Though Nova had yet to even take out Dreadscape, that didn't stop him from manipulating elemental Mana. Contrary to the Stats he had painstakingly raised through blood and sweat, even a gifted child could manipulate Mana at that level—if they were talented enough.

But the likelihood of someone on Earth doing this without unlocking their Spinal Node was a different story entirely. This was one more reason why advanced civilizations could so easily dominate newly promoted ones.

After all, if you spent your entire life single mindedly increasing your Stats without dedicating time to mastering the control of the world around you, you'd stand no chance against someone who had.

Nova had to achieve One with the World using the spear to clear a Blue portal. If told to another civilization, though, such a feat at this point in time would be jaw-dropping. He should've had no business even knowing what that was, much less achieving it.

Typically, the way to clear a Blue portal—relatively easily, at that—was by learning to control Mana, usually through the second method. Manipulating external Mana. Nova's approach, however, was anything but typical.

Thomas clenched his leg tightly, blood seeping through his fingers as his teeth ground together. His eyes locked onto "Elric," who had seemingly done nothing more than calmly stomp the arena floor.

Yet if it weren't for unlocking another form of regeneration, Thomas's legs would have been finished.

How am I even injured? he wondered, staring down as fresh white shards of tile pushed through his healing flesh.

His eyes snapped between the fragments embedded in his leg and "Elric," who never once broke his gaze—offering instead a polite, almost serene smile.

Did he really just use pieces of the arena as deadly projectiles? But how—how had he made them so fast? Even Jack and Victor couldn't match that speed. Not at all.

Thomas's mind raced. His synapses fired faster than ever before, all focused on solving the question gnawing at him. Not yet knowing the answer was simpler yet, at the same time, more complex than he thought.

Across the stadium, everyone held their breath. Seeing Thomas brought to his knees so early in the fight hit like a freight train. Where before they had a vague sense of this new level of power, now they had none at all. Few had even witnessed what had transpired moments ago.

To many, it might as well have been a show—a carefully orchestrated act. Perhaps the Federation was putting on a spectacle, flaunting just how many hidden aces they had up their sleeves to maintain the masses' approval. After all, who wouldn't want to be protected by such powerful people? And who would dare go against them?

"I'm finished, I'm really finished," muttered Elric, eyes glazed and distant.

Alaric shot him a sideways glance, helplessness and concern mingling in his voice. "How many times do I have to tell you everything's going to be fine?"

Elric didn't respond. He remained silent, lost deep in thought.

While Thomas and Nova stood motionless on the stage—locked in a tense standoff—in the grandstand, Jonathan leaned in to speak quietly with Victor.

"Are you sure this Elric is really part of Nova's faction?" Jonathan's disbelief was written all over his face. If someone that strong answered to Nova, just how strong was Nova himself? The thought unsettled him deeply.

Victor nodded slowly. "Yes. But…" He left the sentence unfinished, letting his hesitation hang heavily between them. His own emotions churning. This fight had gone way beyond his expectations. He didn't even dare to jump to conclusions. He was fearing them.

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Jonathan waited, but Victor didn't say more. Resigned, a heavy sigh escaped Jonathan's lips—just one more in a string of many over the past few days. His gaze snapped back to the stage, refusing to dwell on unanswered questions. If something had to come, he might as well watch it himself.

Nova stepped forward, closing the distance to Thomas until he stood directly in front of him. With a curious tilt of his head, he asked, "Where's your weapon? Why haven't you drawn it?"

Thomas inhaled deeply, steadying himself. Then he summoned a blade from his Inventory—a sleek sword shimmering with a bluish hue. He glanced toward "Elric" and gave a slow, deliberate nod. His voice calm as he admitted, "You're right. I miscalculated. I thought I didn't need it… but clearly, I do."

Nova's lips curled into a small smile. "It's alright, everyone can make mistakes. Ready to resume our fight?"

"Mhm," Thomas replied, gripping his sword firmly.

The distance between them was no more than two meters—and Thomas didn't hesitate. His sword sliced through the air in a swift horizontal arc, leaving behind a faint, shimmering trail of blue light.

'Blue? Water?' Nova's mind raced, analyzing the attack before the arc had even completed its path. 'It doesn't feel pure… I can't sense any water Mana particle moving. Is that his Mana? I see...'

A slow smirk crept across Nova's lips as realization dawned.

'Let's see how this plays out.'

With a surge of willpower, he summoned the wind Mana particles swirling around himself and sent them to his feet. In an instant, the particles took on the shape of a cloak with a green-grey hue—visible only to those attuned to elemental Mana. To the untrained eye, nothing appeared to change.

'It should work—but I'm still not sure,' Nova thought, barely shifting his feet. His weight tilted just slightly to the right as he moved with calculated caution, wary of overcommitting and ending up splattered against the wall. A single mistake and he would die.

Then, faster than the blink of an eye, he crossed ten meters in an instant.

Glancing back at his previous position, he saw Thomas just finishing his swing. His expression was still the same as before. The only difference was a single slash marring the ground—a meter-long gouge, several centimeters deep.

A smile of pure excitement spread across Nova's face. His body trembled ever so slightly, his mind spinning with infinite possibilities, each one branching into another. Above all else, one thought echoed loud and clear: 'This is fun.'

Suddenly, like a freight train crashing into him, pain exploded in his legs. Bones fractured, muscles strained, and his entire body shook violently. The speed he had pushed himself to was more than his frame could bear. And without his spear to aid him his legs had to give.

The noise of the crowd swirled around him, but Nova seemed detached—lost in his own world.

'It works.' A low chuckle escaped his lips despite the searing pain as Regeneration began repairing his legs. 'It works... but I can't use this recklessly. I might actually kill myself if I do. This has to be my hidden card.'

Nova had spent far too much time away from combat compared to the leaps he'd made in the past week. He still hadn't found his true limits, but now he held a clearer grasp of his current strength—something he desperately needed. Without it, he could have easily misjudged the situation and risked losing his life.

In the end, he wasn't disappointed.

His power transcended raw Stats. More accurately, his Will was so high compared his current level that it made controlling Mana far easier than it should have been. The mysterious [??? Spinal Node] further amplified this, pushing his Mana control well beyond what his Stats alone showed—rendering them almost irrelevant.

Of course, this was true only against enemies with higher Stats than his own. His Stats still mattered.

From the participants' stand, Jasmine muttered softly to herself, disbelief thick in her voice. "Was he always this strong?" Then she recalled the words "Elric" had said to her before the third segment began. 'I should probably meet him later. I have some questions' A resolute determination settled on her face.

A few seats away, Neve's eyes were wide with astonishment. She still struggled to believe her Boss was so strong. Just moments before, she'd been burdened with guilt over the trouble she'd caused in the tournament. Now, those doubts melted away like snow under a blazing summer sun.

Nova turned his head, catching Thomas's baffled gaze fixed on him.

The urge to wave and say, 'I'm here,' pressed at him, but he stopped himself—remembering the face he wore wasn't his own. Though trouble didn't intimidate him, there was no need to invite it unnecessarily.

Clearing his throat, Nova said calmly, "It's my turn."

Before Thomas could even react, Nova was already right in front of him. He clenched his fist, concentrating dozens of lightning Mana particles into it. To anyone with affinity to Lightning Mana, a faint, shimmering hue flickered around his fist—barely perceptible unless you looked closely.

The crowd held their breath. His earlier words had just registered in their minds.

A slow, confident smile curved Nova's lips as he added, "This will hurt a bit."

Each word was clear, but his movement was so swift that by the time the audience heard them, it was already too late.

He punched.

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