Destructive Force

"Linsey."

Linsey gave his name, and his vigilance rose to its peak.

Tree Mother, the great merchant, the sea monster.

Whenever he had faced enemies of that caliber, there had always been external factors involved to some extent.

A fair one-on-one duel like this was truly a first for him.

And for his first real battle, his opponent just happened to be the warrior most skilled in combat among all Awakened!

Here he came!

The next second, Stone Fist vanished from where he stood.

Linsey saw it clearly. This enemy charged forward at a speed equal to his own. His feet nearly shattered the ground, and he gathered all his strength into a punch as he surged forward with his body. He felt like a train barreling straight at him!

Linsey immediately activated his Source Material Skill.

Their speeds were equal, but Linsey could rely on explosive bursts of power to surpass his enemy in speed by a margin!

In just an instant.

Linsey and Stone Fist crossed paths.

He evaded the brunt of the ambush, circled behind his opponent, and raised Law of Icing to slash down along his spine.

"Heh—"

The warrior's skill revealed itself.

Linsey had raised his sword, but had not even swung it down yet.

Stone Fist ahead of him seemed to have foreseen the incoming attack.

His charging body suddenly reversed. Defying all common sense of inertia, he threw another punch straight at Linsey's face!

"!"

Linsey was absolutely certain that his speed surpassed his opponent's, and his reactions should have been faster as well.

Yet the truth was that Stone Fist had responded in advance.

—A warrior's skill.

—The complete unity of body, mind, and technique gave him combat instincts akin to precognition!

Bang!

Linsey raised his sword to block, and the punch