Zephyr stared at the black-haired boy across from him.
Power surged through his limbs like wildfire. The scales across his body pulsed as if alive.
It's been a month since he got that system window.
It was plain and simple.
[Your Special Ability Could Be Evolved]
He remembered blinking at the words.
No details. No manual. Just a feeling. As if something ancient had been waiting inside him all along.
He accepted it without much thought back then, curious to see how strong it could be.
This wasn't a normal skill.
This was a transformation.
As soon as the evolution was completed, it altered him.
His bones became denser. His skin could stop blades.
And now that he'd fully activated it—
He was no longer just a normal human.
He was something more.
Something closer to a true dragon than a man.
His golden eyes turned crimson. Twin horns curved from his skull like a crown.
Golden runes lit up along his arms and shoulders, humming with some forgotten energy.
He stepped forward, his voice low. "Let's get serious… shall we?"
But his pulse quickened.
That aura… it wasn't just power. It was pressure. Like the air itself had decided to weigh more.
Intermediate Adept level—at least.
Which means this isn't just Draconic Descent anymore.
He loosened his grip on the katana and his aura shifted in response.
[Spirit Domain] flared—every sound sharpened, his senses expanded around him.
Then came [Eyes of Supreme].
Veins, energy flow and muscle tension—he saw everything.
And yet… he didn't activate [Limit Breaker].
Zephyr's strength was terrifying, but Alden had fought monsters worse than this.
What mattered now was control.
Zephyr wasn't supposed to have a Supreme Ability. So, this version of him was a lot stronger than how he was supposed to be in the novel.
Still, Alden wasn't nervous.
If anything a wide smirk similar to Zephyr's appeared on his face.
Let's see. How much you can push me to my limits, Zephyr?
Alden's knuckles tensed on the hilt.
The air cracked as Zephyr vanished from sight.
No warning. No charge-up.
Just raw, terrifying speed.
Alden's eyes darted wildly, trying to track the movement of blurs circling him like a predator teasing its prey.
Fuck. Why's he moving so fast?
Even with his [Eyes of Supreme] active, he was having difficulty keeping up.
He felt a shiver from his back.
Something behind him.
He turned on instinct, his blade flashing up to block—only for Zephyr's fist to dissolve on contact.
Before the thought finished, a thunderclap rang out.
Alden's vision shifted sideways as pain exploded a second too late across his ribs.
His body flew—airborne, weightless and useless.
He didn't care about the impact—he'd taken worse.
But then he saw the shadow above him.
This motherfucker—at least let me hit the ground first!
But this time, Alden was ready.
His shadow beneath him twisted unnaturally—stretching like liquid.
Just before Zephyr's strike landed, Alden's shadows swallowed him whole—
He reappeared ten feet to the side, sliding back with perfect balance.
Zephyr's fist smashed into the ground where Alden had been, exploding the earth beneath with a dull shockwave.
Dust and debris scattered.
"Tch." Zephyr snapped his gaze toward him, his red eyes glowing faintly.
Alden wasn't breathing hard yet. But his grip had changed.
He knew now—this wasn't about trading blows. Zephyr was stronger than he had initially thought.
Let's see how you deal with this…
He activated [Limit Breaker.]
A dull pulse rippled through his muscles. His mana channels widened. Strength, speed and reaction time all surged—just by a minor level but it was enough.
Then he moved using his footwork technique [Dance of Chaos].
He kicked off the ground—but not straight.
His movement became erratic, like a drunkard walking across the battlefield.
His afterimage shot left.
Then another behind it.
Zephyr's gaze flicked from one image to the next, his eyes narrowing.
This bastard was fast but even dragons couldn't hit what they couldn't predict, right?
Alden twisted mid-motion and appeared above Zephyr, a flash of black steel in his grip.
He slashed diagonally.
A black crescent of chaotic energy erupted from the blade.
Zephyr crossed his arms to block—
The arc slammed into him, blowing him back across the battlefield with a thunderous crash.
Grass and dirt exploded in every direction.
How do you like that?
He dashed again—no hesitation.
Shadows curled around his ankles as he surged forward.
His footsteps were chaotic.
Zephyr stood amid the debris, his arms smoking but grinning.
He stomped once—his scales darkened.
"You hit harder than I expected, Big Brother."
Alden's mouth twitched at the mockery.
He jumped through the shadows again, appearing right beneath Zephyr's blindspot, his blade sheathed and posture low.
He murmured under his breath.
A single step. A blur of motion.
A strike so clean, the air didn't even catch it.
Zephyr turned, but too late. A line appeared across his chest—his scales cracked, blood flowing slowly.
Alden stood behind him, his katana lowered. "…You're not invincible."
Zephyr growled as he looked at the slash—but his grin only widened. "You really are worth fighting."
His mana surged again.
Alden's eyes narrowed.
He's still hiding more.
In the real world, inside the VR room—silence.
Not a single whisper.
The students watching were frozen, their eyes glued to the massive holographic screen.
Half of them couldn't even track the movements anymore. The figures flickered, vanished and reappeared like phantoms.
It had only been five minutes since the duel began. But it already felt like they were witnessing something legendary.
Even the second- and third-year students—those usually too proud to care about first-years—stood with mouth wide open.
What they saw defied reason.
This… this wasn't a spar.
They couldn't sense the mana through the screen, but they didn't need to. The aftermath of every strike—the shockwaves and the craters—spoke volumes.
Just raw, terrifying talent.
And a single, undeniable thought echoed in every student's mind—
They weren't watching students anymore. They were witnessing forces of nature collide.