Crackle—
Crackle—
Purple lightning surged around Kael Veyron.
At the center of the open ground, the Purple Sky Thunder spread more than three meters in every direction.
The sound was sharp and relentless, like thousands of birds shrieking at once.
The entire area around Kael had become a forbidden zone.
Any Ferocious Beast that approached was immediately struck by violent electricity.
Several High-Tier One beasts lay several meters away, their bodies charred black.
Within the three-meter radius surrounding Kael, there was only one living figure.
Kael.
He stood calmly beneath the swirling purple lightning, looking almost like a sovereign of thunder.
Kael glanced at the surrounding beasts.
“So relying only on physical strength is still a little too much against this many High-Tier One beasts.”
He raised his left hand.
Purple electrical arcs danced across his fingertips.
Kael watched them with an almost fascinated expression.
The power of an ability was closely connected to both its rank and the user’s fundamental attributes.
Although he was still only an Awakener, his 181 Blood Qi and 182 Hertz Spirit had greatly increased the power of his Purple Sky Thunder.
Compared with the first moment he had awakened it, the difference was enormous.
Even High-Tier One Ferocious Beasts could now be seriously injured by his lightning.
Kael smiled.
“As expected of an S-rank ability.”
“Overwhelming.”
His gaze shifted forward.
The dozens of Ferocious Beasts around him had already been badly injured.
Some were barely able to stand.
Others were lying on the ground, struggling to move.
The commotion had finally attracted the attention of the true ruler of this territory.
The Bloodthirsty Violent Bear.
The massive beast slowly rose from its resting position.
It stood upright.
Five meters tall.
More than three meters wide.
Its enormous body resembled a heavily armored tank.
The oppressive feeling of seeing it stand was difficult to describe.
Kael looked up.
“A rare Ferocious Beast…”
“The Bloodthirsty Violent Bear.”
He licked his lips.
“This year’s Combat Examination really is unusually difficult.”
The summer sun was beginning to descend toward the horizon.
The setting sun illuminated the enormous bear from behind, casting a long shadow across the ruined residential complex.
Kael stood facing the light.
Because the Bloodthirsty Violent Bear had its back to the sunset, Kael couldn’t clearly see every detail of its face.
But those blood-red eyes were impossible to miss.
They carried an intense and oppressive killing intent.
The moment the bear’s aura spread across the battlefield, the remaining Ferocious Beasts became restless again.
The beasts that had previously been frightened by Kael’s presence slowly lowered their bodies.
Their fangs were exposed.
Their claws scraped against the ground.
Low growls rolled through the open space.
Kael looked around.
The scene was almost absurdly intimidating.
“This would make a pretty good horror movie.”
He smiled.
“But these smaller beasts could become annoying once the real fight starts.”
His eyes narrowed.
“In that case…”
“Let’s clear the field first.”
The purple lightning surrounding Kael suddenly changed.
Until now, the Purple Sky Thunder had remained mostly on the surface of his body.
But under Kael’s control…
It began flowing inward.
Deep into his body.
Hum…
Kael’s entire body trembled.
It was as though a powerful stimulant had suddenly been injected into every cell.
Purple lightning surged through his muscles and bones.
His pupils became filled with faint purple thunder.
And then….
An enormous surge of power erupted from his entire body.
Kael clenched his fists.
“This feeling…”
A wild smile appeared on his face.
“This is it.”
Abilities were powers inherent to an awakened human.
With sufficient control, they could be manipulated almost as naturally as one’s own limbs.
Combat Techniques represented the more refined applications of an ability.
But there were also simpler methods.
Crude applications that relied on the fundamental characteristics of an ability.
For example, Ethan Blake could use his Wind-type ability to reduce air resistance and increase his running speed.
Kael had previously used Purple Sky Thunder in a concentrated burst, creating an effect similar to a plasma cannon.
And now….
He was using another fundamental application of his Lightning-type ability.
Internal electrical stimulation.
By guiding the Purple Sky Thunder through his body, Kael could stimulate his cells and temporarily enhance his Physique.
He had tried something similar after awakening his original E-rank Weak Electricity.
But the result had been disappointing.
At most, his body had become slightly numb.
Weak Electricity simply didn’t possess enough energy.
Purple Sky Thunder was completely different.
The moment the S-rank lightning entered his body, Kael felt an enormous current surging through him like a river.
Every muscle seemed to awaken.
Every cell seemed to become stronger.
His physical strength surged to an abnormal level.
Of course, this wasn’t a true Combat Technique.
And forcing powerful lightning through the body was extremely dangerous.
One mistake could seriously damage his internal organs and nervous system.
Kael couldn’t maintain the state indefinitely.
But he didn’t need to.
He only needed enough time to finish this battle.
He grinned.
“That’ll be enough to deal with you.”
The next instant….
Boom!
Lightning exploded beneath his feet.
Kael disappeared.
A purple-black streak crossed the battlefield.
