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Since he'd already skipped half a day's "work" in the morning, Bokue quickly finished off his al and excused himself from the dining room ahead of ti.
This was a special circumstance—everyone else was still leisurely enjoying lunch. Bokue intended to find a secluded spot to teleport discreetly back to the human world.
But, quite unexpectedly, the very mont he stepped out of the dining hall, soone blocked his path, leaning against the wall in the corridor not far away.
Silver-white hair—it was Vali, who had previously left for the restroom.
"Huh, you've been gone so long, I thought you might've fallen in."
Bokue stopped, eyeing him with mild amusent.
"What are you doing lurking around here alone? Aren't you going back in to finish eating?"
"Food can wait a bit," Vali replied, arms crossed, standing tall. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing heavy layers of bandages wrapped like a mummy underneath. He straightened up, gazing seriously at Bokue.
"Jokes aside, although I lost consciousness during our battle earlier, I still vaguely rember you using an incredibly powerful move at the end—"
"Did I?"
Bokue leaned back tactically, acting clueless.
Vali pressed forward firmly.
"That technique—what's it called?"
"…You really wanna know?"
Bokue leaned back even further, sowhat puzzled by Vali's relentless curiosity. Why was he suddenly fixated on a move's na? Did he think hearing the na would magically let him learn it?
Was he trying to beco a Copy Ninja or sothing?
Vali's expression remained stubbornly unchanged.
"Just answer the question."
"…Limitless Zen combined with Heroic Fist."
Without further teasing, Bokue straightforwardly nad his ultimate skill.
"Heroic Fist… I'm guessing that's your personal fighting style. Quite fitting for you," Vali murmured thoughtfully. "But Limitless Zen… Hmm, the na alone doesn't really reveal much about its true nature."
"So," Bokue finally pieced it together with sudden realization, "You just want to know how exactly you lost, don't you?"
Vali narrowed his eyes slightly, not bothering to deny it. His silence was all the confirmation Bokue needed.
Indeed, even after losing, this silver-haired boy clearly wasn't fully convinced—still determined to understand precisely how he'd been defeated.
Bokue shook his head helplessly, sighing,
"It's nothing complicated, really. Like how the simplest martial arts technique is often the most lethal, all flashy moves eventually boil down to basic attack, defense, or support.
Once you understand that, the truth becos obvious. Gather every ounce of strength you have into one decisive blow—also known as a 'Basic Attack'."
"—Basic attack?" Vali echoed skeptically, unfamiliar with the gaming term.
Bokue explained plainly,
"Normal attack. Simple as that."
Vali: "..."
Thinking back on their fight, Bokue's explanation actually seed annoyingly accurate. No matter how flashy the na or technique, every blow thrown had been straightforward, brutally simple, and absolutely devastating. Especially in Bokue's hands, sothing that seed like a basic punch had shockingly overwhelming power.
"Then what about Limitless Zen?"
Vali quickly asked, deciding to just abandon deep thought and inquire directly instead.
Bokue's answer was blunt and direct.
"Charged basic attack."
—A charged basic attack?
Vali processed the translation in his mind automatically—then froze halfway through.
Wait a second… if "Heroic Fist" alone was a basic attack, and adding "Limitless Zen" turned it into a charged basic attack…
Did that an, before he activated Juggernaut Drive, Bokue had essentially been humoring him with just simple, basic punches? And afterward, when Vali finally unleashed his ultimate state, Bokue responded simply by powering up his basic attack, instantly finishing the fight?
An ordinary attack had one-shot his ultimate form?
Vali snapped out of his stunned daze, about to demand clarification, but when he lifted his head, Bokue had vanished entirely.
Instead, in the corner of his vision, he saw the figure of a certain flustered blonde girl quickly disappear around the stairs.
❁❁❁❁
Good grief.
Having successfully slipped away from Vali, Bokue descended to the main hall on the ground floor, lightly sighing in exasperation.
He hadn't originally wanted to explain all that to Vali—after all, so things couldn't simply be taught or understood through explanation alone.
People's natural aptitudes varied wildly.
Just like you wouldn't ask a berserker to wield a mage's staff, the sa move executed by different people would yield vastly different results. Even if Bokue spelled out every detail, there was no guarantee Vali would grasp it or apply it effectively.
Moreover, given the personality of a certain White Dragon Emperor, once he grasped just how vast the power gap between them really was, he might start constantly pestering Bokue every ti he unlocked a new form, insisting on testing its strength.
What a hassle…
"Um, excuse !"
Just as Bokue was about to step out of the castle's front gate, a sudden voice behind him halted his steps yet again.
Turning around, he was greeted by the familiar sight of twin golden drill-shaped ponytails and the delicate features of a certain Phoenix girl.
"Ravel? What's the matter?"
Bokue faced her, slightly puzzled. First Vali, now the Phoenix girl? Wasn't it lunchti? Why was everyone sneaking out one by one to bother him today?
"It's… about the reward we discussed earlier." Ravel seed slightly bashful. She cautiously stepped closer, cheeks flushed a gentle pink, hands shyly hidden behind her back, eyes darting nervously everywhere except toward him.
"Although, given your overwhelming strength, you might not find this particularly useful. Still, I promised a reward, and I must keep my word… So please accept this."
As she spoke, Ravel brought forth a pendant-like accessory from behind her back. Carefully opening the small locket, she revealed three tiny crystal vials, each resembling miniature potion bottles.
"Each vial contains a single drop of 'Phoenix Tears'. I sincerely hope they'll be helpful to you soday."
"Thanks, I'll gratefully—eh?"
Just as Bokue was about to reach out to take the pendant, Ravel's next move left him montarily stunned.
Holding up the pendant by its delicate chain, she stepped forward, looking up earnestly at Bokue's face.
"Please allow to put it on you."
"…Alright."
Accommodatingly, Bokue leaned down a bit, mindful of their height difference—Ravel standing barely over five feet tall, while Bokue easily towered two heads taller at about six feet.
This close, their breaths naturally mingled, making Ravel's cheeks turn even redder. His handso face was re inches from hers, a sight that made her heartbeat quicken uncontrollably.
She placed the pendant carefully around his neck, then stepped back and gracefully curtsied, politely lowering her head to hide her embarrassnt.
"May good fortune always favor you, Lord Bokue."
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