Child of Destiny

Swoosh!

As the thick cloud of dust and smoke finally receded, everyone could see the scene at the center of the battlefield.

Both combatants had been left in a miserable state after the devastating collision.

At first glance, Owen appeared almost unharmed. His sturdy armor remained largely intact, showing very little visible damage.

However, his actual condition told a completely different story.

Owen was currently kneeling on one knee, breathing heavily as he struggled to recover.

As a Knight, he possessed tremendous defensive capabilities, including an enormous Health Pool, powerful physical defenses, and high Magic Resistance.

But all of those advantages had been pushed to their limits by the previous collision.

His HP Bar had fallen to less than a quarter of its maximum value.

The massive bar continued to hover dangerously close to empty as Owen desperately tried to catch his breath.

On the other side, Heartless Dream wasn’t in much better condition.

Despite his overwhelming physical strength and incredibly tough body as a Desert Barbarian, the previous collision had still inflicted severe damage.

The repulsive force generated by Owen’s defensive capabilities had rebounded directly onto Heartless Dream, causing the backlash to explode against his body.

Unlike Owen, Heartless Dream didn’t wear armor over his upper body.

That was one of the distinctive traits of his Ascended Race.

However, that didn’t mean his defenses were weak. His physical durability was still comparable to that of other naturally sturdy classes such as Knights, Warriors, and Berserkers.

Even so, compared to Owen’s specialized defensive capabilities, Heartless Dream was still at a disadvantage.

Because of that, the backlash from the previous collision had dealt even greater damage to him.

Yet Heartless Dream’s Class and Race possessed another characteristic.

The worse his condition became, the stronger he could become.

It was similar to the Berserker Class, whose combat power increased as they suffered more injuries and lost more blood.

Because of this, Heartless Dream’s battered appearance didn’t necessarily mean that he was at a disadvantage.

In fact, from the perspective of the spectators, Heartless Dream seemed to have emerged slightly better from the previous exchange.

”Tsk! If only I could use my stronger buffs,” Owen clicked his tongue as he slowly pushed himself back onto his feet.

His body swayed slightly as he struggled to regain his balance.

Most of his powerful trump cards were still on cooldown after the previous raid against Fortress Master Donato.

That left Owen at a considerable disadvantage, especially against an opponent wielding a Legendary Weapon.

However, Owen didn’t make any excuses. Instead, he focused on what he had accomplished.

At the very least, he had achieved the objective he had been aiming for.

He had forcibly interrupted Heartless Dream’s accumulated momentum and inflicted serious damage in the process.

More importantly, he had reset the battle.

All the momentum Heartless Dream had spent so much effort accumulating was gone.

The fight had returned to its starting point.

”Let’s start Round Two!” Owen grinned before taking out a Master-Rank Health Potion and gulping it down.

Swoosh!

The potion’s effect immediately spread through his body, rapidly restoring his massive HP Bar until it returned to full.

Owen rolled his shoulders before tightening his grip around his weapons.

Across from him, Heartless Dream also took out a Health Potion.

However, unlike Owen, he deliberately used a potion with a slightly inferior grade, letting his HP Bar restore only half of his total Health Points.

A faint, almost savage grin appeared on his face.

He had deliberately chosen not to restore his remaining Health Points.

After all, maintaining a lower Health Pool allowed him to retain the additional Stat Bonuses he gained from his Class and Race.

”Come!” Heartless Dream beckoned Owen forward with one hand.

Bang! Bang!

At almost the exact same moment, the two combatants kicked off the ground and rushed toward one another.

Both immediately activated their signature combat techniques once again.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Heartless Dream used the same strategy as before, relying on his Legendary Combat Technique, Dance of the Golden Hammer, to generate more momentum with every exchange and gradually increase his combat power.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

However, Owen had changed his approach as well.

This time, he took the initiative and deliberately engaged in more direct exchanges, using his round shield and heavy mace to repeatedly clash with the rotating Legendary Hammer.

But unlike before, Owen wasn’t simply trying to withstand or redirect the force of his opponent’s attacks.

He was using every collision to accumulate momentum of his own.

