue flames and

2:27threw her child ahead. The small boy

2:30reached out weakly while lying on the

2:32ground. The woman's voice trembled as

2:34she repeated the same word, telling her

2:36child, Itsuki, to run. The child looked

2:38at her with tearfilled eyes and called

2:40out for his mom. Just then, suddenly,

2:43someone shouted Its Suki's name again. A

2:45drop of sweat slid down a boy's face as

2:48the voice echoed. In the next moment,

2:50the scene returned to the present. A

2:52girl with pink hair turned around toward

2:54him. She asked what was wrong, saying he

2:57was spacing out. He stood among the

2:59lined up students and answered quietly

3:01that it was nothing. Hearing that, she

3:03narrowed her eyes and leaned in

3:04slightly, asking him again if that was

3:06really true. Then while he was crying,

3:09the boy who was the same Itsuki from

3:11that day stood still with tears running

3:13down from one eye. Before he could

3:15answer, another student suddenly wrapped

3:18an arm around his shoulder and spoke

3:19cheerfully. He said, "Its must be sleepy

3:22since he was usually asleep at this

3:24time. But today there was suddenly a

3:26schoolwide assembly." While they were

3:28talking, Itsuki pointed toward the stage

3:30and told his friends that the teacher

3:32there was dressed strangely. On stage,

3:34the teacher wearing some kind of armored

3:36helmet explained what happened after the

3:38disaster beasts appeared. Some humans

3:40gained the power to fight back and they

3:42became known as awakened. The armored

3:44man described how 10 years ago the

3:46largest disaster beast attack happened

3:48at the northern shore of the blue river.

3:50Awakened from all over the world crossed

3:52the river to repel them in what became

3:54known as the river crossing war. Though

3:56attacks had decreased since then, the

3:58number of descending monuments had

4:00started to rise again. A large-scale

4:02attack similar to that war was likely

4:04coming soon. Itsuki's classmate leaned

4:06in again and pointed at a man on the

4:08stage. He explained that the person was

4:11Nento, the commander and chief of the

4:13northern continent. He asked how Itsuki

4:15could be from the north and still not

4:17know him. Itsuki looked at Izumi Nento

4:20quietly. He said the name sounded

4:22familiar and admitted he once imagined a

4:24hunched old man with a long beard, but

4:26the person on stage looked stranger than

4:28he expected. Itsuki's classmate grinned

4:30and told him he understood. But despite

4:32the odd appearance, Izzumi Nento was the

4:35first awakened. It was thanks to him

4:37that humanity knew about the monuments

4:39and the disaster beasts. Itsuki's friend

4:41spoke excitedly, saying that this man

4:44was the strongest awakened. He added

4:46that even Tiwajin, known as the light of

4:48humanity, was his student. The scene

4:50shifted back to the armored man as he

4:52explained that recent research showed

4:54even ordinary people who had not

4:56awakened yet had a chance of gaining

4:58power by touching a monument. Izzumi

5:00Nento stood on the stage, his long cloak

5:02spreading like black flames. He told the

5:05students he had come to let them try to

5:06awaken. He urged them to devote

5:08themselves to the fight against the

5:10disaster beasts. Just as he said that, a

5:13glowing blue blades slashed across the

5:15stage as the monument burst open. Light

5:17shot outward, scattering fragments,

5:19while a guard in sunglasses stood

5:21nearby, watching. Seeing this, the

5:23students reacted with loud excitement.

5:25One of them shouted in shock as a

5:27monument rose from the ground, wondering

5:29if it was magic. Another yelled that

5:31this was not the time to be surprised.

5:33They clenched their fists, saying it

5:35felt like a dream, praying to become

5:37awakened. In the crowd, Itski's friend

5:39grabbed his arm in excitement. He told

5:41Ski that they finally had a chance to

5:43become awakened. His eyes shined as he

5:45said the word finally. Saying that, he

5:47started walking toward the stage. Seeing

5:50this, friend grabbed his shoulder,

5:52shouting that he shouldn't be left

5:53behind. The pink-haired girl called out

5:55to them, telling Itsuki to get back in

5:57line properly. But Itsuki walked past

6:00her, and a red glow flashed across his

6:02eyes. The girl looked at him in shock as

6:04the light streaked through the air. A

6:06close-up showed Itsuki's expression

6:08changing. His eyes shined red with

6:10excitement as he said that the day had

6:11finally come. On stage, a student

6:14touched the large black monument, but

6:16nothing happened. A guard immediately

6:18called out that it was no good and told

6:20the next person to step forward. The

6:22students watching reacted nervously. One

6:24boy pointed out that the previous

6:26student had broken the school's athletic

6:28record in his first year. He said that

6:29if even someone like that couldn't

6:31awaken, then there was no way he could.

6:33The girl beside him replied that

6:35athletic ability probably wasn't related

6:37and that it was too early to give up.

6:39More students reached out to touch the

6:40monument one after another. The guard

6:43repeated the same word next as the line

6:45kept moving forward. The students

6:47crowded together anxiously. One boy with

6:50white hair nervously pointed out that

6:52not a single person had awakened yet.

6:54Others muttered in worry. A girl with

6:56short brown hair said she thought it

6:58would be easy. The boy beside her

7:00trembled, wondering if their entire

7:01school would be wiped out. The guard

7:03called out the next name loudly.

7:05Oishihikaru.

7:07Nearby, a group of students whispered

7:09their concerns. One girl said she didn't

7:11want him to awaken. Another explained

7:13that he was already a habitual bully and

7:16if he gained powers, they would be in

7:18trouble. A boy suddenly pointed toward

7:20the monument and shouted that something

7:21was happening. Lightning erupted

7:23violently from the monument, blasting

7:25outward. Oihikaru's body was lifted off

7:28the ground as crackling blue electricity

7:30surrounded him. The sudden burst drew

7:32everyone's attention. A glowing blue

7:34screen appeared beside him, showing his

7:36information as he grinned excitedly. He

7:39thought to himself that both Izzi Nento

7:41and the woman beside him would surely

7:42recognize him now. The screen displayed

7:45Oishi Hikaru, human level zero, job

7:48elementalist, lightning gift grade two,

7:51undisclosed. Status attack three,

7:54agility four, defense two, magic three,

7:57total 12 stat points. Watching from

7:59beside the monument, the blue-haired

8:01woman spoke softly. She told her father

8:04that they finally had one. She explained

8:06that level zero stats usually totaled

8:08only five, but this boy had reached 12.

8:11Her father, Iumi Nento, remained calm.

8:13The girl said it was still better than

8:15nothing. The school courtyard grew

8:17silent as Oishihikaru raised both arms

8:20triumphantly. Confetti sparkled around

8:22him while he grinned proudly. he

8:24muttered to himself, wondering if the

8:26old man Nento had anything to say to the

8:28first awakened student. But before he

8:30could boast further, someone grabbed his

8:32shoulder from behind. He turned sharply,

8:35surprised to seek stepping past him.

8:37Oshi spun towards Kki angrily, shouting

8:40at him. He demanded to know why Skiy was

8:43touching him with dirty hands, yelling

8:45if he had a death wish. The watching

8:47students whispered among themselves. One

8:49girl asked who the boy was, noticing

8:51that he had cut the line. Another

8:53replied that it was Ten Ma Atsuki from

8:55class 5. Someone else muttered that he

8:58was finished. Once Oishi targeted

9:00someone, it was over. From above, the

9:02blue-haired woman and Commander Nento

9:04observed quietly. The woman narrowed her

9:06eyes and said she sensed incredibly

9:08intense emotions coming from that

9:10student. Itsuki stood before the

9:12towering monument, placing his hand on

9:14the stone. His eyes glowed red as dark

9:16memories flashed through him. He

9:18muttered that he refused to forget his

9:20hatred for the disaster beasts. He had

9:22burned the events of that day deep into

9:24his mind. Commander Nento stared forward

9:27as if sensing something unbelievable.

9:29Out on the awakening platform, a massive

9:32blue apparition rose behind Kki. The

9:34glowing figure towered over him, holding

9:36a sword and radiating overwhelming

9:38power. Kki stood calmly beneath it. As

9:41blue light filled the air, the monument

9:43erupted with energy. A sharp glowing

9:45structure formed above Itsuki,

9:47surrounded by swirling streams of light.

9:49The light expanded outward, wrapping

9:51around the entire area like a giant

9:53lotus blooming in the sky. The crowd

9:56below watched as the school grounds were

9:57covered in a glowing dome. Students

9:59stared upward, speechless. One boy

10:02pointed out that the pillar of light

10:04reached hundreds of meters into the sky.

10:06Another said it looked far more

10:08spectacular than Oshi's awakening. Two

10:10of Itsuki's classmates watched with

10:12excitement. Both of them smiled and

10:14cheered proudly, shouting that this was

10:16exactly what they expected from Itsuki.

10:18The blue-haired officer stared at the

10:20sky in shock. She said that this

10:22phenomenon only appeared when the rarest

10:24job, Orderb Breaker, was born. She

10:26placed a hand near her mouth, unable to

10:28hide her surprise. Even Commander Nento

10:31said he looked forward to seeing how

10:32capable the student would be. Seeing

10:34that, Oishi's expression twisted with

10:37frustration as he glared at the

10:38overwhelming light. Itsuki opened his

10:41eyes in confusion. Surrounded by

10:43shimmering blue energy, he wondered

10:45where he was and asked himself if he had

10:47awakened. Looking around, he found

10:49himself sitting cross-legged in the

10:51center of a massive glowing lotus made

10:53of light. Countless pedals surrounded

10:55him, floating in a calm, otherworldly

10:57space. Suddenly, a blue system screen

11:00appeared before him. Itsuki stared at it

11:02in shock as it displayed 10 Mitsuki's

11:04stats. He was a human at level zero,

11:07which was fixed. His job was orderer,

11:10Nirvana. His gift was Nirvana, a special

11:13grade. His level was fixed. His stats

11:15increased when acquiring skills. It

11:17removed all debuffs and fully healed

11:19injuries. Just then, another blue window

11:22appeared, showing his skill over My

11:24Misus, which was Z rank. It analyzed

11:27enemy attacks and allowed the

11:29acquisition of counter skills. Then

11:31another screen showed Itsuki's stats.

11:33His were attack zero, agility zero,

11:36defense zero, magic zero, total zero.

11:39Itsuki's face went pale as he stared at

11:41the results. His jaw dropped and he

11:44exclaimed silently that everything was

11:46at zero, but then two blue system

11:48windows appeared in front of Itsuki. The

11:50first announced that the Z-rank skill

11:52over Mamesus had been acquired. The

11:55second stated that the special grade

11:56gift Nirvana had activated, increasing

11:59all of his stats by 200. Another screen

12:02displayed the changes. Attack went from

12:040 to 200. Agility went from 0 to 200.

12:07defense went from 0 to 200. Seeing this,

12:10Itsuki's expression brightened. He

12:12looked at the glowing screen with

12:14excitement and said he understood. He

12:17realized that whenever he gained new

12:18skills through Overmus, Nirvana would

12:20raise his stats. Even if he couldn't

12:22level up like others, he could still

12:24grow stronger in his own way. He

12:26clenched his fist and smiled

12:27confidently. He admitted he didn't know

12:29what level this power compared to, but

12:31he had no doubt he had become an

12:33awakened. With determination in his

12:35eyes, he declared that he would

12:36annihilate the disaster beasts. A

12:38massive burst of blue light exploded

12:40from the monument. Students around him

12:43shielded their faces and shouted that

12:44the light was too bright. Some grabbed

12:47their eyes in pain. Through the blinding

12:49radiance, Itsuki's silhouette stood tall

12:51within the monument's glow. Lightning

12:53and energy swirled around him in a

12:55powerful display. Oishi stared at the

12:57scene, trembling with disbelief. His

12:59face twisted as he shouted that such a

13:01thing was impossible. The blue-haired

13:03officer gasped as she looked at the

13:05glowing monitor. She covered her mouth

13:07in shock and said that these stats were

13:09unbelievable for a rookie awakened. Even

13:11Commander Nento admitted that it was

13:13hard to believe, but stated that Kky was

13:15undoubtedly among the strongest of all

13:17new awakened in history. Outside, Itsuki

13:20stepped out of the light, pedals of blue

13:22energy swirling around him, watching his

13:24silhouette shine with power. Just one

13:27word left Commander Nento's mouth, the

13:29strongest. A system window displayed his

13:31public information. Tenma ski level zero

13:35fixed job order breaker gift special

13:38grade undisclosed skill undisclosed

13:41status attack 200 agility 200 defense

13:45200 magic 200 total 800. In the crowd

13:49students and teachers erupted in cheers.

13:51They shouted that Tenma's stats had shot

13:53up all at once. Someone cried out in

13:56disbelief, saying they never imagined

13:58their school would have someone this

13:59amazing. An older teacher yelled that

14:01this feat would go down in school

14:03history. But among the cheering crowd,

14:05Oishi trembled with rage. Lightning

14:08crackled around him as his eyes glowed

14:10red. He clenched his teeth and glared at

14:12Itsuki, furious that the cheers cheers

14:14he believed should have been his were

14:16now stolen away. Oishi's rage exploded

14:19as lightning surged across his body. He

14:21shouted that a loser like Itsuki should

14:23stay a loser. Students around him backed

14:26away as sparks crackled through the air,

14:28their faces tense with shock.

