Chapter 82: Horizon Severance
The earth trembled.
The battlefield was still shifting, cracks splitting the ground in uneven patterns, stone jutting up in unpredictable angles from the impact of Echo’s power. The air was thick with dust and the lingering scent of scorched debris.
Jin adjusted his grip on his three-section staff, his breathing steady but his body tight with readiness. Beside him, Hanuel remained poised, his sharp eyes locked onto their opponent.
The soldier, on the other hand, was unfazed.
"Tch." He rolled his shoulders, the bulk of his muscles shifting unnaturally under his uniform. "All that shaking. That little brat must’ve pulled off something big."
He flexed his fingers. His sheer size had increased—his body wider, arms denser, veins bulging slightly beneath his skin. Each motion carried a weight that wasn’t there before.
"But terrain shifts don’t mean a damn thing," he continued, smirking. "Strength? That’s the only thing that matters."
With no more than a step forward, he lunged.
Jin barely had time to react.
The soldier’s speed should have been impossible for someone his size, but he was already in front of them—his fist a blur of sheer force as it swung down.
Jin twisted, pivoting on his heel, using the staff to deflect the strike. But the impact was like getting hit by a truck. The shock traveled through his arms, almost sending him skidding back.