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

0:00This story starts with the memory of

0:02that day. Countless eerie black

0:04monuments fell from the sky. They

0:06dropped through the clouds one after

0:07another, their shadows covering the city

0:09below. Strange glowing spheres and

0:11lightning-like energy swirled around

0:13them as they descended. Right after

0:15that, barriers were deployed. A massive

0:17purple beam shot upward from the middle

0:19of the city, twisting the sky like a

0:21vortex. People standing on the streets

0:23stopped and stared, watching the glowing

0:25tower rise in front of them. monsters

0:28called disaster beasts broke through the

0:30barriers and invaded the human world.

0:32Among them appeared a giant dark figure.

0:34The demon of destruction, Ringa,

0:37standing tall with purple energy

0:38swirling behind him. Soon, countless

0:40terrifying beasts flooded the streets.

0:43Armored monsters, winged creatures, and

0:45huge clawed beasts rushed forward while

0:47people screamed and ran. Disaster struck

0:50instantly. A monstrous armored creature

0:52swung its arm, sending a man falling

0:54backward as he shouted for everyone to

0:56run. Nearby, his child cried and reached

0:59out, calling for his dad as his mother

1:01ran while chaos erupted around them.

1:03Across the streets, different beasts

1:05attacked from all directions. A winged

1:07creature swooped down. A burrowing beast

1:09erupted from the ground and blue-flamed

1:11monsters charged toward the fleeing

1:13civilians. Bodies fell on the road as

1:15the destruction spread and the entire

1:16area was swallowed by panic. The armored

1:19monster rushed forward with blue flames

1:21bursting around its body. Its jaws

1:24opened wide as it roared, blue light

1:26flashing in its eyes. It shot a swirling

1:28vortex of blue flames toward a woman who

1:30ran away, holding a child tightly

1:32against her chest. The flames spread

1:34across the road as the monsters closed

1:36in. That woman was caught by the blue

1:38flames and threw her child ahead. The

1:41small boy reached out weakly while lying

1:43on the ground. The woman's voice

1:45trembled as she repeated the same word,

1:47telling her child, "Its, to run." The

1:50child looked at her with tearfilled eyes

1:51and called out for his mom. Just then,

1:54suddenly, someone shouted Itsuki's name

1:56again. A drop of sweat slid down a boy's

1:59face as the voice echoed. In the next

2:01moment, the scene returned to the

2:03present. A girl with pink hair turned

2:05around toward him. She asked what was

2:07wrong, saying he was spacing out. He

2:10stood among the lined up students and

2:12answered quietly that it was nothing.

2:14Hearing that, she narrowed her eyes and

2:15leaned in slightly, asking him again if

2:18that was really true. Then, while he was

2:20crying, the boy, who was the same Itsuki

2:22from that day, stood still with tears

2:25running down from one eye. Before he

2:27could answer, another student suddenly

2:29wrapped an arm around his shoulder and

2:31spoke cheerfully. He said, "Its must be

2:33sleepy since he was usually asleep at

2:35this time. But today, there was suddenly

2:37a schoolwide assembly. While they were

2:39talking, Itsuki pointed toward the stage

2:42and told his friends that the teacher

2:43there was dressed strangely. On stage,

2:46the teacher wearing some kind of armored

2:47helmet explained what happened after the

2:49disaster beasts appeared. Some humans

2:51gained the power to fight back and they

2:53became known as awakened. The armored

2:55man described how 10 years ago, the

2:58largest disaster beast attack happened

3:00at the northern shore of the Blue River.

3:02Awakened from all over the world crossed

3:04the river to repel them in what became

3:05known as the river crossing war. Though

3:08attacks had decreased since then, the

3:10number of descending monuments had

3:11started to rise again. A large-scale

3:14attack similar to that war was likely

3:16coming soon. Itsuki's classmate leaned

3:18in again and pointed at a man on the

3:20stage. He explained that the person was

3:22Iumi Nento, the commander and chief of

3:24the northern continent. He asked how

3:26Itsuki could be from the north and still

3:28not know him. Itsuki looked at Izumi

3:31Nento quietly. He said the name sounded

3:33familiar and admitted he once imagined a

3:35hunched old man with a long beard, but

3:38the person on stage looked stranger than

3:39he expected. Itsuki's classmate grinned

3:42and told him he understood. But despite

3:44the odd appearance, Iumi Nento was the

3:46first awakened. It was thanks to him

3:48that humanity knew about the monuments

3:50and the disaster beasts. Itsuki's friend

3:53spoke excitedly, saying that this man

3:55was the strongest awakened. He added

3:57that even Tiwajin, known as the light of

4:00humanity, was his student. The scene

4:02shifted back to the armored man as he

4:04explained that recent research showed

4:06even ordinary people who had not

4:07awakened yet had a chance of gaining

4:09power by touching a monument. Izzumi

4:12Nento stood on the stage, his long cloak

4:14spreading like black flames. He told the

4:16students he had come to let them try to

4:18awaken. He urged them to devote

4:20themselves to the fight against the

4:21disaster beasts. Just as he said that, a

4:24glowing blue blade slashed across the

4:26stage as the monument burst open. Light

4:29shot outward, scattering fragments,

4:31while a guard in sunglasses stood nearby

4:33watching. Seeing this, the students

4:35reacted with loud excitement. One of

4:37them shouted in shock as a monument rose

4:39from the ground, wondering if it was

4:41magic. Another yelled that this was not

4:43the time to be surprised. They clenched

4:45their fists, saying it felt like a

4:47dream, praying to become awakened. In

4:49the crowd, Itski's friend grabbed his

4:51arm in excitement. He toldki that they

4:54finally had a chance to become awakened.

4:56His eyes shined as he said the word

4:57finally. Saying that, he started walking

5:00toward the stage. Seeing this, friend

5:03grabbed his shoulder, shouting that he

5:04shouldn't be left behind. The

5:06pink-haired girl called out to them,

5:07telling Itsuki to get back in line

5:09properly. But Itsuki walked past her,

5:12and a red glow flashed across his eyes.

5:14The girl looked at him in shock as the

5:16light streaked through the air. A

5:18close-up showed Itsuki's expression

5:19changing. His eyes shined red with

5:21excitement as he said that the day had

5:23finally come. On stage, a student

5:25touched the large black monument, but

5:27nothing happened. A guard immediately

5:29called out that it was no good and told

5:31the next person to step forward. The

5:33students watching reacted nervously. One

5:36boy pointed out that the previous

5:37student had broken the school's athletic

5:39record in his first year. He said that

5:41if even someone like that couldn't

5:43awaken, then there was no way he could.

5:45The girl beside him replied that

5:46athletic ability probably wasn't related

5:48and that it was too early to give up.

5:50More students reached out to touch the

5:52monument one after another. The guard

5:54repeated the same word next as the line

5:57kept moving forward. The students

5:59crowded together anxiously. One boy with

6:01white hair nervously pointed out that

6:03not a single person had awakened yet.

6:05Others muttered in worry. A girl with

6:08short brown hair said she thought it

6:09would be easy. The boy beside her

6:11trembled, wondering if their entire

6:13school would be wiped out. The guard

6:15called out the next name loudly.

6:17Oishihikaru.

6:19Nearby, a group of students whispered

6:21their concerns. One girl said she didn't

6:23want him to awaken. Another explained

6:25that he was already a habitual bully and

6:27if he gained powers, they would be in

6:29trouble. A boy suddenly pointed toward

6:31the monument and shouted that something

6:33was happening. Lightning erupted

6:35violently from the monument, blasting

6:37outward. Oshihikaru's body was lifted

6:39off the ground as crackling blue

6:41electricity surrounded him. The sudden

6:43burst drew everyone's attention. A

6:45glowing blue screen appeared beside him,

6:47showing his information as he grinned

6:49excitedly. He thought to himself that

6:51both Izzi Nento and the woman beside him

6:53would surely recognize him now. The

6:55screen displayed Oishi Hikaru human

6:58level zero, job elementalist, lightning

7:02gift, grade two, undisclosed. Status

7:05attack three, agility four, defense two,

7:08magic three, total 12 stat points.

7:10Watching from beside the monument, the

7:12blue-haired woman spoke softly. She told

7:15her father that they finally had one.

7:17She explained that level zero stats

7:19usually totaled only five, but this boy

7:21had reached 12. Her father, Iumi Nento,

7:24remained calm. The girl said it was

7:26still better than nothing. The school

7:28courtyard grew silent as Oishihikaru

7:30raised both arms triumphantly. Confetti

7:33sparkled around him while he grinned

7:35proudly. He muttered to himself,

7:37wondering if the old man Nento had

7:39anything to say to the first awakened

7:40student. But before he could boast

7:42further, someone grabbed his shoulder

7:44from behind. He turned sharply.

7:47Surprised to seek stepping past him.

7:49Oishi spun towards Skiy angrily,

7:51shouting at him. He demanded to know why

7:54Kky was touching him with dirty hands,

7:56yelling if he had a death wish. The

7:58watching students whispered among

7:59themselves. One girl asked who the boy

8:02was, noticing that he had cut the line.

8:04Another replied that it was Tenma

8:06Maitsuki from class 5. Someone else

8:08muttered that he was finished. Once

8:10Oishi targeted someone, it was over.

8:13From above, the blue-haired woman and

8:15Commander Nento observed quietly. The

8:17woman narrowed her eyes and said she

8:19sensed incredibly intense emotions

8:21coming from that student. Itsuki stood

8:23before the towering monument, placing

8:25his hand on the stone. His eyes glowed

8:27red as dark memories flashed through

8:29him. He muttered that he refused to

8:31forget his hatred for the disaster

8:33beasts. He had burned the events of that

8:35day deep into his mind. Commander Nento

8:38stared forward as if sensing something

8:40unbelievable. Out on the awakening

8:42platform, a massive blue apparition rose

8:44behind. The glowing figure towered over

8:47him, holding a sword and radiating

8:49overwhelming power. Its key stood calmly

8:52beneath it as blue light filled the air.

8:54The monument erupted with energy. A

8:56sharp glowing structure formed above

8:58Itsuki, surrounded by swirling streams

9:00of light. The light expanded outward,

9:03wrapping around the entire area like a

9:05giant lotus blooming in the sky. The

9:07crowd below watched as the school

9:08grounds were covered in a glowing dome.

9:11Students stared upward, speechless. One

9:14boy pointed out that the pillar of light

9:15reached hundreds of meters into the sky.

9:18Another said it looked far more

9:19spectacular than Oshi's awakening. Two

9:22of Itsuki's classmates watched with

9:24excitement. Both of them smiled and

9:26cheered proudly, shouting that this was

9:28exactly what they expected from Itsuki.

