Chapter 239

Lennok was well aware of the numerous shortcomings despite having reached the realm of Sengwi (Realizing Self-Domain) and ascending to the level of a Sangwi Wizard (Accomplished Wizard) through his duel with McQueen.

The most significant challenge lay in the extensive preparation required to successfully imprint his Self-Domain.

During his battle with McQueen, Lennok resorted to the use of drugs worth hundreds of millions to maximize his condition. Furthermore, despite McQueen gaining the upper hand by activating his domain first, Lennok verbally elucidated his own domain and pushed the boundaries of his magical manipulation abilities to the absolute limit.

Even after exploiting every avenue to augment his abilities, the fact that he had to utilize his current capabilities to such an extent clearly illustrated the immense scope of the imagery he had chosen.

In essence, the issue stemmed from the sheer enormity of the imagery he had incorporated.

Having chosen an imagery that involved observing and implementing parallel worlds derived from countless branching points, Lennok had prepared himself for the burden, but it proved to be far more demanding than he had anticipated.

Even in the relatively leisurely battle with McQueen, using this imagery was a formidable challenge, and there was no guarantee of its effectiveness in a truly urgent battle.

'Anyway, it's not something that can be resolved right away.'

While imprinting an imagery served as proof of reaching the level of a Sangwi Wizard, it didn't necessarily grant one the ability to seamlessly control their Self-Domain.

Even among Level 7 sorcerers, there was considerable variation in the development of domains and the fundamental ability to cast spells, and Lennok had only just entered this realm.

It was evident that he would need to overcome these challenges through time, effort, and research, but he remained hopeful that a solution existed.

As a result, Lennok deliberately sought to refine his abilities through combat training with Evelyn, with the intention of delving deeper into the combat skills of high-level superhumans.

Evelyn Marcia, in particular, stood out as not only the leader of the agents but also the most cooperative superhuman working with Lennok among the city government's ranks of extraordinary beings.

As a physical enhancer and a skilled archer, Lennok expected to gain valuable insights into fighting against Level 7 vanguards through dueling with her.

Level 7 superhumans, especially those as active as Evelyn Marcia, rarely had the opportunity to give direct feedback on one's abilities. Additionally, the chance to train and spar with her continuously for days was a rare and valuable opportunity.

In many ways, this was undoubtedly the most significant benefit Lennok could derive from this experience.

Evelyn gazed directly at Lennok and initiated the conversation.

"Seems like you have a lot on your mind. Should I start the conversation?"

"Do you have something to say?"

"I think I have a rough idea why you set such conditions." Evelyn replied as she descended from the rock and faced Lennok.

"Let's assume that you became a Sangwi Wizard at the moment you killed the president of the Cartel."

Lennok remained silent, though he was well aware of this fact. Was she pretending not to know for his benefit?

Lennok chuckled, prompting Evelyn to continue.

"Whether a sorcerer or non-sorcerer, it's no different. You've entered a higher realm, but in fact, your own physical strength hasn't changed much. Unlike the realm of military wizards where combat ability jumps significantly by mastering the nature of magic, it's quite different."

She extended seven fingers toward Lennok.

"Essentially, this is about defining seven stages of self-transformation that a human can reach, concluding that all hierarchies are achieved the moment one's own imagery is completed. The seventh stage is called 'Sangwi' for this reason... but in a way, it's a very loose classification."

"That means there's a huge disparity."

"Exactly. You understand quickly because you're a wizard?"

"Keep going."

Evelyn explained further, pointing her index finger at Lennok.

"The disparity in levels among sorcerers who have reached the same Sangwi realm is huge. The proficiency in domain deployment and whether the abilities of the domain are helpful in combat vary greatly due to age, time, or physical conditions."

Evelyn explained.

"That's why Level 7 is the stage with the largest disparity in skill among the seven hierarchies. It's essentially just lumping all superhumans who have completed their imagery at the end... Anyway, that's how it is."

Lennok thought about Parden McQueen.

