His physique stat had risen from 2 to 6, and activating Lv6 Body of Steel added 9 points, bringing it to 15.
His spirit stat had increased by 1 point thanks to his practice of the Flow Method.
His energy and mystery stats were unchanged. Those two were like stones in a cesspit: both stinking and hard.
To his pleasant surprise, both his charm and luck stats had risen to 1 point.
Body of Steel's development level had risen from Lv1 to Lv6, a full five levels, and it had taken only a month.
For an ordinary Body of Steel ability user, raising its development level by even one level in a month was difficult.
After Body of Steel reached level 6, its controllability improved greatly, and it could increase physique by as little as 9 points.
With Lancelot's control over his body, he could handle it.
With a physique stat of 15, he had entered the second-tier transcendent realm. Combined with his level 45 Epic Combat Skills, Lancelot had reached the upper ranks of the second tier in normal combat strength, even without using an explosive secret technique.
If only close combat counted, he was invincible in the second tier.
His lack of body energy was a major weakness. Against medium-range attacks, especially high-intensity AOE damage over a wide area, relying on his physical defense to withstand them put him at a serious disadvantage.
Moreover, a considerable number of energy-manipulation ability users had control abilities.
Windsor, for example, could use her amethyst energy to form a thin layer of crystal over an enemy's body, restricting their movements.
Or it could seep into the body through the pores, damaging bodily structures and severing nerve fibers to cause physical paralysis, loss of balance, and other such conditions.
Compared with the muscleheads who had physical enhancement abilities, energy-manipulation abilities were far more versatile, as well as more elegant and spectacular.
Besides Body of Steel, the Flow Method had also improved greatly.
It had risen from Lv11 to Lv14. Upon entering a state of heightened focus, not only were its effects better, with his mental power more concentrated and his perception sharper, but it also lasted much longer.
All these improvements had translated into strength for Lancelot.
Now, he finally had the confidence to challenge for the top spot in the special training camp!
The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze blew. Golden morning light streamed through the glass curtain wall and onto the training ground, clothing every member of the special training camp in gold.
Lancelot stood in the front row, representing Cole's team.
Windsor stood beside him. Their sidelong glances met, sending invisible sparks flying.
Ever since the last ranking match, Lancelot had been the only opponent Windsor saw.
She no longer regarded anyone else as a threat.
As time passed, they would fall further and further behind.
Only Lancelot was different.
That terrifying fellow's rate of improvement was frightening.
Though Windsor regarded him as a formidable enemy, she was also full of fighting spirit.
After all, only a good opponent could spur her onward. She had been invincible in the special training camp for too long.
"There's no need to go over the rules. Come draw lots! Windsor, you first!"
As soon as Instructor Tarn finished speaking, Windsor stepped forward and casually drew a plastic lot. Lancelot, Li Ge, Elisa, and the other members came forward in turn to draw theirs.
Once all twelve lots had been drawn, Windsor and Lancelot exchanged a glance and showed each other their numbers at the same time.
Windsor had number one, and Lancelot had number twelve. The very first match would be a clash between the strongest.
Lancelot glanced at the expressionless Instructor Tarn. He didn't believe the man hadn't rigged something.
But this was fine too. Facing Windsor's team at full strength would make for a truly satisfying fight.
"Team one, team twelve, enter the field!"
At the instructor's command, Windsor's team and Lancelot's team entered from opposite sides of the training ground.
When the countdown ended, the battle erupted.
Lancelot charged straight out, with Cole and the other two close behind.
Windsor's team did the same. Neither side gave an inch, and the battle reached a fever pitch from the very start.
Boom!
Lancelot landed heavily and immediately activated Body of Steel, becoming a miniature giant fully two and a half meters tall. His muscles twisted and knotted like steel rebar, while a black metallic sheen flowed beneath his skin, turning its original pale gold into black gold.
In just one second, the handsome, delicate-looking youth transformed into a black-and-gold muscleman. His exaggerated form made Windsor's eyelids twitch.
"Amethyst Storm!"