14:30Electricity flooded the entire hall and

14:32Oishi stepped forward with a crazed

14:34expression. He declared that he would

14:36eliminate Itsuki using his newly

14:38acquired skill. Above the crowd, Itsuki

14:41stood calmly, staring down from the top

14:43of the monument as lightning scattered

14:45below him. Itsuki clenched his fist as a

14:48blue system window appeared. The screen

14:50displayed, C- rank skill, silver

14:53serpent, detected. Over mamissus

14:55activated. Itski's eyes sharpened as

14:57multiple blue panels began processing.

15:00The analysis started at 27% then climbed

15:03quickly, 57%, 69%, and rising while

15:07lightning flickered around him. Itsuki

15:10made his move and jumped with lightning

15:12speed. The floor cracked under the

15:14impact as the lightning slammed down.

15:16Students gasped when they looked up and

15:18realized something was wrong. One girl

15:20asked where Itsuki had gone. Another

15:22student said they saw a flash of

15:24electricity and then Itsuki suddenly

15:26vanished. Oshi looked around in

15:28confusion wondering where Itsuki was. A

15:30glowing blue window reached 88% as

15:33Itsuki appeared behind Oshi like a

15:35shadow wrapped in lightning. His eyes

15:36shone with a blinding horizontal beam.

15:39Oshi froze in terror. Sweat poured down

15:41his face as he realized was behind him.

15:44He panicked, unable to move. Itsuki

15:46placed a hand on Oishi's shoulder. His

15:48voice was cold as he told Oshi to

15:50consider himself lucky for being born

15:52human. He added that if Oshi were a

15:54disaster beast, he would have killed him

15:56about a hundred times already. Oshi

15:58trembled uncontrollably, fear tightening

16:00his entire body. Moments later, Itsuki

16:03casually stepped forward while Oshi

16:05collapsed onto the ground. Another

16:07student shouted in shock, asking when

16:09Itsuki had moved behind him. Someone

16:11else laughed nervously, saying, "Oishi

16:14must have been so scared his legs gave

16:15out." Another warned them to be quiet

16:18before Oishi heard them. A new panel

16:20floated above Itsuki, showing 94%, then

16:23rising quickly. Blue energy swirled

16:25around him as the progress reached 99%.

16:28Itsuki glanced at the glowing screen and

16:30commented that maybe the analysis was

16:32fast because it was only a C-rank skill.

16:35The display turned pitch black and

16:36flashed. Analysis progress 100%.

16:40Lightning exploded around him as a new

16:42message appeared saying C-rank skill

16:44thunderbreaker acquired. Itsuki stood in

16:47the center of the crackling blue

16:48electricity, his body glowing as the

16:50newly gained power wrapped around him

16:52like living lightning. The students

16:54watched nervously as the light began to

16:56glow again. One of the boys stared in

16:58shock, saying it was happening once

17:00more. Another student, wearing

17:02sunglasses adjusted them with a grin,

17:04saying it was a good thing he had

17:05brought them. Inside the glowing space,

17:08Its Qui appeared sitting calmly with a

17:10thoughtful expression. He realized that

17:12every time an analysis finished, he was

17:14forcibly brought into this strange

17:16place. In front of him, the system

17:18windows appeared, stating that the

17:20analysis of Silver Serpent was complete,

17:22and the skill Thunderbreaker had been

17:24acquired. Another window opened, showing

17:26the description of Thunderbreaker level

17:28one. The skill allowed him to absorb

17:30C-rank and lower lightning attacks into

17:32his body. When releasing the absorbed

17:34lightning energy, his agility would

17:36increase by 50%. It also had a passive

17:39effect. Each time he absorbed a C-rank

17:41lightning attack, his agility would

17:43permanently increase by 5%. Another

17:46message added that all his stats had

17:48increased by 10. All debuffs were

17:50removed, and his injuries were fully

17:51healed. Outside, the students shielded

17:54their eyes as a massive burst of blue

17:56light exploded from Mitsuki's body. The

17:58lightning wrapped around him in swirling

18:00arcs as he stood in the center of the

18:01arena steps. The electric pressure

18:04pushed outward and the crowd

18:05instinctively stepped back or covered

18:07their faces. Someone shouted that Itsuki

18:09was now cloaked in lightning from head

18:11to toe. Another student panicked,

18:13sayingsuki's lightning was even brighter

18:15than Oishi's. Oishi, who had attacked

18:17him earlier, stared with trembling eyes.

18:20Unable to believe how Atsuki had learned

18:22a skill like that. Atsuki's body glowed

18:24intensely as the system displayed his

18:26rising stats. It showed each attribute

18:29increasing. attack, agility, defense,

18:31and magic, all rising from 200 to 210,

18:35bringing his total from 800 to 840. Just

18:38then, the students looked up at the sky

18:40in confusion. One of them said it had

18:42been sunny just a moment ago. Another

18:44asked if it was rain. A third student

18:47lifted his hand, trying to feel the

18:48drops, when someone suddenly shouted

18:50that something was falling. A dark

18:52coffin-shaped object wrapped in

18:54lightning descended from the stormy

18:56clouds. The rain poured harder as it

18:58crashed down toward the school grounds.

19:00The woman with blue hair and glasses saw

19:02it and shouted in shock, calling it a

19:04monument. She questioned why it had

19:07appeared here of all places. Commander

19:09Nento quickly announced that the

19:10schoolwide assembly was cancelled and

19:12ordered everyone to evacuate outside the

19:14school grounds just like in their

19:16drills. He realized that there was no

19:18doubt the target was him. The woman

19:20turned to Commander Nento and told him

19:22that they should escape too since combat

19:24wasn't their specialty. But Commander

19:26Nento beside her shook his head. He

19:28warned that if they ran, everyone else

19:30would panic. He pointed ahead, telling

19:32her to look because the boy standing

19:34there was calmer than both of them.

19:36Ahead of them, lightning exploded around

19:38the descending object. Students ran in

19:40all directions, fleeing in fear. Only

19:43one boy, Itski, remained still in the

19:45middle of the field, bathed in a faint

19:47blue glow. From behind, the blue-haired

19:50woman shouted at him, demanding to know

19:52why he wasn't running. A massive dark

19:54pillar crashed down from the sky,

19:56shaking the ground as debris exploded

19:58outward. Rain poured heavily around it.

20:00Nearby, a group of students panicked.

20:03One boy shouted that disaster beasts

20:05were coming and urged to escape. But Its

20:07Suki, with glowing red eyes, stood

20:10still. His voice was cold as he declared

20:12that he would exterminate every single

20:14one of them. His friends stared at him

20:16in shock. One of them yelled that he

20:18would die if he didn't run. Another

20:20insisted that since he had only just

20:21awakened, he couldn't possibly fight

20:23disaster beasts. They told him to leave

20:26everything to the other awakened, but

20:27Itsuki shook his head. He calmly told

20:30them to trust him. The pink-haired girl

20:32hesitated, worry written all over her

20:34face. Finally, she shouted that if he

20:36died, he shouldn't blame them. She

20:38grabbed the other guy's clothes and

20:40dragged him with her. The glasseswearing

20:42boy asked her if it was really okay to

20:43let him go, reminding her that the enemy

20:45was a disaster beast, a walking weapon

20:47of mass murder. As the two ran off,

20:50Itsuki looked ahead with a crazed smile.

20:52His eye glowed bright red through the

20:54rain. He muttered that his first enemy

20:56after becoming an awakened was the one

20:58who killed his parents and that it was

21:00lucky. Lightning curled around him as he

21:02stepped forward. A glowing panel

21:04appeared beside him, displaying the

21:06status of the creature before him. It

21:08was skeleton soldier 10369. Level 8.

21:12Gift grade two. Defense increases by

21:15100%. If the enemy's attack exceeds its

21:18own defense, the gift becomes invalid.

21:20Skill bone fire B rank. Its stats were

21:24attack 15, agility 10, defense 120 +

21:28120, magic 30, total 295. The skeleton

21:32soldier stood covered in blue flames as

21:35Itsuki faced it headon. A surge of

21:37lightning wrapped around Itsuki's arms

21:39as he tightened his stance. His red eyes

21:41glowed sharply as he wondered if he

21:43should test the skill he had just

21:44acquired. In the next moment, he charged

21:47forward. Electricity exploding around

21:49his body. Blue lightning trailed behind

21:51him as he rushed toward the flaming

21:53skeleton beast on the field. The two

21:55forces collided, sparks scattering

21:57through the rain. The skeletal beast

22:00swung its arms to punch, but Itski

22:02dodged. Then swung his electrified fist

22:04with full force, shouting that he would

22:06not let anyone else die. His punch

22:09struck the creature's chest, and a

22:10violent burst of energy erupted. The

22:12impact sent the disaster beast flying

22:15across the field, smashing through the

22:17school building. The ground trembled as

22:19debris scattered in all directions.

22:21Students watching from afar stared in

22:23shock. One student said Itsuki's

22:25strength was too overwhelming that maybe

22:27they didn't need to run anymore. A

22:29female student was stunned, seeing how

22:31the impact had blasted the monster away

22:33in a single hit. The blue-haired

22:35inspector stared at the ruined wall,

22:37stunned that a rookie who had just

22:38become awakened could send a level eight

22:40disaster beast flying with only one

22:42blow. Heavy rain poured down as

22:44Commander Nento watched from a distance,

22:46thinking to himself that speed and power

22:49were on a completely different level

22:50from other level zeros. But even then,

22:53he believed that defeating a skeleton

22:54soldier was impossible. He explained

22:56that skeleton soldiers had two

22:58troublesome abilities. The first was a

23:00gift that increased their defense. The

23:02second was a terrifying skill called

23:04bonefire. A flame that burned anything

23:07it touched into ash. Blue flames erupted

23:09violently across the field, spreading

23:11like a wave towards Kky. The students

23:13gasped as the fire surged forward.

23:16Skiy's friends cried out in fear,

23:18shouting its name. Oshi stepped forward

23:20with a crazed smile, yelling that the

23:22fool who didn't know his place would

23:24just burn to ash. Meanwhile, glowing

23:26screens appeared in front of Itsuki. A

23:28system message informed him that the

23:30enemy was using bone fire. The analysis

23:33began, first at 1%, then rapidly

23:36accelerating. As the blue flames

23:38engulfed him, more screens appeared.

23:4025%. Its stood firmly inside the

23:44blazing bone fire surrounded by data

23:46streams. He calmly observed that the

23:48analysis speed increased whenever the

23:50enemy's skill struck him. The

23:52blue-haired instructor watched with

23:53widening eyes. She said that even a

23:56level 10 awakened wouldn't stand a

23:57chance if they took a direct hit. Blue

23:59flames continued to swallow the arena as

24:01Itsuki stood in the center. Half of his

24:03body burned away and glowing like a

24:05skeleton. The blue-haired instructor's

24:07voice echoed through the flames, saying

24:09it would be tragic for a genius who had

24:11just appeared to be killed by a disaster

24:13beast before he could grow. System

24:15windows floated around Itsuki, showing

24:1777% and 81%.

24:20Itsuki looked at his burning body and

24:23muttered that this was what it felt like

24:24when the body burned. He added softly

24:27that it must have hurt. A memory

24:28flickered through the flames. He saw his

24:31mother's face half burned away. He

24:33realized that it hurt so much, but even

24:35in her last minutes, she smiled so as

24:38not to scare Itsuki. Commander Nento

24:40peered out with a sharp gaze, wondering

24:42if Itsuki hadn't used his full power

24:44yet. The blue fire swirled violently as

24:46the progress bar climbed. Itsuki's

24:49skeletal hand tightened and he said that

24:51once the analysis was complete, the

24:53enemy was finished. The system window

24:55flashed. Analysis progress 100%. Outside

24:59the flames, the students whispered

25:01nervously. One asked if it had been too

25:03soon to hope for a rookie who had just

25:05become awakened. Another admitted he had

25:07been stupid to expect anything. But

25:09suddenly, someone pointed forward in

25:11shock. He shouted that the blue lotus

25:13flower had appeared again. He said

25:15Itsuki might show them another miracle.

25:17Blue light swirled around Itsuki as he

25:20stood inside the burning aura, wondering

25:22what kind of skill he would gain this

25:23time. The flames around him continued to

25:26fade, revealing his burned and cracked

25:28body beneath the blue energy. Then a

25:30system window appeared, showing that the

25:32analysis of bonefire was complete. It

25:35stated that a new skill, black wall, had

25:37been acquired. More windows followed,

25:39explaining the skill. The active effect

25:42would create ice on the body by

25:43consuming magic power and could block B

25:45rank or lower fire skills. The passive

25:48effect increased defense when blocking

25:50those skills. Another notification

25:52appeared saying that black wall LV2 had

25:55been acquired and that all of his stats

25:56had increased by 20. It stated that all

25:59debuffs were removed and his injuries

26:01were fully healed. A new window showed

26:03his updated status. attack, agility,

26:06defense, and magic had all risen from

26:08210 to 230, bringing his total from 820.

26:12Itsuki looked at the glowing screen

26:14calmly. He remembered how even his

26:16strongest attack earlier couldn't break

26:18the skeleton soldier's defense. Now,

26:21with this new increase, he believed he

26:23should be able to do it. Suddenly, blue

26:25lotus petals unfolded around him,

26:27blooming like a massive light flower.

26:29Itsuki stood at the center, his body

26:31surrounded by shining energy. The

26:33students watching gasped in shock. One

26:35of them cried out in relief, saying,

26:37"Its was alive. Others cheered loudly,

26:40convinced that he would succeed."

