Chapter 93: Beast Channelling

Aurelius would not lie. He was excited about his spar with Adam. He had been observing Adam for a while now, and the boy was every bit as powerful as everyone believed.

This had nothing to do with one of his affinities being a physical one.

During their combat lessons, he would observe Adam. And the way the boy moved was unlike anything he had seen in the others at their age brackets.

Adam wasted no movements whenever he fought; his form and techniques were almost perfect. Then there was his control over his strength. For someone who was claimed to be at the peak of the first realm, his control was exceptional.

The boy would always use the right amount of strength against the others whenever they practised, never using more than necessary. It was a one-of-a-kind talent he had never seen before.

From what he knew about Adam, the boy did not have any dedicated instructors growing up. Everything the boy knew seemed to have come from what his father taught him.

Aurelius was curious.

With that much talent and power, would he be able to defeat Adam in a fight? It was a question that had been gnawing at him for weeks. He had no interest in challenging Adam to a duel; that held no real meaning.

Adam was someone he could see becoming friends with. He was not like the others who carried an agenda for their every move. Through this spar, he hoped they would grow closer and become rivals.

For this spar, Aurelius sought a space within the combat department of the academy. Asking permission for someone like him was a breeze, as very few could say no to his demands.

"You ready?" Aurelius asked, staring at the boy a few meters away from him.

He was dressed in the academy’s blue-black combat training clothes designed for mobility and comfort. The clothes highlighted his lean, muscular build, the short sleeves of the shirt clinging to his arms like a second skin.

"As ready as I’ll ever be," Adam answered with a soft smile, wearing similar clothes to Aurelius.

They had agreed on a pure hand-to-hand combat spar with little to no use of awakened abilities. Though, as a beast tamer, Aurelius had some advantages to aid him.

"But you’ll have to attack first," Adam added matter-of-factly. "I’ll need to understand where your strength lies to respond accordingly."

"You sure about that?" Aurelius could not help but reveal a small smile. The boy was looking down on him. "I’m a lot stronger than you think."

"I’m sure." Adam nodded. "So come at me."

"Very well." Aurelius closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh.

He knew where Adam was coming from. But just like him, he had never revealed his full strength in front of the others. Everyone believed he was still at the earlier levels of the first realm, but that was not the case.

He was already approaching the peak of the first realm. Coupled with the stat increase he got from his first tamed beast, he was effectively beyond the first realm.

A moment of silence passed before the two teens, almost as if the world held its breath.

Suddenly, Aurelius shot forward, his speed almost instantaneous. He had half expected to see a shocked expression on Adam’s face, but the boy seemed unfazed.

’Interesting.’

A right fist tore through the air as Aurelius attacked without holding back, aiming for the head. He wanted to see just how powerful the boy truly was.

Right when the fist was about to make contact, Adam took a step back and raised his left arm, tanking the blow like an immovable wall. Before Aurelius could even show his surprise, Adam responded, pulling his right hand back and clenching it into a fist.

Boom.

Aurelius caught Adam’s punch with his other hand, a muffled boom echoing. His hand got pushed back as the sting travelled down his arm like a current, causing his eyes to widen ever so slightly.

But now was not the time to be shocked.

Putting all unnecessary thoughts aside, Aurelius pushed Adam’s hand aside and flashed backwards, his eyes furrowed thoughtfully. Adam had mirrored his power back at him perfectly.

His intention had been to send Adam flying with that first strike. But he had underestimated Adam. The boy was far stronger than he had initially thought.

The beast tamer’s punch carried enough momentum to at least force Adam a couple of steps back, but that was not the case, hinting at a far greater physical power.

"You’re strong..." Aurelius muttered softly and then smiled. "Try to keep up."

The moment the words left his lips, they both moved, clashing in the middle with a muffled boom. Aurelius went on the offensive without hesitation, his strikes heavy and precise.

Adam responded with calm confidence, matching the beast master blow for blow, strike for strike. He would effortlessly parry, redirect and retaliate in sync with the beast master, targeting every opening he found.

’Incredible...’ Aurelius could not believe his eyes.

Adam wasn’t just matching him strength for strength; he was adapting to his fighting style in real time. And as he had noticed, Adam’s moves had very little wasted movement.

The way he transitioned from one strike to the next was like artwork, seamless and precise. Aurelius tried several times to break through Adam’s defences, but they were as solid as a wall.

’All this fro—’

"I hope you’re having fun, Aurelius. Because I’m kicking it up a notch!"

Adam suddenly said, snapping the beast master out of his observations. The tempo suddenly took on a new turn as Adam’s attacks became faster, stronger and more sophisticated to read.

The sudden increase forced Aurelius on the defensive.

’Oh no.’

Aurelius failed to see an attack Adam had masked as a feint, creating an opening he seized without hesitation. The beast master took a blow to his inner arm, the strike landing like an electric shock, a backhand to the side of his head and a reverse palm strike to the chest.

"Ugh!"

The palm strike took Aurelius off his feet, sending him to the floor with a thud. The air got knocked out of him, but he dared not stay on the floor. Swallowing the rising pain, he rolled and spun to his feet. He raised his head, only to see a foot closing in on his face.

Inwardly cursing, he bent backwards, the kick missing his face by a hair’s breadth.

’I can’t hold back anymore!’

Aurelius spun and slid backwards to create distance, his right hand gripping the floor for leverage. The air around him suddenly rippled, his green eyes darkening as he channelled the essence of his beast.

Then... then his speed exploded.

Before Adam could make another move, Aurelius appeared behind him like a ghost, his right hand lashing toward Adam’s back like a claw.