29: Manifestor

'What to do? How can I dodge this?'

Caleb's thought process began to speed up as the blade got nearer and nearer. He can't employ his usual tricks because there's nothing to think about at all. What can he do? What thing does he have him? And he didn't even understand how Miles managed to change the trajectory of his blade. What kind of technique could do that?

'This bastard forced me to use it. These guys aren't really that simple.' As he thought of this, the way he looked at Miles changed. Miles was a strong guy who deserved his respect. So out of respect for the opponent, he must go all out! After all, in terms of physique, although he has strength comparable to two adults, the other members of the hunter party might have already reached the physical strength of the limit of human being could reach.

He didn't understand how it works, but the limit of physical strength of the human body is what they might call the highest prerequisite. So, all in all, they aren't that far apart in terms of strength.

All of this thinking just happened in split seconds. Caleb felt the connection of a violent, powerful force inside him and immediately directed its course through his feet. As a result, he felt that he could jump higher and do explosive damage to his enhanced feet. This is the main function of taboo energy! It could enhance the speed, power, and defense of any part or even the whole body. However, the fewer body parts he covers, the higher the boost. If he covers a large part, the boost would be as strong.

BOOM!

The ground on his feet exploded due to the sudden powerful force he exerted upon it. Miles changed his expression. It was that of astonishment and was forced to retract his sword and tried his best to jump back, but some of the debris from the small explosion hit him in the body, causing him to grunt.

On the other hand, Caleb looked speechlessly at the one-meter pit in the ground surrounded by spiderweb cracks. 'What the hell? It was that strong!?'

Who can blame him, though? It was the first time he attempted to use the taboo energy to boost his body. Who would have known that it could cause damage to such an extent? It was destructive enough to kill!

'It might be because the taboo energy was isolated to the feet. So the boost was significant?' When he thought about it. The taboo energy was really an energy with violent properties. Just the fact that it made his body explode in the first world shows this. Taboo energy was a double-edged sword. It could prove to be a powerful weapon for destruction. However, it can also hurt the user without sufficient mastery.

Thinking of this, Caleb controlled the energy to wrap around his body. It took five seconds to do so, which was too slow. Every second in battle was important. 'It seems I still need to train this energy and make it course to my whole body and other body parts faster.'

"What the hell!? Who can tell me what just happened!?" Dunn looked at the one-meter pit, then turned his head to their captain as if seeking an answer.

Athena smirked.

"Johan is something."

Fushigiro shook his head. The usual smile on his face was gone, replaced by surprise and curiosity.

"I don't know. But I'm sure he is not destiny. I didn't sense any energy or technique. It might just be pure physical strength, but that's even more unlikely. We can't surpass the limited strength of the human body without becoming Destiny first, and that's a fact."

A sense of wonder and a lot of questions began to appear to the hunting party members. Each of them has a ponderous expression. Some look doubtful about life, some look solemn.

"Tamasai, you should know something about this, right?" Fushigiro gave the bored bald-caped man a careful look and asked.

The usual deadpan expression of the bald man didn't disappear even after Caleb's strange feat. He looked at the members who were currently waiting for his answer and said with an emotionless tone:

"He's not destiny. I can confirm it. But he might be one of those gifted ones who can actually manifest powers of Destiny early without becoming one. They are called Manifestors. They are pretty rare, but not unheard of. They have an advantage over normal people but aren't as strong as real Destinies. Their advantage is, that they have a one hundred percent success rate to become a Destiny compared to others who have thirty to fifty percent.

Even if one reaches the highest prerequisite, one can only increase the success rate to twenty percent. It was a good advantage. However, once Manifestors become Destiny, they would lose their advantage and would just be like other Destinies. They aren't more powerful than their counterparts."

Hearing this, Fushigiro nodded his head with understanding and turned his attention back to the battle.

Strangely, none of the members refuted Tamasai, and they just believed what he said. How could they? Their knowledge about Destiny came from him. No one knows why he has such knowledge, how powerful he was exactly, what his goal was, or where he came from. They just know that he was stranded in the Wall of Rose, just like them.

Actually, every member didn't know where each other came from, what their story was, or what their identity was before the Wall of Rose was breached. Every one of them was just a survivor who banded together to survive.

Not that it matters to them anymore when everything they have, like family, wealth, status, etc... is gone. No one was willing to talk about their background except for Rina, Athena, and Dunn, even then they just shared mundane things, afraid to open the scars of the tragedy, not even their captain.

Jin looks like he was in deep thought after hearing the information. While others lost their interest. Contrary, they felt that Caleb was so lucky but also so unlucky at the same time. Such a talent! A hundred percent chance to become a Destiny! Unfortunately, they didn't have the means to become one unless they went to the City of Phenos, which was equivalent to a suicide mission due to Apokalips inhabiting the Wall of Rose.

Of course, what they didn't know. Caleb wasn't a Manifestor or something. It was a misunderstanding due to a lack of understanding that other worlds exist. Caleb wasn't a Manifestor, but a Taboo fighter!