Chapter 67
After Galos strode more than a dozen paces forward, some of the Protégés furrowed their brows,
and their attention was drawn to his gait. His presence was formidable, and yet there was a deft
quality to it that went unnoticed.
vin braced himself, his own aura climbing as he, too, noticed the oddity in Galos'' steps. Was this
a pattern of Combat Magic?
Carlys lit the candle, waved her hand, and signaled. "Begin."
With a cold smirk, Galos suddenly leaned forward mid-stride as if stumbling, about to fall, but then
he exploded forward like an iron arrow released from a fully drawn bow, lunging at vin with his
aura surging, conjuring three phantom images in rapid session.
The crowd gasped in amazement. Not only was vin momentarily dazed, but the thousands of
Protégés around also felt a bizarre sensation of their vision being disced.
Galos appeared swiftly beside vin, his movement unfathomable, as he struck with both palms.
"Lightning Burst!"
Lightning converged in his palms, and before even touching vin, it exploded, sending arcs of
electricity scurrying in all directions, the blinding light and thunderous roar overwhelming. His first
strike was meant to weaken vin''s vision and hearing.
vin, startled but not scattered, thrust himself backward with arge flip, avoiding the attack by
more than ten meters.
Galos locked his focus on vin, swift as a raging wind, relentlessly pursuing him. His palms struck
continuously with ''Lightning Burst'' erupting from his hands, thunder and light echoing through the
arena. Many Protégés hastily covered their ears and shut their eyes, their faces twisted in agony.
The battle had begun with fervor, igniting the entire assembly.
"Lightning Lances. Thousandfold Edge!" Galos gave a piercing cry, leaped from the ground and
shot diagonally into the sky. His body crackled with extreme surges of electricity that detached and
shot like dense, sharp needles, blinding in brightness, all aimed at vin.
vin somersaulted on the spot, his feet, elbows, and torso powering up all at once like a
compressed spring suddenly released. Amidst gasps from the crowd, he sprang upwards five
meters high, executing an exaggerated flip in mid-air, retreating significantly and narrowly evading
the barrage of lightningnces.
Hundreds of electric sparks missed their mark, striking the dueling tform and scattering stones
and dust.
vinnded steadily, but before he could rise, Galos broke through the dust, closing in with speed
and footwork so incredible, it was as if he were a swift, venomous serpent, causing many Protégés
to watch with anxious hearts.
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"How long can you dodge? Thunder Fist!"
As Galos brushed past vin, he swung his tightly clenched right fist with tremendous force. The
aura looked impressive as all the electricity in his body converged on his fist. In the blink of an eye,
it formed a ''gauntlet'' around his heavy punch, with lightning dancing wildly and light so bright it was
near impossible to see. It would blind vin and fill his vision with light, leaving him unable to resist.
vin''s brows were tightly knit, and without thinking, he closed his eyes and tensed his whole body,
muscles bulging. He prepared to take the full brunt of the Thunder Fist rather than hastily meet the
imminent impact head-on.
In the final moment, Galos altered the direction of his heavy punch from a direct hit to the face to a
heavy blow to the abdomen.
It was a tactic; he had feigned a strike to the face, using the burst of light to blind his opponent,
making it difficult to see the trajectory and forcing vin to react instinctively. vin would likely
raise his fists in defense and inadvertently neglect other areas. A change in the direction of the
punch at this moment would undoubtedly be a devastating blow.
Galos sought exactly this effect, honed from continual battle experience.
Boom! Crack!
The Thunder Fist struck vin''s abdomen. The brutal electricity tore through his clothing and flesh
alike. vin was sent flying, tumbling gracelessly. His chest roiled with blood, and a spurt of fresh
blood was expelled before he even hit the ground. However, since his body was tensed and braced
for a heavy blow, the injury was not that severe. Moreover, his constitution was exceedingly strong,
the Restoration Mantra having forged his physical strength to near perfection.
"Not bad, you can take a hit," Galos said, somewhat surprised that the punch had not been as
effective as he anticipated. With a snort ofughter, he attacked again, giving vin no chance to
catch his breath. He intended to win with absolute superiority andplete domination, leaving
vin powerless to retaliate.
"That''s brutal! Is he trying to cripple vin?"
"He''s going straight for the kill. It''s too obvious."
"vin''s tough as nails. He can take a beating, ha!"
"Quite the spectacle, vin is full of surprises."
Some eximed in shock, while others sighed in awe, all watching with hearts racing.
"Celesse, I''m worried," Carlys said, sweating on behalf of vin.
Celesse, however, remained calm. The fight had only just begun, and vin was not going down
that easily.
"That''s the Blink Sprint!" Someone in the crowd identified the source of Galos'' speed.
"Blink Sprint? No wonder." Niks and others frowned deeply. Was this part of the special training
Galos learned from the Grand Elder? It seems he taught Galos the elusive Tier-2 Novicebat
technique, Blink Sprint—a magic not found in the Sanctum of Mystical Scrolls, but in the Grand
Elder''s personal library, typically only passed on to Protégés he deemed worthy and trusted. Blink
Sprint was incrediblyplex and not to be practiced alone, as a misstep could cripple one''s legs; it
required the Elder''s strict guidance to be mastered sessfully.