With a sharp cry, Windsor extended both hands. Streams of purple energy swirled around her arms, rapidly condensing into energy crystals before bursting apart and turning into a fan-shaped shock wave that surrounded the charging Lancelot.
The battle looked exactly as it had a month ago, but the outcome was entirely different.
Facing the incoming streams of energy, Lancelot grinned broadly and stacked his two hands, each as large as a palm-leaf fan, in front of his face.
Then he bent his legs, his thigh muscles tightening into corded strands, every fiber as tough as steel wire.
He leaped forward, stamping two deep pits into the ground. Lancelot actually bore the energy streams' attacks head-on as he rushed fiercely toward Windsor.
Clink, clink, clink!!
Crystal fragments struck his skin with crisp sounds like metal colliding, doing very little damage.
Body of Steel not only increased his physique stat by 9 points, but also boosted his physical defense by 140% and increased his health recovery rate. The current Lancelot could take a serious beating.
Her dazzling combination had barely scratched her opponent. Windsor's expression darkened as she brought her hands together, palms facing each other. Veins bulged on her forehead as she used all her strength to condense a half-meter-long amethyst spike.
The spike was thick at the top and narrow at the bottom, with a spiral pattern. Under Windsor's control, it began to spin violently.
Boom!
The amethyst spike shot out, breaking the sound barrier with a piercing boom.
With its high speed and penetrating power, this attack was one Lancelot couldn't block.
But why did he need to block it?
There was a problem with Windsor's tactics. She was too impatient; she shouldn't have attacked head-on.
The best way to deal with Lancelot was to keep her distance, restricting him while slowly wearing down his health.
Lancelot's physique was still only 6 points, after all. Even Lv6 Body of Steel couldn't be sustained for very long.
Trying to end the fight quickly worked in his favor instead!
"Flow Method, heightened focus!"
Once the Lv14 Flow Method activated, his perception soared, and Lancelot instantly pinpointed the amethyst spike.
The next moment, he abruptly turned sideways, smashing straight through the energy net Windsor had set up in an attempt to restrain him and calmly dodging the piercing amethyst spike.
Seeing this, Windsor's expression changed. She hurriedly controlled the amethyst spike, changing the direction of its attack.
However, the farther away the energy was, the more its controllability continued to decline.
By the time Windsor finally managed to turn the amethyst spike around, an enormous iron fist suddenly appeared, filling her entire field of vision.
"Strong Fist!"
A low voice reached her ears, followed by a sharp pain in her forehead.
With just one punch, Lancelot brutally shattered the amethyst armor protecting Windsor.
Then he opened his fist into a palm, spread his five fingers, and pressed them against Windsor's fair, delicate face.
From above, he pushed down hard.
Bang!
A large crater appeared in the ground, and Windsor lay stiffly half-buried in the soil!
Lancelot slowly stood up, glanced at the unconscious girl, and turned to look at the two tanks struggling inside the encirclement formed by Cole and the other two.
As if sensing his gaze, the two stiffened and looked back, discovering that Windsor had been defeated.
They took another look at Lancelot's exaggerated transformed appearance, gulped, and then raised their hands in surrender as one.
"Hiss..."
The special training camp members watching the fight all sucked in a breath. The way the female members in particular looked at Lancelot began to change, and some of the more timid ones even took two steps back instinctively.
Wasn't that a little too rough?
"Well, would you look at that. This kid's got the captain's style. He only sees opponents, not gender!" Rosen muttered quietly. Bette and Jace nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Tarn glanced at them, walked onto the platform, and announced, "The winner of the first team match is Lancelot's team!"
When he finished, everyone present fell silent for a moment, and then waves of applause broke out.
The end of this battle also marked a change in who held the top spot in the special training camp!
After defeating Windsor's team, Lancelot's team had no more rivals.
They swept through the remaining matches and ultimately took first place in the team competition.
The individual competition went the same way, with Lancelot successfully taking the top spot.
From that point on, the youth who had awakened his ability only a month ago became the number one genius in Leite City, with a rate of growth that left everyone dumbfounded.