Chapter 149: Jean v Kai

Jean was undoubtedly excited. Long before reaching the age of awakening, she had taken a keen interest in learning about those who possessed supernatural abilities.

Part of it stemmed from her natural curiosity, but there had also been a time when she genuinely believed that the knowledge she accumulated would prove useful once her own awakening arrived.

It had taken considerably longer than she had anticipated. In fact, after years of waiting, she had gradually come to accept that she might never receive such powers. Yet, now that the opportunity had finally presented itself, she intended to put everything she had learned to good use.

"Alright, then. You already have combat experience, and you’ve more or less unlocked the ability to manipulate mana."

Jean shook her head almost immediately. "Don’t put that much faith in me. I still need your guidance."

Kai paused, a sheepish smile finding its way onto his lips before he nodded. "I understand. I’ll guide you."

Jean nodded in return and assumed her fighting stance, her expression growing considerably more focused.

"Let’s start with a warm-up," she announced before suddenly closing the distance between them.

Kai tilted his head just enough to evade her palm strike, intercepted the knee aimed at his stomach, and immediately retreated to avoid the follow-up elbow strike.

"Whoa... You haven’t lost your touch."

Kai was genuinely impressed. He had undergone combat training himself for roughly half a year, which was more than enough to appreciate just how difficult it was to execute a combination like that with such fluidity. Jean, on the other hand, seemed to perform those movements as naturally as breathing.

"Well, these techniques have been ingrained in my instincts since I was five," she admitted before launching another attack.

She leapt forward with a front kick, which Kai deflected before catching the backhand punch that followed. For a brief moment, the two found themselves locked in place, neither willing to give the other an opening.

Then Jean moved.

She swiftly wrapped one leg around his neck while striking the back of his knee with the other, disrupting his balance and bringing them both crashing to the ground.

Jean landed on top of him.

For a moment, she simply stared down at Kai, who was now pinned beneath her. It took her only a second to realise their position, and warmth immediately crept into her cheeks.

"Don’t get distracted," Kai remarked with an amused smile.

He pushed against her, sending her backward. However, before she could fall awkwardly, he slipped a hand behind her head and gently supported it, preventing her from hitting the ground.

Their eyes met, and neither seemed particularly eager to look away. A faint blush had coloured both their cheeks when Kai finally spoke.

"You can’t afford to get shy in front of your enemy."

"Then stop looking at me like that." Jean pushed him away and quickly sprang back to her feet.

Kai rose without much difficulty, a smile still lingering on his face. "Alright, let’s move on. Try channelling mana into your legs this time. You should be able to move considerably faster."

Jean nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating on the unfamiliar sensation within her body. She could feel the energy wandering through her, almost as though it were waiting for her to give it direction. Gradually, she guided it drawing the mana towards her legs and maintaining enough control to keep it from spreading elsewhere.

The response was almost immediate.

Energy surged through her legs, filling them with an unfamiliar strength. Excited by the sudden change, Jean instinctively pushed forward.

"Ah!"

Her eyes widened when she realised she was moving far faster than anticipated. Before she could even think of slowing down, she had already dashed past Kai and was heading straight towards the wall.

THUD!

Fortunately, Kai reacted in time. He caught her around the waist, pivoted on his toes to redirect their momentum, and steadied her before she could collide with the wall.

"Don’t get too excited," he whispered near her ear. "We have the entire night."

Jean’s cheeks turned crimson. Embarrassed by her own lack of control, she hurriedly straightened herself before asking, "How am I supposed to control it?"

"Only channel enough mana to feel the difference. You don’t need to use all of it at once. Start small and gradually increase the amount as you become more familiar with it."

Jean nodded and tried again, this time drawing only a fraction of the energy into her legs. She stopped once she had just enough mana to reinforce them, leaving the rest untouched.

The difference was still noticeable. Her legs felt considerably stronger, and even standing in place gave her a sense of physical power she had never experienced before.

Satisfied with the result, she turned towards Kai and began testing her newfound strength.

One kick, followed by another, and then a third.

She executed all three within a single second, each strike carrying considerably more speed than before. Yet, Kai evaded every one of them without much difficulty.

He stepped back, keeping his distance while observing her movements. At the same time, he silently addressed the system.

’Can I assess her?’

[Indeed, host.]

[Analyzing...]

Kai was somewhat surprised. He had initially assumed that the Sage energy within Jean might interfere with the system’s assessment, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

Meanwhile, Jean continued attacking him. Without needing any further instructions, she had begun reinforcing her arms as well.

Her movements grew faster as she launched a succession of strikes, alternating between his shoulder, chest, and stomach. Naturally, she was still holding back, deliberately directing her attacks towards non-vital areas. Even so, Kai couldn’t help but feel that her actual strength was considerably greater than what she was demonstrating.

If she stopped restraining herself and fought without hesitation, he suspected she would be far more formidable.

[Strength: 28]

[Speed: 33]

[Endurance: 36]

[Intelligence: 40]

[Mana: 100]

Kai nearly stopped in his tracks when the results appeared.

And that brief lapse in concentration was all it took.

THAK!

Jean’s fist connected squarely with his face.

"Kai!"

She immediately withdrew her hand, her expression changing from concentration to outright panic.

"Why didn’t you dodge?" she asked, rushing towards him. Her voice was filled with concern as she carefully examined his face. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

Kai, however, was still processing what he had just seen.

Despite having only recently awakened, Jean had already reached the D+ rank. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if she advanced to C-rank within a few days.

But that wasn’t even the most astonishing part.

Her mana capacity was greater than his.

And that was simply absurd.

He had been so caught off guard by the assessment that he had momentarily forgotten about the incoming attack, allowing her to land a clean punch. Fortunately, Jean had been holding back considerably, so the impact wasn’t particularly painful.

He finally looked at her worried expression and offered a reassuring smile.

"It doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry about it."

Jean let out a relieved sigh before looking at him inquisitively. "Why did you suddenly stop?"

Kai smiled faintly. "Because I can see it, Jean. I can see how much you’re growing."

Jean raised her eyebrows, momentarily glancing down at her hand as she recalled the sensation of mana coursing through her body. "I could feel it too. My speed kept increasing as we fought. Each time I reinforced my legs, I felt like I could move a little faster than before."

Kai didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into an embrace.

Jean stiffened in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden affection. "Kai?"

"Nothing. I’m just happy."

A helpless smile spread across Jean’s face. She couldn’t quite understand what had gotten into him, but she had no intention of pushing him away. Instead, she slipped her arms around him and returned the embrace.

It was a strange feeling, having someone genuinely rejoice in her accomplishments as though they were his own. She couldn’t recall ever experiencing anything quite like it.

And yet, with Kai, it somehow felt natural. As though she could always expect this kind of sincerity from him, regardless of how small or insignificant her achievements might seem to others.

"I am happy too, Kai," she whispered, holding him a little closer. "And it’s all thanks to you."