9:30The blue-haired officer stared at the

9:32sky in shock. She said that this

9:34phenomenon only appeared when the rarest

9:36job, Orderb Breaker, was born. She

9:38placed a hand near her mouth, unable to

9:40hide her surprise. Even Commander Nento

9:42said he looked forward to seeing how

9:44capable the student would be. Seeing

9:46that, Oishi's expression twisted with

9:48frustration as he glared at the

9:50overwhelming light. Itsuki opened his

9:52eyes in confusion. Surrounded by

9:55shimmering blue energy, he wondered

9:56where he was and asked himself if he had

9:59awakened. Looking around, he found

10:01himself sitting cross-legged in the

10:03center of a massive glowing lotus made

10:04of light. Countless pedals surrounded

10:07him, floating in a calm, otherworldly

10:09space. Suddenly, a blue system screen

10:12appeared before him. Itsuki stared at it

10:14in shock as it displayed 10 Mitsuki

10:16stats. He was a human at level zero,

10:18which was fixed. His job was

10:20orderbreaker, Nirvana. His gift was

10:23nirvana, a special grade. His level was

10:26fixed. His stats increased when

10:27acquiring skills. It removed all debuffs

10:30and fully healed injuries. Just then,

10:33another blue window appeared, showing

10:35his skill over my Misus, which was Z

10:38rank. It analyzed enemy attacks and

10:40allowed the acquisition of counter

10:41skills. Then another screen showed

10:43Itsuki's stats. His were attack zero,

10:46agility zero, defense zero, magic zero,

10:50total zero. Itsuki's face went pale as

10:52he stared at the results. His jaw

10:55dropped and he exclaimed silently that

10:57everything was at zero, but then two

10:59blue system windows appeared in front of

11:01Itsuki. The first announced that the

11:03Z-rank skill over Momesus had been

11:05acquired. The second stated that the

11:07special grade gift, Nirvana, had

11:09activated, increasing all of his stats

11:11by 200. Another screen displayed the

11:14changes. Attack went from 0 to 200.

11:17Agility went from 0 to 200. defense went

11:20from zero to 200. Seeing this, Itsuki's

11:23expression brightened. He looked at the

11:25glowing screen with excitement and said

11:27he understood. He realized that whenever

11:29he gained new skills through Overmus,

11:31Nirvana would raise his stats. Even if

11:34he couldn't level up like others, he

11:35could still grow stronger in his own

11:37way. He clenched his fist and smiled

11:39confidently. He admitted he didn't know

11:41what level this power compared to, but

11:43he had no doubt he had become an

11:44awakened. With determination in his

11:46eyes, he declared that he would

11:48annihilate the disaster beasts. A

11:50massive burst of blue light exploded

11:52from the monument. Students around him

11:54shielded their faces and shouted that

11:56the light was too bright. Some grabbed

11:58their eyes in pain. Through the blinding

12:00radiance, Itsuki's silhouette stood tall

12:03within the monument's glow. Lightning

12:05and energy swirled around him in a

12:06powerful display. Oishi stared at the

12:09scene, trembling with disbelief. His

12:11face twisted as he shouted that such a

12:13thing was impossible. The blue-haired

12:15officer gasped as she looked at the

12:16glowing monitor. She covered her mouth

12:19in shock and said that these stats were

12:20unbelievable for a rookie awakened. Even

12:23Commander Nento admitted that it was

12:25hard to believe, but stated that Kky was

12:27undoubtedly among the strongest of all

12:29new awakened in history. Outside, Itsuki

12:32stepped out of the light, pedals of blue

12:34energy swirling around him, watching his

12:36silhouette shine with power. Just one

12:38word left Commander Nento's mouth, the

12:41strongest. A system window displayed his

12:43public information. Tenmaitzky human

12:46level zero fixed job order breaker gift

12:50special grade undisclosed skill

12:52undisclosed status attack 200 agility

12:55200 defense 200 magic 200 total 800. In

13:00the crowd students and teachers erupted

13:02in cheers. They shouted that Tenma's

13:04stats had shot up all at once. Someone

13:07cried out in disbelief, saying they

13:09never imagined their school would have

13:10someone this amazing. An older teacher

13:12yelled that this feat would go down in

13:14school history. But among the cheering

13:16crowd, Oishi trembled with rage.

13:19Lightning crackled around him as his

13:21eyes glowed red. He clenched his teeth

13:23and glared at Itsuki, furious that the

13:25cheers cheers he believed should have

13:27been his were now stolen away. Oishi's

13:30rage exploded as lightning surged across

13:32his body. He shouted that a loser like

13:34Itsuki should stay a loser. Students

13:36around him backed away as sparks

13:38crackled through the air, their faces

13:40tense with shock. Electricity flooded

13:43the entire hall and Oishi stepped

13:45forward with a crazed expression. He

13:47declared that he would eliminate Itsuki

13:49using his newly acquired skill. Above

13:51the crowd, Itsuki stood calmly, staring

13:54down from the top of the monument as

13:56lightning scattered below him. Itsuki

13:58clenched his fist as a blue system

14:00window appeared. The screen displayed

14:03C-rank skill silver serpent detected.

14:06Over mimissus activated. Itski's eyes

14:08sharpened as multiple blue panels began

14:11processing. The analysis started at 27%

14:14then climbed quickly 57% 69% and rising

14:19while lightning flickered around him.

14:21Itsuki made his move and jumped with

14:23lightning speed. The floor cracked under

14:25the impact as the lightning slammed

14:27down. Students gasped when they looked

14:29up and realized something was wrong. One

14:31girl asked where Itsuki had gone.

14:33Another student said they saw a flash of

14:35electricity and then Itsuki suddenly

14:38vanished. Oshi looked around in

14:39confusion, wondering where Itsuki was. A

14:42glowing blue window reached 88% as

14:44Itsuki appeared behind Oshi like a

14:46shadow wrapped in lightning. His eyes

14:48shone with a blinding horizontal beam.

14:50Oshi froze in terror. Sweat poured down

14:53his face as he realized was behind him.

14:55He panicked, unable to move. Itsuki

14:58placed a hand on Oshi's shoulder. His

15:00voice was cold as he told Oshi to

15:02consider himself lucky for being born

15:04human. He added that if Oshi were a

15:06disaster beast, he would have killed him

15:08about a hundred times already. Oshi

15:10trembled uncontrollably, fear tightening

15:12his entire body. Moments later, Itsuki

15:15casually stepped forward while Oshi

15:17collapsed onto the ground. Another

15:18student shouted in shock, asking when

15:20Itsuki had moved behind him. Someone

15:23else laughed nervously, saying, "Oishi

15:25must have been so scared his legs gave

15:27out." Another warned them to be quiet

15:29before Oishi heard them. A new panel

15:31floated above Itsuki, showing 94%, then

15:35rising quickly. Blue energy swirled

15:37around him as the progress reached 99%.

15:40Itsuki glanced at the glowing screen and

15:42commented that maybe the analysis was

15:44fast because it was only a C-rank skill.

15:46The display turned pitch black and

15:48flashed. Analysis progress 100%.

15:51Lightning exploded around him as a new

15:53message appeared saying C-rank skill

15:56thunderbreaker acquired. Itsuki stood in

15:58the center of the crackling blue

16:00electricity, his body glowing as the

16:02newly gained power wrapped around him

16:03like living lightning. The students

16:05watched nervously as the light began to

16:07glow again. One of the boys stared in

16:10shock, saying it was happening once

16:11more. Another student, wearing

16:13sunglasses adjusted them with a grin,

16:16saying it was a good thing he had

16:17brought them. Inside the glowing space,

16:19Its Qui appeared sitting calmly with a

16:22thoughtful expression. He realized that

16:24every time an analysis finished, he was

16:26forcibly brought into this strange

16:28place. In front of him, the system

16:30windows appeared, stating that the

16:31analysis of Silver Serpent was complete,

16:33and the skill Thunderbreaker had been

16:35acquired. Another window opened, showing

16:38the description of Thunderbreaker level

16:40one. The skill allowed him to absorb

16:42Cank and lower lightning attacks into

16:44his body. When releasing the absorbed

16:46lightning energy, his agility would

16:48increase by 50%. It also had a passive

16:51effect. Each time he absorbed a C- rank

16:53lightning attack, his agility would

16:55permanently increase by 5%. Another

16:57message added that all his stats had

16:59increased by 10. All debuffs were

17:01removed, and his injuries were fully

17:03healed. Outside, the students shielded

17:05their eyes as a massive burst of blue

17:07light exploded from Mitsuki's body. The

17:10lightning wrapped around him in swirling

17:11arcs as he stood in the center of the

17:13arena steps. The electric pressure

17:15pushed outward and the crowd

17:17instinctively stepped back or covered

17:18their faces. Someone shouted that Itsuki

17:21was now cloaked in lightning from head

17:23to toe. Another student panicked,

17:25sayingsuki's lightning was even brighter

17:27than Oishi's. Oishi, who had attacked

17:29him earlier, stared with trembling eyes.

17:32Unable to believe how Atsuki had learned

17:33a skill like that. Atsuki's body glowed

17:36intensely as the system displayed his

17:38rising stats. It showed each attribute

17:40increasing. attack, agility, defense,

17:43and magic, all rising from 200 to 210,

17:47bringing his total from 800 to 840. Just

17:50then, the students looked up at the sky

17:52in confusion. One of them said it had

17:54been sunny just a moment ago. Another

17:56asked if it was rain. A third student

17:58lifted his hand, trying to feel the

18:00drops, when someone suddenly shouted

18:02that something was falling. A dark

18:04coffin-shaped object wrapped in

18:06lightning descended from the stormy

18:07clouds. The rain poured harder as it

18:10crashed down toward the school grounds.

18:12The woman with blue hair and glasses saw

18:14it and shouted in shock, calling it a

18:16monument. She questioned why it had

18:18appeared here of all places. Commander

18:20Nento quickly announced that the

18:22schoolwide assembly was cancelled and

18:24ordered everyone to evacuate outside the

18:26school grounds just like in their

18:28drills. He realized that there was no

18:30doubt the target was him. The woman

18:32turned to Commander Nento and told him

18:34that they should escape too since combat

18:36wasn't their specialty. But Commander

18:38Nento beside her shook his head. He

18:40warned that if they ran, everyone else

18:42would panic. He pointed ahead, telling

18:44her to look because the boy standing

18:46there was calmer than both of them.

18:48Ahead of them, lightning exploded around

18:49the descending object. Students ran in

18:52all directions, fleeing in fear. Only

18:54one boy, Itski, remained still in the

18:57middle of the field, bathed in a faint

18:59blue glow. From behind, the blue-haired

19:01woman shouted at him, demanding to know

19:03why he wasn't running. A massive dark

19:06pillar crashed down from the sky,

19:07shaking the ground as debris exploded

19:09outward. Rain poured heavily around it.

19:12Nearby, a group of students panicked.