Decades ago, he had reached the Sangwi realm as a Level 7 sorcerer and had crafted his own imagery. However, aside from his expertise in deploying his Self-Domain, his combat abilities were comparable to those of the blood mage Avid Yonsen.

His body and mind, having grown old and accustomed to a peaceful life, had lost the sharpness required on the front lines.

In the end, if Lennok hadn't pressured McQueen into a corner, compelling him to release his domain hastily, he would have met his demise without even deploying his domain.

"That's a dangerous idea."

"It's almost like saying that human effort and realms don't mean much." Evelyn replied with a faint smile.

"Don't you think so?"

"..."

"Of course, not many are as foolish as McQueen to let time pass and become rusty. But even superhumans who have completed the hierarchy must eventually accept death. If not, they must eventually abandon humanity and move on to the next stage."

With these words, Evelyn's eyes began to emit a slow, green glow.

"You must feel it to some extent too. Standing in each battlefield, watching moments where life and death intersect... It's not too hard to let go of yourself."

"Evelyn, you..."

"Maybe the fear of not being able to leave any meaning to the values you have cherished is what's troubling you, but the answer might be closer than expected. Or, maybe that itself is an insurmountable wall for you."

Lennok hesitated for a moment, then spoke to her in a measured tone.

"You... where are you at now?"

"..."

She remained silent, instead letting out a small sigh and rising energetically.

"Well, anyway, it means even someone as strong as you has a lot of things to worry about. So, I guess you need to work even harder to become stronger, right?"

The clouds dissipated, and the gentle moonlight illuminated the prairie landscape.

Beneath her jet-black hair, her face displayed a somewhat bittersweet smile.

"In that sense, it was a wise decision for you to ask me for training. In the process of measuring your limits, you won't die unluckily, at least. Let's start properly from tomorrow."

* * *

En route to the volcanic region, Lennok engaged in mock training sessions with Evelyn daily at a specified time, pitting their respective skills against each other.

Initially, he grappled with how much power to exert, but as he recognized Evelyn's exceptional evasion and counterattack abilities, his hesitation gradually vanished.

On the second day, Evelyn restricted herself to evasion alone.

Yet, on the third day, she began to retaliate, wielding her own equipment.

"Your magical system is almost perfect."

Kagagagak!!

Effortlessly evading the ground-hugging wind blades, Evelyn commented.

"I don't know who taught you or what kind of vision you received, but the number of tactics you have and your ability to utilize them are almost flawless. Your strategy seems to focus on mid-range combat, but it's ready to pounce on close-range enemies, which, to other experts, signals to maintain their distance."

"..."

"Now you can comfortably chant your high-powered magic, requiring time... That's how it goes. In fact, not many fighters are sophisticated enough to pose such a complex dilemma every moment."

Lennok remained silent, and Evelyn continued to speak.

Meanwhile, an arrow in her left hand effortlessly sliced through the air, deftly avoiding every move Lennok made.

"This is partly because your spell casting speed is exceptionally fast, and the patterns are too random to predict... But having faced you directly, it's unbelievably...!"

Dadadadadak!!

In the midst of her explanation, Evelyn paused to catch her breath and fervently gathered her mana.

In an instant, her form vanished like black smoke in the air, reappearing five times in rapid succession before suddenly materializing in front of Lennok.

Immediately thereafter, ice crystals that had formed at all the points where she had materialized erupted, filling the surrounding area.

Observing Evelyn's landing in front of him, Lennok couldn't help but grin.

"Caught you."

[Accumulated Fire]

Hwarururuk!!

Intensely compressed flames converged in Lennok's palm, as if being squeezed.

He swung his fiery hand directly in front of Evelyn.

Given Lennok's limited physical coordination, striking Evelyn with his bare hands was an impossible feat, let alone capturing her effectively.

Her physical agility and combat instincts surpassed those of any other expert he had encountered.

Above all, what astounded him the most was her agility displayed on the first day of training.

