Chapter 231: Chapter 231 - Great Progression
Gazing intently at his hands, William permitted himself the briefest of smiles before tightening his fists with resolve.
"Yes! I can do this."
He drew in a deep breath, then turned to Adam, his confidence revitalized. Rather than waiting to be struck, he charged at Adam, attempting to land a punch.
Adam was slightly surprised at his new tactics but thought of it as him becoming too overconfident with his newfound abilities. But Adam didn't say that and instead he also answered his enthusiasm by fighting with him.
As was typical, Adam effortlessly deflected William's strikes, but this time, William managed to hold his ground. While he couldn't parry all of Adam's blows, he succeeded in ensuring that he wasn't hit too hard or in particularly vulnerable areas.
Every time he would almost get hit by a heavy attack or almost get caught in Adam's arms, his body moved automatically and moved out of harm's way without William wasting too much energy.
Unbeknownst to William, he was subconsciously tapping into his enhanced senses skill. The skill wasn't constantly active, but when a particularly forceful blow was about to land, it would automatically trigger, causing his body to dodge instinctively.
William remained oblivious to this phenomenon, but Adam was keenly aware. He observed the scene unfolding before him and thought, incredulously, 'Incredible! Simply astounding! He's instinctively activating the skill just before one of my heavy strikes connects. Not only once but it happened multiple times and it doesn't even look like it is taking too much of his energy too.'
'He's not even conscious of it, and yet his body is instinctively guided by the skill to evade critical damage.'
'What's even more remarkable is that he wasn't using this skill before—or if he was, it was at a much lower capacity. But now, in mere moments, he's absorbed so much, so quickly—it's truly remarkable. It almost seems like the skill itself was created just for him, it suited him perfectly.'
'Or more precisely, his body was able to quickly learn it.'
Adam's thoughts raced as his eyes gleamed with admiration. He attempted another heavy punch, but once again, William's innate ability activated, enabling him to evade a blow that could have ended the match.
'Though I'm not moving at full speed, the pace I'm maintaining is far beyond what anyone at his power level should be able to counter. Yet here he is, not only defending but actively seeking openings to strike me.'
'I'm now certain—this kid is undoubtedly the one.'
'He must be. I can't believe anyone else could achieve such rapid progress at this stage.'
Thinking about the One, Adam's eyes had a quick glint to it before he refocused himself on the fight.
'But let's see if this is just a fleeting moment of brilliance or the dawn of a new legend.'
With a smirk, Adam's punch was narrowly dodged by William, and to the astonishment of both men, one of William's punches broke through Adam's defense, landing squarely on his face.
Though Adam barely felt any pain, the force of the punch was no trivial matter. He slid back a few steps, his eyes widening in surprise before his expression softened into a smile.
"GOOD! You actually managed to breach my defense and punch me."
William stood in stunned silence, staring at Adam, who was now a few steps away. He couldn't fully comprehend what had just transpired. Adam's words snapped him out of his daze.
"Did I—Did I really just punch you?" he asked, still grappling with disbelief.
"Yes, you did," Adam replied, rubbing his face. "And right on my face, too."
It took a moment for William to process this. "Yes, I did. I really did punch you," he repeated, his face breaking into a triumphant smile. He felt exhilarated, almost invincible, as if he had just won a world championship.
Seeing William's elation, Adam couldn't help but smile as well. The scene reminded him of his own past, when another prodigy had trained with him. He recalled the unbridled joy that came after finally achieving something previously thought unattainable.
Adam shared in William's happiness but decided it was time to refocus.
"Alright, enough daydreaming."
William cut short the celebration in his mind and redirected his attention to Adam. He assumed a boxing stance, his smirk barely concealing the excitement surging within him, and charged at Adam again.
"Stop!"
Before he could reach Adam, he was halted by a simple hand signal. The thrill of the fight paused as he stopped in his tracks, looking at Adam with puzzled eyes.
"We can stop the fight now," Adam said calmly. "I've seen your capabilities and experienced them firsthand, so there's no need to continue."
"Oh! So, can you tell me about my fighting style and point out my weaknesses?" William asked eagerly, but Adam shook his head.
"Not yet. There's still something I haven't seen or experienced firsthand—your spell-casting abilities."
"While I have a solid grasp of your strengths and weaknesses, I want to observe your spellcasting before I can offer a full evaluation."
William nodded in understanding as Adam continued, "First, show me the Light Sword spell you used earlier." William promptly cast the spell, and Adam scrutinized it closely.
"It's effective and quick, but it lacks power and durability. But then again, most Level One spells are like this."
"I can make it much stronger," William interjected with confidence.
"Spell enhancement? Alright, show me," Adam responded, intrigued.
William conjured another Light Sword, but this time the process took slightly longer. The previous sword had been short and somewhat flat, but the new one was nearly the size of a longsword and appeared significantly sturdier.
Adam took the sword, inspecting its edges meticulously before nodding in approval. "Yes, this is impressive—very impressive. Not only is it much stronger than the previous version, but it's also considerably more resilient."
He swung the sword around for a moment before commenting, "And it's still light enough for swift attacks. Combined with your speed and strength, you could deal serious damage to someone at your level, or even injure someone above."
He glanced at the solid sword again, pondering, 'But it seems like it consumes a substantial amount of mana to create something so simple.'
Then he took a quick look at William, 'But he doesn't seem overly fatigued, despite the beating he took.'
"I'm going to step back a bit, and I want you to shoot at me with those Light Bullets again, okay?" Adam instructed. William nodded, ready to comply.
With a single leap, Adam positioned himself 15 meters away. "Alright, fire at me now, but make sure to use your maximum power."
William wasn't entirely sure what Adam had in mind, but he charged up the spell and unleashed a torrent of Light Bullets in his direction.
Despite the overwhelming number of projectiles, Adam skillfully wielded the sword, cutting down most of the bullets before the barrage ceased.
'Hmm… Unlike the Light Sword, the Light Bullets don't increase in size or power, but their speed and quantity are significantly greater.'
'If utilized correctly, and with mastery of higher-level spells, he could become a formidable force on the battlefield.'