My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

Draeven, for some reason, seemed displeased. ”Hmph! He’s just a little good-looking. Still far behind me.”

Vaorak and the others wisely chose not to respond, ignoring the narcissistic comment entirely.

Maria smiled from her seat as she watched Nova. She still had her own curiosity about many things regarding Nova that she wanted to find out.

She felt that something about him was suspicious, and because of that, she still hadn’t told anyone about her suspicions yet.

Apart from all her curiosity, she couldn’t help but feel attracted to him for obvious reasons.

The moment the signal was given, Celine moved.

She poured her full strength into the fight from the start. Earth energy surged around her as she stomped forward, the platform hardening and rising in sharp ridges to restrict Nova’s movement.

Her sword came down in heavy, powerful arcs, each strike carrying more force than Ethan’s earlier attacks.

Nova met her calmly.

He did not use any visible skills. With pure battle skill and refined strength, he deflected her sword, stepped past the rising stone spikes, and countered with precise movements.

Every time Celine tried to close the distance or force him back with the weight of the earth, Nova simply adjusted his footing and redirected her attacks.

Celine’s expression grew more serious. She increased the pressure, creating successive waves of stone and launching a continuous barrage of heavy sword strikes.

The platform cracked in several places under the force of her assault.

Yet none of it landed cleanly.

Nova continued to weave through her attacks with almost casual precision, his movements clean and efficient. After a short exchange, he finally stepped in.

His sword flashed once in a powerful but carefully measured blow.

The impact struck Celine’s guard with overwhelming force. Her knees buckled, and she dropped to one knee, her sword pressed against the platform as she struggled to remain upright.

The sheer difference in strength left her unable to rise immediately. Silence fell over the arena for a brief moment.

Although the fight had looked easy, the gap in strength between Nova and the other youths was vast — and not simply because he was a mid-King Realm expert. At his current level, Nova could already kill a Level 1 Emperor with relative ease.

He had yet to fully test whether he could kill a Level 2 Emperor or contend with those of even higher ranks.

The fact that he was limiting himself so severely in this tournament only highlighted the exceptional control he held over his own power.

His Origin Concealment skill could conceal and manipulate the appearance of his strength, but the actual suppression of that power came from Nova’s own superior control.

Celine let out a soft breath and smiled.

”...I tried my best. I’m satisfied.”

She looked up at Nova, still kneeling. ”I’ll aim for fifth place instead.”Nova gave a small nod, his expression calm.

”Best of luck.”

With those words, the match officially ended.

The audience erupted into cheers for Nova, but they also cheered loudly for Celine. Reaching this stage was already a tremendous achievement.

From this day forward, she would be known as one of the most outstanding young beauties who also possessed true strength.

”That boy... I know he’s only level 1500, but the way he fights makes it seem like he’s been battling for years. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s simply playing with all these youths. How did a monster like him go unnoticed until now?”

Draeven clicked his tongue.

”Although I don’t want to admit it, you’re right. We don’t have any youth like him in our kingdom either.”

He turned toward the cold beauty beside him. ”What do you say, Lady Aurora?”

”I agree,” Aurora answered calmly.

There were things she could sense and perceive that even those stronger than her often could not.

The fact that she could not fully see through Nova left her slightly uneasy. Still, she chose to remain silent about her deeper observations, trusting her own judgment more than the opinions of others.

Returning to the tournament, the third Quarterfinal soon began.

Asia Frost and Kael Aster stepped onto the platform.

Unlike Nova, who had toyed with Kael for a while during their earlier encounter, Asia had no intention of playing around. She already had her own strategy.

For the first time in front of the public, she activated her movement skill.

”Frostwing Steps.”

Her figure blurred instantly. Trails of ice followed her every movement as the temperature around the platform dropped sharply. A piercing chill spread outward, forcing Kael to narrow his eyes.

Kael responded at once. Flames erupted along his spear as fiery energy surged outward, creating thick waves of steam and mist that quickly covered most of the platform. Asia had expected this. She was only testing the waters.

The next moment, she closed the distance.

The two clashed in close combat.

Asia’s icy energy collided repeatedly with Kael’s raging flames. Every time their weapons met, sharp cracks of freezing air and bursts of fire exploded across the platform.

The contrast of extreme cold and heat made the fight visually intense, and the audience roared with excitement.

At first, Kael managed to hold his ground. His spear work was sharp and aggressive, forcing Asia to continuously shift and redirect. But as the exchange continued, the difference in affinity depth began to show.

Asia’s ice was denser, colder, and far more refined.

Kael was gradually pushed back. His flames, though fierce, could not fully suppress the creeping frost that clung to his spear and arms.

Each clash left more residual ice on his body, slowing his movements by the slightest degrees.

Realizing he was being forced into a disadvantage, Kael tried to create distance and unleash a larger burst of fire. Asia did not allow it.

A cold, oppressive aura suddenly expanded from her body.

Her Domain activated.

Frost spread rapidly across the platform, freezing the residual steam and locking the ground beneath Kael’s feet. Layers of ice climbed up his legs and spear, restricting his movements further.

Kael roared and poured more fire into his body, trying to burn the ice away, but every time he melted a portion, it froze again almost immediately.

Asia’s eyes remained calm. She stepped forward once more and raised her hand.

”Absolute Shatter.”

A sharp, concentrated burst of extreme cold erupted at the point of contact. The ice covering Kael’s body cracked violently from within, and in the next instant, his entire form shattered into large chunks of frozen ice.

Shards and heavy pieces of ice scattered across the platform, some still faintly glowing with residual fire energy before they, too, cooled and fell silent.

The protective formation activated at once, collecting the frozen remains and removing them from the platform.

Asia stood in the center of the platform, the icy mist slowly dissipating around her. Her expression remained composed, as if the outcome had never been in doubt.

For a brief moment, the entire arena fell silent.

This had been the most intense and captivating match so far. Nova and Liam had yet to clash, but after witnessing this fight, many began to believe that Asia might also be capable of contending with Liam.

She stood calmly at the center of the platform as the lingering icy aura around her gradually dissipated.

Although her face remained hidden behind the veil, the image she presented was that of an Ice Goddess standing tall with her sword in hand.

Many young men in the audience felt a sharp pang of jealousy toward Nova. They knew she was already his woman, yet some of them still fantasized about challenging him for her if the chance ever arose.

Nova watched with a quiet smile as Asia finished her match. She was growing stronger with every fight, continuously refining her skills and raising her level. At this rate, she was becoming truly unstoppable.

[This was her best performance so far... though Velena really did train her hard for this.]

Nova silently agreed. He could still clearly remember the rigorous training they had undergone inside the system space. Now, a new thought crossed his mind— would Asia be able to fight against Liam if they met?

It would all depend on whether the two of them faced each other in the Semifinals.

**

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