Her ability to change direction with utter freedom, as if weightless, even under extreme acceleration, was remarkable.

The fact that she could execute such maneuvers mid-air, without any support, was astonishing.

Even when relying solely on magical senses, relinquishing the use of his eyes, it seemed as though she vanished from her position every moment, rendering her movements challenging to track.

The capability to alter her direction at will, at any given instant—Lennok recognized the extraordinary and intricate nature of this skill.

It defied simple explanation as mere footwork or movement.

Her movements, seemingly immune to the constraints of inertia, brought to mind the dissonance he experienced in his battle with Antares.

'This must be the power of the microcosm that exists within Evelyn.'

It came as no surprise that Lennok found himself outmatched in their combat training.

Evelyn Marcia, as if second nature to her, was manifesting her microcosm even in close combat.

Considering her exquisitely honed archery skills, it wasn't difficult to imagine her capabilities.

An ordinary wizard wouldn't stand a chance at landing a spell on her, let alone discerning her movements—most would likely find an arrow through their throat.

However, this was precisely why Lennok could begin to formulate a strategy for dealing with this type of adversary.

The approach he experimented with on the first day—to disperse his firepower in all directions and occupy space—was not misguided.

The key lay in instilling a certain predictability into Evelyn Marcia's evasive maneuvers, compelling her to move in the direction Lennok desired.

Even at his inherent disadvantage, by offering her a pathway to close the distance, he believed she would inevitably charge in that direction.

Close enough for even Lennok's physical coordination to catch up with her.

However, Lennok's hand, carrying the compressed flame, never managed to make contact with Evelyn's shoulder.

Just as Lennok swung his arm, a brilliant flash of light descended right before Evelyn, creating a colossal shockwave between them.

Pa-pa-pa-pang!!!

While Lennok was able to deflect the flash from his position in the distant sky, he couldn't prevent Evelyn from using the shockwave as a means to leap backward.

Was this an attack from an external source?

Contemplating this, Lennok gazed downward, a faintly bitter smile gracing his lips.

"...It's unbelievably high-level."

What lay at Lennok's feet, leaving a trail of light, was the very arrow that Evelyn had held just moments ago.

While simultaneously evading Lennok's assault and closing the gap between them, she had managed to throw the arrow she had been holding into the air.

Not just anywhere—she had calculated the precise timing for Lennok's counterattack, the arrow's landing point, and the resultant shockwave to neutralize Lennok's move.

The idea of launching an arrow without a bow and having it land precisely between them was nothing short of astounding, let alone executing it flawlessly.

Such physicality and coordination were beyond imagination.

The level of archery mastery demonstrated with just one arrow, devoid of a bow, left a profound impression on Lennok.

"It's not that difficult." Evelyn finally spoke as she stood up.

"Since I know you actually want to close the distance, I just played along with your strategy while laying down a precaution."

"If things didn't work out, would you have picked up the arrow and continued the attack?"

Lennok understood that it wasn't solely about releasing a shockwave. In a real battle, if Evelyn had genuinely intended to eliminate him, she wouldn't have employed the arrow's shockwave to retreat.

Instead, she would have intercepted the descending arrow mid-flight and directed it straight toward Lennok's heart.

That this seemingly impossible feat was well within her capabilities, Lennok knew from his own experiences.

"In the end, that's what matters."

Evelyn approached Lennok at a deliberate pace and retrieved the arrow.

Even after such a rigorous sparring session, only the pleasant scent of grass clung to her.

She waved the arrowhead before Lennok and wore a smirk.

"The battle between superhumans of a certain level is essentially a confrontation with the unknown. A probing battle to draw out the opponent's hand, a strategic struggle to exhaust their resources... And to discover how far they can hide their trump cards, you must always keep a bit of reserve even when exerting full effort."

"..."

"You, being a wizard, might be more thoroughly aware of this aspect than me... But that's why I have something to tell you."

"What do you mean?"

Evelyn's eyes settled calmly.

"You're too perfect. Precisely speaking, that's the problem."