26:42Someone pointed out that a full recovery

26:44like this was practically a miracle. The

26:46blue-haired instructor stared in shock

26:48as she watched the scene unfold. She

26:50wondered aloud if Itsuki had a

26:51self-healing skill. She had seen him use

26:54a lightning element skill earlier, so

26:56she couldn't understand how he was

26:57recovering. Commander Nento was also

26:59shocked. He remembered that order

27:01breakers were considered the most

27:02mysterious job, but even among them,

27:04Itsuki seemed uniquely strange.

27:07Meanwhile, Itsuki stood in the center of

27:09the glowing lotus pedals. His body had

27:11recovered completely. Not a single

27:13injury left. Blue fragments drifted

27:16around him as he looked down at his

27:17restored form. Itsuki whispered in

27:19disbelief, saying it was a perfect

27:22recovery. He wondered whether he would

27:24heal even if his limbs were cut off or

27:26if his brain was destroyed. He admitted

27:28he was curious about the limits of his

27:30self-healing. Suddenly, the skeleton

27:32soldier roared, its armor burning with

27:34blue bone fire. The flames surged

27:36violently as the monster charged

27:38forward. Itsuki turned calmly, raising

27:41his arm as black spikes spread across

27:43his skin. The blue flames rushed toward

27:45him. His entire body became engulfed in

27:48the fire, but he stood unmoving within

27:50it. Moments later, his silhouette

27:52appeared again through the blaze. Thick

27:54layers of black spikes covered him

27:56completely, and his red eyes glowed

27:58coldly behind the cracked ice armor.

28:00Itsuki cracked through the air as he

28:02shot upward. The explosion of blue

28:04flames shook the area when he crashed

28:06down. Itsuki's armored body glowed with

28:08electricity as he readied another

28:10strike. The skeletal beast struck, but

28:13Itsuki moved again, instantly, appearing

28:15behind the beast, faster than anyone

28:17could follow. Itsuki then raised his

28:19arm, and it turned into a massive black

28:21spike sword, lightning running through

28:23it. Itsuki moved with lightning speed

28:25and with a single slash cut the skeletal

28:27beast in two with that sword. The

28:29students watching from afar were

28:31stunned. One of them said that moved

28:33behind the disaster beast in an instant

28:35as if he had teleported. Another said

28:37that only awakened people could track

28:39movements like that. Oishi was also

28:42stunned, saying she couldn't see its

28:43keys movements at all. She compared it

28:45to what she had seen before. The

28:47blue-haired instructor questioned if

28:49someone like its key could really be a

28:51rookie. On the other hand, as the dust

28:53settled, Itsuki stood alone. As the

28:55black spikes on his body disappeared, he

28:58kicked and destroyed the skeleton

28:59beast's head. He was stunned to realize

29:02that it not only generated solid armor

29:04to protect his body, but could also

29:05shape that armor into any kind of weapon

29:07he wanted. A divine skill that combined

29:10both offense and defense. Suddenly,

29:12someone shouted his name. Itsuki turned

29:15his head in surprise as his friend

29:16rushed toward him and wrapped him

29:18tightly in a relieved hug, saying he was

29:20gladsuki had won because he had been

29:22worried the entire time. Itsuki stayed

29:24still for a moment before asking about

29:26Sia. His friend pulled back and admitted

29:28that Saiia had been watching earlier

29:30with a face that looked like she might

29:31cry, but now she was nowhere to be seen.

29:34Ski looked toward the crowd, wondering

29:36why she didn't come. He scanned the

29:38students in the distance, confusion

29:40growing. He quietly wondered if she

29:42might be angry. Not far away, the

29:44blue-haired instructor watched the

29:46aftermath of the fight. She spoke

29:48seriously, noting that for a boy to

29:50defeat a skeleton soldier, something

29:52even a level 10 awakened would struggle

29:54against was unbelievable. Commander

29:56Nento called the blue-haired instructor,

29:58Choa, and told her to stay and assist

30:00with the cleanup. He also told her to

30:02deliver his message to the principal

30:03that he would be taking with him. On the

30:05other hand, Itsuki's friend patted

30:07Itsuki's hand, saying there was no way

30:09Saiia would be angry after he won. He

30:12guessed that Saiia was probably scared

30:13of falling behind Its Suki, so she might

30:16have gone to touch the monument instead.

30:18Itsuki lowered his gaze slightly and

30:20murmured that he hoped that was the

30:21case. Just then, a voice called out to

30:24him, asking if he was 10 Matsuki. Itsuki

30:27turned and noticed someone approaching.

30:29Commander Nento, wearing a long cape,

30:32stood before him. Itsuki looked up at

30:34him in silence. People watching from a

30:36distance began whispering among

30:37themselves. They saw that Izzumi Nento,

30:40a famous figure, was talking directly to

30:41Itsuki. Some wondered if he intended to

30:44take Itsuki as a student. Others doubted

30:46it, saying the only person Commander

30:48Nento had ever accepted as a student was

30:50Tiwajin, humanity's strongest. They

30:52insisted that no matter how strong

30:54Itsuki seemed, something like that

30:56wouldn't happen. Itsuki's friends

30:58stepped away nervously and said he would

31:00go look for Sai. Commander Nento then

31:02looked down at Itsuki and spoke calmly.

31:05He told Itsuki that he was quite

31:06special. Itsuki looked at Commander

31:08Nento and repeated the word softly,

31:11asking what he meant by calling him

31:12special. Commander Nento observed Utski

31:15closely and saw dark energy gathering

31:17around Utski. He told Utski that his

31:20heart seemed filled with anger and

31:21hatred. Utski stood in the darkness, a

31:24glowing light shining across his eyes.

31:26Commander Nento then stepped forward and

31:28said that he wanted to know the reason

31:30behind that hatred. Ski finally spoke,

31:33explaining that 10 years ago, his

31:35parents were killed by disaster beasts

31:37while trying to protect him. A scene

31:39from his childhood flashed before his

31:40eyes. His younger self crying helplessly

31:43as danger closed in. He remembered how

31:45he had nearly been killed as well, but

31:47an awakened appeared at the last moment

31:49and saved him. The powerful figure

31:51struck the beast right in front of the

31:52frightened ski. Itsuki told Commander

31:55Nento that right before his eyes, he had

31:57watched his mother die. A glowing blue

31:59flame slowly consumed his mother's body.

32:02Even as half her face vanished into bone

32:04and ash, she smiled gently at Itsuki and

32:06told him that he must walk the rest of

32:08the path on his own. Young Ittsuki

32:10stared at her with trembling eyes,

32:12unable to understand. His voice cracked

32:14as he cried out for his mother. Anger

32:16raged inside him as he looked at the

32:18beast. Words echoed in his mind,

32:20reminding him that both his mother and

32:22father had died because of beings like

32:24this. Tears streamed down his face as he

32:26shouted in denial. Before him, a

32:29towering monstrous figure rose from the

32:31darkness, an enormous being surrounded

32:33by raging purple flames. Its shadow

32:35loomed over Itsuki as he realized the

32:38horrifying truth. The creature before

32:40him was the root of all evil. Shaking

32:42with rage, Itsuki glared upward. His

32:45eyes burned red as hatred filled his

32:47heart. On that day, he swore a vow. He

32:50would kill that demon and every last

32:52creature of its kind. In the present,

32:54Itsuki clenched his jaw, a tear slipping

32:57down his cheek as he shouted that he

32:59would kill all of its kind. Commander

33:00Nento looked at him and commented that

33:02even with a heart consumed by hatred,

33:05Itsuki still shed tears. Itsuki raised a

33:08hand to his face and explained calmly.

33:10Ever since he witnessed the tragedy of

33:12his mother's death, his left eye had

33:14stopped producing tears, but his right

33:16eye had begun crying on its own. Thanks

33:19to that, he said, he never forgot his

33:21hatred for the disaster beasts.

33:23Commander Nento then asked if Itsuki

33:25would become his student. He promised to

33:27get him into the Salvation League and

33:29help him gain the immense power needed

33:30to take revenge on the disaster beasts.

33:32Itsuki repeated the words quietly,

33:35asking what the Salvation League was.

33:37Commander Nento then explained. He told

33:39Itsuki that to counter disaster beasts

33:41more efficiently and scientifically, the

33:44governments of the five continents had

33:45gathered strong awakened from around the

33:47world and created an official

33:49organization. The members of this

33:51organization were called saviors. He

33:53continued saying that saviors were

33:55provided with resources such as

33:57dedicated training grounds and powerful

33:59weapons. They were also guaranteed high

34:01compensation. Even trainee saviors

34:03received 10,000 gold per month. Itsuki

34:06listened in surprise, realizing that

34:0810,000 gold was enough to buy a car.

34:10Commander Nento then warned that such

34:12generous treatment was not given for

34:14free. Saviors were expected to

34:16constantly fight disaster beasts on the

34:18front lines and protect people's safety.

34:20Itsuki stood shirtless, his expression

34:23calm as he spoke. He said that he did

34:25not care about high pay or special

34:27resources. What mattered most to him was

34:29something else. Determination filled his

34:31eyes. His gaze sharpened as he clenched

34:34his fist. He declared that what mattered

34:36most was fighting disaster beasts on the

34:38front lines. With unwavering resolve, he

34:41announced that he wanted to become a

34:42savior as well. Commander Nento then

34:44explained the process. He said that the

34:46Salvation League held an exam every

34:48February known as the National Salvation

34:51League tournament with more than 10,000

34:53participants. Each contestant earned

34:55points based on performance, but only

34:57those who ranked within the top 100 were

35:00allowed to become saviors. Hearing this,

35:02Itsuki asked what the highest record in

35:04history was. Commander Nento told Itsuki

35:07that it would not be very useful as a

35:08reference. He explained calmly that the

35:10record was 115,000 points set by Tiwajin

35:1411 years ago. He added that passing

35:16required only 30% of that score while

35:19securing first place required at least

35:2150%. Itsuki silently recalled the name

35:24Tiwajin, the strongest awakened known as

35:26the light of humanity, the one Ruru had

35:28mentioned. Commander Nento told Itsuki

35:31that Jyn was special and that comparing

35:32himself to Jyn would only bring despair.

35:35But even so, Itsuki should still have

35:37confidence because he believed Itsuki

35:39could one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder

35:41with Jyn. Kki stood shirtless on the

35:43training ground, his expression steady

35:45with unwavering determination, he

35:48declared that he would surpass Tiwa Jin.

35:50Hearing those words, Commander Nento's

35:52eyes widened inside the helmet. Reacting

35:55with surprise, he remembered something

35:57from the past, a time when he had stood

35:59with Tiwa Jin and told him that he had

36:01become incredibly popular. The younger

36:03generation was trying to follow in his

36:04footsteps, but Tujin warned that

36:07following alone would never win the war

36:08against the disaster beasts. Someday

36:11someone would surpass him, just as a new

36:13sunrise replaces the setting sun. Tuajin

36:15said that he looked forward to that day.

36:17Seeing Its Suki's resolve, Commander

36:19Nento thought that the sunrise Tiwa Jin

36:22had been waiting for had finally

36:23appeared. A few hours later, Commander

36:26Nento took Itsuki to another place.

36:28there. When Itsuki saw the massive

36:30dome-shaped structure rising in the

36:32distance, glowing under the sky, he

36:34asked quietly what it was. Commander

36:37Nento explained that these monuments

36:39acted as passages connecting the human

36:41world to the world of disaster beasts.

36:43He said that if the beasts were killed,

36:45but the monuments were left untouched,

36:46new beasts would simply appear again. He

36:49pointed at the massive dome-shaped

36:50building and explained that this

36:52facility was created to isolate

36:54monuments that couldn't be destroyed.

36:56Awakened individuals periodically

36:58entered it to sweep out the disaster

37:00beasts that emerged. This kept the

37:02danger under control and also served as

37:04training. Itsuki looked at the building

37:06and asked if it was a training facility.

37:08Commander Nento standing beside him

37:10confirmed it, saying they called these

37:12places stages. He explained that the

37:14number and strength of the beasts inside

37:16couldn't [clears throat] be controlled,

37:17making it extremely dangerous. Commander

37:19Nento told Kky that the beasts in this

37:22specific stage were especially strong.

37:24Among all rookie level stages, this one

37:26had the highest mortality rate. Because

37:29of that, people called it the rookie

37:31graveyard. He told Ski that when Jyn was

37:33still a rookie, he had cleared this

37:35deadly stage in 3 minutes and 14

37:37seconds. Commander Nento turned to

37:39Itsuki and said that if Itsuki truly

37:41intended to surpass Jyn, then 3 minutes

37:44would be his limit. As Itsuki walked

37:46toward the giant facility, Commander

37:48Nento told him that if he could clear

37:49the stage within 3 minutes, he would

37:51accept him as his student. Hearing that,

37:53Itski's eyes sharpened with

37:55determination. He wanted to surpass Jyn

37:57and become Commander Nento's student.

38:00People in the lobby turned their heads

38:01when they saw a familiar figure. Someone

38:04pointed and said that Mr. Izumi had

38:06arrived. Another person noticed Itsuki

38:08walking beside him and asked if that was

38:10the rumored rookie. The crowd stared in

38:13surprise, whispering that there was no

38:15way a rookie could walk next to Mr.

38:16Izumi unless he was an awakened on Tawi

38:19Jin's level. Itsuki looked around

38:21quietly and wondered to himself if this

38:23person was really that famous. Thinking

38:25that, he walked toward the stage

38:27entrance and saw the display showing the

38:28disaster beast level inside, level 10.

38:31He noted that it was only two levels

38:33higher than the skeleton soldier he had

38:35faced earlier, and wondered how strong

38:37that really was. But what surprised him

38:39more was that even though several people

38:41were gathered nearby, none of them

38:43seemed prepared to enter the stage. He

38:45wondered why that was. Someone nearby

38:47muttered that the rookie looked way too

38:49confident and assumed that a highlevel

38:51awakened must be accompanying him.

