Expecting this, Alaric gripped his sword tightly as he walked toward Nova, his steps deliberate and steady. Within moments, he stood just a few feet away, his eyes locking onto his boss.

  Nova regarded Alaric like a predator sizing up its prey. A slow grin crept across his face as a thought took shape. ‘Maybe I can let loose a bit with him… that would be perfect.’

  "You’re the strongest and the leader of my generals," Nova said, his voice calm yet charged with anticipation. "So, you won’t mind if I don’t wait for you to start, right?"

  Before Alaric could react, Nova was gone. His words still lingered in the air, but his presence had vanished from Alaric’s sight.

  Tensing, Alaric strained to track him—but he found nothing. No movement, no presence. Nothing.

  The other generals, however, saw everything clearly. From their position, they watched in stunned disbelief as Nova effortlessly maneuvered through Alaric’s blind spots, adjusting his position with each subtle movement. He wasn’t just dodging—he was controlling the battle before it had even begun.

  "This has to be a joke," Darius muttered, still recovering from the fight earlier, his tone edged with disbelief.

  The others remained silent. For Adira, the scene was almost surreal. Just minutes ago, she had come to terms with Alaric being a monster. And yet, now, that very monster was being toyed with.

  So then… who was the real monster here?

  Before Alaric could fully process the situation, Nova struck. A devastating punch exploded from his right side—with a force that was rarely seen on Earth.

  Alaric felt the shift in the air—something was coming. The sheer force behind the rushing wind told him one thing: whatever it was, he did not want to get hit by it.

  Instinct kicked in. He tried to dodge, moving as fast as his body allowed, but it wasn’t enough. He barely shifted a few centimeters before the blow connected.

  A sickening crunch echoed through the air. Strangely, Alaric didn’t go flying—he remained standing, though the right side of his chest now bore a fist-sized indentation. Blood surged up his throat, spilling from his lips as his grip on his sword wavered. For a fleeting second, he almost lost hold of it, but sheer will kept it in his grasp.

  Nova watched him impassively. "Are you holding back?"

  Alaric wiped the blood from his mouth and met his boss’s gaze. He paused for a few seconds before truthfully saying "Yes, Boss."

  Nova’s eyes narrowed. "Why?"

  With a weary sigh, Alaric answered, "You lost six months. So I decided to limit myself to the stats I had two months ago."

  Feeling his own general looking down on him, Nova’s expression turned ice-cold. His voice, sharp and absolute, left no room for argument.

  "I order you to use your full strength."

  They were his generals first and friends second. Nova had never mistreated them since they met nor had he ever ordered them to do things that brought harm to them for the fun of it. But this was different. He wanted a fair fight, a fight against someone who was strong enough to give him pressure, but his own general thought he would lose if they didn’t hold back and this pissed him off.

  Alaric remained still, locked in internal conflict. A full minute passed in silence, the tension thick between them as Nova patiently waited for him to do as he was told.

  Finally, Alaric exhaled and released his grip on his sword. Slowly, he removed a simple gray ring from his left hand—plain in appearance, yet the moment it left his finger, the dent in his chest began to heal at an astonishing speed, far beyond anything from before.

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  Storing the ring in his Inventory, he took hold of his sword and met Nova’s gaze. "I won’t hold back anymore."

  Nova nodded in approval. Without warning, he stepped forward—instantly closing the distance. His spear tip was already at Alaric’s chest.

  But this time, Alaric could follow it. ? His weapon moved without thinking, parrying the attack.

  Steel met steel. The impact sent Nova’s spear tilting left, narrowly missing Alaric, while the general’s sword lashed out in retaliation, aiming for Nova’s right leg.

  Nova’s eyes sharpened. In a fluid motion, he swept his spear’s shaft to his right, deflecting the blade. The force sent Alaric tilting forward, his strike missing its mark by mere millimeters.

  ‘An opening.’

  Seizing the moment, Nova delivered a brutal left kick to Alaric’s right side. The impact sent the general stumbling, struggling to regain his footing.

