CHAPTER 232: NASH VS SKYLAR

"Never mind, then..." Natasha sobered up.

Recalling those lord-rank dark beasts, she couldn’t help but shudder.

"What about these two functions? When can you fix them?" Natasha shifted the topic.

"I don’t know. A few days? A few weeks? A month? It depends on everyone’s cooperation..."

Hearing this, the others turned to look at him.

Recalling they were in the midst of choosing a leader to manage the shelter, an inclination formed in their hearts.

But, fearful of offending Natasha and Skylar, no one dared to speak first.

"I give up the position of shelter leader. No need to mind me," Natasha declared, seeing through their thoughts.

With one concern removed, they couldn’t help but turn toward Skylar.

With all eyes on him, Skylar had no choice but to speak.

"I admit your ability is impressive and could be key to our survival. But without strength, why should I follow you?" Skylar said calmly.

"Oh? Are you saying we settle this with a fight?" Nash muttered, intrigued.

He’d long wanted to challenge this bigshot.

Now that an opportunity stood before him, a spark of interest flashed in his eyes.

"It seems you understand clearly..." Skylar smiled, seeing that Nash didn’t make excuses.

Signalling Hobis to disperse the crowd, Skylar stepped forward, inviting Nash to a challenge.

"Tsk, these two children!" Natasha gritted her teeth, frustrated by their willful behaviour.

For heaven’s sake, they were in the middle of a 5-star danger zone! Couldn’t they tone it down?

"Sister Natasha, let them be. This is a duel of men," Camilla said, holding Natasha back before she could interrupt.

"Fine, then I’ll be the referee for this match!"

Knowing she couldn’t dissuade them, Natasha stepped forward to prevent serious injuries.

As the two faced each other, Natasha laid out the rules.

"No weapons are allowed, including runic armor, it can only be used for defense. The first to land a heavy blow will be declared the winner. Any questions?" Natasha said sharply.

"No, it’s fair," Nash nodded, grateful for Natasha’s last-minute rule.

Especially since Skylar wore a tier 5 runic armor set!

He was indeed the starry son of the nova sector, just his armor already was a cut above the rest.

"No problem for me either," Skylar agreed, acknowledging his unfair advantage.

Seeing that both understood the rules, Natasha commenced the fight.

"Begin!"

At Natasha’s word, the two charged toward each other, with fists aimed straight at each other’s faces.

"Too obvious..." Skylar muttered, tilting his head aside, while his fist shifted into a grabbing motion, aiming to pin Nash.

Unfazed by the grappling attempt, Nash turned his fist into a slap, intending to swipe Skylar’s face to the side.

Not wanting to be hit, Skylar vanished in a blur.

"Time acceleration? What a great ability," Nash said, narrowing his eyes.

According to the recorded video in the [Memory Module System], Skylar’s movements suddenly accelerated a hundredfold.

Like a blur, it was too late before he could even react.

"Hmph!" After his initial attack failed, Skylar sped up, aiming a punch at Nash’s cheek.

Bam!

"Is that all you’ve got?"

Wiping blood from his lips, Nash felt not fear but intrigue.

Skylar was so fast it barely made sense. Before Nash could register the movement, he had already been hit.

Yet, reviewing the fight and the shifts in Skylar’s runic programs as he used his ability repeatedly, Nash began to sense a pattern.

"Come on, try another punch," Nash taunted, pointing to his cheek.

Activating the [Recovery Module System], his face, aside from some blood marks, was already fully healed.

Apparently, while Skylar was fast, his power was a little lacking.

Unlike Nash, who balanced his stats, Skylar had gone all-in on speed and time.

Feeling provoked, Skylar activated his ability again, accelerating time as he swiftly struck at Nash.

Unfortunately, as if anticipating the move, Skylar watched in horror as his fist missed its mark.

"Hmm? Does your ability only accelerate your body, not your mind?" Nash deduced, intrigued, seeing Skylar fail to land the hit.

Hearing Nash’s deduction, Skylar fell silent, eyeing Nash warily.

Though he couldn’t fully control the angle of his attacks, with such speed, he hadn’t thought precision would matter.

Yet here was Nash, seemingly predicting his moves.

Unwilling to accept this, Skylar accelerated again, erupting in a flurry of fists and kicks, attacking Nash from every angle.

Having already analyzed how Skylar’s ability worked, Nash easily dodged and blocked the onslaught.

"Try to keep up!" If Nash could dodge, it meant his speed wasn’t enough.

Pushing his ability further, Skylar’s speed skyrocketed from a hundred to three hundred times.

Sensing a premonition and noticing the intensified shifts in Skylar’s runic program, Nash quickly activated the [Overlimit Module System].

Amplifying his body’s strength and consciousness to their limits, his eyes quickly followed and predicted Skylar’s movements.

"Got you!"

Spotting an opening, Nash swung his fist, aiming to strike Skylar in one blow.

"Not good!"

As if a giant fist were coming at his face, Skylar played his trump card and slowed Nash’s movements.

With Nash ten times slower and Skylar three hundred times faster, the difference in their time latitude became three thousandfold.

Dodging to the side and repositioning his attack, Skylar’s lips curved into a smirk.

"It’s over..."

But just as he grew confident in his victory, to his horror, Nash’s fist suddenly adjusted, tracking his head squarely.

Unable to dodge, Skylar forcefully twisted his arms to meet the blow.

Boom!

Like two comets colliding, a loud sonic boom echoed around them.

Dust and smoke filled the air, causing the seeded talents watching the fight to squint, guessing who had won or lost.

As the dust cleared, they saw two men standing on the field, one seemingly exhausted from overdraft, the other with a bent arm.

"Guess... you win," Skylar admitted, seeing his arm was ruined.

Though a potion could heal it, continuing the fight would be pointless.

"Don’t sell yourself short. I barely won," Nash said with a wry smile.

In that final clash, Nash had realized the true terror of Skylar’s ability.

It wasn’t just speed Skylar that couldn’t fully control; it was the slowness that pinned him nearly motionless.

Though he had reacted at the last second, transferring his consciousness to the runic space, he still felt it was a loss.

He had already pushed the [Overlimit Module System] to its max, amplifying his combat power from 10.9 million to 770 million, yet he was still affected by time.