38:53Another wished they could be taken along

38:54too, while someone else joked that the

38:56rookie probably came just to flirt with

38:58the receptionist, saying that with a

39:00decent face, he was getting cocky. At

39:02the counter, the receptionist approached

39:04him with a polite smile. She asked if he

39:06wanted to enter the stage and how many

39:08challengers there would be. He calmly

39:10replied that it would be just him.

39:12Hearing that, the area fell silent as

39:14the receptionist stared at him across

39:16the counter. Suddenly, she leaned

39:18forward and yelled angrily. She told him

39:20not to make unfunny jokes and asked if

39:22he was messing around. She warned him

39:24that if he was just there to hit on her,

39:26it was pointless. She explained that

39:28even if the place was an artificial

39:29stage, it was still dangerous. People

39:31could get hurt or even die. Itsuki

39:34stared at her in confusion, wondering

39:35what she was even talking about. Behind

39:38them, several people watching from afar

39:40started laughing. They joked that he

39:42really was there to hit on her. Some

39:44said that there were always people who

39:45treated the stages like dating spots,

39:47and those people usually got scolded and

39:49went home. Itski looked at the

39:51receptionist calmly and explained the

39:53misunderstanding. He told her he had

39:55absolutely no interest in her. He said

39:57he only came to challenge the stage,

39:59nothing more. But the receptionist

40:01sighed and rubbed her forehead. She told

40:03him he didn't have to act tough just

40:04because he was embarrassed. She even

40:06said she would give him her contact

40:08information, so he should just go home.

40:10But Its Suki's expression darkened. A

40:12shadow fell over his face. He told her

40:15not to make him repeat himself. He

40:17didn't care about her contact

40:18information at all. He only wanted her

40:20to let him enter the stage. Hearing

40:22that, the receptionist reluctantly

40:24agreed and told him not to blame her if

40:26he died. She held out a metal bracelet

40:28with a nervous expression, clearly

40:30shaken. Seeing that, itsuki muttered

40:32that she should have just given

40:33permission from the beginning instead of

40:35making him repeat himself. The people

40:37watching from behind whispered among

40:39themselves. One man called Its Suki an

40:41idiot, saying he could have gotten her

40:43contact information, but chose to act

40:45tough instead. Another pointed out that

40:47a level zero rookie challenging a level

40:4910 stage was basically suicide. They

40:52guessed he would run out in less than a

40:53minute. Someone else noticed how

40:55confident he looked and wondered if he

40:56might succeed since he also had a

40:58special grade gift. But another person

41:00reminded everyone that for awakened

41:02people, gifts were just bonuses. The

41:04most important thing was level. No

41:06matter how special the gift was, it

41:08meant nothing if the level was low. On

41:10the other hand, standing in front of the

41:12gate, Itsuki checked his bracelet. He

41:14said that his personal information was

41:16registered on it, so scanning it would

41:18let him enter. A glowing screen appeared

41:20above his hand, confirming entry by

41:22awakened Tenma. Itsuki has been

41:24approved. Itsuki stretched his hands

41:26forward and took a breath. He reminded

41:28himself that the promise was within 3

41:30minutes. Then he said it was time to

41:32begin. A bright digital timer appeared

41:35showing 001 in green numbers. And just

41:38as the gate opened, Itsuki moved with

41:40explosive speed. Red energy surrounded

41:43his body as he dashed forward, his eyes

41:45glowing sharply. He looked around and

41:47noticed the vast area. He thought that

41:49the interior space was much bigger than

41:51he expected. As he ran across the grassy

41:53field toward a tall black tower, he told

41:55himself that it was his first time

41:57entering a stage, even if it was an

41:59artificial one. Suddenly, Itsuki noticed

42:02a creature rush in and said that it was

42:03coming. That creature jumped toward him.

42:06It was a wooden monster from the Kodama

42:08tribe. A blue window appeared beside it,

42:10showing its information. Kodama nun 1307

42:14from Kodama tribe level four gift none

42:17attack 49 agility 48 defense 53 magic 24

42:22total 174 seeing it coming black spikes

42:26formed on hand in the next moment he

42:29slashed downward with overwhelming force

42:31a sharp strike of energy cut through the

42:33target as he launched his attacks stood

42:36calmly with the massive black spike axe

42:38hand smiled and remarked that an axe was

42:41always the best tool for trees. He then

42:44asked the remaining monsters how it felt

42:46to see their comrade cut in half. Dozens

42:48of Kodama creatures rushed at him. He

42:50stood tall and called them rotten trees.

42:53Outside, Choa spoke to her father,

42:55Commander Nento. She asked why out of so

42:58many rookie stages, he had made the

42:59newcomer enter this one specifically.

43:02Commander Nento answered that Utski

43:03claimed he would surpass Jyn, so he

43:05simply brought him to the same stage Jyn

43:07first challenged. Hearing that, Choa

43:10frowned and said that surpassing Jyn was

43:12impossible unless someone stepped

43:13outside the bounds of humanity. Hearing

43:15that, Commander Nento asked Choa if she

43:18believed Jyn had already transcended

43:20humanity. Choa recalled the time she met

43:22Jyn for the first time. She had once

43:24thought Jyn was kind and approachable.

43:27Then she saw Jyn instantly kill a level

43:2997 disaster beast. She recalled that

43:31Jyn's eyes during that fight were

43:33different. She remembered those eyes

43:35clearly, cold, solitary, and

43:37transcendent. She felt that they didn't

43:39seem human at all. She described Jyn's

43:42gaze, saying his eyes were like the eyes

43:43of a god. Hearing that, Commander Nento

43:46told Choa that Itsuki also had potential

43:48comparable to Jyn. But at the moment, he

43:51was nothing more than an unpolished

43:53gemstone. He added that if Jyn could be

43:55compared to a god-like existence who

43:57saved people, then Itsuki was the

43:59opposite, a demon consumed by hatred.

44:01Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Itsuki

44:03stood among the fallen wooden beasts. He

44:06stated that over Mimisus wouldn't even

44:07activate against disaster beasts of this

44:09level. Just then, a dark silhouette

44:11appeared behind him, its eyes glowing

44:13red. His own eye glowed the same way as

44:16the shadow towered over him. In the next

44:18moment, his body moved at extreme speed,

44:20cutting through the enemies with a sharp

44:22motion. Itsuki stood before the fallen

44:24creature and looked down calmly. He

44:26asked if that was the end. He examined

44:28the broken body and wondered if level 10

44:31disaster beasts were only this strong.

44:33But then he thought that if that were

44:34true, this place wouldn't be called the

44:36rookie graveyard. There had to be

44:38something else. Just then, a blue system

44:41window appeared before him. It displayed

44:44B rank skill self- regeneration

44:46detected. Over mimissus activated

44:49another window followed. Analysis

44:51started. Then a second one. Analysis

44:54progress 5%. Itsuki turned as a sudden

44:57sound caught his attention. His

44:58expression shifted slightly. That level

45:0110 disaster beast rose again behind him,

45:04its entire form twisting upward with

45:06glowing green eyes. Its long vine-like

45:08limbs burst outward and lunged at him.

45:11Skiy braced himself, thinking in

45:13surprise that he had cut off half its

45:14head, yet it had regenerated. The moment

45:17the towering monster regenerated, Ski

45:19narrowed his eyes and muttered that he

45:21knew things wouldn't be straightforward,

45:23a glowing blue system window appeared in

45:25front of him, revealing the creature's

45:26details. It identified the monster as

45:29regenerated Kodama some 520 of the

45:31Kodama tribe, a level 10 beast with a

45:34grade 2 gift. Its defense had dropped by

45:3650%, but its self-healing ability had

45:39greatly increased. Another blue window

45:41listed its stats clearly. Attack 110,

45:45agility 100, defense 60, magic 180,

45:49total 450. As the creature's roots and

45:52branches whipped wildly, It Stoie

45:54tightened his fist. A system alert

45:56flashed. Black wall activated. The next

45:59second, his hand was covered by black

46:01spikes cutting through the roots. Ski

46:03jumped at the monster. While dodging the

46:05monster's attacks, he quickly analyzed

46:07the situation. He realized the beast

46:09couldn't regenerate if he damaged it

46:11fast enough. He told himself that he had

46:13to deal massive damage in a short amount

46:15of time. The analysis window appeared

46:17beside him. Itsuki smashed forward with

46:19his armored arm, splitting through the

46:21Kodama's defenses as sparks and debris

46:23burst around them. His eyes glowed red

46:26as he moved like a shadow slicing

46:28through the forest of wooden limbs. Each

46:30step sent shock waves across the ground,

46:32and each strike pushed the progress

46:34window higher. Itsuki surged forward

46:36again, his bladelike arm shining with a

46:39cold blue light. Then he shot upward

46:41before crashing down like a falling

46:43spear, splitting the monster's giant

46:45body in half. Light from his attack cut

46:48straight through the kodama,

46:49illuminating the entire battlefield. The

46:51towering creature's body split down the

46:53middle. a glowing crack running from its

46:56head to its torso. Its golden eyes shown

46:58through the gaps as its massive frame

47:00began to fracture. Itsuki watched with

47:02sharp red eyes, a grin forming on his

47:04face. He said he wasn't done yet. He

47:07said he would mince the creature

47:08completely so it wouldn't regenerate. In

47:10the next moment, he raised both arms. A

47:13blinding vertical slash of light tore

47:15downward, cutting the giant monster

47:17clean in half. Cut spread across the

47:19creature's body, and the wooden shell

47:21shattered into countless pieces. The

47:23fragments scattered through the air,

47:24glowing faintly before breaking apart

47:26completely. As the dust settled, Itsuki

47:29lowered his arm and exhaled. He said,

47:31"This should be enough." He added that

47:33using black wall for so long was

47:35draining his magic. But before he could

47:37rest, vines and roots twisted together

47:39again in front of him. That wooden

47:41creature's forms surged upward with

47:43glowing yellow eyes rising from the

47:45remains and preparing to attack. The

47:47glowing display in front of Itsuki

47:49showed 60%, but the fight still raged

47:51on. Wooden tendrils whipped towards Kky

47:54as he moved between them with sharp

47:55fluid steps. He glanced back with an

47:58annoyed expression, thinking that even

47:59after all of this, the monster still

48:01refused to die. He quietly muttered that

48:04it was becoming a real pain. The attacks

48:06continued to strike from every angle. As

48:08he dodged, he noticed something

48:10important. Every time the monster

48:12regenerated over Mus''s analysis speed

48:15increased, his eyes narrowed. That meant

48:18the longer this continued, the faster

48:20the analysis would complete. He realized

48:22he needed a new approach. He decided to

48:25cancel Black Wall to conserve his

48:27remaining magic and instead rely on

48:29Thunderbreaker to avoid the attacks

48:30while keeping his distance. Continuing

48:33this pattern until the analysis finished

48:34would be the winning strategy. But there

48:36was a problem. He didn't have much time

48:38left before the 3-minute limit ran out.

48:41Lightning crackled across his arm as the

48:43display climbed to 75%.

48:45Determination hardened his expression.

48:48He activated Thunderbreaker and Black

48:49Wall at the same time, pushing his

48:51offense to the extreme while forcing the

48:53monster to repeatedly regenerate. Doing

48:56so, he thought, would increase the

48:58analysis speed even further. Power

49:00surged around him, arcs of lightning

49:02dancing across his arm as he charged

49:04forward with a cold, focused expression.

49:06The creature's wooden body split down

49:08the middle, its golden eyes glowing

49:10through the cracks. Electric sparks

49:12flashed violently as he fought. If

49:14overmmyus failed when his magic hit

49:16zero, he knew he would die right there.

49:19The percentage rose to 80% then 85% as

49:23he forced his body forward through the

49:24storm of wooden strikes. He told himself

49:27that if he died now, then everything

49:29he'd done would amount to nothing.

49:30Lightning gathered in his arm as he

49:32unleashed another powerful strike. But

49:34right before hitting the monster's head,

49:36his magic power hit zero. Finally, his

49:39body staggered. Blood dripped from his

49:41mouth. He lowered his head and quietly

49:43muttered, "Damn it." Squeeze stood

49:46pierced by sharp wooden spikes. His body

49:49battered and barely holding on. He

49:51lowered his head as white steam drifted

49:53off his wounds. He quietly admitted that

49:55his magic seemed to have finally run

49:56out. Then a glowing window appeared

49:58beside him, showing 99%.

50:01Seeing that, Itsuki's expression

50:03sharpened. Blood streamed down his chin

50:06as his eyes glowed coldly. He declared

50:08that just as he thought over Mimisus did

50:11not need magic to activate. With a

50:13strange smile, he announced that this

50:15match was his win. The window in front

50:17of him then showed. Analysis progress

50:20100%. A bright lotus-shaped energy began

50:23expanding around him, glowing blue and

50:26cracking the wooden spikes. A system

50:28window appeared, saying,

50:30"Self-regeneration analysis complete.

50:32Lotus burst acquired." The lotus

50:34continued to bloom outward, pushing

50:36everything away as more spikes

50:38shattered. Another window displayed the

50:40details. Lotus burst LV2 active effect

50:44consumes magic to deal explosive damage

50:46to enemies within a 5-minute or

50:47diameter. Power scales with magic

50:50consumption. Passive effect. Each time

50:52Lotus burst defeats a living creature of

50:54level 1 or higher, all skill ranges

50:56increase by plus 1%. The lotus opened

50:59fully. A pink glow surrounded Its Suki

51:01as his wounds rapidly healed. Another

51:04window appeared. Lotus burst. LV2

51:07acquired. All stats plus 20. Remove all

51:10debuffs and fully heal injuries. The

51:12monster watching him narrowed its

51:14glowing yellow eyes. A final window

51:16appeared. Lotus burst activated. Itsuki

51:19brought his hands together and clapped.

