The only sounds in the sparring room were Akira's labored breathing and Imzar's controlled, steady breaths. The two men, bruised but resolute, faced each other with unwavering determination. The air was thick with tension, the kind that only exists when two warriors push each other to their limits.
Captain Imzar smirked, his voice calm but laced with a hint of approval.
"Not bad, kid. You've got the ability to match that arrogance of yours. I'll give you that."
Akira, panting heavily but grinning through the pain, wiped the sweat from his brow. His dark eyes glinted with a fierce resolve.
"I told you," he said, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "I'm not here to be underestimated."
Imzar's expression shifted, his eyes turning cold as he launched himself at Akira with blinding speed. Akira's reflexes, though sharp, weren't quick enough this time. Imzar's fist connected with Akira's stomach with a dull thud, the impact reverberating through the room.
Akira gasped, doubling over as the force of the blow sent his sword clattering to the ground. He clutched his stomach, the pain radiating through his body. For a moment, everything went dark.
"Damn it," Akira thought, his mind racing. "This isn't just a sparing anymore. I can't lose here. Not now."
His eyes blazed with anger as he straightened, his fists clenched at his sides."Fuck this," he muttered under his breath.
With a roar, Akira's fist shot forward, every ounce of his strength behind it. The punch landed square on Imzar's jaw, the sound echoing like a cannon blast. The force of the impact sent Imzar flying backward, slamming into the far wall with a deafening crash. The wall dented where he hit, and Imzar dropped to one knee, coughing and spitting out a trace of blood.
Imzar's eyes widened in shock and anger as he glared at Akira."You... damn brat! Were you holding back!?"
Sylara, who had been observing the fight with a composed demeanor, was now visibly startled.Her violet eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, her voice sharp with disbelief."What... was that punch?"
Akira shrugged, his grin widening as he glanced down at his sword lying at his feet. He made no move to retrieve it."I don't need a weapon for this," he said, his voice calm but laced with confidence. "I'll end this fight with my fists."
Akira launched another relentless barrage of fast, attacks. This time, Imzar met the assault by gritting his teeth and unleashing his skill.
Imzar Arathiel screamed,"Burst Fisting Blow!"An invisible shockwave erupted from Imzar's clenched fist, striking Akira mid-charge. The force lifted him off his feet and sent him flying across the room.
Akira crashed into the ground, but he quickly rose to his feet, brushing dust from his shoulder with a mocking smile."What the hell ?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Imzar glared, his voice firm."My skill, Burst Fisting Blow. It launches punches with the same power as my fists from every direction within a 20-meter radius. It's an fine skill, but it drains too much mana. I can't believe I had to use it against you."
Akira chuckled, his mocking smile widening."Oh, that's why."
Imzar frowned, his annoyance growing."What?"
Akira shrugged casually."It's an amazing skill, don't get me wrong, but... I was wondering why those blows felt so weak. Turns out, the base power of that skill comes from your punching strength. Now it makes sense."
Imzar's face tightened, his eyes narrowing as irritation creased his features."Don't get cocky, kid! I'm just getting started!"
Without hesitation, Akira surged forward, his movements a blur of speed and precision. Imzar gritted his teeth, meeting Akira's assault with his own skill and determination. But Akira's attacks were relentless, each strike faster and more powerful than the last.
"My body now that it warmed up... it feels incredible, Akira thought as he dodged another of Imzar's punching skill. "Stronger than ever. It's like Soul Infusion is already active, even though it's not. Is this how much I've grown since the last dungeon?"
Akira's grin widened as a new thought crossed his mind."I want to test my power. I want to know... no, I need to know how strong I'll be with Soul Infusion active."
With a swift kick to Imzar's stomach, Akira created some distance between them. He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he focused."Soul Infusion," he declared, his voice resonating with power. "ACTIVE!"
In an instant, Akira's dark eyes turned pale, glowing with a radiant white light. A faint silver aura flared around his body, the air around him growing heavier as his energy surged. The room seemed to dim as arcs of white lightning crackled around him, illuminating him in an otherworldly glow.
Cha-Jong's eyes widened in panic as he took a step back, his mind racing.
"No... damn it. Is it happening again? Did the other one come out?"He shook his head, his thoughts racing. "No... wait. This is different." His instincts screamed at him, but the overwhelming aura radiating from Akira felt... controlled.
Cha-Jong couldn't sense the chaotic, monstrous energy he'd feared. Instead, there was a raw, focused power—one that felt distinctly like Akira."His magic power... I can't feel it too clearly like that time , but something tells me this isn't that monster. He's still... Akira."
Sylara leaned forward, her violet eyes narrowing as she studied Akira's transformation. Her voice was low, tinged with incredulity."Where did you find him?" she asked, turning to Cha-Jong. Her tone was sharp, demanding an answer."Where did you find... such a kid?"
Cha-Jong scratched the back of his neck, his expression a mix of pride and disbelief as he watched Akira."He found me, actually," he admitted. "Used the StarNet to form a party with my raid team.That's how I got to know him."
Sylara's gaze intensified as she turned back to Akira."Interesting," she murmured. "I thought he might be a Warrior type, but his agility—" She paused, her voice trailing off as she watched Akira move. "—far surpasses any Warrior of his level I've seen."
