We both assumed our fighting stances. The training hall grew tense, and a sudden silence fell over the room. Eirin was given a healing potion by Mr.Miller, and both of them watched our stances intently.
The spar didn't need a referee, as it had already begun the moment we both assumed the fighting stance.
"Since this is just a little sparring match, I'll give a handicap to save my dignity, of course. What would people think if I fought a newbie without giving him some advantage? As for the handicap, I'll let you have the first three attacks," the chairman reassured.
"I guess I'll have to go all out from the start."
"That's even better for you," the chairman said with a smirk.
I released all of my mana at once, enveloping the entire training ground in an invisible aura as the pressure descended. Everyone present felt an oppressive force, like a heavy weight bearing down on them. Everyone, except the chairman and Ethan, showed visible strain.
"So that's why Ethan had me wait for a moment before coming here," I thought, noticing the ring on Ethan's left hand.
"An artifact, huh." Artifacts, as the name suggests, are different from the items dropped when a monster is killed. An artifact is a gadget developed by humanity, using dropped items as raw materials. They're forged by brilliant awakeners who possess unique skills related to smithing.
Now, humanity has been able to create artifacts tailored to their needs, but it requires immense resources. As a result, only high-ranking hunters or wealthy individuals can afford them.
"Only awakened for a few days, and you have such a monstrous amount of mana. Please tell me, what's your unique skill—or rather, how many skills do you have?" the chairman asked in a loud tone, his face growing stern and serious.
"There wouldn't be any fun in that, would there, chairman?"
"I suppose not," chairman answered.
I lunged with full speed, creating a sonic boom that made a dent in the sturdy training ground. The chairman's face broke into a smile as he saw my visible excitement.
I appeared near him in an instant, delivering three punches consecutively, believing on my speed. But I was vastly wrong. The chairman dodged every punch with the slightest movement, and that's when I realized I had missed my only chance.
Just as I was about to land the fourth punch, he vanished. I couldn't even sense where he had gone. Before I could react, he appeared behind me, his fist clenched and ready to strike.
In that brief moment, I tried to block his punch by crossing my arms in an X-shaped position. But before I could even complete the movement, his fist collided with my head.
CLANG!!!
A high-intensity, sharp noise echoed, followed by the sound of an explosion, caused by the force of his punch.
"So, that's the power of an S-rank hunter, huh? But sorry to say, Chairman, not impressed," I said in a calm voice, standing there like a mountain as if nothing had happened.
"I knew you wouldn't be impressed by this much. Well, it's been a while since I unleashed this much power," the chairman said, releasing a monstrous amount of mana that enveloped the entire training hall in a crimson hue, faintly visible to the eye.
When a person absorbs an awakening stone, all the stats are fixed except for mana. Mana is the only stat that can vary depending on potential. For example, if a person has mana nearing the hundred thousand mark, they would invest their stat points in intelligence, causing their mana to increase from that point onward. This is how hunters' ranks are determined—by the amount of mana they awaken with initially.
Having a huge chunk of mana comes with a clear disadvantage: the time it takes to recover. However, the chances of a person having large reserves of mana like one hundred thousand are incredibly slim—like one in a billion. This cleared my suspicion that the chairman was that person, a one-in-a-billion type.
Our auras clashed fiercely, each one fighting for dominance. This confrontation clearly showed that the chairman possessed a vast mana pool. Both of us wore determined looks in our eyes.
We both lunged at each other, but the chairman was faster. He reached me before I could even get close. I tried to punch him, but he dodged it with ease.
"How can he have all-around stats, and his mana is as vast as mine?" I thought, confused by his power. "Maybe I don't know enough, or maybe he hasn't shown his full hand. Either way, he clearly surpasses an average S-ranker, and there's a possibility he could be hiding even more."
We continued exchanging punches, with most of the time me taking the hits as he dodged mine, relying on his superior agility. Our punches caused intense gusts of wind.
"Boy, I must commend you for your extraordinary resilience," the chairman said, raining punches down on me.
"Stop holding back, chairman! Your punches just tickle me!"
"Is that so? Then take this!" He shouted, gathering his power into a punch.
"Now it's showtime."
He punched me with considerable force, but at that exact moment, I caught his punch. The force of it created a hurricane-like gust within the hall.
"Surprised, aren't ya?"
The chairman's eyes widened in shock. I took a punching stance, raising my fist and gathering my power into a single, powerful punch.
"It seems that I underestimated you. Let me correct my mistake," the chairman said with a calm smile. I was once again left confused, wondering why the chairman was smiling.
Suddenly, all the mana that had been emitted from the chairman's body retracted back. Then, his punch, which I was holding in my hand, began to harden as its color shifted to black, as if it were being coated with black hot iron. His eyes changed to crimson.
The chairman effortlessly retrieved his hand from my grip, as if a small child were holding onto him, not me. Then, suddenly, a black-colored aura erupted from his body and began to concentrate around me. I felt my strength draining from my body.
"Mr. Chairman, stop!" Mr. Miller cried out loudly. I turned my gaze to him, only to find him holding the unconscious body of Eirin. His own condition was no better, struggling to maintain his own consciousness.
As I was examining the whole scene, I saw the chairman make a slight movement while standing in place. But suddenly, I felt like needles were piercing my body as my consciousness began to fade away.
"How?!!!!"
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Enjoy....