51:21A burst of force erupted instantly,

51:24followed by a roaring explosion of

51:25flames that engulfed everything in front

51:27of him. A blazing wave swept outward and

51:30the monster's shadow shot through the

51:31smoke and sparks. When the flames

51:33settled, he stood there with blood

51:35running down his cheek. His hands still

51:37extended from the technique he had just

51:39used. With a calm breath, he looked

51:41ahead and said that Lotus burst wasn't

51:43bad. Smoke rose around the scorched

51:45crater at Sky's feet. As he examined the

51:48destruction, he noted that using only a

51:50third of his magic produced this much

51:52power, and sweeping away weak disaster

51:54beasts would now be far easier. But he

51:57admitted he never expected over mimisus

51:59to restore magic that had already

52:00reached zero. As he stepped forward,

52:03something on the ground caught his

52:04attention. He stopped staring at a

52:06glowing green crystal beside him and

52:08quietly asked what it was. Meanwhile,

52:11outside, the receptionist stared

52:13anxiously at the bright red screen. She

52:15said that almost 3 minutes had passed

52:17since the rookie Itsuki went inside, yet

52:19there was still no sign of him coming

52:21out. She pointed at the display where

52:23the status window showed. Challenge in

52:25progress. Stage level 10. Challenger

52:28Tenma. Itsuki. Time used 2 minutes 09

52:31seconds. Seeing this, she nervously

52:33added that they should call the rescue

52:35team quickly. Choah adjusted her glasses

52:37and spoke calmly. She said she didn't

52:40think Itsuki would lose to level 10

52:41disaster beasts, but clearing the stage

52:44within 3 minutes seemed impossible. Her

52:46sentence trailed off as silence fell

52:48between them. But suddenly, a new

52:50message appeared on the large screen

52:52saying, "New record achieved." Seeing

52:54that, everyone in the hall froze.

52:57Shocked whispers spread through the

52:58crowd. One woman stepped forward,

53:01staring at the green screen in

53:02disbelief, whispering, "No way." Cha

53:05widened her eyes, she asked aloud howki

53:08managed to clear it. Unable to believe

53:10what she was seeing, and the most

53:12shocking thing was that even 3 minutes

53:13hadn't passed. A final notification

53:16flashed brightly on the monitor.

53:18Challenge success. Stage level 10.

53:21Challenger Tenma. Time used 2 minutes 14

53:24seconds. Stage clear record updated. The

53:27room fell silent as everyone stared at

53:29the unbelievable result. The leaderboard

53:31screen displayed the results. It showed

53:34first place belonging to Tenma Isuki

53:36with a clear time of 2 minutes 14

53:38seconds. Second place belonged to Tiwa

53:40Jin who cleared it in 3 minutes 14

53:43seconds. Third place was Heaton Sho with

53:45a time of 7 minutes 17 seconds. Just

53:48then, Itsuki came out of the gate, his

53:51clothes torn and stained with green

53:53liquid. Around him, people reacted in

53:55shock. One person exclaimed that Itsuki

53:58had really survived, asking whether the

54:00green liquid on him was disaster beast

54:01blood. Another shouted that Itsuki was a

54:04full minute faster than Tiwa Jin.

54:06Someone else pointed out that the beasts

54:07inside were level 10 disaster beasts and

54:10couldn't understand how a level zero

54:12rookie managed it. Another voice added

54:14that there was no way a level zero

54:16rookie should have survived. As Itsuki

54:18stepped forward, someone began to speak,

54:20saying, "Mr. Izumi was coming." Izzumi

54:23Nento turned toward Itsuki, who asked

54:25him if he could now officially receive

54:26Commander Nento's guidance. Itsuki

54:29looked at him with a faint smile and

54:30addressed him as teacher. Commander

54:32Nento responded with pride, saying that

54:35Itsuki had done well, just as he

54:37expected from his student. Standing

54:39nearby, Choa watched quietly. She

54:41wondered if her father was happy, saying

54:43she hadn't seen this expression from him

54:45in a long time. In the crowd, people

54:47continued whispering. One person shouted

54:49in disbelief that Itsuki was actually

54:51Iumi Nento's student. Another said it

54:54was no wonder he could break Tu Jin's

54:56record. But someone else added that even

54:58if he truly was Iumi's student, as long

55:01as his level didn't increase, there

55:02would be no room for growth. Just then,

55:05the receptionist came forward nervously

55:07with a decorated box in her hands. She

55:10explained that it was a gift for

55:11breaking the record and asked Itsuki to

55:13accept it. Her expressions softened as

55:16she apologized for the rude things she

55:17had said earlier. Itsuki looked

55:19surprised as he received the box, asking

55:21if he truly got something for his

55:23achievement. He said that it was fine

55:25because a level zero rookie challenging

55:27a stage like that really did seem

55:29reckless. He added that he was a

55:31complete stranger to them and it

55:33wouldn't have mattered to anyone if he

55:34had died. But since she tried to stop

55:36him, it proved she was worried. Hearing

55:38that, the receptionist blushed deeply.

55:40She stuttered as she insisted it wasn't

55:42like that. Itsuki simply thanked her,

55:45which only made her blush even harder.

55:47Not far away, Choa called out, telling

55:50Kki that she was leaving and not to lag

55:52behind. She tightened her glasses,

55:54annoyed, and warned him not to get cocky

55:56just because he had become her father's

55:58student. Ki straightened up and replied

56:00quickly, agreeing. Then commander Nento

56:02beside Choa studied its suki and

56:05commented that a stage of this level now

56:07seemed too easy for him. He suggested

56:09raising the difficulty. He continued

56:12saying that itsuki should be able to

56:13challenge advanced stages now. Itsuki

56:16looked at him surprised and repeated the

56:18words advanced stages. As the three of

56:20them walked together across the rooftop

56:22at sunset, Commander Nento continued

56:24explaining. He said that a disaster

56:26beast strength was not determined by

56:28level alone. The most important factor,

56:31he stated, was something else entirely.

56:33He explained that the true deciding

56:35factor was species. Choa explained that

56:38species without intelligence, which

56:40moved only by instinct, were usually

56:42easy to deal with, but some species

56:44possessed intelligence equal to or

56:46greater than humans. She explained that

56:48such species were far more troublesome

56:50than ordinary disaster beasts, Choka

56:53continued. She said that awakened beings

56:55and disaster beasts were essentially the

56:57same type of creature but with one

56:59difference. Only humans were said to

57:01possess jobs. Because of that, stats

57:04differed depending on species. She went

57:06on to explain that advanced stages

57:08contained these powerful species or

57:10intelligent disaster beasts. Their

57:12difficulty was several times higher than

57:14normal stages. Most of the northern

57:16continent's advanced stages were located

57:18in North District 4, and she told that

57:21this would be his next destination. She

57:23asked whether Itsuki had any other

57:25questions. Hearing her explanation,

57:27Itsuki suddenly remembered the two

57:29beasts he had defeated earlier. He

57:31thought about them in silence. They

57:33hadn't shown any signs of intelligence,

57:35and they hadn't screamed even when

57:36attacked. He wondered if that meant they

57:38didn't even have pain receptors. Skiy's

57:41eyes glowed with sharp intensity as he

57:43looked up. He asked Choa whether

57:45intelligent disaster beasts had pain

57:47receptors or not. Hearing that, Choa

57:49suddenly felt a chilling pressure behind

57:51her. As she turned, her expression

57:53stiffened. She wondered what this

57:55terrifying aura was and what its key was

57:57thinking. Behind them, a group of people

57:59gathered and whispered among themselves.

58:02One of them asked if anyone had heard

58:03that Mr. Izumi planned to make Itsuki

58:05challenge an advanced stage. Another

58:08replied that Itsuki, who broke

58:09Taywajin's record, should be fine. But

58:12one man explained that advanced stages

58:14were completely different from normal

58:15ones. More importantly, almost all the

58:18stages in North District 4 were under a

58:20single man's control. He said that every

58:22awakened person who had entered an

58:24advanced stage there had gone missing,

58:26and rumors claimed that the man had

58:28killed them. Someone immediately asked

58:30if he meant Kinoshida Rei. Another man

58:33began to speak disrespectfully, asking

58:35who Kinoshida Rei even was and

58:37suggesting he acted like a king. His

58:40friend quickly covered his mouth,

58:41hushing him in panic. He warned him that

58:43he would be killed too if that man heard

58:45him. After all, he said, that man was

58:47the son of the North District 4

58:49governor, Kinoshida Rei. The scene

58:51shifted to a luxurious room. A young man

58:54lounged confidently while servants stood

58:56around him. He was the infamous Kinosha

58:58Rei. A subordinate asked him when he

59:00would be departing. Rai smirked as he

59:03answered. He said that all the stages in

59:05North District 4 were under his control,

59:07so he would go whenever he wanted. To

59:09him, waiting in line was something only

59:11commoners did. He lifted his glass with

59:13a satisfied smile. After leaving from

59:15there, Itsuki opened the small ornate

59:17box, revealing a shining stone resting

59:20on a red cushion. As the three of them

59:22sat together beneath the shade of the

59:23trees, Itsuki looked at the stone and

59:25muttered that it was from that time.

59:27Hearing that, Commander Nento beside him

59:29asked if he had seen a karma stone

59:31before. Itsuki nodded and explained

59:33calmly. After defeating the disaster

59:35beasts inside the stage, something

59:37identical to this had dropped. But then

59:39he paused and added that there was a

59:41slight difference. He took out a green

59:43crystal. He stared at the one in his

59:45hand and said the color was green, but

59:47something about it wasn't the same.

59:49Hearing that, Choa's eyes widened in

59:51shock. She exclaimed that it was an

59:53intermediate karma stone appearing

59:55inside a beginner stage. She stepped

59:57closer, adjusting her glasses to take a

59:59look. Itsuki asked what exactly a karma

1:00:02stone was. Cha turned to him and began

1:00:04explaining. She reminded him that he had

1:00:06been a rookie. She said karma stones

1:00:08were also called experience stones. She

1:00:11explained that when a disaster beast or

1:00:13an awakened being died, karma or an

1:00:15invisible energy similar to experience

1:00:17points came from their corpse. Absorbing

1:00:20this energy increased a person's level.

1:00:22In other words, a karma stone was an

1:00:24object that contained karma. A figure

1:00:26glowing with energy appeared in her

1:00:28explanation, demonstrating how someone

1:00:30could use a karma stone to absorb the

1:00:32karma inside. She continued, saying that

1:00:35karma stones didn't occur naturally,

1:00:37which made the situation strange. Choa

1:00:39wondered aloud why such a stone had

1:00:41appeared in that stage. Beside her,

1:00:43Commander Nento quietly said it was

1:00:45probably because of Itsuki's gift.

1:00:47Hearing this, both Itsuki and Cha looked

1:00:50confused and asked again about the

1:00:52so-called gift. Commander Nento

1:00:54explained that normally the karma of a

1:00:56defeated enemy would be absorbed by the

1:00:58one who killed them. Yet, even though

1:01:00Tenma had defeated two disaster beasts,

1:01:02he never leveled up. That meant the

1:01:04karma had not been absorbed. He added

1:01:06that manifested karma never disappeared

1:01:08without a reason. He continued saying

1:01:11that if his speculation was correct, the

1:01:13karma of the disaster beast that

1:01:14attacked the school had been absorbed by

1:01:16the awakened individuals present,

1:01:18meaning the people standing there. He

1:01:20explained further that a stage was an

1:01:22enclosed space. Because Tenma was unable

1:01:24to absorb the generated karma and there

1:01:26was no other recipient inside, the

1:01:28leftover karma clumped together and

1:01:30formed a karma stone. Hearing this, Choa

1:01:33looked startled. She asked how Itsuki's

1:01:35stats increased if he truly could not

1:01:37level up. Hearing that, Commander Nento

1:01:39suddenly stood up and reminded Choa that

1:01:41an awakened person's gift was top secret

1:01:43and could not be disclosed. Startled,

1:01:46she apologized immediately. Commander

1:01:48Nento then turned back to Itsuki. He

1:01:50told him that he could choose whether to

1:01:52keep the karma stone or sell it. He

1:01:54added that he would be leaving soon for

1:01:55a commander-in-chief meeting of the five

1:01:57continents and that during his absence,

1:01:59Choa would look after him. Before

1:02:01departing, he said there were several

1:02:02things he wanted him to remember.

