CHAPTER 62: TIME TO FINISH THIS!

Chapter 61

BANG!

A gunshot-like sound echoed throughout the room as Max dashed forward like a blur with immense speed, the ground beneath his feet cracking from the sheer force of his movement.

BOOM!

He thrust his fist forward at an insane speed that stunned Ben for a split second. The hunter’s instincts kicked in as he quickly leaned backward, barely avoiding the punch aimed directly at his face.

Before Ben could regain his footing, Max had already whipped his hand back, his momentum unbroken, and shot his foot forward aiming for a direct kick to the hunter’s abdomen.

As if anticipating it, Ben quickly brought his hands in front of him, bracing his stance. He blocked and absorbed the impact, but the collision caused a deafening bang to echo out. The floor beneath the duo’s feet cracked even further, fissures spreading out from the point of impact.

’Crap! He truly is no human, nor a hybrid. He really is a dragon, and his strength is insane. Though not on Jake’s level, it is still stressful enough to keep me on edge.’ Ben thought as he tried to push Max’s foot away.

Before he could, the dragon twisted midair, his foot still trapped in Ben’s grasp. Max spun around with perfect balance and swung his second leg, aiming for a devastating roundhouse kick.

"Whatever! Even if you are that, it doesn’t mean I will make things easier for you!" Ben roared as he quickly leaped back. The roundhouse kick sliced the air where he once stood, the impact causing a sharp mini-bang that rattled the atmosphere.

’Is this guy really just an ordinary human?’ Jake wondered inwardly as he observed Max with keen eyes. His expression darkened. ’This strength and speed are far too insane for a human to exhibit. And what did that A-ranked hunter mean when he called him the one they fear? Who exactly are the ’They’?’

Ben straightened his back, his expression turning serious. "If you are really what Elijah says you are, then that gives me even more reason to go harder on you!" he declared.

In response to his own words, Ben’s feet bulged immensely, ripping through his shoes. His pants shredded at the seams, torn apart by his transformation.

Dark patches began spreading across his legs, his skin toughening unnaturally. His blindfolded face remained still, yet from beneath it his eyes suddenly glowed a piercing yellow, narrowed into reptilian slits.

"Oh wow! He’s taking things more seriously. Hey Max! Good luck defeating him now." Elijah chuckled lightly from where he stood, his arms crossed.

"Curse you," Max growled under his breath. His focus sharpened, but his thoughts were cut short when a deafening bang shook the entire room. The ground beneath Elijah’s feet caved in as though crushed by an unseen force.

In that split second, faster than lightning itself, Ben appeared directly in front of Max. Before the young dragon could even react, the B-ranked hunter smashed his fist into Max’s gut. The blow was so powerful it forced Max to cough out blood, droplets spraying into the air like mist.

Yet contrary to what one might expect, Max did not go flying back. Instead, his lips curled into a wide grin. He had tensed his abdomen at the moment of impact, bracing himself for the hit. His hands suddenly clamped around Ben’s fist, locking it tightly against his stomach.

For a brief moment, their eyes met. Max’s eyes glowed faintly yellow, a subtle yet dangerous aura radiating from them. Ben noticed it immediately, the energy behind those eyes unsettling him.

Without hesitation, Max leaped from the ground, twisting his body in a fluid spin. He swung his leg toward Ben’s head in a powerful roundhouse kick.

But once again, Ben’s reflexes proved superior. He ducked low, the attack whistling just above him as it missed completely. The force of Max’s kick alone caused a loud bang to ripple through the air.

Still crouched, Ben sidestepped with incredible agility and appeared at Max’s side. His enlarged foot, now tipped with sharp claws, slashed outward in a vicious swing.

As if guided by instinct, Max bent his knees and launched himself into the air. He soared nearly four meters high, completely evading the deadly strike. The force of Ben’s kick ripped through the air with a boom, generating a shockwave that spread outward in a sharp gust of wind.

’Yoo! Isn’t this hunter taking things too far? Something feels off. If this continues, he might end up killing this human in no time,’ the second female who had scored excellently in the previous assessments thought with growing unease.

Meanwhile, Elijah’s grin widened as though he was enjoying a private show. ’Now this is more like it. I want to jump in myself, but I would probably kill Max by mistake.

That is why Ben is the best choice to push him to the edge. And yet... something is strange. The dragon is growing. He is stronger and faster than when I first laid eyes on him. It’s subtle, but his growth is happening right in front of us.’

"What are you going to do in the air? Huh?" Ben mocked as he stared at Max, who had just leaped high into the air. For a brief second, it seemed like Max had no plan, but then a grin slowly crept across the dragon’s face. His arms spread wide open in a large arc, almost like wings stretching to claim the skies.

{Draconic Force Palm activated}

"I will do this." Max smirked as he suddenly smashed his hands together.

BANG!

The collision of his palms created a loud, resounding, and deafening shock. In the next heartbeat, a massive shockwave erupted outward, a force so raw and violent that it distorted the very air around him.

The wave slammed straight into Ben, catching him completely off guard. The hunter’s body skidded backward against the floor, his feet dragging and scraping as blood sprayed from his lips in sharp bursts of crimson.

But the shockwave did not stop there.

The sidelines were instantly engulfed. Several applicants were thrown off their feet, their bodies hurled backward like rag dolls. Some nearly crashed headfirst into the walls, panic flashing in their eyes. If not for Elijah and Jake, the casualties would have been severe.

In the blink of an eye, both men moved. Their speed was overwhelming, almost blurring as they appeared among the applicants. It was as though an invisible barrier extended from them, repelling the force of the shockwave. The storm of energy bent and curved away, and the group found themselves sheltered within its protection.

’That checks it. Max is no ordinary human. There’s something more to him,’ Jake thought as his sharp eyes narrowed. ’Perhaps a hybrid... or maybe something far worse.

No human can unleash a shockwave of this scale. The only ones capable of it would be high-ranking hunters, and Max isn’t even close to that level. I need to find out the truth. I must know what he really is.’

THUD!

Max landed on the ground with smooth, effortless grace. His boots dug lightly into the cracked floor as dust rose around him. He stood tall, a confident smirk plastered across his face as he gazed at the stunned Ben.

The hunter’s chest rose and fell heavily, blood still trickling at the edge of his mouth, his expression frozen between shock and disbelief.

"Time to finish this." Max grinned, stretching his lips wide from ear to ear. His body began to move again, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, left to right, his grin never fading. After two seconds of steady rhythm, he suddenly exploded forward.

BANG!

The floor shattered beneath his feet as he launched himself like a cannonball. His speed was immense, though to Ben’s eyes it still seemed sluggish. Ben was already preparing to avoid the strike, certain that Max’s attack would miss...

But then he noticed something different. Max’s eyes were no longer ordinary. They were glowing a fierce, radiant yellow, filled with draconic intensity.

Max’s fist rocketed forward, aiming directly for Ben. The hunter, faster and more experienced, tried to sidestep, confident he could avoid the blow. But before he could even complete the motion, Max’s foot was already there.

BANG!

His leg shot out like lightning, smashing directly into Ben’s ribs. The hunter’s body jolted violently, his eyes widening in shock as he was sent skidding across the ground, unable to process how Max had read his evasion so perfectly.

Tring!

{Quest Completed!}