  Nova didn’t give chase. Instead, he stood his ground, watching as his general swiftly regained his stance.

  "What just happened?" Hector asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

  Malachi simply shook his head, eyes locked on the two warriors.

  "Boss seems to be winning," Darius muttered, his skin still faintly flushed from his earlier rudimentary use of Mana.

  Meanwhile, Nova and Alaric remained motionless, their gazes locked in an unspoken conversation. Seconds stretched into what felt like minutes as tension crackled between them.

  Then, in perfect sync, they moved.

  To an outsider, all that remained in their wake were ghostly afterimages—blurred echoes of their speed. The battlefield rang with the sharp clash of steel, each collision sending rippling shockwaves through the air, fracturing the ground beneath them with every strike.

  The only signs of the battle’s brutality were the thin beads of blood that occasionally splattered onto the shattered earth—fleeting, yet undeniable evidence of the war being waged between them.

  Alaric could now see every move Nova made, but understanding them—processing the sheer strength behind each strike—was another matter entirely. Thoughts flooded his mind, nearly drowning him.

  He lost six months?

  Then why is he this strong?

  Shouldn’t I be able to win easily?

  I even acted cocky, using that ring to suppress my stats...

  A surge of anger welled up inside him, but it wasn’t directed at Nova—it was at himself.

  He had never admitted it to his friends, but deep down, he had believed that the gap in training time would place him above his Boss. Six months of lost growth—how could Nova possibly keep up?

  And yet, here he was. Standing on equal ground.

  Or perhaps… slightly lower.

  The realization hit him like a blade to the gut. Every move he had made since stepping onto this battlefield—every strike, every decision—felt like nothing more than a clown’s performance.

  Adira’s words echoed in his mind.

  Monsters, huh?

  Maybe he’s one of them… but I’m certainly not.

  Nova, still pressing the attack, noticed something. Alaric’s body was moving on instinct, but his mind was elsewhere. The cuts were piling up, yet he showed no reaction, his eyes unfocused—lost in thought.

  ‘What is he thinking about?’ Nova wondered, his spearwork relentless, his movements growing sharper, faster.

  A slow grin spread across his face as an idea took hold. ‘He better snap out of it quickly or…’

  He had noticed it—Alaric had learnt Regeneration.

  That meant Nova could afford to teach him a painful lesson.

  Never lose focus in battle.

  Alaric’s body continued to accumulate small wounds, each one precisely inflicted by Nova—just enough to draw blood, never enough to be fatal.

  Yet, Alaric remained trapped in his thoughts.

  How can I compete with him?

  He searched desperately for an answer, replaying every grueling hour of training, every battle within the portals. He had fought, bled, and grown stronger, yet Nova before him, still as strong as ever. It was as if strength had always been his birthright, while the rest were merely meant to follow.

  I’m not just anyone.

  I’m one of the strongest humans on Earth.

  Determination surged within him. His movements, once rigid with doubt, began to flow with newfound clarity. His mind worked relentlessly, grasping for meaning—anything that could steady him.

  What does it matter if he’s this strong, even after losing so much time?

  Aren’t we on the same side?

  Didn’t we follow him because he was stronger?

  His sword moved with a grace it had never known before. Each strike was a reflection of calm, as if he had unlocked something deep within.

  I don’t mind being weaker than him. Because if I stand by his side, I can see the peak.

  And if I can see the peak, it means I’m one step closer to it.

  A shift occurred. His eyes cleared, and the world seemed to transform. Colors were brighter, sharper; his senses heightened, as if everything around him had been amplified.

  Alaric met Nova’s gaze. His boss was watching him intently, that familiar smile still on his face.

  Smiling back, Alaric made his decision.

  I am his general—and I will always be his general.

  But just this one time… I want to win.

  With a swift motion, his sword intercepted Nova’s spear, sending it careening backward. Alaric calmly stepped away, his smile unwavering.

  "Sorry for keeping you wait, Boss."

  For a moment, surprise flickered in Nova’s eyes. Then, he nodded, his smile growing wider.

  "Let’s have some fun."

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