The cavern was silent, but the air itself felt heavy, charged with anticipation. Gabriel's body moved with deliberate precision, each step calculating, each breath controlled. He could feel Cain's energy coiling like a predator, ready to strike.
"…You've learned quickly," Cain said, his voice cutting through the tension, calm but edged with menace.
Gabriel didn't respond. He simply focused, letting the phantom pain surge through him—not as a weakness, but as fuel. His system ran at peak efficiency, converting agony into raw, usable power. Every nerve, every fiber, vibrated with potential energy.
Cain lunged, faster than before, a blur of golden aura and concentrated force. Gabriel met him mid-strike, their energies colliding in a shockwave that rattled the cavern walls. Rock shattered, dust exploded, and the ground beneath them splintered like glass.
Gabriel pushed back, countering with precision strikes, each imbued with the force of accumulated pain. Cain blocked, but even he felt the difference—Gabriel was no longer just enduring. He was attacking, converting the phantom curse into a weapon of pure destructive potential.
"You've reached a new threshold," Cain said, his voice a mixture of admiration and warning.
Gabriel's gaze was steady. "…D-Rank Peak? Temporarily," he said, voice calm but resolute.
Cain smirked. "…Temporary or not, this is becoming interesting." He coiled his energy, sharp and lethal, then exploded forward. The two clashed again, faster, stronger. Each impact sent shockwaves outward, tearing at the cavern structure and creating geysers of stone and dust.
Alex watched from the shadows, a faint smirk on his face. "Finally," he murmured. "This is the kind of growth I wanted to see."
Gabriel adapted instantly, his strikes and movements unpredictable now, blending offense and defense seamlessly. Cain tried to keep up, but the tide was shifting. Every attack Cain threw was met not just with resistance, but with a return amplified by Gabriel's mastery of the curse.
The ground quaked violently as the battle escalated, energy colliding in violent arcs, sending sparks and fragments flying. Gabriel felt his system analyzing every move, every strike, and preparing countermeasures even before Cain completed his attacks.
A particularly heavy strike landed against Gabriel's chest, forcing him back. The phantom pain screamed—but instead of faltering, he focused, converting the blow into an energy surge that he redirected at Cain. The attack struck with crushing force, forcing Cain to leap back, his golden aura flickering under the impact.
"…Impressive," Cain said, panting slightly. "…You've integrated your curse fully."
Gabriel didn't respond. He pressed forward, energy coiling around his fists, each movement deadly precise. Cain countered, and the two collided again, the force of their blows sending massive shockwaves across the cavern, tearing away stone in chunks and sending debris flying in all directions.
For a moment, time seemed suspended. Energy crackled, rock shattered, and both combatants glared at each other, breathing heavily, calculating, measuring. Then—Cain stepped back, aura sharpening, acknowledging the shift in momentum.
"You've grown," Cain said, a rare note of respect in his voice. "But this isn't over."
Gabriel's eyes glowed brighter, energy thrumming along his veins. "…No," he said simply. "It's just beginning."
The cavern shook again as they launched simultaneously, a collision of raw force, calculated strategy, and unleashed power.
Author's Thoughts:
Gabriel is learning to master the curse fully—pain is no longer a weakness, it's a weapon.
Cain remains the perfect counter, dangerous and refined.
Alex is enjoying the front-row seat to this evolution.
And yet… still no power stones?
If I don't get them soon, my exams will crush me harder than Gabriel crushes D-Rank attacks.
Next chapter: the stakes escalate. The first real test of S-Rank potential begins.