1:02:04Commander Nento spoke calmly as he

1:02:06listed out the rules. He told to keep

1:02:09their relationship confidential, then

1:02:11added the second rule, never disclose

1:02:13his gift to others. The third rule

1:02:15followed. Ski had to clear at least six

1:02:17advanced stages before the teacher

1:02:19returned. A fourth instruction echoed

1:02:21after that. He told Ski to do what he

1:02:23believed was right without hesitation,

1:02:25promising that no matter what happened,

1:02:27he would be behind him. Hearing this,

1:02:29KKY smiled with determination and

1:02:31answered, "Yes, teacher." At the same

1:02:33time, at North District 4, Flaming Rock

1:02:36execution ground, groups of students

1:02:38argued with suited guards, blocking an

1:02:40entrance. One of them shouted that they

1:02:42had arrived first and demanded to be let

1:02:44in. The guards refused. They said the

1:02:46stage had been reserved by the Konosha

1:02:49family's son, telling everyone to go

1:02:51home. The students grew angry. One

1:02:53yelled that having money didn't give

1:02:54someone the right to do whatever he

1:02:56wanted. Another pointed out that the

1:02:58privileged boy wasn't even there yet and

1:03:00insisted they should be allowed in

1:03:01first. Their frustration rose. One

1:03:04threatened to report the situation to

1:03:06the awakened guild, saying he didn't

1:03:08care who the rich kid was. But before he

1:03:10could finish, a dark figure with glowing

1:03:12red eyes appeared behind them, cutting

1:03:14off their complaints. In the next

1:03:16moment, a powerful attack blasted

1:03:18forward. The students were thrown aside

1:03:20as a muscular fighter struck with

1:03:22overwhelming force, scattering them in

1:03:24an instant. Another student rushed

1:03:26forward, attacking the muscular man. A

1:03:28sharp white arc cut through the air as

1:03:30it struck with full power. But the

1:03:32attack landed directly on the muscular

1:03:34man's body and bounced back, sending

1:03:36shock waves bursting outward. The impact

1:03:38echoed loudly across the ground. The

1:03:40blonde student watching from behind

1:03:42stared in horror. He muttered in

1:03:44disbelief that his B-rank skill,

1:03:45Earthspine, had not worked at all. The

1:03:48muscular man turned, his face shifting

1:03:50into a terrifying form with glowing red

1:03:52eyes and metallic markings. He shouted

1:03:55that the attack didn't hurt or even

1:03:57itch. The blonde student trembled. He

1:03:59thought to himself that Earthspine was a

1:04:01technique meant to pierce anything. He

1:04:03wondered if the man in front of him was

1:04:04actually a monster. Before the student

1:04:06could react, the monstrous man lunged

1:04:09forward and grabbed him, his red aura

1:04:11flaring violently as he towered over the

1:04:13frightened student. The muscular man

1:04:15smacked the blonde students head. The

1:04:17blonde student slammed down violently.

1:04:19Blood burst from his mouth as his eyes

1:04:21rolled back, his body twisting from the

1:04:23impact. Around him, the spectators

1:04:26reacted in shock. They whispered that a

1:04:28level seven and a level eight student

1:04:30had been killed instantly without being

1:04:32able to defend themselves. They said the

1:04:34big guy was far too strong. Someone

1:04:36identified him as Oga Takuru, one of

1:04:38Kinoshita Raji's four pillars and a

1:04:40level 12 gold elementalist. Hearing

1:04:43that, the crowd understood why things

1:04:44had turned out this way. Oka held one of

1:04:46the defeated students by the neck and

1:04:48warned everyone. He said he would not

1:04:50forgive anyone who tried to enter the

1:04:52stage without Ra's permission. If anyone

1:04:54resisted, he would treat them the same

1:04:56way he treated the two lying on the

1:04:57ground. The other students watched

1:04:59nervously as Tkuru lifted the struggling

1:05:01blonde student off the floor. The

1:05:03blue-haired student remained unconscious

1:05:05beside him. Oga shouted that nobody

1:05:07should think about helping them. The

1:05:09group of bodyguards in suits stood

1:05:11nearby, laughing. One of them told Oga

1:05:14not to go too far because the trash was

1:05:16watching. Another warned that if he kept

1:05:18beating weak students, the teacher would

1:05:20hear about it. Their laughter echoed

1:05:22through the area. Oga only scoffed. He

1:05:24tossed the blonde student aside with a

1:05:26flick of his arm, showing no concern at

1:05:28all. The injured blonde student

1:05:30collapsed forward, but before he could

1:05:32hit the ground, Itsuki caught him. Blood

1:05:34dripped from the students nose as his

1:05:36body went limp in Itsuki's hands. Around

1:05:39them, the other students whispered in

1:05:41shock. One of them asked who the

1:05:42newcomer was and wondered why he didn't

1:05:44listen when they told him not to

1:05:46interfere. Another panicked voice said

1:05:48that a level zero person was definitely

1:05:50going to die. Someone else stared at

1:05:52Choa and muttered that the beauty beside

1:05:54him looked familiar. Not far away, Oga

1:05:57glared at Suki. He shouted that nobody

1:05:59was allowed to pass without Rage's

1:06:01permission. He warned that if Itsuki

1:06:03didn't want to end up like the

1:06:04unconscious student, he should just go

1:06:06home quietly. Hearing that, Itsuki

1:06:08lowered his head slightly. He calmly

1:06:11said that he understood he wouldn't be

1:06:12able to enter the stage unless he

1:06:14defeated this man. Beside him, Choah

1:06:17raised her hand, saying she would

1:06:18contact the North District 4

1:06:20administrator because this kind of

1:06:21behavior couldn't be allowed. But Itsuki

1:06:24stopped her. His eyes glowed bright blue

1:06:26as he said it wasn't necessary. He

1:06:28repeated what his teacher had told him

1:06:29that he should do what he believed was

1:06:31right without hesitation. He then turned

1:06:33to Cha again and spoke plainly. He said

1:06:36he would leave the treatment of the

1:06:37injured students to her. Then he turned

1:06:39to Oga. As Itsuki stepped forward, a

1:06:42thought appeared in Oga's mind. As he

1:06:44stared at him, he wondered who this man

1:06:46was. A status window floated beside

1:06:48Itsuki, showing his information.

1:06:50Tenmatsuki, human, level zero, fixed,

1:06:54job, order breaker, gift, special grade,

1:06:57skill undisclosed, status undisclosed.

1:07:00Seeing this, even though Itsuki was

1:07:02level zero, he stood firmly without any

1:07:04fear. Oga wondered if Atsuki had a rare

1:07:07job that allowed him to stay calm like

1:07:09this. Oga suddenly felt something

1:07:11strange. Even with his higher level, he

1:07:13felt pressured. He told himself that

1:07:15rare job or not, he was 12 levels ahead.

1:07:18The stat difference shouldn't be

1:07:19something Atsuki could bridge. Another

1:07:21window appeared beside Oga, showing his

1:07:24status. Oga Teeru, human level 12. Job

1:07:27elementalist gift grade two. After

1:07:30metalization, defense plus 50% in

1:07:32stationary state. skill, metalization,

1:07:35status, attack 110, agility 100, defense

1:07:39250, magic 145, total 605. As Oga

1:07:44stared, his expression changed. His eyes

1:07:47widened, and in the reflection of his

1:07:49pupil, he suddenly saw Itsuki rushing

1:07:51toward him at incredible speed. In the

1:07:53next moment, Itsuki's fist collided with

1:07:56Oga's body with overwhelming force,

1:07:58sending a shock through the frame as the

1:08:00impact landed cleanly. The crowd watched

1:08:02in shock as two students stared ahead,

1:08:05sweat running down their faces. One of

1:08:07them exclaimed that the speed was unreal

1:08:09and wondered if Itsuki was really level

1:08:11zero. The other admitted that even

1:08:13though he was level eight, he wasn't

1:08:15sure he could keep up with that kind of

1:08:17movement. But as the dust settled, it

1:08:19was revealed that Itsuki's fist had

1:08:21struck Oga's metal head, sending steam

1:08:23rising from the impact. Oga had blocked

1:08:26the blow with his metallization skill,

1:08:28his face hidden behind the shining metal

1:08:30layer. Seeing this, Itsuki pulled back

1:08:32slightly, his eyes narrowing as he

1:08:34realized the strike had been stopped.

1:08:36Oga then raised both hands, his arms

1:08:38transforming completely into polished

1:08:40metal. He looked down at Its Suki and

1:08:42commented calmly that the speed was

1:08:44good. Then he moved and lunged forward

1:08:46with overwhelming force, shouting that

1:08:48Itsuki's attack still lacked power. The

1:08:50floor shattered beneath him as debris

1:08:52exploded outward. Itsuki braced himself,

1:08:55analyzing the situation in silence. He

1:08:58thought about what it would take to

1:08:59successfully land a surprise attack on

1:09:01an enemy above level 10. As his body

1:09:03blurred into motion again, he concluded

1:09:06that he needed to further increase his

1:09:07agility using Thunderbreaker. Just then,

1:09:10a system window appeared. The display

1:09:12showed Tenma Atsuki's status. It listed

1:09:15him as a human at level zero with a

1:09:17fixed job called Order Breaker. Nirvana

1:09:19gift, a special grade ability. His

1:09:22Nirvana skills were shown over misus zoo

1:09:25rank thunderbreaker love library you run

1:09:27black wall love library 2 on Lotus burst

1:09:30love library 2. All of his stats attack

1:09:33agility defense and magic were listed as

1:09:36250 totaling 1,000. Then another screen

1:09:39appeared. It detected a C rank skill

1:09:42metalization. At the same moment overus

1:09:45activated and began analysis. The

1:09:47progress bar rose to 1%. Itsuki crouched

1:09:50on the ground watching his opponent. He

1:09:52wondered if the threat level was high

1:09:54enough for Overmus to activate. He

1:09:56decided he needed to get serious. A new

1:09:59screen showed the analysis increasing to

1:10:015%. Itsuki observed Oga's metal covered

1:10:04body in front of him and thought that

1:10:05normal attacks couldn't break through

1:10:07the metalized areas. He concluded he

1:10:09would have to aim for the parts that

1:10:10were still flesh. His foot slid across

1:10:12the ground as he accelerated. But Oga

1:10:15looked at him and laughed, calling him a

1:10:17weakling with no power or speed as he

1:10:19raised his shining hardened arms to

1:10:20counter. Itsuki tightened his gaze as he

1:10:23thought to himself that his opponent had

1:10:24let his guard down, believing that the

1:10:26speed Itsuki had shown earlier was his

1:10:28maximum. His expression remained calm

1:10:30and focused. A faint glow of blue

1:10:33lightning beginning to trace along his

1:10:34body. Lightning wrapped around him as he

1:10:37prepared to accelerate. He readied his

1:10:39fist, and in that moment, he decided to

1:10:41increase his speed using Thunderbreaker.

1:10:44Across from him, Oga widened his eyes in

1:10:46shock when he saw the lightning erupt.

1:10:48He shouted in disbelief, wondering how

1:10:51Itsuki possessed the lightning element.

1:10:53Before he could react, Itsuki surged

1:10:56forward, lightning crackling violently

1:10:58around him. Itsuki declared that he

1:11:00wouldn't give him time to metalize.

1:11:02Itsuki continuously attacked Oga. Dozens

1:11:05of blue screens appeared around them,

1:11:07showing percentages climbing, 25%, 59%,

1:11:1166%, tracking the rapid progress of the

1:11:14attack. Spectators from the side watched

1:11:16in shock. One man asked why Itsuki could

1:11:19use skills from another job. Another

1:11:21said the speed was too fast for his eyes

1:11:23to follow. Someone else muttered that

1:11:25the level zero boy might actually defeat

1:11:27Oga. Oga himself struggled to react.

1:11:30Sweat ran down his face as he realized

1:11:32he had no time to metalize. He gritted

1:11:34his teeth, questioning how a level zero

1:11:36could move so fast. Desperation grew

1:11:39inside him as he admitted that at this

1:11:41rate he would lose. Electricity wrapped

1:11:44around his entire body, trapping him. He

1:11:46couldn't even scream. Panic overtook him

1:11:48as he shouted in his thoughts for the

1:11:50others to stop watching and help him. As

1:11:52the lightning surged around him, Oga

1:11:54clenched his teeth. His expression

1:11:56twisted in desperation, and he thought

1:11:58to himself that he had no choice left.

1:12:00He would have to try that technique.

1:12:01With a loud shout, he suddenly tore off

1:12:03his shirt and released a burst of power.

1:12:06Waves of force exploded from his body as

1:12:08he activated his ultimate skill. Before

1:12:10Itsuki, Oga's entire body turned

1:12:13metallic from head to toe. Itsuki stared

1:12:15in shock, realizing that his opponent

1:12:17had managed to metalize his entire body

1:12:19at once. A system window flickered

1:12:21beside him, showing C-rank skill.

1:12:24Metalization analysis progress 88%. Oga

1:12:27glared down at Itsuki with glowing eyes.

1:12:30He said he was grateful he had never

1:12:31managed to metalize his entire body

1:12:33before, but Itsuki had pushed him enough

1:12:35to finally achieve it. He explained that

1:12:37metallized areas increased his defense

1:12:39by 50%, and his personal gift added

1:12:42another 50% whenever he remained still.

1:12:44With both effects combined, his current

1:12:47defense exceeded 500. His face twisted

1:12:49into a cruel grin as he looked at

1:12:51Itsuki. He said that he had originally

1:12:53planned to cut its in half. But his

1:12:55thanks for helping him complete his new

1:12:57skill, he would at least allow Itsuki to

1:12:59die easily. Watching from the sidelines,

1:13:01the other trainees were stunned. One of

1:13:03them exclaimed that a defense over 500

1:13:05at level 12 was impossible to break.

1:13:08Another admitted that they had thought

1:13:09the level zero newcomer would win, but

1:13:12the opponent was too much of a monster.

1:13:14Suddenly, a glowing blue aura wrapped

1:13:16around Atsuki. He looked ahead with calm

1:13:18eyes and said that if his guess was

1:13:20right, a full body metal transformation

1:13:23required a large amount of magic. The

1:13:25screen beside him showed the analysis

1:13:27reaching 98%.

1:13:29Itsuki continued saying that if Oga had

1:13:31used most of his stat points on defense,

1:13:33then his magic shouldn't be very high.

1:13:36The percentage rose again, reaching 99%.