19:14One boy shouted that disaster beasts

19:16were coming and urged Kky to escape, but

19:18Itsuki with glowing red eyes stood

19:21still. His voice was cold as he declared

19:24that he would exterminate every single

19:25one of them. His friends stared at him

19:27in shock. One of them yelled that he

19:29would die if he didn't run. Another

19:31insisted that since he had only just

19:33awakened, he couldn't possibly fight

19:35disaster beasts. They told him to leave

19:37everything to the other awakened, but

19:39Itsuki shook his head. He calmly told

19:41them to trust him. The pink-haired girl

19:44hesitated, worry written all over her

19:46face. Finally, she shouted that if he

19:48died, he shouldn't blame them. She

19:50grabbed the other guy's clothes and

19:51dragged him with her. The glasseswearing

19:53boy asked her if it was really okay to

19:55let him go, reminding her that the enemy

19:57was a disaster beast, a walking weapon

19:59of mass murder. As the two ran off,

20:01Itsuki looked ahead with a crazed smile.

20:04His eye glowed bright red through the

20:06rain. He muttered that his first enemy

20:08after becoming an awakened was the one

20:10who killed his parents and that it was

20:12Lucky. Lightning curled around him as he

20:14stepped forward. A glowing panel

20:16appeared beside him, displaying the

20:18status of the creature before him. It

20:20was skeleton soldier 10369. Level 8.

20:24Gift grade two. Defense increases by

20:27100%. If the enemy's attack exceeds its

20:30own defense, the gift becomes invalid.

20:32Skill bone fire B rank. Its stats were

20:36attack 15, agility 10, defense 120 +

20:40120, magic 30, total 295. The skeleton

20:44soldier stood covered in blue flames as

20:46Itsuki faced it headon. A surge of

20:48lightning wrapped around Itsuki's arms

20:50as he tightened his stance. His red eyes

20:53glowed sharply as he wondered if he

20:55should test the skill he had just

20:56acquired. In the next moment, he charged

20:59forward, electricity exploding around

21:01his body. Blue lightning trailed behind

21:03him as he rushed toward the flaming

21:05skeleton beast on the field. The two

21:07forces collided, sparks scattering

21:09through the rain. The skeletal beast

21:11swung its arms to punch, but Kky dodged.

21:14Then swung his electrified fist with

21:16full force, shouting that he would not

21:18let anyone else die. His punch struck

21:21the creature's chest, and a violent

21:22burst of energy erupted. The impact sent

21:25the disaster beast flying across the

21:27field, smashing through the school

21:28building. The ground trembled as debris

21:31scattered in all directions. Students

21:33watching from afar stared in shock. One

21:35student said Itsuki's strength was too

21:37overwhelming that maybe they didn't need

21:39to run anymore. A female student was

21:41stunned, seeing how the impact had

21:43blasted the monster away in a single

21:45hit. The blue-haired inspector stared at

21:47the ruined wall, stunned that a rookie

21:49who had just become awakened could send

21:51a level eight disaster beast flying with

21:53only one blow. Heavy rain poured down as

21:56Commander Nento watched from a distance,

21:58thinking to himself that Kky's speed and

22:00power were on a completely different

22:02level from other level zeros. But even

22:04then, he believed that defeating a

22:06skeleton soldier was impossible. He

22:08explained that skeleton soldiers had two

22:10troublesome abilities. The first was a

22:12gift that increased their defense. The

22:14second was a terrifying skill called

22:16bonefire. A flame that burned anything

22:18it touched into ash. Blue flames erupted

22:21violently across the field, spreading

22:23like a wave towards Kky. The students

22:25gasped as the fire surged forward. KKY's

22:28friends cried out in fear, shouting's

22:30name. Oishi stepped forward with a

22:32crazed smile, yelling that the fool who

22:34didn't know his place would just burn to

22:36ash. Meanwhile, glowing screens appeared

22:38in front of Itsuki. A system message

22:41informed him that the enemy was using

22:43bonefire. The analysis began, first at

22:461%, then rapidly accelerating. As the

22:49blue flames engulfed him, more screens

22:51appeared. 25%. Its stood firmly

22:55inside the blazing bone fire surrounded

22:57by data streams. He calmly observed that

23:00the analysis speed increased whenever

23:02the enemy's skill struck him. The

23:04blue-haired instructor watched with

23:05widening eyes. She said that even a

23:07level 10 awakened wouldn't stand a

23:09chance if they took a direct hit. Blue

23:11flames continued to swallow the arena as

23:13Itsuki stood in the center. Half of his

23:15body burned away and glowing like a

23:17skeleton. The blue-haired instructor's

23:19voice echoed through the flames, saying

23:21it would be tragic for a genius who had

23:23just appeared to be killed by a disaster

23:25beast before he could grow. System

23:27windows floated around Its Suki, showing

23:2977% and 81%.

23:32Itsuki looked at his burning body and

23:34muttered that this was what it felt like

23:36when the body burned. He added softly

23:38that it must have hurt. A memory

23:40flickered through the flames. He saw his

23:42mother's face half burned away. He

23:45realized that it hurt so much, but even

23:47in her last minutes, she smiled so as

23:49not to scare Itsuki. Commander Nento

23:51peered out with a sharp gaze, wondering

23:53if Itsuki hadn't used his full power

23:55yet. The blue fire swirled violently as

23:58the progress bar climbed. Itsuki's

24:00skeletal hand tightened and he said that

24:03once the analysis was complete, the

24:05enemy was finished. The system window

24:07flashed. Analysis progress 100%. Outside

24:11the flames, the students whispered

24:13nervously. One asked if it had been too

24:15soon to hope for a rookie who had just

24:17become awakened. Another admitted he had

24:19been stupid to expect anything. But

24:21suddenly, someone pointed forward in

24:23shock. He shouted that the blue lotus

24:25flower had appeared again. He said

24:27Itsuki might show them another miracle.

24:29Blue light swirled around Itsuki as he

24:31stood inside the burning aura, wondering

24:33what kind of skill he would gain this

24:35time. The flames around him continued to

24:37fade, revealing his burned and cracked

24:39body beneath the blue energy. Then a

24:42system window appeared, showing that the

24:44analysis of bonefire was complete. It

24:46stated that a new skill, black wall, had

24:49been acquired. More windows followed,

24:51explaining the skill. The active effect

24:53would create ice on the body by

24:55consuming magic power and could block B

24:57rank or lower fire skills. The passive

25:00effect increased defense when blocking

25:02those skills. Another notification

25:04appeared saying that Black Wall LV2 had

25:06been acquired and that all of his stats

25:08had increased by 20. It stated that all

25:11debuffs were removed and his injuries

25:12were fully healed. A new window showed

25:15his updated status. attack, agility,

25:18defense, and magic had all risen from

25:20210 to 230, bringing his total from 820.

25:24Itsuki looked at the glowing screen

25:26calmly. He remembered how even his

25:28strongest attack earlier couldn't break

25:30the skeleton soldier's defense. Now,

25:32with this new increase, he believed he

25:34should be able to do it. Suddenly, blue

25:37lotus petals unfolded around him,

25:39blooming like a massive light flower.

25:40Itsuki stood at the center, his body

25:43surrounded by shining energy. The

25:45students watching gasped in shock. One

25:47of them cried out in relief, saying,

25:49"Its was alive. Others cheered loudly,

25:52convinced that he would succeed."

25:53Someone pointed out that a full recovery

25:55like this was practically a miracle. The

25:57blue-haired instructor stared in shock

25:59as she watched the scene unfold. She

26:01wondered aloud if Its Suki had a

26:03self-healing skill. She had seen him use

26:05a lightning element skill earlier, so

26:07she couldn't understand how he was

26:09recovering. Commander Nento was also

26:11shocked. He remembered that order

26:13breakers were considered the most

26:14mysterious job, but even among them,

26:16Itsuki seemed uniquely strange.

26:18Meanwhile, Itsuki stood in the center of

26:20the glowing lotus pedals. His body had

26:23recovered completely. Not a single

26:25injury left. Blue fragments drifted

26:27around him as he looked down at his

26:29restored form. Itsuki whispered in

26:31disbelief, saying it was a perfect

26:33recovery. He wondered whether he would

26:35heal even if his limbs were cut off or

26:37if his brain was destroyed. He admitted

26:40he was curious about the limits of his

26:41self-healing. Suddenly, the skeleton

26:43soldier roared, its armor burning with

26:46blue bone fire. The flames surged

26:48violently as the monster charged

26:50forward. Itsuki turned calmly, raising

26:53his arm as black spikes spread across

26:55his skin. The blue flames rushed toward

26:57him. His entire body became engulfed in

26:59the fire, but he stood unmoving within

27:02it. Moments later, his silhouette

27:04appeared again through the blaze. Thick

27:06layers of black spikes covered him

27:08completely, and his red eyes glowed

27:10coldly behind the cracked ice armor.

27:12Itsuki cracked through the air as he

27:14shot upward. The explosion of blue

27:16flames shook the area when he crashed

27:18down. Itsuki's armored body glowed with

27:20electricity as he readied another

27:22strike. The skeletal beast struck, but

27:24Itsuki moved again, instantly appearing

27:26behind the beast faster than anyone

27:28could follow. Itsuki then raised his

27:31arm, and it turned into a massive black

27:33spike sword, lightning running through

27:34it. Itsuki moved with lightning speed

27:37and with a single slash cut the skeletal

27:39beast in two with that sword. The

27:41students watching from afar were

27:42stunned. One of them said that moved

27:45behind the disaster beast in an instant

27:47as if he had teleported. Another said

27:49that only awakened people could track

27:51movements like that. Oishi was also

27:53stunned, saying she couldn't see its

27:55keys movements at all. She compared it

27:57to what she had seen before. The

27:59blue-haired instructor questioned if

28:01someone like its key could really be a

28:02rookie. On the other hand, as the dust

28:04settled, Itsuki stood alone. As the

28:07black spikes on his body disappeared, he

28:09kicked and destroyed the skeleton

28:11beast's head. He was stunned to realize

28:13that it not only generated solid armor

28:15to protect his body, but could also

28:17shape that armor into any kind of weapon

28:19he wanted. A divine skill that combined

28:21both offense and defense. Suddenly,

28:24someone shouted his name. Itsuki turned

28:26his head in surprise as his friend

28:28rushed toward him and wrapped him

28:29tightly in a relieved hug, saying he was

28:31gladsuki had won because he had been

28:33worried the entire time. Itsuki stayed

28:36still for a moment before asking about

28:37Saiia. His friend pulled back and

28:39admitted that Sia had been watching

28:41earlier with a face that looked like she

28:43might cry, but now she was nowhere to be

28:45seen. Skiy looked toward the crowd,

28:47wondering why she didn't come. He

28:49scanned the students in the distance,

28:51confusion growing. He quietly wondered

28:53if she might be angry. Not far away, the

28:56blue-haired instructor watched the

28:57aftermath of the fight. She spoke

28:59seriously, noting that for a boy to

29:02defeat a skeleton soldier, something

29:04even a level 10 awakened would struggle

29:06against was unbelievable. Commander

29:07Nento called the blue-haired instructor,

29:09Choa, and told her to stay and assist

29:11with the cleanup. He also told her to

29:13deliver his message to the principal

29:15that he would be taking with him. On the

29:17other hand, Itsuki's friend patted

29:19Itsuki's hand, saying there was no way

29:21Saiia would be angry after he won. He

29:23guessed that Saiia was probably scared

29:25of falling behind Itsuki, so she might

29:27have gone to touch the monument instead.

