The hall felt different when Zane stepped in. He was lean, almost unassuming, with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor that screamed confidence. His Circle of Pillars glowed faintly on his palm, seven pillars shining, S-rank, a level Nova couldn't even fathom yet.

His own circle had three pillars: D-rank, earned through relentless training. The itch in his palm flared, sharp and insistent, but Nova pushed it down, gripping his daggers tighter.

Marcus stepped to the side, his voice quieter now, "Five minutes. No lethal strikes. Zane, go easy on him, and you, Nova, survive."

Zane smirked, his stance relaxed. "Let's see what you've got, newbie."

Nova didn't wait. He lunged, daggers slashing in a tight arc aimed at Zane's chest. A faint echo of footsteps sounded to Nova's left, but Zane was still in front of him. Echo Step. The distraction nearly cost him.

Zane sidestepped, moving faster than Nova's eyes could track, and a fist grazed Nova's jaw, sending him stumbling. The itch in his Circle of Pillars burned, but his focus didn't waver. He rolled, dodging a follow-up kick, and hurled a dagger at Zane's shoulder.

The dagger sailed through empty air as Zane vanished, another echo of footsteps ringing from behind. Nova spun, parrying a strike from Zane's short blade, the clash sending tension across the mat.

Zane's movements were fluid, almost lazy, but every step left faint sound echoes, footsteps, rustling cloth, even a fake grunt, which completely and utterly threw Nova off. He gritted his teeth, his instincts telling him to adapt fast, otherwise he was a gooner.

Nova feinted a high slash, then dropped low, aiming for Zane's legs. Zane stepped back, but an echo of his laughter sounded to Nova's right, pulling his attention for a split second. That was enough for Zane's blade to nick Nova's arm, with blood dripping to the mat.

Nova grinned at the pain, since this was what he wanted. His Circle of Pillars irritated him again, but he ignored it, suppressing it as much as he could, lunging forward with a flurry of slashes.

Zane deflected each one effortlessly, his Echo Step creating a symphony of false sounds, footsteps circling Nova, a fake blade clash to his left, a whispered taunt behind him. Nova's head spun, but he forced himself to focus on Zane's real movements, watching his shoulders, his hips, anything to predict the next move. He ducked a swing, countering with a spinning kick that grazed Zane's side.

"Not bad," Zane said, his voice calm. "But you're still too slow."

Zane's speed doubled, and his blade pressed for the attack. Nova parried desperately, his daggers moving on instinct, but Zane's Echo Step made every strike a gamble. A fake footstep pulled Nova's guard left, and Zane's real blade cut across his thigh, shallow but stinging.

Nova staggered, blood soaking his pants, but his eyes burned with determination. The itch in his Circle of Pillars was unbearable now, like fire under his skin, but he pushed through, his determination unwavering, as his palm irritated him yet again.

He screamed, channeling every ounce of his training. He sprinted forward, daggers weaving a deadly pattern: silat spins, and kali traps with kenjutsu precision. Zane matched him, but Nova's unpredictability grew.

He hurled a dagger to Zane's left, using the echo of its flight to mask his real attack, a low slash at Zane's knee. Zane dodged, but the blade grazed his calf, drawing a line of blood like cocaine. The hall went silent, even Marcus's eyes widening.

Zane laughed, a sharp, genuine sound. "You're full of surprises."

The duel intensified. Nova's body screamed, cuts bled, muscles burned, lungs reached their limits, but he didn't stop. His Circle of Pillars pulsed; each time it itched, it was a reminder of his limits, that he had to break down.

He dodged a barrage of strikes, Zane's Echo Step creating a rhythm of false sounds, but Nova started to see through it, catching the subtle tells in Zane's stance. He countered a thrust, twisting his dagger to lock Zane's blade, and kicked at his shin, forcing Zane to step back.

Marcus watched, his usual smirk gone, replaced by something like awe. Nova was a D-rank, yet he was pushing an S-rank to react, to adapt. It wasn't just skill that came into play; it was the raw, unyielding will of someone who put his life always on the line: life or death, nothing in between.

Nova's vision blurred, exhaustion creeping in, but he refused to yield. He flipped backward, gaining space, and hurled both daggers in a spiraling arc. Zane deflected one, but the second nicked his shoulder, another shallow cut. The S-rank's eyes narrowed, his casual demeanor fading. He surged forward, forming a barrage of strikes against Nova, creating false illusions of sound.

Nova took hits, cuts on his arms, a bruise blooming on his rib, but he kept moving, kept fighting. His Circle of Pillars burned, and the annoyance in his palm was so intense it felt like his hand might split open.

But he ignored it. Not wanting such a tiny thing to waver his focus against such a good opponent. He slid under Zane's blade, slashing upward, and landed a clean hit on Zane's forearm, making his blood drip on the mat now. Zane let out a grunt, stepping back, and for a moment, the two stood still, panting, staring at each other.

They continued to fight, Nova grunting about ninety-nine percent of the time, passing his limits constantly, as faint cracks in his body rippled, scaring Elesch and Adam, though just putting a grin on Nova's face. They battled beyond the five minutes, which even Marcus had forgotten about, going on for another ten minutes, before Marcus checked the time.

"Time!" Marcus called, his voice cutting through the tension. The duel was finally over.

Nova collapsed to one knee, blood dripping, chest rising and falling stridently. Zane sheathed his blade, a faint smile on his face. "You're something else, kid. I haven't bled like that in years."

Marcus stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Nova with awe. "Zane wins. But Nova you fought much better than I had anticipated, your spirit, your will to win. Magnificent."

Nova looked up, wiping blood from his lip, a tired grin spreading. "Good enough."

Elesch and Adam rushed to his side, helping him up. Elesch's voice was quiet but proud, "You're insane, you know that?"

Adam chuckled, still nursing his own bruises. "Yeah, and I thought I was reckless."

Marcus approached, his expression unreadable. "Nova, check your hand."

Nova glanced down at his palm, where the Circle of Pillars fully emerged from the shadows. His heart skipped a beat. The outer and inner circles were closer than before, the three pillars sharper, more defined.

But something else caught his eye, beyond just earning another pillar, making him a C-rank Adventurer, another faint glow of a pillar emerged, which darkened in a couple of seconds, making him skip C-rank and jump straight into the paradise of B-rank.

Marcus's voice was low, almost a whisper, flabbergasted as he said: "That's not supposed to happen."

Nova stared at his hand, the itch fading away as the two new pillars lingered, terraforming themselves to be brighter. He'd pushed himself beyond his limits, beyond what anyone thought was possible.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.