章 39: Chapter 39: Another D-Rank Skill

Ethan faced Drake with a determined expression.

The air was charged with tension as the crowd of clan members watched closely, eager to see the outcome of this unexpected duel.

"Ready?" The instructor's voice cut through the silence.

Ethan nodded, his focus unwavering. Drake smirked, clearly confident in his abilities.

"Begin!"

Drake moved first. To Ethan surprise, Drake completely vanished from his view. Ethan seemed confused as looked around to find his trace. But, it was futile.

"Uh!"

Exactly at that time, his passive skill [Predator's Instinct(E)] kicked in, and dodged in the nick of time where a fist landed with metal gloves worn on.

"Phew!" Ethan felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead. It was really a close call. If he had been a little late, his face would have been directly hit by Drake's fist. The metal gloves in his hand looked very sharp. It will definitely leave scars if he gets hit by it.

"Hm..You dodged it?"

Drake looked surprised, not expecting him to dodge his signature move. He had used his Inherent Assassination Skill [Shadow Void Step(E)], expecting to defeat Ethan with one swift move, but the other party dodged it somehow. It should have been impossible to do it, unless Ethan had a more counter effective skill in his arsenal.

Ethan looked at the Instructor and said, "Instructor, you said no weapons are allowed. Then, what about his metal gloves?"

The Instructor stared at him and answered coldly, "It is allowed." He said nothing else. No explanation. It was obvious, he was playing favourites.

"At least, explain the rules at first, man." Ethan grumbled.

He moved back his attention to the duel, where Drake looked a little more serious than before.

"I never thought you could dodge that. But no matter, I am just getting started," Drake said gathering his confidence.

"Okay, come at me." Ethan replied interested to witness his skills more.

.....

While they were prepared to start their real battle, a beautiful woman in long violet dress appeared in the training field from the corridor.

She leaned on the wall to watch the duel with interest. A few seconds later, Astrid Silvermoon, Aria's uncle also appeared by the woman's side.

"Dear, what are you watching?" he asked the woman in violet dress.

"Our Son." she smiled, her eyes charming.

"See, he is dueling that commoner boy from earlier," she replied with a beautiful smile.

"Oh." Aria's uncle's interest piqued and began watch the duel alongside his wife.

"Who do you think will win?" The woman asked curiously.

"My Son, of course." Aria's uncle replied confidently. He was confident about Drake's victory.

"It's our son, dear. Not only yours." She revealed proud smile.

Aria's uncle gazed lovingly at his beautiful wife and said, "Yes."

....

Ethan knew that he couldn't confront Drake face to face as his base stats were higher compared to him. So, he decided to strike fast before Drake could get the chance to attack once again.

He activated [Muscle Enhancement(E)], [Enraged(E)] buffing his stats as much as possible, then he cast [Inferno Leap(D)] targeting where Drake stood.

With a thunderous fire energy he landed on the ground, however Drake disappeared in the air once again before his attack could even touch him.

The hard stone ground remained intack, as if some kind of magical enchantment engraved on it. However fiery ashes spread nearby turning the spectators back away from the platform a little.

"Mmhm..That's a good destructive skill alright. Don't you think dear?" Aria's Aunt asked, impressed by strange skill Ethan displayed.

"Yeah, That skill is a little strange indeed. I have never seen this kind of skill in our city. Where did this boy get it from? It's really a mystery."

They were not worried about their son at all, because they knew he will be alright. They had confidence in their son's ability.

"Haha..." Drake emerged from the void, looking unharmed, a playful smirk on his face...

He appeared right behind where Ethan was, to counterattack Ethan by surprise.

As Drake was about to attack using his [Shadow Strike] skill targeting Ethan's weak points. If it hits surely Ethan have to be bed ridden for a while.

However, once again his [Predator's Instinct] kicked in, saving him by a hair's breath once again. It was acting as nemesis for Drake's [ Shadow Void Skill ].

Moreover, Drakes Shadow Void Step skill was at low level, so it was rather easy for Ethan to detect them. Otherwise, Ethan would've been great danger. It was a very formidable skill of the Silvermoon Clan after all.

"Again..!" Drake seemed to be angered by Ethan's defensive skill.

"Fine.. I will show you what true Power is." He said fiercely while looking at Ethan with hate.

Ethan prepared himself after hearing his threat. From his tone, Drake was going to fight Ethan head on now. So, he had to be extra careful.

Ethan activated his buff once again, ready face what's coming ahead.

"Rock Giant's Fortification(D)!"

"Assassin Fury (E)!"

Drake activated a skill, and his body became tough as a hard rock. His body glistened with soft glow of power. Then, the second skill made him look more deadly, increasing his power significantly.

At level 26, Drake should have 3 active skills, however his inherent skill, Shadow Void Step added another, making it 4. From this, it could be said he was undeniably talented.

His transformation was a little startling to Ethan, he found it hard to deal with. He wasn't sure if he could evade this time.

He had only two skill to counterattack. One: Inferno Leap (D), another: Paralyzing Breath (E).

He was unsure of Paralyzing Breath's effect on this enraged monster in front of him.

"Looks like it was finally time to create another D-Rank skill," he thought, finding it the only option.

He commanded to synthesis (Enraged(E) + Muscle Enhancement(E) in his mind.

"Ding!"

[ Congratulations! Your skill synthesis was succesful ]

[ Your skill evolved to: Berserker's Might (D) ]

[ Berserker's Might: Unleashes the user's latent power, drastically improving their strength and defense by 500% while in a frenzied state. Use 50 Mana /Second ]

[ Drawback: After usage, User will fell in a state of weakness for 15 minutes ]

"Nice!" Ethan found the skill very useful, leaving aside the small drawback. However, it could be critical in other times on the dungeon, but not this time.

