The storm and torrential rain danced wildly like frenzied performers within this dilapidated, once-magnificent golden hall. Viktor stood amidst the chaotic tempest, his coat coming alive behind him, dancing frantically in the wind. In his eyes, streams of blue and white magical power intertwined, accelerating with the hurricane and gradually engulfing the shattered golden walls. Rocks were stripped from the walls by the wind, colliding and shattering in mid-air like weightless dancers. Before Viktor, two tiger-folk were enveloped in a translucent, flowing aura as their bodies grew increasingly massive. The sharp light in their eyes pierced through the hurricane, locked firmly onto Viktor. In an instant, three figures entangled like whirlwinds in the gale. Each exchange was a pure contest of strength. The female tiger-folk shot down from above like an arrow, charging straight for Viktor's face, while her orange-furred companion moved as one with the ground, stepping through the standing water to deliver a hook punch aimed at Viktor's waist. Their fierce attacks cut through the air, shattering the falling raindrops. Their qi-wrapped fists once again exploded the water spray into mist. Just as their high-speed punches were about to connect, Viktor transformed into flowing water, his form instantly vanishing. Though the tiger-folk reacted quickly, they realized Viktor's position too late. Water surged up from the ground, reforming his body. Supporting himself with one hand on the broken floor, he shed the water from his form in an instant. With his head nearly touching the ground, Viktor avoided the hook punch while slashing his wooden sword at the tiger leader's legs. In the leader's eyes, the crude wooden weapon transformed into death's blade itself. He quickly leapt up to avoid the high-speed slash, abandoning his attack. But the sword was merely a feint. The next second, Viktor supported himself on one hand and raised both legs in a handstand, spinning his body. His whirlwind kick struck both tiger-folk's abdomens simultaneously with devastating force. The impact hit their internal organs like falling boulders. The accompanying hurricane pierced through them like blades, punching a deep hole in the golden wall. Blood sprayed from their mouths as their arms swayed powerlessly like unstable branches, their bodies flying backward. Though they adjusted mid-air, their feet skidded back over forty feet when they landed in the standing water. Ripples splashed like shattered jade as they regained their stance, feet planted firmly and fists crossed before their chests, struggling to regulate their breathing. Viktor stood calmly holding his rain-slick wooden sword, showing not the slightest trace of pressure. Sensing his confidence, the tiger-folk's previously steady qi began to waver. The crowd watching the rapid exchange let out wild exclamations through the downpour, completely captivated until the stinging rain forced them to blink. This intense battle had raged for over an hour. The tiger-folk's attacks came relentlessly like sudden rain in a gale, yet Viktor stood firm as a mountain, perfectly blocking each strike. His counterattacks were divinely precise, always finding and exploiting their openings. What shocked the observers most was Viktor's inhuman stamina. His endurance was completely unlike a normal mage's. Under the tiger-folk's rainfall of attacks that left no room for rest, even seasoned warriors would have faltered. Yet Viktor not only persisted but effectively counterattacked. Was he truly just a mage? Viktor looked at the two tiger-folk, casually flicking water from his wooden sword. "Finished already?" he asked. "It seems you're not as strong as you imagined." The tiger-folk's wet fur bristled with rage. Their facial muscles twitched as flames of fury filled their eyes, as if ready to burn themselves to ash. Their lips curled back to their ears, exposing razor-sharp teeth in a terrifying snarl. This humiliation was unbearable. The two tiger-folk roared towards the sky, their terrifying howls piercing the heavens and reaching everyone's ears. All present covered their ears in dizziness from the deafening sound - all except Viktor, who stood calmly squinting, his expression unchanged. The next instant, a terrifying force exploded beneath the tiger-folk's feet. The ground erupted into towering rocks, water spraying up to pierce the golden walls along with the shattered earth. The two tiger-folk shot forward like orange missiles, becoming mere blurs. Viktor moved just as swiftly, wind elements wrapping around him as he transformed into a hurricane, his shadowy form darting across the water's surface. The three rapidly moving figures left only sharp echoes in the surrounding space. To observers, they were merely colliding afterimages. The only evidence of their clashes were the towering waves thrown up by their impacts. Their lightning-fast collisions made the hurricane grow increasingly violent. The two tiger-folk traversed the standing water like bolts of lightning. Then a calm voice rang out: "In terms of speed, you're far from my match." Their pupils contracted sharply as they stared at the pale blue shadowy figure charging towards them even more ferociously. This sharp force and speed left them unable to keep up. They could only vaguely see that wooden sword flash past, leaving wound after wound on their bodies. When they reached out to grab it, they caught nothing but wind. Viktor was like the wind itself, his form flickering as he passed them multiple times. Almost in the blink of an eye, countless bloody lines erupted across the tiger-folk's skin, red blood spraying like rain into the standing water. Before everyone's eyes, the clear water gradually turned red, the air thick with the scent of blood. The female tiger-folk roared skyward, throwing a punch at Viktor's afterimage. Get full chapters from NoveIＦire.net The massive force tore through the air with an ear-splitting boom. This time, she connected. But Viktor merely stood steadily in place before her, not even raising his hand to block. Behind him, a massive wooden vine hand that had grown out at some unknown moment firmly gripped her tiger claw. That arm was tightly wrapped in glowing green magical runes, complex sigils interweaving repeatedly. The bound tigress struggled with all her might, but that huge wooden hand seemed to possess endless power, unbreakable. Not even a single wooden finger could be bent. Only Viktor's cold voice calmly rang out: "In terms of strength, you're also lacking." Seeing the female tiger-folk trapped and unable to move, the tiger leader's pupils contracted as he stared intently at Viktor wrapped in magical runes. He dropped to all fours and instantly leaped skyward, body tilted forward as claws and fangs struck at Viktor together. Viktor had already noticed the male's movement and calmly raised his wooden sword to defend. However, the tiger-folk cleverly adjusted his form, twisting his heavy fist to sweep past the edge of Viktor's wooden sword towards his face. The force of the wind was almost point-blank. At this moment, the noble lords watching widened their eyes in fear. If that punch connected, Viktor, being a mage, would likely lose all fighting capability. Everyone's hearts raced in panic at the sight. But the next second, something unexpected happened. Suddenly, Viktor's lips curved slightly upward. At some point, he had instantly raised his other arm that had remained motionless until now. On that arm appeared a dark shield emanating an eerie aura. The shield's surface bore the fierce visage of an evil spirit, with two blood-red gems like crimson eyes embedded above. Sensing the evil aura emanating from the shield, the tiger-folk's eyes widened. He tried desperately to change direction mid-air, but his punch had already committed and couldn't be withdrawn. Finally, that heavy punch landed squarely on the round shield. With a muffled sound, the tiger-folk instantly fell into a dazed state. Almost simultaneously, Viktor's wooden sword was once again wrapped in vines, transforming into a massive wooden hammer. The giant hammer swept up from below through the standing water, rising towards the sky. More precisely, it rose towards the male tiger-folk's body. Under this terrifying hammer strike, his body twisted like it had been hit by a massive wave. His limbs contorted as his internal organs seemed to suffer the same terrible impact. Blood burst from his eyes, nose, and mouth, mixing with the rain in a ghastly display. The massive orange body traced an arc through the air as it plummeted towards the water. In his daze, the tiger leader recovered consciousness and quickly righted himself in mid-air. He crashed down with a thunderous impact. One claw supported him on the wet ground as he knelt on one knee. His other paw rose to wipe away the blood mixed with rain from the corner of his mouth. The tiger-folk's gaze fixed intently on Viktor before him. At this moment, in his area of greatest expertise - close combat - he actually felt a hint of... fear. Fighting for so long, he hadn't landed a single clean hit on his opponent. How was this possible? The crowd was equally shocked seeing the tiger-folk bleeding from all orifices. What exactly had just happened? They had seen Viktor seemingly at a disadvantage. Yet in an instant, he had turned the tables completely. Even though that hammer strike had occurred some distance from them, its savage aura still made their hearts tremble. Viktor looked at the male tiger-folk before him and spoke calmly: "I don't believe you can surpass me there either." Viktor's other hand suddenly swept out, the huge wooden hand following suit to violently throw the female tiger towards her leader. That orange figure cut through the air like a meteor streaking across the water-covered ground. Water sprayed everywhere as her powerless body flew towards the tiger leader. The mighty wind from the wooden hand's sweep crossed everyone's faces. That near-tearing sensation instantly invaded the faces of all the nobles present. Clear pain traced down their spines from their faces. The female tiger also stabilized herself in the air, landing heavily on the ground. Viktor calmly observed the two tiger-folk. As if radiating an invincible aura, his voice rang out softly: "If this is all you're capable of..." "You still can't make me fight seriously." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now! Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else!