Chapter 627: Pre- and Post-Cognition II
CH627 Pre- and Post-Cognition II
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Phantom Sight Level 1 relied on Alex’s knowledge of tracking, terrain, and environmental cues, as well as the mana signatures captured through Spirit Sight, to reconstruct likely events that had already occurred within a given area—displaying them as phantom images within his vision.
In essence, it functioned as a form of post-cognitive ability.
On the other hand, Phantom Sight Level 2 operated differently.
It drew upon Alex’s Battle Instinct traits from his Furor True Name and bloodline, his combat experience as well as his All-Weapon Intent to predict the most probable actions of an opponent he was currently facing—or even merely observing—again projecting these deductions as phantom images within his vision.
In that sense, it resembled a form of pre-cognitive ability.
That said, neither level of Phantom Sight could be considered true pre- or post-cognition.
They did not peer into the fabric of time to reveal definitive outcomes. Instead, they generated highly probable scenarios based on Alex’s accumulated knowledge and experience, presenting them as predictive or reconstructive phantom visions.
At best, they could be described as pseudo-cognitive abilities—products of subconscious, high-speed deduction.
And as with any such system, there were inherent limitations.
Unlike most of Alex’s Truth-Seeker abilities, which placed minimal strain upon him, Phantom Sight imposed a significant cognitive burden, rapidly draining his mental energy to sustain its calculations.
Attempting to predict the actions of a higher-ranked opponent—one who was both faster and stronger—only amplified that strain. The minor migraine building behind his eyes was proof enough of that cost.
Additionally, both levels were limited in the duration they could deduce forward or backwards respectively.
Phantom Sights Lv1 could potentially recreate scenes no more than 5 hours back, depending on the level of deterioration or contamination of the cues left behind.
Meanwhile Phantom Sights Lv2 can only predict about two to three seconds ahead at most. The stronger the opponent, the less understanding Alex has of their fighting style, then the less accurate the prediction—if one is deduced at all.
It wasn’t as world-breaking as Alex would like, but even so, Alex had no choice but to maintain the ability.
He knew with absolute certainty that, without it, he would be unable to keep pace with Dalton.
"You continue to surprise me, Leader of the Fortuna Company," Dalton said, his tone carrying a note of genuine admiration.
"Alex Fury, was it? I will remember your name."
He dropped back into a combat stance, his grip tightening around his greatsword.
"I hope you can continue to exceed my expectations."
Without needing any prompt, OmniRune—Alex’s AI mage assistant—immediately refreshed all active spells the moment their durations elapsed.
It even pre-emptively renewed several that had not yet expired, ensuring seamless continuity.
[Featherflight]! [Featherfall]! [Silver Body]! [Bear Strength]! [Buff: Strength Up]! [Buff: Agility Up]! [Buff: Defence Up]! [Buff: Endurance Up]! [Buff: Speed Up]!
Alex drew in a deep breath before layering his own techniques atop the enhancements.
[Body Strengthening Magic]! [Dragon Kumite]!
And then, for the first time—much to the surprise of the gathered onlookers—
[Aura Coating]!
Inwardly, Alex reached into his Furor Bloodline and True Name, drawing upon the concept it embodied.
Velkar: Battle Instinct.
All-Weapon Intent.
[Abyssal Conqueror Steps]!
"I will do my best," Alex replied evenly.
He settled into a deliberate stance—his long-shafted war axe braced beneath his armpit in one hand, while his other hand held the longsword at the ready.
His feet planted firmly into the ground, making his defensive intent unmistakably clear.
’If that’s the approach you’ve chosen...’ Dalton’s lips curved into a faint smile. ’Then I’ll oblige.’
A greater surge of combat energy erupted from his body.
Though the visible size of his aura coating remained unchanged, its density increased markedly—growing heavier, more oppressive.
Boom!
Dalton launched forward once more.
In an instant, he closed the distance and brought his greatsword down in a powerful overhead slash.
Through Spirit Sight, Alex perceived the concentrated, tightly compressed combat energy reinforcing the strike.
And through Phantom Sight Level 2, he knew with certainty—he could not afford to take that blow with his war axe. It would shatter under the impact.
Clang—!
Instead, Alex met the attack with his longsword, now coated in his own aura.
Eleanore glanced towards Udara in surprise—this was the first time she had seen Alex employ Weapon Coating in combat.
Udara could only offer a silent shrug, equally uncertain.
Even with his blade reinforced by mana—augmented through his True Name trait and Dragon Kumite—Alex did not dare receive the attack head-on.
Using Death Perception, he identified the weakest point within Dalton’s weapon coating—a feat he could barely accomplish under such pressure.
Striking precisely at that point, he subtly redirected the trajectory of the incoming force, gradually guiding the greatsword away from his body and successfully parrying the attack.
Even so, the recoil sent a tremor through his arms.
Dalton flowed seamlessly from the deflected strike, twisting his body into a high kick aimed directly at Alex’s head.
Without changing his footing, Alex used the butt end of the war axe’s shaft to block the incoming kick.
Then, with a sharp twist of his wrist, he spun the weapon—sending the axehead sweeping towards Dalton’s exposed flank.
Dalton reacted instantly, kicking off the shaft to create distance between them.
But as if he had already anticipated this, Alex’s sword followed immediately, pressing the attack.
Dalton blocked the feinted slash—which transitioned smoothly into a thrust—before countering with a sweeping strike of his own.
His intention was clear: force Alex backwards and re-establish a more favourable range for his greatsword.
However, Alex’s eyes flickered with a faint golden glow as he saw through the manoeuvre.
A trace of madness flashed within them.
Twisting his arm backwards, he repositioned his grip—resting the flat of his blade along his upper arm and shoulder.
Then, instead of retreating, he dashed forward—shoulder-checking the incoming strike before it could reach full force, disrupting both the weapon’s trajectory and Dalton’s balance.
The sudden clash forced Dalton backwards.
And in that instant—
An opening appeared.
Alex’s war axe came crashing in from the side.
Dalton barely managed to react in time, striking the incoming blow aside before immediately stepping in to launch a counterattack of his own.
Yet, in a display of fluid control, Alex’s war axe snapped back into position—guarding his flank.
The axehead hooked onto Dalton’s blade, dragging it off-line.
At the same moment, Alex’s sword shot forward—aiming straight for Dalton’s now-exposed side.
’Goodnight...’ Alex muttered inwardly.
Clang—!
His eyes widened.
Contrary to expectation, the blade failed to pierce through.
Instead, it was halted by Dalton’s aura coating—so densely compressed that it felt as though Alex had struck solid metal.
Dalton responded instantly, slashing upward between them.
The motion carried little killing intent—it was meant to force separation.
Alex retreated without hesitation, springing backwards to avoid the strike.
Unlike Dalton, he had no confidence in his aura coating’s ability to withstand a direct blow of that calibre.
’I can’t afford to drag this out any longer,’ both men concluded at the same time.
For Alex, the mental strain from sustaining Phantom Sight was rapidly becoming unbearable. Push any further, and the ability would become a liability rather than an advantage.
For Dalton, something else had begun to stir within him—something that set his instincts on edge.
Without another word, both men charged forward, attempting to seize the initiative once more.
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