29:29Itsuki lowered his gaze slightly and

29:31murmured that he hoped that was the

29:33case. Just then, a voice called out to

29:36him, asking if he was Ten Matsuki.

29:38Itsuki turned and noticed someone

29:40approaching. Commander Nento, wearing a

29:42long cape, stood before him. Itsuki

29:45looked up at him in silence. People

29:47watching from a distance began

29:48whispering among themselves. They saw

29:50that Izzumi Nento, a famous figure, was

29:52talking directly to Itsuki. Some

29:54wondered if he intended to take Itsuki

29:56as a student. Others doubted it, saying

29:58the only person Commander Nento had ever

30:00accepted as a student was Tiwin,

30:02humanity's strongest. They insisted that

30:04no matter how strong Itsuki seemed,

30:07something like that wouldn't happen.

30:08Itsuki's friends stepped away nervously

30:10and said he would go look for Sia.

30:13Commander Nento then looked down at

30:14Itsuki and spoke calmly. He told Itsuki

30:17that he was quite special. Itsuki looked

30:20at Commander Nento and repeated the word

30:22softly, asking what he meant by calling

30:24him special. Commander Nento observed

30:26Uski closely and saw dark energy

30:28gathering around Utski. He told Utski

30:31that his heart seemed filled with anger

30:33and hatred. Utski stood in the darkness,

30:35a glowing light shining across his eyes.

30:38Commander Nento then stepped forward and

30:40said that he wanted to know the reason

30:42behind that hatred. Its ski finally

30:44spoke, explaining that 10 years ago, his

30:46parents were killed by disaster beasts

30:48while trying to protect him. A scene

30:50from his childhood flashed before his

30:52eyes. His younger self crying helplessly

30:54as danger closed in. He remembered how

30:57he had nearly been killed as well, but

30:59an awakened appeared at the last moment

31:00and saved him. The powerful figure

31:03struck the beast right in front of the

31:04frightened ski. Itsuki told Commander

31:06Nento that right before his eyes, he had

31:09watched his mother die. A glowing blue

31:11flame slowly consumed his mother's body.

31:13Even as half her face vanished into bone

31:15and ash, she smiled gently at Itsuki and

31:18told him that he must walk the rest of

31:19the path on his own. Young Itsuki stared

31:22at her with trembling eyes, unable to

31:24understand. His voice cracked as he

31:26cried out for his mother. Anger raged

31:28inside him as he looked at the beast.

31:30Words echoed in his mind, reminding him

31:32that both his mother and father had died

31:34because of beings like this. Tears

31:36streamed down his face as he shouted in

31:39denial. Before him, a towering monstrous

31:41figure rose from the darkness. An

31:43enormous being surrounded by raging

31:45purple flames. Its shadow loomed over

31:47Itsuki as he realized the horrifying

31:50truth. The creature before him was the

31:52root of all evil. Shaking with rage,

31:54Itsuki glared upward. His eyes burned

31:57red as hatred filled his heart. On that

32:00day, he swore a vow. He would kill that

32:02demon and every last creature of its

32:04kind. In the present, Itsuki clenched

32:07his jaw, a tear slipping down his cheek

32:09as he shouted that he would kill all of

32:11its kind. Commander Nento looked at him

32:13and commented that even with a heart

32:15consumed by hatred, Itsuki still shed

32:17tears. Itsuki raised a hand to his face

32:20and explained calmly. "Ever since he

32:23witnessed the tragedy of his mother's

32:24death, his left eye had stopped

32:26producing tears, but his right eye had

32:28begun crying on its own. Thanks to

32:30that," he said, he never forgot his

32:32hatred for the disaster beasts.

32:34Commander Nento then asked if Itsuki

32:36would become his student. He promised to

32:38get him into the Salvation League and

32:40help him gain the immense power needed

32:42to take revenge on the disaster beasts.

32:44Itsuki repeated the words quietly,

32:46asking what the Salvation League was.

32:48Commander Nento then explained. He told

32:52that to counter disaster beasts more

32:53efficiently and scientifically, the

32:55governments of the five continents had

32:57gathered strong awaken from around the

32:59world and created an official

33:01organization. The members of this

33:02organization were called saviors. He

33:05continued saying that saviors were

33:07provided with resources such as

33:08dedicated training grounds and powerful

33:10weapons. They were also guaranteed high

33:12compensation. Even trainee saviors

33:15received 10,000 gold per month. Itsuki

33:18listened in surprise, realizing that

33:2010,000 gold was enough to buy a car.

33:22Commander Nento then warned that such

33:24generous treatment was not given for

33:26free. Saviors were expected to

33:28constantly fight disaster beasts on the

33:30front lines and protect people's safety.

33:32Itsuki stood shirtless, his expression

33:34calm as he spoke. He said that he did

33:37not care about high pay or special

33:38resources. What mattered most to him was

33:41something else. Determination filled his

33:43eyes. His gaze sharpened as he clenched

33:46his fist. He declared that what mattered

33:48most was fighting disaster beasts on the

33:50front lines. With unwavering resolve, he

33:52announced that he wanted to become a

33:54savior as well. Commander Nento then

33:56explained the process. He said that the

33:58Salvation League held an exam every

34:00February known as the National Salvation

34:02League tournament with more than 10,000

34:05participants. Each contestant earned

34:07points based on performance, but only

34:09those who ranked within the top 100 were

34:11allowed to become saviors. Hearing this,

34:14Itsuki asked what the highest record in

34:16history was. Commander Nento told Itsuki

34:18that it would not be very useful as a

34:20reference. He explained calmly that the

34:22record was 115,000 points set by Tiwajin

34:2611 years ago. He added that passing

34:28required only 30% of that score while

34:30securing first place required at least

34:3250%. Itsuki silently recalled the name

34:35Tiwajin, the strongest awakened known as

34:38the light of humanity, the one Ruru had

34:40mentioned. Commander Nento told Itsuki

34:42that Jyn was special and that comparing

34:44himself to Jyn would only bring despair.

34:46But even so, Itsuki should still have

34:49confidence because he believed Itsuki

34:51could one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder

34:52with Jyn. Kki stood shirtless on the

34:55training ground, his expression steady.

34:57With unwavering determination, he

34:59declared that he would surpass Tiwa Jin.

35:02Hearing those words, Commander Nento's

35:04eyes widened inside the helmet. Reacting

35:06with surprise, he remembered something

35:08from the past, a time when he had stood

35:10with Ti Jin and told him that he had

35:12become incredibly popular. The younger

35:14generation was trying to follow in his

35:16footsteps, but Tuajin warned that

35:18following alone would never win the war

35:20against the disaster beasts. Someday

35:22someone would surpass him, just as a new

35:24sunrise replaces the setting sun. Tuajin

35:27said that he looked forward to that day.

35:29Seeing Its Suki's resolve, Commander

35:31Nento thought that the sunrise Tiwa Jin

35:33had been waiting for had finally

35:35appeared. A few hours later, Commander

35:37Nento took Itsuki to another place.

35:40there. When Itsuki saw the massive

35:42dome-shaped structure rising in the

35:44distance, glowing under the sky, he

35:46asked quietly what it was. Commander

35:48Nento explained that these monuments

35:50acted as passages connecting the human

35:52world to the world of disaster beasts.

35:55He said that if the beasts were killed,

35:56but the monuments were left untouched,

35:58new beasts would simply appear again. He

36:00pointed at the massive dome-shaped

36:02building and explained that this

36:03facility was created to isolate

36:05monuments that couldn't be destroyed.

36:07Awakened individuals periodically

36:09entered it to sweep out the disaster

36:11beasts that emerged. This kept the

36:13danger under control and also served as

36:16training. Itsuki looked at the building

36:17and asked if it was a training facility.

36:20Commander Nento, standing beside him

36:22confirmed it, saying they called these

36:23places stages. He explained that the

36:26number and strength of the beasts inside

36:28couldn't be controlled, making it

36:29extremely dangerous. Commander Nento

36:31toldky that the beasts in this specific

36:34stage were especially strong among all

36:36rookie level stages. This one had the

36:38highest mortality rate. Because of that,

36:41people called it the rookie graveyard.

36:43He told Ski that when Jyn was still a

36:45rookie, he had cleared this deadly stage

36:47in 3 minutes and 14 seconds. Commander

36:50Nento turned to Itsuki and said that if

36:52Itsuki truly intended to surpass Jyn,

36:54then 3 minutes would be his limit. As

36:57Itsuki walked toward the giant facility,

36:59Commander Nento told him that if he

37:01could clear the stage within 3 minutes,

37:03he would accept him as his student.

37:04Hearing that, Itski's eyes sharpened

37:06with determination. He wanted to surpass

37:09Jyn and become Commander Nento's

37:10student. People in the lobby turned

37:12their heads when they saw a familiar

37:14figure. Someone pointed and said that

37:16Mr. Izumi had arrived. Another person

37:19noticed Itsuki walking beside him and

37:21asked if that was the rumored rookie.

37:23The crowd stared in surprise, whispering

37:26that there was no way a rookie could

37:27walk next to Mr. Izumi unless he was an

37:29awakened on Taiwin's level. Itsuki

37:32looked around quietly and wondered to

37:34himself if this person was really that

37:35famous. Thinking that, he walked toward

37:38the stage entrance and saw the display

37:40showing the disaster beast level inside,

37:42level 10. He noted that it was only two

37:44levels higher than the skeleton soldier

37:46he had faced earlier, and wondered how

37:48strong that really was. But what

37:50surprised him more was that even though

37:52several people were gathered nearby,

37:54none of them seemed prepared to enter

37:55the stage. He wondered why that was.

37:58Someone nearby muttered that the rookie

38:00looked way too confident and assumed

38:01that a highle awakened must be

38:03accompanying him. Another wished they

38:05could be taken along too, while someone

38:07else joked that the rookie probably came

38:09just to flirt with the receptionist,

38:11saying that with a decent face, he was

38:13getting cocky. At the counter, the

38:15receptionist approached him with a

38:16polite smile. She asked if he wanted to

38:18enter the stage and how many challengers

38:20there would be. He calmly replied that

38:22it would be just him. Hearing that, the

38:25area fell silent as the receptionist

38:27stared at him across the counter.

