60~ For the Sake of Power

Three Years Earlier...

After the battle between Aetherion and Wail, and the appearance of the two strangers who had come to confront them, everyone realized the enormous gap between their strength and that of any other threat .

If another threat of similar power were to appear...

It could wipe them all out.

Amin understood this better than anyone else.

He realized that staying with the group would never make him stronger. As long as he continued relying on them, he would remain stuck at the same level.

So he left.

---

Eight Months Later...

Amin was wandering around the world.

It was during this period that the phenomenon known as the Unaware began to emerge.

Ordinary people seemed to have their minds taken over by some unknown force, causing them to attack one another and anyone else who crossed their paths.

Amin encountered them from time to time, but they posed no real challenge to him.

He defeated them with ease.

Until that day...

Amin lunged at a man wearing a black cloak, whose eyes glowed red.

But the moment he approached him...

A massive explosion erupted across the area.

Amin emerged from the smoke, his body covered in wounds.

He was suspended in midair, as though an invisible force had pinned him in place.

The cloaked man looked at him and spoke coldly.

"Weak... Pathetic."

He slowly approached him.

"You have the potential to become stronger... Stronger than anyone. You could even become the strongest."

He stopped in front of him.

"But you're wasting all of it because you know nothing."

Amin seemed to have completely given up.

"You already know what's inside your body, Amin."

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Then he added,

"Come with me... and I'll help you draw out that power."

He released him.

But before Amin could move away, the man spoke again.

"I want nothing in return. You can become stronger, then come back and kill me if you wish."

He paused briefly.

"But I don't want someone like you to die... So I advise you not to even consider it."

Amin clenched his teeth.

His expression twisted with rage until blood began to seep from between his teeth, while a faint red glow appeared in his eyes.

He said nothing.

He simply stared at the man, his gaze filled with hatred and resentment.

---

Several Days Later...

Amin was kneeling before the man.

He looked at him and said,

"Well done... You've made tremendous progress compared to when I first found you."

Amin slammed his fist into the ground.

"It's not enough..."

He raised his head.

"It won't be enough!"

His fist tightened.

"I have to become stronger... I have to..."

Suddenly...

Dark red flames erupted from Amin's body and swept across the area.

The man stepped back, a smile appearing on his face.

"Has it emerged?"

Then his eyes widened.

"Wait..."

Amin had gained control over the flames.

But more importantly...

He had retained his anger.

He hadn't lost control.

The man immediately raised his arm.

All the flames suddenly surged before vanishing in an instant.

Amin's eyes widened in shock before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The man approached him and stopped in front of his body.

He thought to himself,

"Good... It's time I told him about it."

---

In the Present...

Amin laughed hysterically, unable to stop himself.

Meanwhile, Wail fell from above and crashed into the ground, half his body engulfed in flames.

"No matter how much you think you've changed, Wail... You'll always be that gentle boy."

Amin approached him.

"You haven't changed at all... You just think that you have."

The moment he drew closer to Wail...

Electric sparks began to burst from his body.

Then a massive electrical explosion engulfed the area.

Amin emerged from the center of the blast, but his right foot was gone.

At the same moment, Wail moved above him in a flash of lightning and drove a blade of energy into his heart before kicking him toward the ground.

Wail's Reverse Transformation disappeared, and he returned to his Elemental Transformation.

Sky blue energy covered the burned parts of his body, and his wounds began to heal gradually.

But the battle wasn't over yet.

Amin spoke.

"Wail... You can't kill me unless you separate my head from my body or destroy these eyes..."

Wail interrupted him.

"I know."

He looked at Amin coldly.

"And that's exactly what I intend to do next time."

Amin froze for a moment.

Then he smiled as his right foot regenerated and his energy began to rise again.

"Hahahaha! So... You've figured it out."

Wail replied,

"I've figured out part of how your ability works... But I know you're still hiding a lot about it, aren't you?"

Amin laughed.

"Let's keep fighting... and you'll learn more."

Wail breathed heavily.

"I can't keep this up for much longer... I'm afraid our next clash might be the last."

Amin's grin widened.

"Meanwhile, I can keep going forever, Wail!"

His red aura ignited around his body.

"And I'll force you to keep fighting me... until I've drained you completely."

The flames around his arms intensified.

"I'll drain your strength... and your emotions, too!"

Wail activated his Power Pulse on top of his Elemental Transformation.

In the next instant...

The two clashed once more.

The left side of the scene blazed with fire and flames, while lightning bolts filled the right side and thunder roared through the air...

They exchanged blows within a confined space. Wail dodged a punch from Amin, then countered with a swift strike that forced him back. Amin charged again and unleashed a wave of fire at him, but Wail cut straight through it and landed a direct lightning strike.

Their energies collided for several moments before Amin took a step back.

In the next instant

Wail gathered an immense amount of electricity in his fist until lightning coiled around his entire arm.

Then he drove a direct punch into Amin's chest.

The electrified fist pierced through his body, and lightning burst out of his back as Amin froze in place.

Wail thought to himself,

"It's time... I'll make sure."

Amin chuckled softly as blood began to trickle from his mouth.

"Have you noticed, Wail... that my energy keeps increasing every time you injure me?"

Wail studied him closely.

"Healing your injuries increases your strength and energy..."

His eyes narrowed.

"You're taking advantage of that, aren't you?"

Amin coughed up blood as his consciousness began to fade.

"Yes..."

His breathing faltered for a moment.

"Thanks to these two eyes... I keep getting stronger."

His eyes began to glow red.

At that very moment, the enormous hole in his chest healed, and his body returned to normal.

But that wasn't all.

Every trace of the battle vanished from his body, and his energy began to rise again, as though he had never fought at all.

Wail smiled faintly.

"I see."

"Huh?"

Amin looked at him in confusion.

Wail continued,

"You... You haven't stopped telling me things and revealing information I didn't know."

His smile briefly faded.

"Does this have something to do with your ability?"

Amin smiled.

"I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later."

His grin widened slightly.

"All right, then."

The two descended to the ground.

Amin stood in front of Wail before speaking.

"I'll tell you what happened..."