I mischievously said to Alec while he’s under my right foot and lying flat on the ground.
The weight of my foot pressed against his chest, keeping him pinned.
His eyes were wide, they became unfocused for a second, as if his brain was still trying to catch up with what just happened.
I looked down at him, and just from his face alone, I could already tell— he’s shocked and confused.
I noticed his brows twitched, and his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
Well, I’d be like that too if I were in his position. Imagine working hard on a technique, perfecting it for who knows how long, only for someone to counter it the very first time they ever see it. It’s not just a loss— it’s a slap in the face.
’Though, the only reason I managed to counter it at all is because I have a skill that’s perfect against it... and I already know basically everything about spatial barrage.’
And I was also lucky, I wasn’t sure I can stop Alec’s skill, to be honest... As a matter of fact, I could feel my heart rate still rising from stopping his skill, the adrenaline still rushing through my veins.
Still, it’s surprising. Alec wasn’t supposed to invent [Spatial Barrage] until the second major event in the novel.
And right now, the first event has just ended.
’Did I cause this? Or was it the Higher Beings messing with things again?’
I wondered inwardly, my eyes narrowing slightly. My mind started connecting dots, trying to figure out if my interference in this world had shifted the events.
’Maybe his motivation to train shot through the roof after realizing he has another competition to prepare for?’
I’m talking about myself, of course.
If that’s the case, then that sudden drive might’ve pushed him to improvise and create the technique way earlier than he did in the novel. A small ripple in events, turning into a bigger change down the line.
I’ll just stick with my own conclusion. Either way, this change is a good one. I could already imagine how much stronger he’ll be when the bigger events come.
And from the way things have gone so far, I’ve already gotten a good read on Alec’s strength. He’s definitely stronger than his "novel" version at this point in time.
Stronger... and definitely much, much stronger than me. His raw stats alone made him a monster. If I didn’t have the knowledge from the novel, I’d be defeated by him already by now.
The only reason it looks like I have the upper hand right now, even though Alec has better stats...
Is because I know him.
I know every skill he has. I know his techniques, his attack patterns, his openings, and his bad habits. Even the way his shoulders shift before he throws a punch— it’s all predictable to me.
On the other hand, Alec doesn’t know a single thing about me.
He doesn’t know my strength, my fighting style, my skills, my techniques— nothing.
He doesn’t even know my rank, since he doesn’t have an appraisal skill as of now.
Plus, Alec’s not fighting with all his power. He always holds back some energy, saving it for long battles. That’s just his nature— always thinking about what comes next, never blowing everything at once.
While me? I’m using everything I’ve got, squeezing every last drop of strength out of my stats without a care in the world for my stamina.
’If I collapse from exhaustion in this fight, I won’t die. So why bother holding back?’
Anyway, I could feel my muscles already screaming a little from how much I’d been pushing them, but I ignored it. Pain was secondary. Winning was priority.
Unlike me, Alec never actually trained in proper hand-to-hand combat.
’He just throws punches and kicks when he feels like it.’
If he had studied a real fighting style...
I’m sure this match would’ve been flipped on its head. I’d be the one lying here with his foot on me, and he’d be the one smiling. The thought alone was annoying enough to make me push harder.
’I bet after this fight, Alec will train twice as hard. Maybe he’ll even take hand to hand combat seriously and learn some proper techniques.’
With that thought in mind, I lifted my right foot up.
And aimed a stomp straight for his chest! My leg came down with all the weight I could put behind it, air rushing past my calf.
But the second my foot came down, Alec vanished!
The ground took the full force of my stomp instead, the impact creating a sharp crack on the arena floor. Fragments of concrete shot out from under my heel.
’He’s probably going ot use spatial barrage again...!’
I guessed instantly, scanning the space around me.
’Not that it’s gonna work on me.’
’[Thought Acceleration]’
I activated my skill, and this time, I didn’t hold back on the output!
The world slowed down for me. The sound of the impact behind me faded into nothing.
Everything around me froze, like time itself had stopped.
Even my own body felt sluggish, as if I became a stone statue . Every movement took effort, every twitch of a muscle was deliberate.
Seconds passed, at least in my perspective— before I finally sensed it.
It was faint at first, like a ripple through water, but it was growing stronger, and it felt familiar.
’So you’re planning to hit me from my left, huh.’
I channeled lightning and wind into my mana, flooding it through my body. Sparks danced across my skin for a moment before vanishing, the power sinking deeper into my muscles.
Every muscle. Every tendon. Every single cell.
I reinforced all of it.
The strain was instant, but my body finally responded, letting me move in this frozen world.
Slow as a turtle, sure, but everyone else looked like they were moving slower than snails!
I twisted my whole body to the left...
And there he was— Alec’s form gradually taking shape, just inches away from me.
’Even in this slowed world, I’m only slightly faster than him...’
If I’m a turtle, then Alec is a sloth.
I drew my right fist back, already knowing where his head would appear.
I threw my punch with everything I had, my knuckles cutting through the frozen air where Alec will appear!
(Raven predicted it using his skill, .)
And the instant my fist shot forward— I finally deactivated .
The impact rang through my arm, traveling up to my shoulder.
Alec was sent flying several meters back, rolling hard across the ground before skidding to a stop with a deep, sliding scrape!
But I didn’t even get the chance to enjoy it.
A groan escaped my lips as I clutched my head, forcing myself to stay standing up.
My body ached all over. My lungs burned from the constant movement.
It felt like someone had cracked my skull open and was squeezing my brain as hard as they could with bare hands! Every heartbeat made it worse, pounding inside my skull!
’Fuck... even though [Thought Acceleration] is an amazing skill, I can’t use it to its full potential yet.’
The strain on both my body and my mind is ridiculous! That’s why I avoid using it unless I have no other choice.
But right now? This is a practice match. A perfect chance to push myself and see what I can really do.
’So there’s no need to hold back.’
If I don’t use it, I’ll just lose to Alec’s [Spatial Barrage].
I boosted , forcing the trait to ease the weight and pain on my mind.
Then I looked toward the spot where Alec landed.
Dust still hung in the air, swirling lazily in the sunlight, hiding him from view.
His groans were faint, but still there.
Then just seconds after—
The dust began to clear...
And there he was— standing again, his face set in determination.
Alec’s stance was solid, shoulders squared, fists raised, eyes locked onto me.
’Man... he’s really tough. The protagonist is really something, huh ’
I smiled despite the throbbing pain in my head.
"Then let’s see who’s gonna last longer between us."
I mumbled to myself and raised my guard again, feet shuffling into position. My pulse quickened again.
The air between us felt heavier now.
The next exchange might actually decide everything.
’Ugh, fucking hell... My head still hurts as fuck!’