CHAPTER 23

Two figures emerged atop a secluded hill deep within the forest.

The moment they materialized, the handsome young man's figure was already in motion, his fist surging forward with such speed that it seemed to tear through the air, the wind howling in its wake.

But the other figure disappeared, reappearing instantly atop a nearby peak.

.......................

Watts' POV:

I was so furious I could eat dirt right now. Weird feeling, but that's exactly what I felt.

My blood boiled with unrelenting anger. For the first time in a long time, someone had done the one thing I absolutely despised: harming those I loved.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, my voice cold as ice.

"Oh, you mean that old woman of yours?" The figure smirked, his voice dripping with malice. "Aah, it was quite satisfying to hear her screams. Just what I needed to loosen up."

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, holding the breath in for a few seconds before releasing it slowly.

The anger inside me began to subside, my heartbeat slowing to its natural rhythm. It was as though the storm of rage inside me was vanishing, leaving a calm, cool sense of control.

That's when I realized: he was trying to use my emotions against me. He wanted me to lose control, to lash out recklessly.

And, for a moment, he almost succeeded—if not for the one thing that had always kept me in check: my superior intellect.

My IQ as a supreme human wasn't just a gift; it was my armor, my shield against the kind of mental trap he was trying to set.

I had fallen for a psychological trick. What a shame.

I opened my eyes again, meeting his gaze with cold determination. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. If he wanted to provoke me and try to beat me, I'd show him just what kind of fight he was in for.

And with the anger that had been building inside me, why not return the favor? Why not kick him black and blue until his own mother wouldn't recognize him?

With that thought in mind, I grinned at him, a new sense of clarity replacing the fury that had once clouded my mind.

.......................

Omniscient POV:

Shadow was overjoyed at the turn of events. The young man was clearly inexperienced, just as he had hoped. A little provocation, and he had turned into a fiery ball of rage. This would be easier than he thought.

But then something unexpected happened. Watts, who had been consumed by anger moments before, suddenly calmed down—too quickly, too easily.

A disarming calmness washed over him. Shadow's heart skipped a beat. This was far worse than he had anticipated.

The moment Watts opened his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, Shadow knew it: He had made a huge mistake.

Watts surged forward, faster than even the wind could follow. The force of his movement shattered the peak where he had been standing just moments before.

Boom.

A chill of impending doom swept over Shadow, an undeniable sense that something far worse was coming.

Before he could even react, a fist imbued with an overwhelming force was barreling straight for his face.

But Shadow wasn't inexperienced. No matter how fast Watts moved, he had his tricks. Instinctively, he activated his time-stopping ability.

Everything froze. The world, from the birds in the air to the leaves falling from trees, came to a standstill as though the very fabric of time had been ripped apart.

Watts' fist, which had been just a millimeter from Shadow's face, now hung motionless in midair, as still as the rest of the world.

For Shadow, time remained normal. He could move freely while everything else remained frozen.

He exhaled deeply, realizing just how close he had come to meeting his end. He had felt the danger in that punch.

If it had connected, not only would he have been knocked unconscious, but he might have even lost the ability to fight at all. This boy—this human—was something else.

But then Shadow's expression twisted. His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to look at the very person who was supposed to be frozen in time.

"What in the hell?" Shadow muttered under his breath.

From the stillness of the world, Watts' voice cut through the silence. "I really thought your ability was overpowered, but seems it's just so-so."

Shadow's eyes went wide with shock. Watts had somehow escaped the time trap without being affected.

How was that possible? He had been so sure that he had trapped the boy, and now, here he was, standing free and mocking him.

Shadow cursed under his breath. "I have to get serious." He steadied himself, calming his pounding heart.

Wuuush.

A gust of wind surged around Shadow as he donned an ancient suit of armor, dark and menacing. It radiated an oppressive, god-like aura.

The scales seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, crafted from materials that looked like they came from a forgotten age—when warriors still wielded swords and bows.

The moment the armor enveloped him, Watts felt it—a cold dread that washed over him, as if the battle he had been anticipating was no longer going to be as easy as he thought. He could feel the change in the air, the heaviness that now surrounded them.

But that wouldn't stop him. He had already decided—no matter how strong this guy got, he would still kick his ass.

With a grin, he finally let go of the supreme human aura he had been holding back, releasing it into the atmosphere.

The power clashed violently with the aura of Shadow's armor, creating a suffocating pressure that rippled through the land.

The animals that had dared to stay close either fainted or fled in panic.

As the two figures charged at each other, the air seemed to vibrate with the intensity of their power. They were moving too fast for the eye to track, but they collided with an explosive force.

Fists met with a thunderous boom, sending shockwaves rippling out, uprooting trees and shattering the hills. Both figures were thrown back hundreds of meters, their expressions filled with the same feeling.

Excitement.

Shadow was the strongest human on Earth, and yet, no one had ever truly pushed him to his limits.

He had never faced an opponent like this—someone who could match his power, someone who could give him a real fight.

Watts had struck a chord deep within him, awakening something he hadn't felt in years. The thrill of battle.

As for Watts, this was exactly what he'd been looking for. He wanted to know just how strong he had become.

He wanted to unleash everything he had and see how far he could go. It had been so long since he had fought someone who could truly challenge him, and now he had found his match.

He had been born with the ability to adapt, to evolve, to grow stronger with each battle.

The more he fought, the more his body and mind adjusted. And now, this battle was his test—how much could he evolve in a single fight?

The ground beneath them trembled as the two combatants began again, their movements like a blur of force and fury, a clash of titans that could reshape the very world around them.

The battle had only just begun, but already, its effects were being felt across the land.

The earth itself seemed to bend beneath the weight of their blows. But unbeknownst to either of them, high above the clouds, four hooded figures watched silently from a distance.

"They are strong," one of them said, his voice cold and emotionless. "They might hinder our plans. They must be eliminated."

The four figures, their faces obscured by shadows, floated silently above the clouds, observing the battle below.

They were waiting for the right moment to strike.

"No," another figure replied, "Let them exhaust each other first. Then we will strike when they are at their weakest."

"It will take too long," a third one said. "We don't want the humans to discover us before our plans succeed."

"Perhaps we take them to Ramak. He will enjoy experimenting on them, and he might reward us," the fourth figure suggested.

The others nodded in agreement. Their task was clear: capture the two humans and present them to their leader, Ramak.

One of them stepped forward. "One of us should be enough to take down two little humans. They haven't even ascended yet. Let's make this quick."

They were confident, too confident.

They had no idea what they were about to face. Watts, with his power to destroy entire continents even in his unranked state, was not someone to underestimate.

And as they moved to intercept, they were unaware of one crucial fact: The battle below wasn't just about the two men anymore.

It was about the fate of the planet itself. The wheels of destiny were turning, and the outcome of this fight could change everything.