The room seemed to shrink around us as the tension thickened.
Dorian Grant, the former S-Rank hunter, watched me with calm, measured eyes. He had barely moved, yet the force of his strike had carved a crater into the reinforced floor where I had just been standing.
Leon let out a low whistle from the sidelines. "Damn. That was close, Ryzen."
I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders. My body thrummed with adrenaline, but I wasn't worried.
Dorian relaxed his stance slightly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Not bad. But I hope that's not
I grinned. "I was about to say the same thing."
I shifted my weight slightly—then vanished.
Phantom Dash.
In an instant, I was behind him, my fist already in motion. The sheer speed of my movement left a distorted afterimage, giving the illusion I was still in my original position.
Dorian's instincts, however, were razor-sharp.
BOOM!
He twisted at the last moment, blocking my punch with a single forearm.
A shockwave burst outward from the impact, rattling the walls of the chamber.
For a split second, I met his gaze. There was no surprise, no alarm—just quiet assessment.
Then he retaliated.
His knee shot forward like a cannon, aiming for my ribs. I barely managed to react, twisting my body midair and using Phantom Dash again to reposition.
I reappeared three meters away, landing smoothly.
Dorian lowered his leg, his expression unreadable. "Your reaction time is excellent. But you hesitate."
I raised an eyebrow. "Hesitate?"
"You held back on that strike." He flexed his arm, rolling his shoulder. "I've seen countless A-Rank hunters try to take me down. They all make the same mistake—you're playing safe."
I smirked. "Or maybe I just don't need to go all out yet."
Dorian's lips curled slightly. "Is that so?"
The air changed.
BOOM!
An immense pressure slammed into the room as Dorian released his aura.
The weight of it was suffocating—like standing at the bottom of an ocean, the crushing force threatening to bring me to my knees.
Leon gritted his teeth from the sidelines. "Shit… He's serious now."
I clenched my fists. This was different. The difference between A-Rank and former S-Rank wasn't just power—it was the sheer dominance of their presence.
But I wasn't the same hunter I used to be.
I took a slow breath, and then I released my own aura.
BOOM!
The entire room shook.
The oppressive force pressing down on me shattered, replaced by a deep, dark presence. A presence that was no longer just my own—it was the Abyss itself.
Dorian's eyes widened for the first time.
Selene, who had been watching silently, took an unconscious step forward.
I rolled my shoulders, my smirk widening. "Still think I'm playing safe?"
"Now we're talking."
And in the blink of an eye—he attacked.
The moment Dorian moved, the entire room distorted.
His sheer speed ripped through the air like a thunderclap, a black blur closing in on me before my mind could even process the motion.
He's fast. But so was I.
I flickered out of existence, reappearing just as his fist tore through my afterimage. The force of his strike obliterated the spot I had been standing in, sending cracks splintering through the reinforced ground.
BOOM!
Dust and debris exploded outward.
Dorian pivoted almost instantly, his movement seamless—no wasted motion. His foot lashed out toward my ribs, a blur of pure force.
This time, I didn't dodge. I blocked it.
CRACK!
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through my arms, but I held my ground. My enhanced physique absorbed the force, my boots scraping against the floor as I slid back slightly.
Dorian's eyes flickered with intrigue. "Interesting."
He pressed forward, his attacks relentless. Each strike was precise, meant to overwhelm me—not a single unnecessary movement. He wasn't just throwing punches.
I twisted, ducking under a vicious right hook. My instincts flared—Predator's Instinct calculating my next move before I even thought about it.
I countered.
My fist lashed out in a sharp, controlled motion.
Dorian barely had time to react before my punch connected with his abdomen.
BOOM!
The sheer force sent a shockwave blasting outward. The room shuddered, walls groaning under the pressure.
Dorian skidded back a few meters, his boots grinding against the floor.
Silence followed.
Leon's jaw dropped. "No way…"
Selene's eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
Dorian exhaled slowly, straightening. He patted his stomach once, then looked at me. "Not bad, but I'll end this now."
Dorian exhaled slowly. The smirk on his lips faded, replaced by something else—focus.
Heat crackled in the air, a pressure so overwhelming that for a brief second, the entire chamber felt suffocating.
Leon's expression darkened. Selene's fingers twitched slightly, her battle instincts flaring.
Dorian's voice rumbled—low, steady.
"You're strong, Ryzen. Stronger than I expected." His gaze sharpened, filled with something primal. "But how will you handle this?"
His muscles coiled. Mana surged through his veins, twisting into something far more ancient than mere magic.
[Draconic Ascension: First Form]
The moment those words left his lips, the battlefield changed. A storm of golden energy erupted around him.
His body expanded slightly, his frame becoming leaner yet more refined—raw power coiling beneath his skin like a caged beast. His veins shimmered, his pupils narrowing into slits.
His hands—no, his claws—flexed, sharp like tempered steel. His nails gleamed like obsidian talons.
The air vibrated with his presence as a dragon was awakening.
My instincts screamed a warning.
I barely had time to react—
BOOM!
Dorian vanished in an explosion of force.
Not teleportation or illusion. Just a pure, unparalleled speed.
THWACK!
Something slammed into my ribs.
I didn't even see it coming.
A force like a battering ram sent me hurtling backward, my vision blurring from the sheer velocity. The impact cracked the reinforced walls, my body denting the stone.
Pain flared.
For the first time in a while…I felt genuine damage.
I exhaled sharply, pushing myself up, ignoring the ache in my bones.
Dorian wasn't done. His silhouette blurred, already preparing his next attack.
His voice came like a whisper carried by a storm.
"Second Form—Draconic Mirage."
Three afterimages split from his form. All of them radiating the same power. All of them moving in perfect sync.