38:28Suddenly, she leaned forward and yelled

38:30angrily. She told him not to make

38:32unfunny jokes and asked if he was

38:34messing around. She warned him that if

38:36he was just there to hit on her, it was

38:38pointless. She explained that even if

38:40the place was an artificial stage, it

38:42was still dangerous. People could get

38:43hurt or even die. Itsuki stared at her

38:46in confusion. wondering what she was

38:48even talking about. Behind them, several

38:50people watching from afar started

38:52laughing. They joked that he really was

38:54there to hit on her. Some said that

38:56there were always people who treated the

38:57stages like dating spots, and those

38:59people usually got scolded and went

39:01home. Its ski looked at the receptionist

39:03calmly and explained the

39:04misunderstanding. He told her he had

39:06absolutely no interest in her. He said

39:08he only came to challenge the stage,

39:10nothing more. But the receptionist

39:12sighed and rubbed her forehead. She told

39:14him he didn't have to act tough just

39:16because he was embarrassed. She even

39:18said she would give him her contact

39:19information, so he should just go home.

39:22But Itsuki's expression darkened. A

39:24shadow fell over his face. He told her

39:26not to make him repeat himself. He

39:28didn't care about her contact

39:30information at all. He only wanted her

39:32to let him enter the stage. Hearing

39:34that, the receptionist reluctantly

39:35agreed and told him not to blame her if

39:38he died. She held out a metal bracelet

39:40with a nervous expression, clearly

39:42shaken. Seeing that, Itsuki muttered

39:44that she should have just given

39:45permission from the beginning instead of

39:47making him repeat himself. The people

39:49watching from behind whispered among

39:51themselves. One man called Its Suki an

39:53idiot, saying he could have gotten her

39:55contact information, but chose to act

39:57tough instead. Another pointed out that

39:59a level zero rookie challenging a level

40:0110 stage was basically suicide. They

40:03guessed he would run out in less than a

40:05minute. Someone else noticed how

40:06confident he looked and wondered if he

40:08might succeed since he also had a

40:10special grade gift. But another person

40:12reminded everyone that for awakened

40:13people, gifts were just bonuses. The

40:15most important thing was level. No

40:17matter how special the gift was, it

40:19meant nothing if the level was low. On

40:21the other hand, standing in front of the

40:23gate, Itsuki checked his bracelet. He

40:26said that his personal information was

40:28registered on it. So scanning it would

40:30let him enter. A glowing screen appeared

40:32above his hand, confirming entry by

40:34awakened Tenma. Itsuki has been

40:36approved. Itsuki stretched his hands

40:38forward and took a breath. He reminded

40:40himself that the promise was within 3

40:42minutes. Then he said it was time to

40:44begin. A bright digital timer appeared

40:47showing 001 in green numbers. And just

40:50as the gate opened, Itsuki moved with

40:52explosive speed. Red energy surrounded

40:54his body as he dashed forward. His eyes

40:57glowing sharply. He looked around and

40:59noticed the vast area. He thought that

41:01the interior space was much bigger than

41:02he expected. As he ran across the grassy

41:05field toward a tall black tower, he told

41:07himself that it was his first time

41:09entering a stage, even if it was an

41:11artificial one. Suddenly, Itsuki noticed

41:13a creature rush in and said that it was

41:15coming. That creature jumped toward him.

41:18It was a wooden monster from the Kodama

41:20tribe. A blue window appeared beside it,

41:22showing its information. Kodama nun 1307

41:25from Kodama tribe level four gift none

41:29attack 49 agility 48 defense 53 magic 24

41:34total 174 seeing it coming black spikes

41:37formed on its hand in the next moment he

41:40slashed downward with overwhelming force

41:43a sharp strike of energy cut through the

41:45target as he launched his attacks stood

41:48calmly with the massive black spike axe

41:50hand smiled and remarked that an axe was

41:53always the best tool for trees. He then

41:55asked the remaining monsters how it felt

41:57to see their comrade cut in half. Dozens

42:00of Kodama creatures rushed at him. He

42:02stood tall and called them rotten trees.

42:04Outside, Cha spoke to her father,

42:07Commander Nento. She asked why. Out of

42:09so many rookie stages, he had made the

42:11newcomer enter this one specifically.

42:13Commander Nento answered that Utski

42:15claimed he would surpass Jyn, so he

42:17simply brought him to the same stage Jyn

42:19first challenged. Hearing that, Choa

42:22frowned and said that surpassing Jyn was

42:23impossible unless someone stepped

42:25outside the bounds of humanity. Hearing

42:27that, Commander Nento asked Choah if she

42:30believed Jyn had already transcended

42:31humanity. Choa recalled the time she met

42:34Jyn for the first time. She had once

42:36thought Jyn was kind and approachable.

42:38Then she saw Jyn instantly kill a level

42:4097 disaster beast. She recalled that

42:43Jyn's eyes during that fight were

42:44different. She remembered those eyes

42:46clearly, cold, solitary, and

42:49transcendent. She felt that they didn't

42:51seem human at all. She described Jyn's

42:53gaze, saying his eyes were like the eyes

42:55of a god. Hearing that, Commander Nento

42:58told Choa that Itsuki also had potential

43:00comparable to Jyn. But at the moment, he

43:03was nothing more than an unpolished

43:04gemstone. He added that if Jyn could be

43:07compared to a god-like existence who

43:08saved people, then Itsuki was the

43:10opposite, a demon consumed by hatred.

43:13Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Itsuki

43:15stood among the fallen wooden beasts. He

43:17stated that over Mammus wouldn't even

43:19activate against disaster beasts of this

43:21level. Just then, a dark silhouette

43:23appeared behind him, its eyes glowing

43:25red. His own eye glowed the same way as

43:27the shadow towered over him. In the next

43:29moment, his body moved at extreme speed,

43:32cutting through the enemies with a sharp

43:33motion. Itsuki stood before the fallen

43:36creature and looked down calmly. He

43:38asked if that was the end. He examined

43:40the broken body and wondered if level 10

43:42disaster beasts were only this strong.

43:45But then he thought that if that were

43:46true, this place wouldn't be called the

43:48rookie's graveyard. There had to be

43:50something else. Just then, a blue system

43:53window appeared before him. It displayed

43:55B rank skill self- regeneration

43:58detected. Over mamissus activated

44:00another window followed. Analysis

44:03started, then a second one. Analysis

44:05progress 5%. Itsuki turned as a sudden

44:08sound caught his attention. His

44:10expression shifted slightly. That level

44:1310 disaster beast rose again behind him,

44:15its entire form twisting upward with

44:17glowing green eyes. Its long vine-like

44:20limbs burst outward and lunged at him.

44:22Ski braced himself, thinking in surprise

44:24that he had cut off half its head, yet

44:27it had regenerated. The moment the

44:29towering monster regenerated, Itski

44:31narrowed his eyes and muttered that he

44:33knew things wouldn't be straightforward,

44:34a glowing blue system window appeared in

44:36front of him, revealing the creature's

44:38details. It identified the monster as

44:40regenerated kodama some 520 of the

44:43kodama tribe, a level 10 beast with a

44:45grade 2 gift. Its defense had dropped by

44:4850%, but its self-healing ability had

44:50greatly increased. Another blue window

44:53listed its stats clearly. Attack 110,

44:56agility 100, defense 60, magic 180,

45:00total 450. As the creature's roots and

45:03branches whipped wildly, it stouki

45:05tightened his fist. A system alert

45:07flashed. Black wall activated. The next

45:10second, his hand was covered by black

45:12spikes cutting through the roots. Skiy

45:15jumped at the monster. While dodging the

45:17monster's attacks, he quickly analyzed

45:19the situation. He realized the beast

45:21couldn't regenerate if he damaged it

45:23fast enough. He told himself that he had

45:25to deal massive damage in a short amount

45:27of time. The analysis window appeared

45:29beside him. Itsuki smashed forward with

45:31his armored arm, splitting through the

45:33kodama's defenses as sparks and debris

45:35burst around them. His eyes glowed red

45:38as he moved like a shadow slicing

45:40through the forest of wooden limbs. Each

45:42step sent shock waves across the ground,

45:44and each strike pushed the progress

45:46window higher. Itsuki surged forward

45:48again, his bladelike arm shining with a

45:50cold blue light. Then he shot upward

45:53before crashing down like a falling

45:55spear, splitting the monster's giant

45:57body in half. Light from his attack cut

45:59straight through the kodama,

46:01illuminating the entire battlefield. The

46:03towering creature's body split down the

46:05middle. a glowing crack running from its

46:07head to its torso. Its golden eyes shone

46:10through the gaps as its massive frame

46:11began to fracture. Itsuki watched with

46:14sharp red eyes, a grin forming on his

46:16face. He said he wasn't done yet. He

46:18said he would mince the creature

46:20completely so it wouldn't regenerate. In

46:22the next moment, he raised both arms. A

46:25blinding vertical slash of light tore

46:27downward, cutting the giant monster

46:28clean in half. Cut spread across the

46:31creature's body, and the wooden shell

46:32shattered into countless pieces. The

46:34fragments scattered through the air,

46:36glowing faintly before breaking apart

46:38completely. As the dust settled, Itsuki

46:41lowered his arm and exhaled. He said,

46:43"This should be enough." He added that

46:45using black wall for so long was

46:47draining his magic. But before he could

46:49rest, vines and roots twisted together

46:51again in front of him. That wooden

46:53creature's form surged upward with

46:55glowing yellow eyes rising from the

46:57remains and preparing to attack. The

46:59glowing display in front of Itsuki

47:00showed 60%, but the fight still raged

47:03on. Wooden tendrils whipped towards Kky

47:05as he moved between them with sharp

47:07fluid steps. He glanced back with an

47:09annoyed expression, thinking that even

47:11after all of this, the monster still

47:13refused to die. He quietly muttered that

47:15it was becoming a real pain. The attacks

47:18continued to strike from every angle. As

47:20he dodged, he noticed something

47:22important. Every time the monster

47:24regenerated over Mimus' analysis speed

47:27increased, his eyes narrowed. That meant

47:30the longer this continued, the faster

47:32the analysis would complete. He realized

47:34he needed a new approach. He decided to

47:36cancel Black Wall to conserve his

47:38remaining magic and instead rely on

47:40Thunderbreaker to avoid the attacks

47:42while keeping his distance. Continuing

47:44this pattern until the analysis finished

47:46would be the winning strategy. But there

47:48was a problem. He didn't have much time

47:50left before the 3minut limit ran out.

47:52Lightning crackled across his arm as the

47:54display climbed to 75%.

47:57determination hardened his expression.