1:13:39Across from him, Oga growled and denied

1:13:41it, calling Itsuki's reasoning nonsense.

1:13:44Even while refusing to believe it, he

1:13:45wondered if Itsuki was truly level zero.

1:13:48Surprised by his sharp intuition, Itsuki

1:13:50kept his relaxed smile. He said he

1:13:52wouldn't bother using a boring tactic

1:13:54like draining Oga's magic down to zero.

1:13:57Instead, he declared he would finish the

1:13:59fight quickly. At that moment, the blue

1:14:01screen flashed. Analysis progress

1:14:04reached 100%. High above, a blue

1:14:07lotus-shaped aura began to bloom. Cha

1:14:10watching whispered that the lotus had

1:14:11appeared again and realized that its ski

1:14:14was about to become even stronger.

1:14:15Others stared at the giant lotus forming

1:14:17around him. One man questioned if this

1:14:19lotus was really a level zero skill.

1:14:22Another wondered how its ski plan to

1:14:23defeat Oga since it didn't look like an

1:14:25offensive technique. A notification

1:14:27window appeared. The analysis of the

1:14:29metallization skill was complete and a

1:14:32new skill called clear orb had been

1:14:33acquired. Another window described the

1:14:36skill clear orb level one. Active

1:14:38effect. It shoots a perfect sphere along

1:14:40a fixed path. The sphere travels at 1

1:14:43meter per second and pierces through

1:14:45every enemy in its path while ignoring

1:14:47all defense. Passive effect. Every time

1:14:50an enemy with higher defense than the

1:14:51user is defeated with clear orb. Seeing

1:14:54that this new skill had defense ignored,

1:14:56Itsuki thought that if he hit with this,

1:14:58he could definitely deal damage. But the

1:15:00problem was flight speed. At one mans,

1:15:03even ordinary people could dodge it, so

1:15:05timing was crucial. But then Itsuki

1:15:07thought that against that sandbag Oga,

1:15:09who wouldn't even move, he didn't even

1:15:11need to think about timing. Itsuki's

1:15:13eyes glowed blue as he looked at Oga and

1:15:15declared that Oga's prized absolute

1:15:17defense would be thoroughly smashed to

1:15:19pieces. Just then, a system window

1:15:21appeared displaying, "Clear or B,

1:15:24believe or one acquired. All stats plus

1:15:2610. Remove all debuffs and fully heal

1:15:28injuries. status. Attack went from 250

1:15:31to 260. Agility from 250 to 260. Defense

1:15:35from 250 to 260. Magic from 250 to 260.

1:15:39Total stats from 1,00 to 1040. The blue

1:15:42lotus petals opened as Itsuki stood in

1:15:44the middle, pointing his finger at Oga.

1:15:46Right above his finger, a small lotus

1:15:48flower appeared. As the lotus spun and

1:15:50bloomed, Itsuki told Oga to now try to

1:15:53dodge this. A system window displayed

1:15:55that clear orb has been activated. The

1:15:57students stared at the glowing sphere

1:15:59and whispered among themselves. One of

1:16:01them said he had never seen that skill

1:16:03before. Another explained that this must

1:16:05be the order breakaker, the job known as

1:16:07the most mysterious among the four.

1:16:09Someone questioned whether a skill

1:16:11released by a level zero could break

1:16:12through the defense of a level 12

1:16:14specialist. Another pointed out the

1:16:16confident look on its keys face, saying

1:16:18that the technique must be incredible. A

1:16:20glowing lotuslike shape opened,

1:16:22revealing a small black orb. The orb

1:16:25floated forward, shining as colors

1:16:27scattered around it. The onlookers

1:16:29watched silently as the orb drifted

1:16:32through the air. Some students stared in

1:16:34confusion. One boy complained, saying it

1:16:37was just a tiny ball. Another asked if

1:16:39they were being serious and called it

1:16:41disappointing. Oga glared at the orb. He

1:16:44mocked the attack, saying that such a

1:16:46small sphere couldn't make him move or

1:16:48cancel his gift, calling it naive. He

1:16:50stepped forward confidently. He asked if

1:16:53this was Itsuki's trump card. Then the

1:16:55orb continued floating toward him. With

1:16:57a mocking glare, Oga shouted that Itski

1:17:00was going to die pathetically. For a

1:17:02moment, he remained certain of his

1:17:03victory until his expression suddenly

1:17:06shifted. His eyes widened as the orb

1:17:08began to sink into the side of his

1:17:09metal-coated body. A faint crack

1:17:11appeared where it touched him. A

1:17:13heartbeat later, a violent burst of

1:17:15blood exploded from the wound. Oga

1:17:17screamed in agony as the clear orb tore

1:17:19through his arm, ripping it apart in a

1:17:21single clean line. He collapsed to the

1:17:23ground, clutching the bleeding stump,

1:17:25shouting desperately about his arm.

1:17:27Itsuki walked toward him calmly. He told

1:17:30Oga that he had warned him to dodge.

1:17:32Itsuki said that because Oga was human,

1:17:34he had only aimed for the arm if he had

1:17:36been a disaster beast. The attack would

1:17:38have been aimed at the neck. Itsuai then

1:17:40looked at Oga's men standing frozen

1:17:42nearby. He ordered them to stop staring

1:17:44and take Oga to a hospital, asking if

1:17:47they couldn't hear him. When no one

1:17:48moved, he turned back with cold eyes and

1:17:51repeated sharply that he was telling

1:17:52them to get lost. Immediately, Oga was

1:17:55carried away by the guards, blood

1:17:56covering his back and dripping onto

1:17:58their suits. One guard looked shaken

1:18:00while another wiped sweat from his face.

1:18:02In the distance, the crowd began

1:18:04cheering. Choa smiled proudly as the

1:18:07students around her celebrated. Someone

1:18:09shouted that Atsuki won. Another yelled,

1:18:11"Well done." And others said, "It served

1:18:14Oga right." Immediately, two students

1:18:16rushed up to Itsuki. One asked if he

1:18:18wanted to team up with them, saying

1:18:20three people could clear the mission

1:18:21quickly. The other quickly insisted he

1:18:23should join their team instead,

1:18:25explaining that with only two members,

1:18:26he would get more experience points.

1:18:28They argued again, asking if he planned

1:18:30to challenge the Flaming Rock execution

1:18:32ground with three people. They warned

1:18:34that all the disaster beasts inside had

1:18:36defense equal to Ogas. One of them added

1:18:38that their team had a healer who could

1:18:40restore his magic and let him fire the

1:18:42orbs endlessly. Kky looked ahead calmly.

1:18:45He thought that beasts with defense

1:18:46equal to ogas were perfect. He reminded

1:18:49himself that clear orbs flight speed

1:18:50increased each time he defeated an enemy

1:18:52with higher defense. He decided he would

1:18:55increase the orb speed inside that

1:18:56stage. The two boys leaned forward

1:18:59eagerly, asking Itsuki to let them know

1:19:01which team he would choose. Itsuki

1:19:03lowered his gaze and spoke quietly. He

1:19:05said he was going alone around him. The

1:19:08others reacted in shock. One person

1:19:11shouted in disbelief that he was

1:19:12challenging a level 15 advanced stage by

1:19:15himself. Another complained that he had

1:19:17become overconfident just because he

1:19:19defeated Oga. Those two students walked

1:19:21away. One of them admitted that its Kois

1:19:23was strong but insisted there was a

1:19:25limit to arrogance. The other added that

1:19:27they must not meet his standards and

1:19:29suggested they look for someone else

1:19:30instead. Cha stepped forward and spoke

1:19:33calmly. She explained that all the

1:19:35disaster beasts in this place had

1:19:37defenses similar to ogas. She said she

1:19:39understood he had a way to defeat them,

1:19:41but questioned whether his magic would

1:19:43last long enough. Itsuki turned toward

1:19:45her with a small, confident smile and

1:19:47told her not to worry. He would be fine.

1:19:50Hearing that, Choa's face immediately

1:19:52reened. She replied sharply that she

1:19:54wasn't worried. She said she only asked

1:19:57because her father would blame her if he

1:19:58died. Then she turned away, saying she

1:20:01would go treat the injured and that he

1:20:02could do as he pleased. Before she left,

1:20:05she adjusted her glasses and added one

1:20:07more warning. She explained that the

1:20:09stone tribe had no intelligence, but

1:20:11they moved in groups. She told him to be

1:20:14careful about his magic consumption.

1:20:15Itsuki stepped toward the glowing

1:20:17entrance device and raised his hand. A

1:20:20soft beep echoed through the air as the

1:20:21system confirmed him. A notification

1:20:24projected beside the door, stating that

1:20:26entry for the awakened tenitsuki had

1:20:28been approved. Once inside, Itsuki

1:20:30looked ahead with sharp eyes. He

1:20:32muttered that there were more enemies

1:20:33than he had expected. Right in front of

1:20:35him, countless stone beasts filled the

1:20:37rocky canyon, their bodies made of thick

1:20:40boulders and glowing yellow eyes. The

1:20:42ground cracked under their weight as

1:20:44they charged. Its Kant watched them and

1:20:46noted that the disaster beasts in this

1:20:48advanced stage had levels and stats far

1:20:50higher than before. A blue system window

1:20:52appeared in front of him, showing the

1:20:54information of a stone statue from the

1:20:56stone tribe level 9 with its gift

1:20:58converting all magic power into defense.

1:21:00As one of the stone beasts rushed toward

1:21:03him, Itsuki held out his glowing purple

1:21:05orb. He spoke calmly, saying he would

1:21:08test whether these enemies met the clear

1:21:10orbs passive conditions. The purple aura

1:21:12around the orb burst outward as he

1:21:14activated it. The clear orb shone

1:21:16brightly, its power swirling in layers

1:21:18of violet and blue light. The stone

1:21:21beast charged forward, its massive body

1:21:23bursting through the dust asky raised

1:21:25his hand. The purple orb floated above

1:21:27his palm, swirling with bright light as

1:21:30he aimed it at the incoming monster. The

1:21:32orb shot out instantly, tearing straight

1:21:34through the beast's rocky body. A large

1:21:36hole opened behind it, and Itsuki

1:21:38stepped through the fading purple glow

1:21:39as the system window appeared. The

1:21:41screen displayed the message, "Stone

1:21:43statue, level 9 defeated." Another line

1:21:46followed. clear orb flight speed

1:21:48increased by 100%. Itsuki watched the

1:21:51notification and nodded. He thought to

1:21:53himself that it was exactly as he

1:21:54expected. More stone beasts roared as

1:21:57they appeared in front of him. Their

1:21:58yellow eyes shining from within the

1:22:00broken cliffside. Ski stood calmly among

1:22:03them, the purple light reflecting across

1:22:05his silhouette. Lightning began

1:22:07crackling aroundki's body and his eyes

1:22:09glowed red. He looked ahead and said

1:22:11that these slow beasts with poor evasion

1:22:13were perfect prey for the clear orb.

1:22:15System windows continued to appear one

1:22:17after another. Stone statue level 9

1:22:20defeated. Clear orb flight speed

1:22:22increased by 100%. Pieces of broken

1:22:25stones scattered across the ground as

1:22:26the notifications filled the air. The

1:22:28glowing status window floated above

1:22:30Itsuki showing magic 110 cell remaining.

1:22:34He stood on top of a mountain of

1:22:36shattered stone beasts. Looking down at

1:22:38the battlefield, he calmly calculated

1:22:41the situation. using the clear orb once

1:22:43consumed 50 magic points, which meant he

1:22:46only had two uses left. Ahead of him,

1:22:49the ground trembled as two massive stone

1:22:51beasts charged straight toward him. He

1:22:53noted that the remaining enemies were

1:22:54three, including a boss that still

1:22:56hadn't revealed itself. Seeing the two

1:22:59stone monsters rushing in at full force,

1:23:01he understood what he had to do. He

1:23:03thought that he needed to defeat two

1:23:04enemies at once with a single orb.

1:23:07Itsuki lowered his stance and gathered

1:23:09the purple energy swirling from the

1:23:10clear orb. With a powerful jump, Itsuki

1:23:13left the ground and shot upward. Then

1:23:15the beasts crashed with explosive force,

1:23:18shattering the rocky ground as dust and

1:23:20stone fragments blasted outward. Itsuki

1:23:23leapt forward. "Now!" he said, moving

1:23:26straight through the debris. His eye

1:23:28glowed blood red as he pushed through

1:23:29the shock wave. A fierce grin formed on

1:23:32his face. "Take this," he shouted,

1:23:34preparing the next strike. The purple

1:23:36orb shot downward with blinding speed,

1:23:38its light stretching across the sky as

1:23:40Itsuki hung in the air above it.

1:23:42Immediately, glowing system windows

1:23:44appeared one after another, displaying

1:23:47stone statue lever 9 defeated. Clear orb

1:23:50flight speed increased by 100%. After

1:23:53the impact, Itsuki collapsed on the

1:23:55ground, panting heavily. Sweat dripped

1:23:58down his face as he lay flat on the

1:24:00rocky floor. He muttered that the

1:24:02exhaustion he felt right before his

1:24:04magic ran out was rough. He hoped he

1:24:06would someday get a magic recovery

1:24:08skill. He slowly sat up and looked at

1:24:10the glowing screen in front of him. He

1:24:12said that with the orb now flying at 5

1:24:14m/s, he could catch up to running

1:24:17enemies. The system window displayed the

1:24:19details of the skill. Clear orb level

1:24:21one active effect fires a perfect sphere

1:24:24with a fixed trajectory. The sphere

1:24:26flies at five mites and penetrates all

1:24:29enemies in its path, ignoring defense.

