The moment the attack clashed against the earth-forged beast, a shockwave exploded outward, sending debris and crackling energy in all directions. The force of the impact was unimaginable, shaking even the high pillars where the other geniuses stood.
However aside from a deep scar where his slash landed the lightning dragon was up and charging towards him once again.
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It had only slowed down slightly, a few shallow scratches marring its hardened, lightning-infused exterior.
’It’s very durable.’
Max’s eyes gleamed as he adjusted his stance, shifting his weight slightly, his sword held backward but high at a precise 45-degree angle.
He exhaled slowly, calming his thoughts.
Instead of releasing the raw, untamed energy into another chaotic attack, he did something different.
He let the power—Fusion State aura, Lightning Aura, and Space Aura—flow into his body instead of outwards.
The energy coursed through him, surging wildly like a raging storm, but Max didn’t resist it.
He redirected it.
When the energy finally returned to his sword, it carried something new—momentum.
Not just raw force. Not just destructive might.
Momentum so strong it could make anything unstable.
The very air around him trembled, vibrating unnaturally.
The Lightning Dragon charged forward, but in that moment—
Max swung his sword down.
A single, simple, calming strike.
It wasn’t flashy.
It wasn’t wild.
But it carried a weight, a silent force, like the slow descent of a falling star—inevitable, unshakable, absolute.
"Drag Sword!"
For a brief moment, everything fell silent.
The battlefield, once filled with the roars of the Lightning Dragon and the crackling energy of destruction, became eerily still.
Even the colossal beast itself—mid-charge, surging with unrestrained power—had frozen in place.
Then—
Shhhk!
Without a sound, a single, perfect cut ran through its massive body.
And in the next instant—
The Lightning Dragon was sliced clean in half.
From head to tail, its massive form split apart, both halves falling away in slow motion. The brilliant arcs of lightning that once surged through its body faded, dissipating into thin air.
What remained of the dragon—the earthen husk that had formed its structure—crumbled as it met the ground, its sheer existence erased in a single stroke.
Max exhaled slowly, lowering his sword.
His eyes flickered with thought as he examined the blade in his hand.
’A technique is truly stronger than anything else.’
He recalled how Divergent Slash, despite its power, had only managed to leave a deep scar on the dragon’s body. Yet this new technique—Drag Sword—had split it apart completely, erasing it from existence in an instant.
It wasn’t just about raw power. It was about precision, control, and intent.
’A technique condenses everything into a single point, whereas my Divergent Slash is just a mass of energy… it needs more refining.’
Max’s thoughts were clear as he shifted his gaze to Veylin, whose face was now ashen, lifeless—like he had lost his very soul.
With an air of calm dominance, Max spoke.
"Anything else you have?"
His voice carried no arrogance, no mockery—just pure certainty.
But Veylin didn’t respond.
Because he couldn’t.
His mind was completely blank, his thoughts shattered like fragments of broken glass.
The technique his father had given him, the one he had always believed in, the one that was supposed to turn the tides in his favor—had been destroyed.
His father’s words echoed in his mind:
"If you ever find yourself in a battle where victory seems impossible, with no hope of winning, use this technique. Perhaps it will change the tides, or maybe… it will allow you to be reborn."
But neither had happened.
He didn’t change the tides.
He wasn’t reborn.
He simply lost.
For the first time in his life, Veylin tasted defeat.
"He lost."
Bruce let out a sigh, his eyes fixed on Veylin’s defeated expression.
But while Veylin’s loss was shocking, what truly unsettled him was Max’s unwavering calmness, the effortless confidence he exuded even after crushing a Peak Adept Rank opponent—while still being just Level 7 of the Apprentice Rank.
That wasn’t just talent.
It was monstrous.
"Hehe… Hahaha!"
Laughter suddenly erupted, breaking the tension.
Crown Prince Aelric.
His wild grin stretched ear to ear as he tapped his holowatch, recording Veylin’s blank, soulless expression for the world to see.
"I never thought I’d get to see such a pathetic side of Veylin. This is a moment worth capturing!"
Then, as his gaze shifted back to Max, his eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"Max might just become the leader of the Valora Continent’s geniuses when we enter the Lost Continent."His voice was lighthearted, but there was a weight behind his words.
"We’ll need someone like him in our ranks this time."
That sentence alone sent waves of shock through the gathered geniuses.
Standing atop their respective pillars, the strongest prodigies of the Valora Continent exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from disbelief to deep contemplation.
Veylin—the son of the most feared man in Valora’s history—had lost.
And not just lost.
He was completely overpowered.
And the one who did it?
A boy barely above fifteen years old, still in Level 7 of the Apprentice Rank.
It wasn’t just shocking.
It was unprecedented.
Once this news spread, the entire Valora Continent would tremble under the weight of Max’s name.
His fame would skyrocket, reaching even the most remote corners of the continent.
Because this wasn’t just any battle.
This was Max defeating Veylin—the son of the Young Monarch, the most feared and notorious figure in Valora’s history.
The Monarch was infamous across the world, known for all the wrong reasons. And the Young Monarch?
He was the one person everyone feared the most.
To defeat the son of such a man in an open battle—
That wasn’t something just anyone could do.
And Max?
He hadn’t just defeated Veylin.
Before this, he had already fought against and nearly crushed the strongest geniuses from all five regions of Valora Continent.
At this point, whether he liked it or not—
His name would spread. His fame would soar.
And soon, the entire continent would be watching him.
"Wait! Look at Veylin… Something is happening to him." Bruce suddenly shouted drawing everyone’s attention to Veylin’s odd transformation.