It was perfect skill what he need right now—to fight head on with a D-Rank powerhouse.

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章 40: Chapter 40: Collision Of Rage Skills

Seeing Drake charging at him like a unstoppable bull, Ethan hurriedly activated his newly evolved skill [Berserker's Might]. His eyes turned red, feeling a primal rage from deep within, increasing his power by a notch. He felt almost invincible, even though it was just a illusion.

His strength increased tremendously. Each of his steps caused the hard stone ground to crack a bit. Even the magical enchantment was beginning to lose its effect.

Drake's eyes widened slightly as he sensed the surge of power emanating from Ethan. The other clan members watching from the sidelines murmured in astonishment, taken aback by the sudden display of raw strength.

Ethan didn't wait for Drake to close the distance. He lunged forward with explosive speed, his fists glowing with power. With [Berserker's Might] enhancing his physical capabilities, he felt an almost supernatural force behind his movements.

Drake, despite his rock-hard transformation, barely managed to block Ethan's first punch. The impact sent a shockwave through the training ground, causing a few spectators to stumble back. Ethan didn't let up. He followed with a rapid series of strikes, each one fueled by the primal rage coursing through him.

Drake attempted to counter with a powerful swing of his own, but Ethan's heightened senses and reflexes allowed him to dodge and weave effortlessly. It was clear that the tables had turned, and the once-confident noble was now on the defensive.

"Impressive," Drake's mother whispered to her husband, her eyes fixed on the intense battle. "That commoner boy is more powerful than I thought."

Aria's uncle nodded, equally surprised. "Indeed. He's no ordinary opponent. Otherwise, why would General Leon choose him?"

Ethan pressed his advantage, using the full extent of [Berserker's Might]. He could feel the strain on his body, but the rush of power was intoxicating. He knew he had to end this quickly before the skill's effects wore off.

Drake, recognizing the shift in power, stomped hard on the ground spreading shockwaves nearby. The ground shook, and a wave of force radiated out from him, causing Ethan to stumble.

Drake seized the opportunity, launching a counterattack with renewed vigor. He threw a punch with his rock-hardened spiky fist, landing a solid hit on Ethan's side. The impact was like being hit by a boulder, and Ethan felt the air rush out of his lungs.

Ethan gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. He had one last move to play. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, he prepared to use his last card of collision.

"Inferno Leap!"

With a roar, Ethan leaped into the air, flames trailing behind him. He targeted Drake, who stood his ground, bracing for impact. The two collided with explosive force, the flames of Ethan's attack engulfing them both.

The clash was booming, shaking the entire training ground. Spectators shielded their eyes from the blinding light and scorching heat. When the dust settled, both Ethan and Drake lay on the ground, battered and burned but not severely injured.

Ethan struggled to move, his body aching all over because of weakness state. He had given everything he had in that final attack. He looked over at Drake, who was equally injured but still conscious, his rock-hard transformation cracking and crumbling away.

Drake's father, Astrid Silvermoon, rushed forward, his face a mask of concern. He knelt beside his son, carefully lifting him. "Drake, are you alright?" he asked, his voice trembling with nervousness.

Drake coughed, wincing in pain. "I'll be fine, father," he managed to say. "Just a little... Burned."

Astrid looked up at Ethan, his expression hard to decipher. "You're a formidable opponent, Ethan. My son has learned a valuable lesson today." he said nothing else.

Ethan nodded weakly, barely able to keep his eyes open. The pain was overwhelming, and he felt his consciousness slipping.

Aria ran to Ethan's side, her face pale with worry. "Ethan! Stay with me!" she cried, gently lifting his head. "You're going to be okay. Just hang on."

With the help of other clan members, Aria carefully lifted Ethan, supporting his weight as they moved him to a more secure location. She could see the extent of his injuries and knew he needed immediate medical attention.

As they left the training ground, Drake's mother approached her husband. "That boy is so strong, are you sure Aria and the boy should not be together?," she asked softly. "Perhaps, he would be the next Transcendental of our kingdom? I am not belittling my son, or anything. It's just, you see that boy's level, barely 10. And he had such power and mysterious skills."

Astrid nodded. "Yes, he has potential. But It's not for me to decide alone. Aria's father needs to decide for himself, then the elders."

Aria led Ethan to the mansion's infirmary, where the clan's healers quickly began tending to his wounds. She stayed by his side, her heart aching at the sight of him in such pain.

"You did it, Ethan," she whispered, holding his hand. "You proved yourself today."

Ethan managed a weak smile, his eyes fluttering open. "Thanks, Aria," he said softly. "I managed somehow." Although, he realized he had overdone it a little. The skills drawback was taking a toll on his body, as if each cell had gone out of energy.

The side effect of Berserker's Might kicked in, making him feebly weak.

Aria squeezed his hand gently. "Rest now. You need to recover before you could anything else."

As Ethan drifted into a much-needed sleep, Aria sat beside him, her thoughts racing.

Meanwhile, back in the training ground, Drake was being carried away by his father. The pain of his injuries was a stark reminder of his defeat, but it also fueled his resolve. He would train harder, become stronger. He would not be bested again. At the same time he felt a little admiration growing for the commoner boy who defeated him.

"Ethan, was it? We will meet again soon." Drake murmured looking back at the training ground.

Although the winner was not clear, it was a defeat to him as he was in advantage from the Start.

As the clan members dispersed, the echoes of the fierce battle lingered in the air. It was a day that none of them would soon forget.

The result of the battle spread throughout the clan mansion leaving everyone awestruck. They couldn't believe that one of their genius had been defeated by a commoner brat. On top of that, he was just at level 10.