1:24:31Passive effect. Each time an enemy with

1:24:33higher defense than yourself is defeated

1:24:35with clear orb. Flight speed plus 100%.

1:24:38Current flight speed increase 500%.

1:24:41While he was checking the details,

1:24:43suddenly the ground shook and a massive

1:24:45stone arm dropped toward him with a loud

1:24:47crash. Itsuki looked up in surprise as

1:24:49the enormous mass slammed into the

1:24:51earth, sending dust and rock exploding

1:24:53in every direction. A massive stone

1:24:55giant charged forward, its rocky body

1:24:57trembling with each step as dust

1:24:59exploded around it. A system window

1:25:02appeared, detecting a B-rank skill and

1:25:04revealing the monster's details. Giant

1:25:06stoneman 28, level 15, Stone Tribe,

1:25:10grade 2 gift converts all magic power

1:25:12into defense. Attack 239, agility 60,

1:25:16defense 478, magic zero, total 777.

1:25:21Itsuki looked up at the towering

1:25:23creature and gasped that it was huge.

1:25:25Lightning wrapped around his body as

1:25:26another window announced. Thunderbreaker

1:25:29activated. Agility plus 50%. Crackling

1:25:32with blue electricity, he sprinted

1:25:34toward the giant. As he dashed below the

1:25:36monster's massive frame, he wondered if

1:25:38he could defeat it with a single clear

1:25:40orb hit. He looked up at the stone

1:25:42giant's head and thought that maybe

1:25:44aiming for the head would work.

1:25:45Lightning trailed behind him as he

1:25:47climbed the monster's rocky body. He

1:25:49spotted a moment of opportunity and shot

1:25:51a clear orb at the monster's head.

1:25:53However, Itsuki soon realized something

1:25:56troubling. He told himself the orb was

1:25:58too small, and even if it penetrated, it

1:26:01wouldn't deal much damage. The massive

1:26:03stone giant swung its enormous arm, and

1:26:05the impact sent wind blasting through

1:26:07the air. Itsuki leaped upward, light and

1:26:10energy swirling around him as he tried

1:26:12to avoid the attack. His eyes widened

1:26:14when he realized he was stuck in the

1:26:16air. He clenched his teeth and thought

1:26:18that this was bad. He couldn't dodge

1:26:20while midair. A system window appeared

1:26:22as dark spikes wrapped around his arm.

1:26:25Black wall activated just as the giant's

1:26:27blow landed. Its ski smashed into the

1:26:29rocks with a violent explosion, kicking

1:26:31up dust and debris across the rocky

1:26:33ground. When the dust settled, Kzky was

1:26:36wedged into a stone wall. Breathing

1:26:37heavily, he muttered that this big guy

1:26:39was tougher than he expected. Another

1:26:41system window flickered in front of him.

1:26:44A B rank skill gigantification was

1:26:46detected. Over Mimisus activated and

1:26:49began progressing at 1%. Seeing that,

1:26:52Itsuki looked up with a confident grin.

1:26:54Realizing the monster grew huge because

1:26:56of a skill, he said this would be easy.

1:26:58With one hand, he grabbed onto the giant

1:27:01stone body and prepared for his next

1:27:03move. Meanwhile, outside, one of Kinosha

1:27:06Rei's men got the news of what had

1:27:07happened to Oga and froze in shock.

1:27:10Behind him, Kinoshita Rei, dressed in a

1:27:12golden vest, sat calmly. He narrowed his

1:27:15eyes and warned his man not to make

1:27:17noise in front of him. The suitwearing

1:27:19man bowed his head and apologized,

1:27:21saying it was just so unexpected.

1:27:23Kenosha asked him what had happened. The

1:27:25man reported urgently that someone had

1:27:27defeated Oga and forced their way into

1:27:29the stage. Hearing that, Kinoshida

1:27:31clenched his teeth and broke the wine

1:27:33glass in his hand. He questioned what

1:27:35Oga was even doing. He reminded himself

1:27:37that Oga always bragged that no one

1:27:39below level 30 could break through his

1:27:41defense. He wondered if a level 30 or

1:27:43higher awakened had shown up, but his

1:27:45man quickly explained that with the

1:27:47recent surge in descending monuments,

1:27:49all awakened above level 30 were busy

1:27:51dealing with them and shouldn't have

1:27:52time to come here. He added that

1:27:54challengers at the Flaming Rock

1:27:55execution ground were mostly level 10

1:27:57rookies. Hearing that, Kenosha shouted

1:28:00that there was no way a level 10 could

1:28:02beat Oga. His guard behind him looked

1:28:04down with a serious expression and said

1:28:06that if he was given some time, he would

1:28:08gather detailed information. Kanosha

1:28:10adjusted his vest and tie and said that

1:28:12gathering information was unnecessary.

1:28:14Even if the opponent was level 30, he

1:28:16himself was already here. He mentioned

1:28:19that the Flaming Rock execution ground

1:28:20was known for its stubborn disaster

1:28:22beasts that slowed down challengers. He

1:28:25added that if they headed there now,

1:28:26they would make it in time. However, his

1:28:29guard said that since the opponent's

1:28:30identity was unknown, they should still

1:28:32be cautious. Hearing that, Kenosha's

1:28:35expression grew sharp. His glasses

1:28:37glowed as he told the guard that he had

1:28:39already said they were heading there now

1:28:40and that he shouldn't have to repeat

1:28:42himself. The guard stiffened, sweating

1:28:44nervously, and replied with a quiet,

1:28:46"Yes." Kosha then threw his arm upward

1:28:49confidently and declared that he would

1:28:51make them regret opposing the Kenosha

1:28:53family. At the same time in the dungeon,

1:28:55blue energy lotus surged around Its

1:28:57Suki. A glowing screen appeared behind

1:29:00him, showing 100%. Seeing that, Itsuki

1:29:03smirked and said that he no longer had

1:29:05to run around like a mouse anymore. He

1:29:07was standing on top of the massive stone

1:29:09beast, and a bright blue lotus had

1:29:11formed on the beast's forehead. At that

1:29:13moment, a system window opened in the

1:29:15air, announcing that the B-rank skill

1:29:17gigantification had been fully analyzed.

1:29:20Itsuki looked at the window in surprise.

1:29:22He muttered that instead of gaining a

1:29:24new skill, something else had happened.

1:29:26He realized that Clear Orb had leveled

1:29:28up to level two, and he checked for new

1:29:30effects. Another set of windows

1:29:32appeared, explaining the changes. Clear

1:29:34Orb, level two, now fires a perfect

1:29:36sphere at 5 m/s, piercing all enemies

1:29:39while ignoring defense. New effect.

1:29:42After activation, the orb size can now

1:29:44be adjusted by consuming additional

1:29:46magic power. Passive effect. Each time

1:29:49an enemy with higher defense than your

1:29:50own is defeated using clear orb, flight

1:29:53speed increases by 200%. Itsuki stared

1:29:56at the window, shocked that the passive

1:29:58effect had risen from a 100% to 200%.

1:30:01More importantly, he was excited that he

1:30:03could now control the size of the orb

1:30:05with magic. Power surged around him as

1:30:08the blue energy lotus opened. Itski said

1:30:10he wanted to try the new ability

1:30:12immediately, and glowing energy

1:30:14surrounded his body. Another window

1:30:16appeared confirming the upgrade. Clear

1:30:18orb level two acquired. All stats plus

1:30:2120. All debuffs removed. Injuries fully

1:30:24healed. A second window showed his new

1:30:26status. Attack went from 260 to 200 in.

1:30:30Agility from 260 to 200 in. Defense from

1:30:33260 to 200 in. Itsuki then jumped above

1:30:36the massive stone beast and a massive

1:30:38dark glowing flower appeared beside him

1:30:40pulsing with power. He thought to

1:30:42himself that it was consuming all his

1:30:44magic to create the maximum orb it could

1:30:46produce right now. The stone beast

1:30:48glared up at him with bright yellow eyes

1:30:50as cracks of energy spread across its

1:30:52body. Itsuki shouted, telling the stone

1:30:55beast to take the biggest clear orb. The

1:30:57giant flower opened like petals and

1:30:59released a powerful clear orb. The

1:31:02massive orb shot downward and struck the

1:31:04stone beast, blasting through its body

1:31:06as Itsuki unleashed the attack with full

1:31:08force. After landing the blow, Itski

1:31:11lowered his hand and smiled. He joked to

1:31:14himself, asking if he had pushed it a

1:31:15bit too far. A small window beside him,

1:31:18showed that his magic had dropped to

1:31:20zero out of 280. As the stone man was

1:31:22destroyed, a system window appeared,

1:31:25announcing that the giant stone man,

1:31:27level 15, had been defeated, and the

1:31:29clear orbs flight speed had increased by

1:31:31200%. Amid the collapsing stone debris,

1:31:34Itsuki looked at the destruction around

1:31:36him. He realized that the orb he created

1:31:38by consuming all his magic had grown

1:31:40this huge. He examined its power calmly.

1:31:42The orb's flight speed had reached 7

1:31:44m/s. He thought to himself that if he

1:31:46cleared this stage two more times, it

1:31:48would become as fast as a car. Just

1:31:50then, a new system panel displayed the

1:31:53skill information. Clear orb level two

1:31:56active effect fires a perfect sphere on

1:31:58a fixed path. The sphere travels at

1:32:00seven methyls and penetrates all

1:32:02enemies, ignoring their defense. After

1:32:05activation, the orb's size can be

1:32:07adjusted by spending more magic. Passive

1:32:09effect each time he defeats an enemy

1:32:11with higher defense than his own using

1:32:13clear orb. The orb's flight speed

1:32:15increases by plus 200%. The current

1:32:17total increase had reached 700%. Itsuki

1:32:20held a glowing green crystal in his hand

1:32:22while reading the information. He

1:32:24admitted that he had ignored passive

1:32:26effects until now, but now saw how

1:32:28useful they actually were. Dust settled

1:32:31around him as he walked forward. He then

1:32:33thought about another passive skill.

1:32:34Lotus Burst's passive expanded the range

1:32:37of all skills. That meant clear orbs

1:32:39range should also increase along with

1:32:40it. He then checked Lotus Burst's

1:32:42passive effect. Each time Lotus Burst

1:32:45defeats a living creature of level one

1:32:46or higher, the range of all skills

1:32:48increases by plus 1%. Seeing this,

1:32:51Itsuki smiled slightly as he looked at

1:32:53the system panel floating beside him.

1:32:55Itsuki imagined and thought to himself

1:32:57that if he kept increasing Lotus Burst's

1:33:00passive effect, he could eventually

1:33:01defeat Disaster Beasts from thousands or

1:33:04even tens of thousands of meters away.

1:33:06Then outside, a bright green display

1:33:08screen lit up. It showed the result of

1:33:11the challenge. The challenge was

1:33:12successful. The stage level was 15. The

1:33:16challenger was 10 ma Itsuki. The time

1:33:18used was 3 minutes and 1 second. The

1:33:21stage clear record was updated. Seeing

1:33:23that, the crowded group reacted

1:33:25immediately. One man shouted in

1:33:27disbelief, saying that 3 minutes and 1

1:33:29second was impossible. Another said that

1:33:31even a fivep person party needed more

1:33:33than 10 minutes. Someone else wondered

1:33:35if Itsuki had defeated all the disaster

1:33:37beasts in a single hit. Another person

1:33:40pointed out that he had even broken

1:33:41Tuajin's 3inut 19-second record and

1:33:44asked what kind of monster he was. They

1:33:46all turned as someone announced that he

1:33:48was coming out. More voices followed.

1:33:50One person questioned why he was still

1:33:52level zero and wondered if the clear

1:33:54notification was a bug. They looked at

1:33:56him and said he wasn't even injured,

1:33:58only a little dirty, so they didn't

1:34:00believe he had cleared it at all. Choa

1:34:02in armor stepped forward with a smile as

1:34:05a green butterfly flew around her. She

1:34:07was happy that he had cleared the stage

1:34:09unscathed again and he had broken Jyn's

1:34:11record again. She admitted that he

1:34:13always managed to surprise her. Choah

1:34:15then adjusted her glasses and with a

1:34:17restrained tone admitted that the

1:34:19challenge had ended unexpectedly

1:34:21quickly. Ski answered casually. He said

1:34:24the disaster beasts inside were weak

1:34:26against defense, so he had taken them

1:34:28down easily. The glowing butterfly

1:34:30hovered in front of its ski. He looked

1:34:32at it with surprise and asked what it

1:34:34was. Cha explained calmly. She said that

1:34:37her job was a shikami user and the

1:34:39glowing butterfly was her shikami.

1:34:41Itsuki watched the butterfly flutter

1:34:43near his hand. He softly repeated its

1:34:45name, Tomacho, and admitted that this

1:34:48was his first time seeing a shikami. To

1:34:50him, it looked beautiful. Curious, he

1:34:53asked Cha what kinds of awakened jobs

1:34:55existed. His question startled her, and

1:34:58she asked why he didn't know something

1:34:59so basic. She then began explaining.

1:35:02Jobs, she said, were divided into four

1:35:04major types. According to her, he should

1:35:07have already encountered three of them

1:35:08by now. She raised her hand and

1:35:10continued her explanation. The first

1:35:12type she mentioned was elementalist.

1:35:15Elementalists controlled seven elements:

1:35:17fire, water, wood, metal, earth, wind,

1:35:21and lightning. She said elementalists

1:35:23had the largest population among

1:35:24awakened jobs and also possessed the

1:35:26highest minimum combat capability. She

1:35:29then explained that his classmate who