Before the nearest High-Tier One One-Horned Rhino could react, Kael was already beside it.
The Obsidian Spear flashed.
A purple-black arc cut through the air.
The spear passed across the beast’s neck.
The One-Horned Rhino froze.
A thin red line appeared across its throat.
Then…
Its enormous head slid from its body.
Thud!
The head crashed onto the ground.
Blood erupted from the severed neck.
The One-Horned Rhino’s hide was tough enough to withstand attacks comparable to steel.
Yet before Kael’s spear, that defense was meaningless.
A High-Tier One Ferocious Beast possessed extraordinary vitality.
Even with its abdomen torn open, it might continue fighting.
But once its head was removed…
There was nothing it could do.
The massive body collapsed into the spreading pool of blood.
ROAR!
The Bloodthirsty Violent Bear finally lost its patience.
It released an enraged roar.
Then it charged toward Kael.
Despite its enormous size, the bear was astonishingly fast.
Its four limbs slammed against the ground.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, it crossed more than thirty meters.
It wasn’t even running in the ordinary sense.
It was practically leaping forward.
But Kael was faster.
Under the enhancement of Purple Sky Thunder, his body became a purple-black blur.
He moved through the swarm of Ferocious Beasts.
The Bloodthirsty Violent Bear tried to intercept him.
But Kael slipped past every attack.
The Obsidian Spear flashed again and again.
Every strike carried purple lightning.
Every thrust targeted a vital point.
One beast fell.
Then another.
Then another.
The system notifications began appearing continuously inside Kael’s mind.
[Killed one High-Tier One One-Horned Rhino.
Ability Points +15.]
[Killed one High-Tier One Shadow Cat.
Ability Points +13.]
[Killed one High-Tier One Blade-Armed Tiger.
Ability Points +14.]
[Killed one High-Tier One Ironhide Boar.
Ability Points +15.]
The notifications continued.
Kael’s spear became faster and more precise.
The purple lightning surrounding his body illuminated the ruined residential complex.
Meanwhile, the Bloodthirsty Violent Bear roared in frustration.
It repeatedly tried to catch Kael.
Its enormous paws smashed into the ground.
Concrete exploded.
Dust filled the air.
But Kael was already somewhere else.
The bear couldn’t catch him.
On the rooftop of the nearby building, Ethan Blake and the others were completely stunned.
“What kind of Lightning-type ability is that?”
Megan’s voice trembled.
“It’s terrifying!”
They had expected Kael to struggle against the High-Tier One beasts.
Instead…
The moment he used his ability, the entire battlefield had changed.
The first wave of lightning alone had seriously injured more than a dozen High-Tier One beasts.
And Kael himself was only an Awakener.
Megan swallowed hard.
“Even an A-rank Lightning-type ability shouldn’t have this kind of destructive power at the Awakener stage…”
The bald student stared down in disbelief.
“I’ve seen powerful A-rank Lightning-type Ability Users before.”
“But none of them gave me this kind of pressure.”
Ethan’s expression became increasingly serious.
“Could it be…”
He exchanged a glance with the bald student.
The same thought appeared in both their minds.
They spoke almost simultaneously.
“S-rank?”
The words hung in the air.
But Ethan immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“That can’t be right.”
“If Kael really possessed an S-rank ability, the moment he awakened it, the entire nation would have known.”
S-rank abilities were simply too rare.
An S-rank Awakener wouldn’t be allowed to quietly remain in an ordinary high school.
The government would immediately take notice.
Elite resources would be allocated.
Powerful instructors would be assigned.
The student would receive priority training.
There was no way someone with an S-rank ability would remain unnoticed in a relatively under-resourced school like Rivergate Second High School.
The bald student frowned.
“Then what is it?”
Ethan thought for a moment.
“Ability mutation?”
The others looked at him.
“Ability mutation?”
Ethan nodded slowly.
“There have been cases like that before.”
The world was enormous.
Abilities were mysterious.
Although extremely rare, ability mutations had occurred throughout history.
There had even been documented cases where a lower-ranked ability unexpectedly mutated into a far more powerful one.
A D-rank ability becoming A-rank after mutation wasn’t impossible.
If Kael’s original ability had mutated…
Then everything suddenly made more sense.
His registered ability might have been completely different from what he possessed now.
The others exchanged looks.
Nobody could give a definite answer.
But one thing was already certain.
Whatever the truth behind Kael’s ability…
His performance today was going to shake Redhaven City.
Ethan looked down once more.
Kael’s black figure continued moving through the battlefield.
Purple lightning wrapped around him.
The Obsidian Spear flashed again and again.
Every strike brought down another Ferocious Beast.
The Bloodthirsty Violent Bear continued roaring helplessly.
Ethan’s expression became increasingly complicated.
“Whatever the truth is…”
He slowly exhaled.
“After today, everyone in Redhaven City is going to know the name Kael Veyron.”