47:59He activated Thunderbreaker and Black

48:01Wall at the same time, pushing his

48:03offense to the extreme while forcing the

48:05monster to repeatedly regenerate. Doing

48:07so, he thought, would increase the

48:09analysis speed even further. Power

48:11surged around him, arcs of lightning

48:14dancing across his arm as he charged

48:15forward with a cold, focused expression.

48:18The creature's wooden body split down

48:20the middle, its golden eyes glowing

48:22through the cracks. Electric sparks

48:24flashed violently as he fought. If

48:26overmus failed when his magic hit zero,

48:29he knew he would die right there. The

48:31percentage rose to 80% then 85% as he

48:34forced his body forward through the

48:36storm of wooden strikes. He told himself

48:38that if he died now, then everything

48:40he'd done would amount to nothing.

48:42Lightning gathered in his arm as he

48:44unleashed another powerful strike. But

48:46right before hitting the monster's head,

48:48his magic power hit zero. Finally, his

48:51body staggered. Blood dripped from his

48:53mouth. He lowered his head and quietly

48:55muttered, "Damn it." Squeeze stood

48:58pierced by sharp wooden spikes, his body

49:00battered and barely holding on. He

49:02lowered his head as white steam drifted

49:04off his wounds. He quietly admitted that

49:06his magic seemed to have finally run

49:08out. Then a glowing window appeared

49:10beside him, showing 99%.

49:13Seeing that, Itsuki's expression

49:15sharpened. Blood streamed down his chin

49:18as his eyes glowed coldly. He declared

49:20that just as he thought over Mimisus did

49:23not need magic to activate. With a

49:25strange smile, he announced that this

49:27match was his win. The window in front

49:29of him then showed. Analysis progress

49:32100%. A bright lotus-shaped energy began

49:35expanding around him, glowing blue and

49:37cracking the wooden spikes. A system

49:40window appeared, saying, "Self-

49:42regeneration analysis complete. Lotus

49:44burst acquired." The lotus continued to

49:47bloom outward, pushing everything away

49:49as more spikes shattered. Another window

49:51displayed the details. Lotus burst LV2

49:54active effect consumes magic to deal

49:56explosive damage to enemies within a

49:585-minute or diameter. Power scales with

50:01magic consumption. Passive effect. Each

50:03time Lotus burst defeats a living

50:05creature of level one or higher, all

50:07skill ranges increase by plus 1%. The

50:10lotus opened fully. A pink glow

50:12surrounded Its Suki as his wounds

50:14rapidly healed. Another window appeared.

50:16Lotus burst. LV2 acquired. All stats

50:20plus 20. Remove all debuffs and fully

50:22heal injuries. The monster watching him

50:25narrowed its glowing yellow eyes. A

50:27final window appeared. Lotus burst

50:29activated. Itsuki brought his hands

50:31together and clapped. A burst of force

50:34erupted instantly, followed by a roaring

50:36explosion of flames that engulfed

50:38everything in front of him. A blazing

50:40wave swept outward and the monster's

50:42shadow shot through the smoke and

50:43sparks. When the flame settled, he stood

50:46there with blood running down his cheek.

50:48His hands still extended from the

50:50technique he had just used. With a calm

50:52breath, he looked ahead and said that

50:54Lotus burst wasn't bad. Smoke rose

50:56around the scorched crater at Kky's

50:58feet. As he examined the destruction, he

51:01noted that using only a third of his

51:02magic produced this much power, and

51:04sweeping away weak disaster beasts would

51:07now be far easier. But he admitted he

51:09never expected over Mimisus to restore

51:11magic that had already reached zero. As

51:13he stepped forward, something on the

51:15ground caught his attention. He stopped,

51:17staring at a glowing green crystal

51:19beside him and quietly asked what it

51:21was. Meanwhile, outside, the

51:23receptionist stared anxiously at the

51:25bright red screen. She said that almost

51:283 minutes had passed since the rookie

51:29Itsuki went inside, yet there was still

51:31no sign of him coming out. She pointed

51:34at the display where the status window

51:36showed. Challenge in progress. Stage

51:38level 10. Challenger 10ma. Itsuki. Time

51:41used 2 minutes 09 seconds. Seeing this,

51:44she nervously added that they should

51:46call the rescue team quickly. Choah

51:48adjusted her glasses and spoke calmly.

51:50She said she didn't think Itsuki would

51:52lose to level 10 disaster beasts, but

51:54clearing the stage within 3 minutes

51:56seemed impossible. Her sentence trailed

51:58off as silence fell between them. But

52:00suddenly, a new message appeared on the

52:02large screen saying, "New record

52:04achieved." Seeing that, everyone in the

52:07hall froze. Shocked whispers spread

52:10through the crowd. One woman stepped

52:12forward, staring at the green screen in

52:14disbelief, whispering, "No way." Choa

52:17widened her eyes, she asked aloud howzky

52:19managed to clear it. Unable to believe

52:22what she was seeing, and the most

52:23shocking thing was that even 3 minutes

52:25hadn't passed. A final notification

52:28flashed brightly on the monitor.

52:30Challenge success. Stage level 10.

52:32Challenger 10ski. Time used 2 minutes 14

52:36seconds. Stage clear record updated. The

52:39room fell silent as everyone stared at

52:41the unbelievable result. The leaderboard

52:43screen displayed the results. It showed

52:45first place belonging to Tenma Isuki

52:48with a clear time of 2 minutes 14

52:50seconds. Second place belonged to Tiwa

52:52Jin who cleared it in 3 minutes 14

52:54seconds. Third place was Heaton Sho with

52:57a time of 7 minutes 17 seconds. Just

53:00then, Itsuki came out of the gate, his

53:02clothes torn and stained with green

53:04liquid. Around him, people reacted in

53:07shock. One person exclaimed that Itsuki

53:09had really survived, asking whether the

53:11green liquid on him was disaster beast

53:13blood. Another shouted that Itsuki was a

53:15full minute faster than Tiwa Jin.

53:17Someone else pointed out that the beasts

53:19inside were level 10 disaster beasts and

53:22couldn't understand how a level zero

53:23rookie managed it. Another voice added

53:25that there was no way a level zero

53:27rookie should have survived. As Itsuki

53:29stepped forward, someone began to speak,

53:32saying Mr. Izumi was coming. Izzumi

53:34Nento turned toward Itsuki, who asked

53:36him if he could now officially receive

53:38Commander Nento's guidance. Itsuki

53:40looked at him with a faint smile and

53:42addressed him as teacher. Commander

53:44Nento responded with pride, saying that

53:46Itsuki had done well, just as he

53:48expected from his student. Standing

53:50nearby, Choa watched quietly. She

53:53wondered if her father was happy, saying

53:55she hadn't seen this expression from him

53:56in a long time. In the crowd, people

53:59continued whispering. One person shouted

54:01in disbelief that Itsuki was actually

54:03Izzumi Nento's student. Another said it

54:06was no wonder he could break Tujin<unk>s

54:08record. But someone else added that even

54:10if he truly was Iumi's student, as long

54:12as his level didn't increase, there

54:14would be no room for growth. Just then,

54:16the receptionist came forward nervously

54:19with a decorated box in her hands. She

54:21explained that it was a gift for

54:23breaking the record and askeduki to

54:25accept it. Her expression softened as

54:27she apologized for the rude things she

54:29had said earlier. Itsuki looked

54:31surprised as he received the box, asking

54:33if he truly got something for his

54:35achievement. He said that it was fine

54:37because a level zero rookie challenging

54:39a stage like that really did seem

54:40reckless. He added that he was a

54:42complete stranger to them and it

54:44wouldn't have mattered to anyone if he

54:46had died. But since she tried to stop

54:48him, it proved she was worried. Hearing

54:50that, the receptionist blushed deeply.

54:52She stuttered as she insisted it wasn't

54:54like that. Itsuki simply thanked her,

54:56which only made her blush even harder.

54:58Not far away, Cha called out, telling

55:01Its Ki that she was leaving and not to

55:03lag behind. She tightened her glasses,

55:05annoyed, and warned him not to get cocky

55:08just because he had become her father's

55:09student. Ki straightened up and replied

55:11quickly, agreeing. Then, Commander

55:14Nento, beside Choa, studied Its Suki and

55:16commented that a stage of this level now

55:18seemed too easy for him. He suggested

55:21raising the difficulty. He continued,

55:23saying that Itsuki should be able to

55:25challenge advanced stages now. Itsuki

55:27looked at him surprised and repeated the

55:29words, "Advanced stages." As the three

55:32of them walked together across the

55:33rooftop at sunset, Commander Nento

55:35continued explaining. He said that a

55:38disaster beast strength was not

55:39determined by level alone. The most

55:41important factor, he stated, was

55:44something else entirely. He explained

55:46that the true deciding factor was

55:48species. Choah explained that species

55:50without intelligence, which moved only

55:52by instinct, were usually easy to deal

55:54with, but some species possessed

55:56intelligence equal to or greater than

55:58humans. She explained that such species

56:01were far more troublesome than ordinary

56:03disaster beasts, Choka continued. She

56:06said that awakened beings and disaster

56:07beasts were essentially the same type of

56:09creature, but with one difference. Only

56:12humans were said to possess jobs.

56:14Because of that, stats differed

56:16depending on species. She went on to

56:18explain that advanced stages contained

56:20these powerful species or intelligent

56:22disaster beasts. Their difficulty was

56:24several times higher than normal stages.

56:27Most of the northern continents advanced

56:29stages were located in North District 4,

56:31and she told Kky that this would be his

56:33next destination. She asked whether

56:35Itsuki had any other questions. Hearing

56:37her explanation, Itsuki suddenly

56:40remembered the two beasts he had

56:41defeated earlier. He thought about them

56:43in silence. They hadn't shown any signs

56:45of intelligence, and they hadn't

56:47screamed even when attacked. He wondered

56:49if that meant they didn't even have pain

56:51receptors. Itski's eyes glowed with

56:53sharp intensity as he looked up. He

56:56asked Choa whether intelligent disaster

56:58beasts had pain receptors or not.

57:00Hearing that, Choa suddenly felt a

57:02chilling pressure behind her. As she

57:04turned, her expression stiffened. She

57:06wondered what this terrifying aura was

57:08and what its key was thinking. Behind

57:10them, a group of people gathered and

57:11whispered among themselves. One of them

57:14asked if anyone had heard that Mr. Izumi

57:16planned to make Itsuki challenge an

57:18advanced stage. Another replied that

57:20Itsuki, who broke Taywajin's record,

57:22should be fine. But one man explained

57:24that advanced stages were completely

57:26different from normal ones. More

57:28importantly, almost all the stages in

57:30North District 4 were under a single

57:32man's control. He said that every

57:34awakened person who had entered an

57:36advanced stage there had gone missing,

57:38and rumors claimed that the man had

57:40killed them. Someone immediately asked

57:42if he meant Kinoshida Rei. Another man

57:44began to speak disrespectfully, asking

57:47who Kinoshida Rei even was and

57:49suggesting he acted like a king. His

57:51friend quickly covered his mouth,

57:53hushing him in panic. He warned him that

57:55he would be killed too if that man heard

57:57him. After all, he said that man was the

57:59son of the North District 4 governor

58:01Kinoshida Rei. The scene shifted to a

58:03luxurious room. A young man lounged

58:06confidently while servants stood around

58:08him. He was the infamous Kinoshida Rai.

