Cain and Yordana moved through the start for nearly twenty minutes before finally reaching an open room where a five-ter-tall man was hamring a massive piece of tal. Despite his size, the proportion of his body made one think of a dwarf due to his bulky fra.
Yordana walked to the room's threshold, quietly sat outside, not uttering a word, and remained silent.
Cain saw that and did the sa, not willing to disrupt the man's work. Although he did not dare to use his Ego Wave to inspect Grandmaster Horan, nor did he use his [Scan Force Field] since the pyramid might pick it up, his eyes grew calm, and he triggered on The Flow.
While The Flow allowed keen perception over the target, it depended on Cain alone and did not directly interfere with the body or energy movent of the target.
Cain did not show it, but there was wonder in his mind as he saw the movents of the man's hamr. While it might seem simple and crude, he was actually engraving extrely complex magic matrices into the piece of tal, harnessing its power to the absolute limit.
Hours carried on as Grandmaster Horteus kept striking the anvil, but Cain did not mind the wait as he was fascinated by the man's technique. Although his talent in Wave Crafting was not great, nor did he intend to learn, he was still engrossed in the essence of those hamr strikes since they had the power to temper things, erasing the impurities inside them.
After finishing that craft, Horteus did not raise his head from the anvil. Strange pieces of tal began to erge from his space ring, and he began to arrange them, forming what seed to be an extrely complicated Rubik's cube.
"Tell , do you prefer the swift precision of the wind or the relentless crush of the mountain?"
Cain's eyes narrowed as he heard Grandmaster Horteus ask that question. The man did not raise his eyes and kept working on the Rubik's cube, but Cain did not take the question lightly.
"I'd prefer the swift precision of the wind. Quick and untouchable."
Cain always strived to have a body that could endure imnse damage, which was why he was so glad to have a technique like Biofusion Herculean Technique. Still, in all his fights, he always strived to strike with speed and precision that overpowered the enemy's defenses.
Grandmaster Horteus kept working as he carried on with his questions.
"Mmm, agility and precision. A swift strike that decides the outco before the adversary realizes it. What about your approach to adversity? Do you face it head-on or maneuver around, looking for the optimal mont to strike?"
Cain did not answer imdiately since that was a tricky question for him. During military matters, he always took the lead, striking head-on the enemy in order to inspire his troops, but when facing enemies alone, he took the approach of an assassin.
"It depends on my position and the type of battle I am facing. Yet, in my purest form, I will say I assess the situation, find the weak point, and when I strike, it is to end the enemy's life."
Grandmaster Horteus kept working on the Rubik's cube, but a small smile appeared on his lips as he heard Cain's answer.
"A strategist... Interesting. Would you say you value subtlety and cunning over brute strength?"
"I strive for brute strength, one that can inspire fear in my enemies, but I tend to face individuals who are always stronger than in every sense of the word, yet I win by being smarter and willing to go even further than them."
At that point, Grandmaster Horteus finished with the Rubik's cube and finally raised his head, looking straight into Cain's eyes.
"What do you do when you are between a sword and a wall?"
Cain stared straight into the man's eyes as he answered the question.
"I push away the sword and strive forward, destroying everything in my path."
"What if the sword is stronger than you?"
Silence reigned after Grandmaster Horteus posed that question, as Cain just stared into the man's eyes.
Yordana was by his side and could not help but frown.
'Isn't the answer obvious? You just have to break the wall behind you.'
That thought had just crossed the young woman's mind when she saw Cain's eyes burst with red light.
"If I strike, I cut. No matter the strength of my enemy's sword, I will sunder everything in my path!"
Yordana's eyes widened as she heard that answer. The mont she realized the sword was stronger than her, she imdiately chose the path of escape.
There was nothing wrong with escaping and biding your ti until your strength rose if you were able to keep a strong will, but what would happen when escape was not an option?
"Good, now let's see the might of your body and mind."
Grandmaster Horteus threw the Rubik's cube in front of Cain, and it imdiately morphed into a two-ter-tall silver tal mantis.
Cain's eyes widened as he saw the Battle Puppet, and he imdiately moved to the side as the mantis' scythe ca crashing down on him with a speed and strength that could have killed a normal Wave Champion.
The Battle Puppet didn't wait even a millisecond before flashing after Cain again, this ti aiming at his legs and neck at the sa ti.
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A flash of shock assaulted Cain's heart as he saw that flawless attack, but soon coldness erged in his eyes as red light burst from them. He did not activate his Astral Wave since he knew this was a test and disrupting the energy flow of this place would be a mistake.
Imdiately, his heartbeat burst with power, but he did not use the increased speed to pull back. On the contrary, he flashed forward, using his entire body as a battering ram, striking the Battle Puppet's chest.
"¡BOOM!"
Cain's body carried such montum that it generated a blast upon crashing against the Battle Puppet, not different from the one of a missile striking a building. Since his body was as hard as a Silver Wave Artifact, the strike would have crushed the bones of a standard Wave Champion.
However, the Battle Puppet was pushed back less than ten ters before regaining control over its body and flashing back into the fray.
Cain and the Battle Puppet were in the thick of it, a blur of moves and countermoves, each trying to get the upper hand. It wasn't fancy or mythic. It was raw and pure, a clear-cut fight where strategy and reflexes were key.
Cain dodged swiftly, his body moving with precise calculation as he avoided the sharp edges of the mantis' scythes. He observed every movent, every swing of the puppet, searching for an opening, a weak spot where he could land a decisive blow. It was like a ga of chess, each participant anticipating the other's moves, looking for a way to outsmart and overpower the other.
The puppet, with its silver armor gleaming, was no less adept. It adjusted its stance, its tal limbs moving with chanical precision, adapting to Cain's every move, matching his speed and agility. It was a dance of strategy and skill, a relentless exchange of blows and evasions.
Cain was vigilant, his senses heightened, his body ready to react at the slightest sign of an attack. His moves were sharp and deliberate, a series of kicks, punches, and dodges, each aid to disrupt the puppet's balance and find an opportunity to strike.
The puppet countered, its movents a seamless blend of attack and defense, its scythes slicing the air with razor-sharp precision. It was relentless, never giving Cain a mont's respite, keeping him on his toes, forcing him to push his limits.
Cain's focus was unbroken, his eyes locked on his opponent, analyzing every move, every shift in weight, every flicker of tal. He was like a hawk, poised and ready, waiting for the perfect mont to swoop down and seize his prey.
Finally, after over one hundred blows, Cain found his opening as a kick on the Battle Puppet's leg, making this one lose its balance.
Cain's body began to move from one side to the other as powerful gales coursed around his chest.
"¡BOOM!" "¡BOOM!" "¡BOOOM!" "¡BOOM!" "¡BOOM!"
"¡BOOM!" "¡BOOM!" "¡BOOOM!" "¡BOOM!" "¡BOOM!"
"¡BOOM!" "¡BOOM!" "¡BOOOM!" "¡BOOM!" "¡BOOM!"
Yordana saw with shock and awe how Cain unleashed a barrage of punches over the Battle Puppet, each carrying such a powerful montum that it seed like dozens of booms were blowing up every second.
"BOOOMMMM!"
One final punch echoed across the pyramid as Cain blasted the Battle Puppet's head into the ground, breaking it to pieces.
The next second, it morphed back into a cube and flashed on its own toward Grandmaster Horteus' hands.
"Good. Your mind and body are keen and follow your instincts and will. Please, show the weapon you want to fix."
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