’Legendary Combat Technique: Divine Combo’

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Unlike Heartless Dream, who primarily relied on the rotation of his massive weapon and the centrifugal force generated by every swing, Owen followed a different path.

He absorbed the majority of the force generated by each collision and allowed it to travel through his entire body.

And rather than dispersing that force, he redirected and compressed it before channeling it into his next attack.

Every clash became fuel for the next strike. And every movement of his body became part of the technique.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

His body, weapons, and accumulated momentum worked together as though they were a single weapon. And with every collision, Owen’s attacks became heavier.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two continued clashing at an incredible pace.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The deafening sounds of their weapons colliding reverberated throughout the canyon, while the resulting shockwaves continued tearing apart the surrounding terrain.

Neither side was willing to give the other enough space to build an overwhelming advantage.

...

Meanwhile, Shin and the others had already moved to a safer position atop one of the canyon walls.

Shin glanced at Samael before asking, ”Kid, what do you think?”

”Eh!?” Samael was caught off guard by the sudden question.

He had been so focused on the battle below that he had almost forgotten that Shin was standing beside him.

Fortunately, he quickly recovered and began thinking about the answer.

He knew Shin wasn’t asking whether the battle was exciting or whether the two god-level experts were strong.

There had to be another meaning behind the question.

’Big Brother Sickarius must be asking me about the difference between this battle and mine.’ Samael immediately recalled his previous duel against Black Soul.

He thought about the way both fights had developed.

After a moment, he finally answered. ”They... aren’t using that many Skills or any powerful moves during their exchanges.”

Shin nodded slightly. ”And?”

Samael continued thinking. ”They’re relying more on their Combat Techniques and basic attacks?”

There was still a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Shin couldn’t help but smile beneath his mask. ”Why do you think that’s the case?”

Samael fell silent once again.

He recalled everything he had learned from his battle with Black Soul.

The excessive Skills he had used. The defensive abilities he had burned through. The tempo he had gradually lost. And the countless moments when he had reacted instead of taking control.

After connecting those lessons to the battle before him, he finally answered. ”To avoid wasting too many Skills and save them for the right moment?”

He paused before adding, ”And... because it makes it easier for them to control the tempo of the battle.”

Shin nodded once. ”You’re only half right.”

”Look carefully.” He then pointed toward the ongoing battle. ”Neither of them is avoiding Skills simply because they want to conserve them.”

”They’re not using them because they can’t find the right opportunity to do so.”

Samael’s eyes widened slightly.

Shin continued. ”When two similarly strong combatants fight, using a Skill or a powerful technique isn’t as simple as just activating it.”

”A Skill changes your movement. It changes your rhythm. And in many cases, it creates a brief opening.”

He pointed toward Owen and Heartless Dream as their weapons collided once again. ”In a battle between equally matched experts, even that brief opening can be fatal.”

”That’s why those with stronger fundamentals usually gain the advantage.”

”Unless there is an overwhelming difference in power or abilities, battles between similarly strong opponents ultimately come down to fundamentals.”

”That’s why most god-level experts place such heavy emphasis on their Combat Techniques and Mana Manipulation Methods.”

Shin paused for a moment before continuing. ”Skills and other power moves are still important. But using them at the wrong time can actually put you at a disadvantage.”

”Because the moment you commit to one, your opponent gains information about what you’re trying to do.”

”And if they understand your intention before the Skill is fully executed...” Shin’s gaze sharpened beneath his mask. ”...they can use that brief delay to take control of the battle.”

Shin paused for a moment, giving Samael enough time to fully digest his words before continuing. ”In a battle at this level, seizing the initiative and controlling the tempo of the fight is more important than overwhelming your opponent with raw power.”

Samael nodded heavily. He silently engraved those words into his mind, realizing that they were another fundamental lesson he needed to remember.

...

Meanwhile, the battle between Owen and Heartless Dream continued to escalate.

The momentum accumulated by both sides was growing increasingly terrifying with every exchange.

Their weapons collided again and again, while the forces generated by their respective Combat Techniques continued to strengthen.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Neither side was willing to give the other an opportunity to take control.

The battle had already entered a stage where even the slightest mistake could determine the outcome.

Everyone watching understood this.

The fight was finally approaching its conclusion.

...