58:11A subordinate asked him when he would be

58:12departing. Rai smirked as he answered.

58:15He said that all the stages in North

58:17District 4 were under his control, so he

58:19would go whenever he wanted. To him,

58:21waiting in line was something only

58:22commoners did. He lifted his glass with

58:25a satisfied smile. After leaving from

58:27there, Itsuki opened the small ornate

58:29box, revealing a shining stone resting

58:31on a red cushion. As the three of them

58:34sat together beneath the shade of the

58:35trees, Itsuki looked at the stone and

58:37muttered that it was from that time.

58:39Hearing that, Commander Nento beside him

58:41asked if he had seen a karma stone

58:43before. Itsuki nodded and explained

58:45calmly. After defeating the disaster

58:47beasts inside the stage, something

58:49identical to this had dropped, but then

58:51he paused and added that there was a

58:53slight difference. He took out a green

58:54crystal. He stared at the one in his

58:56hand and said the color was green, but

58:58something about it wasn't the same.

59:00Hearing that, Choa's eyes widened in

59:02shock. She exclaimed that it was an

59:05intermediate karma stone appearing

59:06inside a beginner stage. She stepped

59:09closer, adjusting her glasses to take a

59:11look. Itsuki asked what exactly a karma

59:13stone was. Cha turned to him and began

59:16explaining. She reminded him that he had

59:18been a rookie. She said karma stones

59:20were also called experience stones. She

59:23explained that when a disaster beast or

59:24an awakened being died, karma or an

59:27invisible energy similar to experience

59:29points came from their corpse. Absorbing

59:31this energy increased a person's level.

59:34In other words, a karma stone was an

59:36object that contained karma. A figure

59:38glowing with energy appeared in her

59:40explanation, demonstrating how someone

59:42could use a karma stone to absorb the

59:44karma inside. She continued, saying that

59:46karma stones didn't occur naturally,

59:48which made the situation strange. Cha

59:51wondered aloud why such a stone had

59:53appeared in that stage. Beside her,

59:55Commander Nento quietly said it was

59:57probably because of Itsuki's gift.

59:59Hearing this, both Itsuki and Cha looked

1:00:01confused and asked again about the

1:00:03so-called gift. Commander Nento

1:00:05explained that normally the karma of a

1:00:08defeated enemy would be absorbed by the

1:00:09one who killed them. Yet, even though

1:00:11Tenma had defeated two disaster beasts,

1:00:14he never leveled up. That meant the

1:00:16karma had not been absorbed. He added

1:00:18that manifested karma never disappeared

1:00:20without a reason. He continued saying

1:00:22that if his speculation was correct, the

1:00:25karma of the disaster beast that

1:00:26attacked the school had been absorbed by

1:00:28the awakened individuals present,

1:00:30meaning the people standing there. He

1:00:31explained further that a stage was an

1:00:33enclosed space. Because Tenma was unable

1:00:36to absorb the generated karma and there

1:00:38was no other recipient inside, the

1:00:40leftover karma clumped together and

1:00:42formed a karma stone. Hearing this, Choa

1:00:44looked startled. She asked how Itsuki's

1:00:47stats increased if he truly could not

1:00:48level up. Hearing that, Commander Nento

1:00:51suddenly stood up and reminded Choa that

1:00:53an awakened person's gift was top secret

1:00:55and could not be disclosed. Startled,

1:00:57she apologized immediately. Commander

1:00:59Nento then turned back to Itsuki. He

1:01:02told him that he could choose whether to

1:01:03keep the karma stone or sell it. He

1:01:05added that he would be leaving soon for

1:01:07a commander-in-chief meeting of the five

1:01:08continents and that during his absence,

1:01:10Choa would look after him. Before

1:01:12departing, he said there were several

1:01:14things he wanted him to remember.

1:01:15Commander Nento spoke calmly as he

1:01:18listed out the rules. He told Kky to

1:01:20keep their relationship confidential,

1:01:22then added the second rule, never

1:01:24disclose his gift to others. The third

1:01:26rule followed. Ski had to clear at least

1:01:28six advanced stages before the teacher

1:01:30returned. A fourth instruction echoed

1:01:33after that. He told Ski to do what he

1:01:35believed was right without hesitation,

1:01:37promising that no matter what happened,

1:01:38he would be behind him. Hearing this,

1:01:40Izzky smiled with determination and

1:01:42answered, "Yes, teacher." At the same

1:01:44time, at North District 4, Flaming Rock

1:01:47execution ground, groups of students

1:01:50argued with suited guards blocking an

1:01:51entrance. One of them shouted that they

1:01:54had arrived first and demanded to be let

1:01:56in. The guards refused. They said the

1:01:58stage had been reserved by the Kenosha

1:02:00family's son, telling everyone to go

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

1:02:05yelled that having money didn't give

1:02:06someone the right to do whatever he

1:02:08wanted. Another pointed out that the

1:02:10privileged boy wasn't even there yet and

1:02:12insisted they should be allowed in

1:02:13first. Their frustration rose. One

1:02:16threatened to report the situation to

1:02:17the awakened guild, saying he didn't

1:02:19care who the rich kid was. But before he

1:02:21could finish, a dark figure with glowing

1:02:24red eyes appeared behind them, cutting

1:02:26off their complaints. In the next

1:02:28moment, a powerful attack blasted

1:02:30forward. The students were thrown aside

1:02:32as a muscular fighter struck with

1:02:33overwhelming force, scattering them in

1:02:35an instant. Another student rushed

1:02:37forward, attacking the muscular man. A

1:02:40sharp white arc cut through the air as

1:02:42it struck with full power. But the

1:02:43attack landed directly on the muscular

1:02:45man's body and bounced back, sending

1:02:47shock waves bursting outward. The impact

1:02:50echoed loudly across the ground. The

1:02:52blonde student watching from behind

1:02:53stared in horror. He muttered in

1:02:55disbelief that his B-rank skill,

1:02:57Earthspine, had not worked at all. The

1:03:00muscular man turned, his face shifting

1:03:02into a terrifying form with glowing red

1:03:04eyes and metallic markings. He shouted

1:03:06that the attack didn't hurt or even

1:03:08itch. The blonde student trembled. He

1:03:11thought to himself that earth spine was

1:03:12a technique meant to pierce anything. He

1:03:14wondered if the man in front of him was

1:03:16actually a monster. Before the student

1:03:18could react, the monstrous man lunged

1:03:20forward and grabbed him, his red aura

1:03:22flaring violently as he towered over the

1:03:24frightened student. The muscular man

1:03:27smacked the blonde students head. The

1:03:29blonde student slammed down violently.

1:03:31Blood burst from his mouth as his eyes

1:03:33rolled back, his body twisting from the

1:03:35impact. Around him, the spectators

1:03:37reacted in shock. They whispered that a

1:03:40level seven and a level eight student

1:03:41had been killed instantly without being

1:03:43able to defend themselves. They said the

1:03:45big guy was far too strong. Someone

1:03:48identified him as Oga Takuru, one of

1:03:50Kinoshittita's four pillars and a level

1:03:5212 gold elementalist. Hearing that, the

1:03:55crowd understood why things had turned

1:03:56out this way. Oka held one of the

1:03:58defeated students by the neck and warned

1:04:00everyone. He said he would not forgive

1:04:02anyone who tried to enter the stage

1:04:04without Ri's permission. If anyone

1:04:06resisted, he would treat them the same

1:04:07way he treated the two lying on the

1:04:09ground. The other students watched

1:04:11nervously as Takuru lifted the

1:04:12struggling blonde student off the floor.

1:04:14The blue-haired student remained

1:04:16unconscious beside him. Oga shouted that

1:04:18nobody should think about helping them.

1:04:20The group of bodyguards in suits stood

1:04:22nearby, laughing. One of them told Oga

1:04:25not to go too far because the trash was

1:04:27watching. Another warned that if he kept

1:04:29beating weak students, the teacher would

1:04:31hear about it. Their laughter echoed

1:04:33through the area. Oga only scoffed. He

1:04:36tossed the blonde student aside with a

1:04:38flick of his arm, showing no concern at

1:04:40all. The injured blonde student

1:04:42collapsed forward, but before he could

1:04:44hit the ground, Itsuki caught him. Blood

1:04:46dripped from the students nose as his

1:04:48body went limp in Itsuki's hands. Around

1:04:50them, the other students whispered in

1:04:52shock. One of them asked who the

1:04:54newcomer was and wondered why he didn't

1:04:56listen when they told him not to

1:04:58interfere. Another panicked voice said

1:05:00that a level zero person was definitely

1:05:02going to die. Someone else stared at

1:05:04Choa and muttered that the beauty beside

1:05:06him looked familiar. Not far away, Oga

1:05:09glared at Suki. He shouted that nobody

1:05:11was allowed to pass without Ri's

1:05:13permission. He warned that if Itsuki

1:05:15didn't want to end up like the

1:05:16unconscious student, he should just go

1:05:18home quietly. Hearing that, Itsuki

1:05:20lowered his head slightly. He calmly

1:05:22said that he understood he wouldn't be

1:05:24able to enter the stage unless he

1:05:26defeated this man. Beside him, Choah

1:05:28raised her hand, saying she would

1:05:30contact the North District 4

1:05:31administrator because this kind of

1:05:33behavior couldn't be allowed. But Itsuki

1:05:35stopped her. His eyes glowed bright blue

1:05:37as he said it wasn't necessary. He

1:05:39repeated what his teacher had told him

1:05:41that he should do what he believed was

1:05:42right without hesitation. He then turned

1:05:45to Cha again and spoke plainly. He said

1:05:47he would leave the treatment of the

1:05:49injured students to her. Then he turned

1:05:51to Oga. As Itsuki stepped forward, a

1:05:53thought appeared in Oga's mind. As he

1:05:55stared at him, he wondered who this man

1:05:57was. A status window floated beside

1:06:00Itsuki, showing his information.

1:06:02Tenmatsuki, human, level zero, fixed,

1:06:05job, order breaker, gift, special grade,

1:06:08skill undisclosed, status undisclosed.

