Chapter 492: The Moment Victor Understood

The Moment Victor Understood

The battle between Fean and Victor continued as fist and leg struck every part of the human body that could be hit.

There was no longer any recognizable rhythm to the fight.

The cave had become a storm of flesh, blood, and shattered stone.

Every collision produced a heavy crack that echoed through the underground chamber. Dust drifted constantly from the ceiling, mixing with the metallic scent of blood that had already soaked the air. The ground beneath their feet was covered with shallow craters, and the walls were scarred with countless marks left behind by their bodies.

Neither side gave the other a moment to breathe.

Fean’s fist came straight toward Victor’s face.

Victor twisted his head aside.

The fist brushed past his cheek, carrying enough force to make his long black hair whip violently behind him.

Before Fean could retract his arm, Victor stepped inside his range and drove his knee toward Fean’s abdomen.

Fean’s body bent slightly from the impact.

Victor followed with an elbow.

Fean blocked.

The collision sent another shockwave through the cave.

Victor’s golden eyes remained fixed on his opponent.

Something had changed.

It was subtle.

At the beginning of their battle, Fean’s movements had been so overwhelming that Victor had been forced to rely almost entirely on instinct. Every attack had arrived with such terrifying speed and weight that even recognizing the trajectory had been difficult.

But now...

Victor was beginning to understand him.

Not his strength.

Not his strange possession.

His movements.

Every time Fean attacked, Victor was slowly learning how his body shifted before the strike.

The angle of his shoulders.

The movement of his hips.

The slight tightening of his muscles.

The direction his eyes moved.

Those tiny details were becoming signals.

Victor suddenly lowered his body.

Fean’s fist passed over his head.

Victor’s left hand caught Fean’s wrist and redirected the blow away from himself.

For a fraction of a second, it worked perfectly.

Then—

Rip!

Victor felt the skin along his forearm tear.

Blood immediately seeped through the wound.

Victor’s eyebrows twitched.

He had diverted the attack, but the sheer force behind Fean’s movement had still torn his flesh.

Yet Victor didn’t retreat.

Instead, a grin slowly appeared on his face.

"So that’s how it works..."

He planted his foot firmly against the ground and twisted his waist.

His fist slammed into Fean’s gut.

Bang!

Fean’s body moved backward half a step.

Only half a step.

The damage was almost negligible compared to everything Fean had inflicted on Victor.

But Victor didn’t care.

His breathing was becoming heavier, and his clothes were already stained with blood. His black shirt had been torn in several places, revealing scratches and wounds beneath it. Blood ran down his arm and dripped from his fingertips onto the ruined floor.

Still, his golden eyes were brighter than before.

Victor was having fun.

A genuine thrill coursed through his body.

It had been a long time since he had encountered an opponent who could simply overpower him through raw physical ability.

Usually, when Victor fought someone, he possessed too many advantages. His techniques, his abilities, his experience, and the power hidden within his body often allowed him to control the direction of battle.

This was different.

Fean didn’t give him room to dominate.

Fean didn’t give him time to think.

He simply attacked.

And Victor had to survive.

Every mistake cost him blood.

Every successful defense cost him skin.

Every counterattack barely scratched his opponent.

Yet that was precisely what made the battle exhilarating.

Victor wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

His gaze never left Fean.

"You’re really something."

Fean didn’t respond.

There was no recognition in those eyes.

Only that dreadful, unnatural hostility.

Victor’s smile widened slightly.

"Then I’ll keep learning."

Fean suddenly moved.

Victor’s pupils narrowed.

The next sequence happened almost too quickly to follow.

Fean’s right fist shot forward.

Victor shifted his torso.

The fist grazed his ribs.

Victor caught Fean’s arm.

He twisted.

Fean immediately followed with his other hand.

Victor ducked.

A knee came toward his chest.

Victor moved backward.

Another kick followed.

Victor redirected it.

Again, his skin tore.

Again, blood appeared.

But this time, Victor didn’t merely survive the exchange.

He understood it.

The movement that had previously seemed impossible to read suddenly became clear.

Fean’s body leaned forward.

His center of gravity shifted.

Victor saw the opening.

His foot moved.

The incoming attack passed beside him.

Perfectly.

For the first time since this battle began, Victor completely evaded and diverted Fean’s attack without taking damage.

His eyes flashed.

Now!

Victor rotated his waist and unleashed everything he had accumulated into one strike.

All the Zenith Aura surrounding his body rushed toward his legs.

The golden energy that had been protecting and reinforcing his body condensed around his shin.

At the same time, Victor activated every body-enhancing spell he could currently use.

He didn’t spread the power throughout his body.

He didn’t reserve anything.

Every fragment of strength was concentrated into his leg.

Muscles tightened.

His black leather pants strained against the sudden force.

The air itself seemed to distort around his leg.

Victor’s expression became completely focused.

Then he kicked.

BOOM!

The impact struck Fean’s head with terrifying force.

For a moment, Fean’s body seemed to freeze.

Then he was launched backward.

His body smashed through the cave wall.

Stone exploded outward.

Fean continued drilling through the rock until his body disappeared into the darkness beyond the broken wall.

The resulting shockwave swept across the cave.

Dust erupted into the air.

Small fragments of stone rained down from above.

Evelyne immediately raised her sword and sliced apart a falling chunk before it could reach her.

Victor remained where he was.

His leg slowly returned to the ground.

His chest rose and fell.

He stared toward the hole in the wall.

He didn’t lower his guard.

Not even for a moment.

That kick had been powerful.