Her attention sharpened as Akira's aura shifted again, the air around him crackling with energy. The room dimmed slightly as the arcs of white lightning grew more intense, illuminating Akira in a radiant glow.
Sylara sat upright, her violet eyes narrowing as she leaned forward. Her voice was low, tinged with surprise and disbelief."Lightning?" she murmured, her tone sharp with curiosity. "An Elemental Controller? A Mage?"She shook her head, her expression bewildered. "No… that doesn't make sense." Her gaze lingered on Akira, her mind racing to piece together the puzzle. "Is this what he's been hiding?"
Her thoughts turned inward, her sharp instincts sensing something unusual. What's going on with his mana? I can feel only a little ,yet the way he moves—there should be so much more. Hidden, perhaps? Or is it something else entirely?
Cha-Jong furrowed his brows, his thoughts racing as he watched Akira."How is he managing this? He struggled against the Minotaur in that double dungeon, even with our support, and when he fought the vampire, he was the only one left standing. But even then, she was clearly toying with him—if she'd wanted to, she could have killed him in seconds. Yet now… he's holding his own against Captain Imzar?"
The mood in the room shifted as Akira closed the distance between himself and Imzar in a flash, his aura growing more oppressive by the second. In one swift motion, Akira reached out and grabbed Imzar by the neck, lifting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing. The fight became even more heated as Akira unleashed a flurry of bone-crushing punches onto Imzar's body.
Imzar's eyes widened in realization, his voice strained as he struggled against Akira's grip."No! You damn brat—you won't win this easily!"
Imzar's aura flared wildly as he prepared to unleash his final, devastating attack. But before he could, Sylara's voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding."Imzar! Stop this instant! What do you think you're doing?"
Imzar hesitated, his attack faltering as he glanced at Sylara. But Akira's grin only widened, his voice dripping with confidence."Let him," Akira said, his tone challenging. "I'll take his strongest attack and still defeat him."
Sylara stood up, her voice a roar of authority."A NO IS A NO! Stop now!"
Imzar froze, his attack dissolving as he stepped back, frustration evident in his clenched jaw. He exhaled heavily, lowering his weapon and bowing his head."I lost," he admitted, his voice steady but tinged with reluctance. "You've won."
Akira's voice was firm, satisfaction evident in his tone."How's that for an impression?"
Sylara slowly clapped, her violet eyes glinting with approval."Impressive, Akira. Simply... brilliant.You've most definitely earned a place among the Outside Agents."
Cha-Jong moved closer to Akira, relief washing over his face as he grinned broadly."You did it, Akira."
Akira nodded, his lips curling into a satisfied smile."Thanks."
Sylara turned to Akira, her tone businesslike."That's all for today. I'll prepare the formalities to make you an Outside Agent of our guild. For now, I'll be contacting you through Cha-Jong with a raid or something involving some of my people. You may later team up with your preferred team, raid dungeons with them, or go alone—so long as it's something within the guild's reach."She waved toward the door."You can go."
Akira nodded curtly."Understood."
Sylara turned to Cha-Jong, her voice softer now."You stay a bit. I need a word with you."
Cha-Jong nodded, smiling at Akira."See you at home, Akira."
Akira gave a small wave as he exited the room, leaving behind a stunned silence. The air was thick with wonder and curiosity, the kind that follows a display of power no one expected.
Captain Imzar stood in stunned silence, his fists clenching and unclenching as he muttered to himself."How… how did this happen? I should've gone all out."If I had… he wouldn't have had a chance."
Sylara approached Imzar, her expression unreadable but her violet eyes sharp. "Even if you had unleashed your full strength, Captain, I doubt the outcome would have changed. It would have only been different if you had gone in with the intention to kill him, but this was just a sparring match." She crossed her arms, her tone firm. "His speed is far beyond what you could have matched today."
Imzar exhaled heavily, his voice shaking with frustration."I underestimated him." He shook his head, his pride clearly wounded. "His speed... it was incredible. I didn't think someone so young like him—"
Sylara interrupted him, her voice calm but firm. "Imzar, that's enough. Go, I need to speak with Cha-Jong."She then glanced at him, her tone shifting slightly as she added, "His speed, the way he closed the gap so quickly... he's not bad at that aspect."
Imzar ducked his head, his pride clearly wounded."Understood," he said stiffly before turning and exiting the training hall, leaving only Sylara and Cha-Jong behind.
Sylara took a long, measured breath, her sharp gaze now fixed on Cha-Jong. The playful air she often carried was replaced by a seriousness that made even the seasoned Star shift slightly under her scrutiny."I have a question for you, Cha-Jong, and I want you to be honest about it."
Cha-Jong raised an eyebrow, a cautious smile playing on his lips."Of course Guildmaster. What's on your mind?"
Sylara took another step closer, her voice low but firm."Is thus Akira, by any chance, related to the Pride of Korea—the great inventor who revolutionized dungeon technology, Shiro Shoto?"
Cha-Jong froze for a second, his eyes widening in surprise.
"What?" he forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow