The air was suffocating.
Kael stood still, facing the man who blocked his path. The pressure pressing down on him wasn't just physical—it was absolute. Like space itself had turned against him.
Every instinct screamed one thing:
This opponent is beyond you.
But Kael didn't retreat.
His golden eyes remained steady.
His mind—sharp.
If brute strength wouldn't work…
Then he would create an opening.
No matter how small.
⸻
The man watched him calmly.
No urgency.
No tension.
As if the outcome was already decided.
"Show me," he said.
Kael moved.
Origin Flash.
His body blurred into golden light, splitting into multiple afterimages as he dashed forward.
Not away.
Toward him.
The man's eyes flickered faintly.
Kael's movement changed mid-step.
A feint.
Then another.
His trajectory shifted unpredictably, each step guided by Origin Perception, reading even the smallest fluctuations in the man's presence.
For a moment—
It worked.
Kael slipped past him.
Just barely.
His body shot forward at maximum speed.
The wind tore against him as he pushed everything into movement.
Faster.
Further.
Escape—
Was possible.
⸻
Then—
A presence appeared beside him.
Kael's pupils shrank.
The man was there.
Again.
No movement.
No transition.
Just—
There.
A hand reached out.
Not fast.
Not violent.
But unavoidable.
Kael reacted instantly.
He twisted his body mid-motion.
Golden energy surged violently.
Origin Pulse.
He released it point-blank.
BOOM!
The explosion tore through the air between them.
For a brief moment—
The man's hand stopped.
Just enough.
Kael used that moment.
He broke away again, pushing his body even harder.
His muscles screamed.
His energy burned rapidly.
But he didn't slow down.
Not enough…
Still not enough…
The man's voice echoed behind him.
"Good."
No anger.
No frustration.
Just acknowledgment.
"You're forcing it further."
Kael's breathing grew heavier.
His body was reaching its limit again.
But the Origin Core inside him—
Was responding.
Pulsing faster.
Stronger.
Like it was being pushed to evolve.
⸻
Kael suddenly stopped.
He turned.
The man appeared in front of him once more.
Unavoidable.
Inevitable.
Kael's chest rose and fell.
He stared directly at him.
Then—
He smiled.
The man raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You've given up?"
Kael shook his head.
"No."
Golden energy began to gather around him.
Not explosively.
Not wildly.
But tightly.
Controlled.
Condensed.
More refined than ever before.
The ring on his finger glowed faintly.
The Origin Core synchronized with it.
For the first time—
Kael didn't try to overpower.
Didn't try to outrun.
He focused on something else.
Precision.
Timing.
The smallest possible opening.
The man stepped forward.
That same calm motion.
That same overwhelming presence.
Kael moved.
Not fast.
Not flashy.
Just one step.
Perfectly timed.
The man's hand reached for him—
And for a split second—
There was a gap.
Tiny.
Almost nonexistent.
But Kael saw it.
He moved through it.
His body slipped past the man's reach.
Clean.
Perfect.
For the first time—
He got behind him.
The man paused.
Surprised.
Only slightly.
Kael didn't attack.
Didn't hesitate.
He ran.
Everything he had—
Poured into movement.
Origin Flash — beyond limit.
Golden light tore through the landscape as Kael pushed himself further than ever before.
Behind him—
Silence.
Then—
The pressure faded.
Gradually.
Slowly.
Until—
It was gone.
Kael didn't stop.
He kept running.
Until the battlefield…
Until the presence…
Until everything—
Was far behind him.
⸻
Minutes later—
He finally slowed.
Then stopped.
His body trembled slightly.
His breathing was heavy.
But his eyes—
Were alive.
He had escaped.
Not by strength.
Not by luck.
But by pushing himself beyond his limits.
Kael looked back once.
The horizon was empty.
The man hadn't followed.
"…Why?" Kael muttered.
⸻
Far away—
On the hill—
The man stood quietly, watching the direction Kael had fled.
He smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
Beside him, another figure appeared.
"You let him go."
The man nodded.
"For now."
His gaze remained distant.
"He's not ready yet."
A pause.
"But he will be."
⸻
Back on the distant path—
Kael stood alone once more.
But this time—
He understood something clearly.
The world beyond…
Was far larger.
Far more dangerous.
Than anything he had faced before.
And if he wanted to survive—
He needed to grow.
Faster.
Stronger.
Relentlessly.
Kael turned forward again.
And continued walking.