Chapter 51: Combat Intuition: Victor Takes the Stage

[Selection successful.]

[Congratulations. The host has obtained the S-grade Special Talent—Combat Intuition!]

As the talent fused into Victor’s body, the entire world seemed to change. Wind, sounds, footsteps, breathing, even the shift in Karl’s center of gravity caused by a slight change in his stance... Victor could sense everything.

He did not see those things; it was an instinct.

When Evelyn had ambushed him with Shadow Assault Step, he had relied on his seventy-seven points of Agility and raw reaction speed to catch her, but if she tried it again now, Victor would not even need to wait until she entered his attack range. Before she truly struck, his body would sense the danger in advance.

[Detected a high degree of compatibility between the new talent and the host’s existing abilities.]

[Combat Intuition can evolve.]

[First-stage evolution conditions:]

[One: Experience 100 genuine battles against opponents of the same level or higher.]

[Current Progress: 0/100.]

[Two: Successfully evade 50 attacks that cannot be detected in advance through ordinary vision.]

[Current Progress: 0/50.]

[Three: Defeat one enemy possessing a perception-type talent.]

Another clear growth path! The corners of Victor’s lips lifted slightly. He couldn’t help but be pleased that he had disregarded the money and gone for Infinite Evolution.

Now, as long as he continued investing, continued acquiring new skills and talents, and then used Infinite Evolution to push them even higher, this method of growth... had no limit.

"Young Master."

Noah’s voice pulled him back to reality. The young man had already stood up.

"I can continue."

Victor glanced at him. His right arm was injured, nearly half his mana had been consumed, and bruises from slamming into the ground covered his body, yet he still claimed he could continue.

"That’s enough for today."

"But..."

"Real training isn’t about crippling yourself." Victor continued, "Get treated first. You can return tomorrow."

Noah remained silent for a moment, then he nodded.

"Yes."

[Noah Green’s Loyalty +5.]

[Current Loyalty: 89.]

...

For the next three hours, the arena was completely transformed into a private hunting ground.

Victor did not allow anyone to rest for too long.

Karl faced a second Level 20 strength-type magical beast, Milo began attempting to fight two Level 14 high-speed magical beasts simultaneously, and Leah was ordered to defeat a Level 18 magical beast using only [Astral Chains] and basic Astral mana, without using [Starfall].

Restricting her most powerful skill was not intended to torment her; it was meant to force her to learn control. Otherwise, if she encountered an enemy that could not be defeated with a single Starfall in the future, she would instantly fall into a passive position.

As for Victor himself, he faced a Level 23, a Level 25, and a Level 27 magical beast. Three consecutive high-level First Tier magical beasts.

The first was a Level 23 Flamefang Lizard.

[Shadow Blink.]

He instantly crossed eight yards and appeared at its side.

[Mana Plunder!]

[Successfully plundered: 14 points.]

The Flamefang Lizard’s body stiffened, and Flame Line pierced directly through its neck.

The second was a Level 25 Black-Armored Giant Scorpion.

Its shell possessed far greater defensive power than the Crimson Armored Demon Ape, and Victor’s first Flame Line left only a shallow mark.

He didn’t continue hacking at it directly; instead, he used Shadow Blink three times in succession to change positions.

The giant scorpion’s raised tail and shifting shadow made both attacks clearly visible before they struck. Victor evaded them cleanly, but because he had detected them through ordinary vision, neither counted toward Combat Intuition’s unseen-attack condition.

On his third attempt, Victor seized the moment its abdomen was exposed after an attack and dashed forward!

Shadow Blink x Mana Plunder x Flame Line!

Puchi!

The blade entered through a gap between sections of its shell; mana erupted, and the giant scorpion’s entire abdomen exploded from within.

[Level 25 Black-Armored Giant Scorpion killed.]

[Experience gained.]

[Mana Devour activated.]

A large amount of ownerless mana poured into his body.

[Permanent Mana +22.]

[Current Mana: 661.]

’Finally, real magical beasts—targets that can allow Mana Devour to display its value.’ Victor thought inwardly, feeling the rush of mana in his veins.

He could get addicted to this feeling!

The third was a Level 27 magical beast.

[Thunder-Patterned Hunting Leopard]

A speed-type high-level First Tier magical beast. It was also the opponent Victor had specifically chosen for himself today.

The battle began.

With a flash of lightning, the leopard instantly vanished; Karl and the others could only see an afterimage.

"So fast," Leah muttered under her breath.

Compared to the Blackshadow Panther she had fought earlier that morning, it was more than twice as fast.

But Victor stood where he was; he did not move. The act looked no different from someone who wanted to commit suicide.

The next second, a sudden prickling sensation appeared at the back of his neck, and his body moved faster than his thoughts.

Shadow Blink!

Buzz!

The claw swept through his fading afterimage.

[Successfully evaded an attack that could not be detected in advance through ordinary vision.]

[Combat Intuition evolution condition: 1/50.]

This was why he had chosen a speed-type magical beast.

Since he knew the evolution conditions, of course he would actively farm them.

The Thunder-Patterned Hunting Leopard disappeared again.

Activating Shadow Blink, he successfully evaded that attack as well.

[2/50.]

The third attack came from above, and this time, Victor did not use Shadow Blink.

His body abruptly stepped half a pace forward as the leopard’s claw swept past his back.

[3/50.]

It was becoming more familiar.

This was not skill proficiency. His body was gradually beginning to trust that instinctive sense of danger.

On the eleventh attack, Victor did not dodge, as he had already gained enough.

Before the leopard appeared, he turned around in advance; his left hand shot out.

Smack!

He accurately caught the Thunder-Patterned Hunting Leopard’s forelimb.

[Mana Plunder!]

[Successfully plundered: 21 points.]

Its lightning-element mana was instantly extracted.

The lightning covering the leopard’s body abruptly dimmed.

Victor drew the Crimson Flame Fang with his right hand.

And then, following a fiery line’s flash, the sound of flesh being cut echoed.

Puchi!

The Thunder-Patterned Hunting Leopard’s head fell to the ground, then a moment later its lifeless body collapsed as well.

[Level 27 Thunder-Patterned Hunting Leopard killed.]

[Higher-level target killed.]

[Large amount of experience gained.]

[Mana Devour activated.]

[Permanent Mana +27.]

[Current Mana: 688.]

Immediately afterward, a long-awaited light of advancement rose from Victor’s body.

[Experience points filled.]

....

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