1:06:12Seeing this, even though Itsuki was

1:06:14level zero, he stood firmly without any

1:06:16fear. Oga wondered if itsuki had a rare

1:06:18job that allowed him to stay calm like

1:06:20this. Oga suddenly felt something

1:06:22strange. Even with his higher level, he

1:06:25felt pressured. He told himself that

1:06:27rare job or not, he was 12 levels ahead.

1:06:30The stat difference shouldn't be

1:06:31something Atsuki could bridge. Another

1:06:33window appeared beside Oga, showing his

1:06:35status. Oga Teeru, human level 12. Job,

1:06:39elementalist, gift grade two. After

1:06:41metallization, defense plus 50% in

1:06:44stationary state. skill metalization

1:06:47status attack 110, agility 100, defense

1:06:51250, magic 145, total 605. As Oga

1:06:55stared, his expression changed. His eyes

1:06:58widened, and in the reflection of his

1:07:00pupil, he suddenly saw Itsuki rushing

1:07:03toward him at incredible speed. In the

1:07:05next moment, Itsuki's fist collided with

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

1:07:10sending a shock through the frame as the

1:07:11impact landed cleanly. The crowd watched

1:07:14in shock as two students stared ahead,

1:07:16sweat running down their faces. One of

1:07:19them exclaimed that the speed was unreal

1:07:21and wondered if Itsuki was really level

1:07:23zero. The other admitted that even

1:07:25though he was level eight, he wasn't

1:07:27sure he could keep up with that kind of

1:07:28movement. But as the dust settled, it

1:07:30was revealed that Itsuki's fist had

1:07:32struck Oga's metal head, sending steam

1:07:35rising from the impact. Oga had blocked

1:07:37the blow with his metalization skill,

1:07:39his face hidden behind the shining metal

1:07:41layer. Seeing this, Itsuki pulled back

1:07:44slightly, his eyes narrowing as he

1:07:46realized the strike had been stopped.

1:07:48Oga then raised both hands, his arms

1:07:50transforming completely into polished

1:07:52metal. He looked down at Itsuki and

1:07:54commented calmly that the speed was

1:07:56good. Then he moved and lunged forward

1:07:58with overwhelming force, shouting that

1:08:00Itsuki's attack still lacked power. The

1:08:02floor shattered beneath him as debris

1:08:04exploded outward. Itsuki braced himself,

1:08:07analyzing the situation in silence. He

1:08:09thought about what it would take to

1:08:11successfully land a surprise attack on

1:08:12an enemy above level 10. As his body

1:08:15blurred into motion again, he concluded

1:08:17that he needed to further increase his

1:08:19agility using Thunderbreaker. Just then,

1:08:22a system window appeared. The display

1:08:24showed Tenma Atsuki's status. It listed

1:08:27him as a human at level zero with a

1:08:29fixed job called Order Breaker. Nirvana

1:08:31gift, a special grade ability. His

1:08:33Nirvana skills were shown over misus zoo

1:08:36rank thunderbreaker love library you run

1:08:39black wall love library 2 on lotus burst

1:08:42love library 2 all of his stats attack

1:08:45agility defense and magic were listed as

1:08:47250 totaling 1,000 then another screen

1:08:51appeared it detected a c- rank skill

1:08:53metalization at the same moment over

1:08:56mimicus activated and began analysis the

1:08:59progress bar rose to 1%suki

1:09:01crouched on the ground watching his

1:09:03opponent. He wondered if the threat

1:09:05level was high enough for Overmus to

1:09:07activate. He decided he needed to get

1:09:09serious. A new screen showed the

1:09:11analysis increasing to 5%. Itsuki

1:09:14observed Oga's metal covered body in

1:09:16front of him and thought that normal

1:09:17attacks couldn't break through the

1:09:18metalized areas. He concluded he would

1:09:21have to aim for the parts that were

1:09:22still flesh. His foot slid across the

1:09:24ground as he accelerated. But Oga looked

1:09:27at him and laughed, calling him a

1:09:28weakling with no power or speed as he

1:09:30raised his shining hardened arms to

1:09:32counter. Itsuki tightened his gaze as he

1:09:34thought to himself that his opponent had

1:09:36let his guard down, believing that the

1:09:38speed Itsuki had shown earlier was his

1:09:40maximum. His expression remained calm

1:09:42and focused. A faint glow of blue

1:09:44lightning beginning to trace along his

1:09:46body. Lightning wrapped around him as he

1:09:48prepared to accelerate. He readied his

1:09:51fist and in that moment he decided to

1:09:53increase his speed using thunderbreaker.

1:09:55Across from him, Oga widened his eyes in

1:09:58shock when he saw the lightning erupt.

1:10:00He shouted in disbelief, wondering how

1:10:02Itsuki possessed the lightning element.

1:10:05Before he could react, Itsuki surged

1:10:07forward, lightning crackling violently

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

1:10:12wouldn't give him time to metalize.

1:10:14Itsuki continuously attacked Oga. Dozens

1:10:17of blue screens appeared around them,

1:10:19showing percentages climbing, 25%, 59%,

1:10:2366%, tracking the rapid progress of the

1:10:26attack. Spectators from the side watched

1:10:28in shock. One man asked why Itsuki could

1:10:31use skills from another job. Another

1:10:33said the speed was too fast for his eyes

1:10:35to follow. Someone else muttered that

1:10:36the level zero boy might actually defeat

1:10:38Oga. Oga himself struggled to react.

1:10:41Sweat ran down his face as he realized

1:10:43he had no time to metalize. He gritted

1:10:46his teeth, questioning how a level zero

1:10:48could move so fast. Desperation grew

1:10:50inside him as he admitted that at this

1:10:53rate he would lose. Electricity wrapped

1:10:55around his entire body, trapping him. He

1:10:58couldn't even scream. Panic overtook him

1:11:00as he shouted in his thoughts for the

1:11:02others to stop watching and help him. As

1:11:03the lightning surged around him, Oga

1:11:05clenched his teeth. His expression

1:11:07twisted in desperation, and he thought

1:11:09to himself that he had no choice left.

1:11:11He would have to try that technique.

1:11:13With a loud shout, he suddenly tore off

1:11:15his shirt and released a burst of power.

1:11:17Waves of force exploded from his body as

1:11:20he activated his ultimate skill. Before

1:11:22Itsuki, Oga's entire body turned

1:11:24metallic from head to toe. Itsuki stared

1:11:27in shock, realizing that his opponent

1:11:29had managed to metalize his entire body

1:11:31at once. A system window flickered

1:11:33beside him, showing C- rank skill.

1:11:35Metalization analysis progress 88%. Oga

1:11:39glared down at Itsuki with glowing eyes.

1:11:42He said he was grateful he had never

1:11:43managed to metalize his entire body

1:11:45before, but Itsuki had pushed him enough

1:11:47to finally achieve it. He explained that

1:11:49metalized areas increased his defense by

1:11:5150%. And his personal gift added another

1:11:5450% whenever he remained still. With

1:11:56both effects combined, his current

1:11:58defense exceeded 500. His face twisted

1:12:01into a cruel grin as he looked at Its

1:12:03Suki. He said that he had originally

1:12:05planned to cut Itsuki in half. But his

1:12:07thanks for helping him complete his new

1:12:08skill, he would at least allow Atsuki to

1:12:10die easily. Watching from the sidelines,

1:12:13the other trainees were stunned. One of

1:12:15them exclaimed that a defense over 500

1:12:17at level 12 was impossible to break.

1:12:20Another admitted that they had thought

1:12:21the level zero newcomer would win, but

1:12:23the opponent was too much of a monster.

1:12:25Suddenly, a glowing blue aura wrapped

1:12:28around Atsuki. He looked ahead with calm

1:12:30eyes and said that if his guess was

1:12:32right, a full body metal transformation

1:12:34required a large amount of magic. The

1:12:36screen beside him showed the analysis

1:12:38reaching 98%.

1:12:40Itsuki continued, saying that if Oga had

1:12:43used most of his stat points on defense,

1:12:45then his magic shouldn't be very high.

1:12:47The percentage rose again, reaching 99%.

1:12:51Across from him, Oga growled and denied

1:12:53it, calling Itsuki's reasoning nonsense.

1:12:55Even while refusing to believe it, he

1:12:57wondered if Itsuki was truly level zero.

1:12:59Surprised by his sharp intuition, Itsuki

1:13:02kept his relaxed smile. He said he

1:13:04wouldn't bother using a boring tactic

1:13:06like draining Oga's magic down to zero.

1:13:09Instead, he declared he would finish the

1:13:11fight quickly. At that moment, the blue

1:13:13screen flashed. Analysis progress

1:13:15reached 100%. High above, a blue

1:13:18lotus-shaped aura began to bloom. Choa

1:13:21watching whispered that the lotus had

1:13:23appeared again and realized that its ski

1:13:25was about to become even stronger.

1:13:27Others stared at the giant lotus forming

1:13:29around him. One man questioned if this

1:13:31lotus was really a level zero skill.

1:13:33Another wondered howitzky planned to

1:13:35defeat Oga since it didn't look like an

1:13:37offensive technique. A notification

1:13:39window appeared. The analysis of the

1:13:41metallization skill was complete and a

1:13:43new skill called clear orb had been

1:13:45acquired. Another window described the

1:13:47skill clear orb level one. Active

1:13:50effect. It shoots a perfect sphere along

1:13:52a fixed path. The sphere travels at 1

1:13:55meter per second and pierces through

1:13:56every enemy in its path while ignoring

1:13:58all defense. Passive effect. Every time

1:14:01an enemy with higher defense than the

1:14:03user is defeated with clear orb. Seeing

1:14:05that this new skill had defense ignored,

1:14:08Itsuki thought that if he hit with this,

1:14:09he could definitely deal damage. But the

1:14:12problem was flight speed. At one mans,

1:14:14even ordinary people could dodge it, so

1:14:16timing was crucial. But then Itsuki

1:14:19thought that against that sandbag Oga,

1:14:21who wouldn't even move. He didn't even

1:14:22need to think about timing. Itsuki's

1:14:25eyes glowed blue as he looked at Oga and

1:14:27declared that Oga's prized absolute

1:14:29defense would be thoroughly smashed to

1:14:30pieces. Just then, a system window

1:14:33appeared displaying, "Clear or B,

1:14:35believe or one acquired. All stats plus

1:14:3810, remove all debuffs, and fully heal

1:14:40injuries. status. Attack went from 250

1:14:43to 260. Agility from 250 to 260. Defense

1:14:47from 250 to 260. Magic from 250 to 260.

1:14:50Total stats from 1,00 to 1040. The blue

1:14:53lotus petals opened as Ittsuki stood in

1:14:55the middle, pointing his finger at Oga.

1:14:57Right above his finger, a small lotus

1:15:00flower appeared. As the lotus spun and

1:15:02bloomed, Itsuki told Oga to now try to

1:15:04dodge this. A system window displayed

1:15:07that clear orb has been activated.