Wildness and Masks

Ogre's calm demeanor made the Bear feel a sense of crisis.

Three consecutive strikes failed to win the match, which meant—he might really lose!

'The feeling of my body adapting to my vision is quite nice.'

Aside from the time he unleashed the Drum of Heartbeat, this was the first time Ogre felt his body keeping up with his vision.

The stimulation from the Lightning Eel had significantly enhanced Ogre's reflexes.

Previously, his dodging was purely instinctual.

Ever since consuming the Lightning Eel and undergoing physical changes, Ogre had gained a new ability.

When other creatures stepped within a few meters of him, Ogre's body instinctively sensed them—whether they were behind him or as tiny as a firefly.

At first, this sense was so faint that Ogre thought it was an illusion, but as his body could release more and more electricity, this sense became increasingly apparent.

He vaguely sensed that this ability seemed to be related to electricity.

The recent dodging was Ogre's practical development of this ability.

"What are you doing!" Bear was astonished by Ogre's actions and couldn't help but voice his confusion.

Not only was Bear surprised, but even the spectators outside the arena widened their eyes.

Because Ogre had thrown his weapon aside.

This meant he had given up using a weapon.

"A long weapon against knuckle dusters is unfair; my weapon is far superior to yours, and I'm worried I might accidentally kill you."

Ogre assumed a fighting stance, raising his fists.

It wasn't that Ogre was arrogant enough to think he could win without a weapon.

Rather, Ogre was concerned about losing control.

Using the spear could kill Bear.

He didn't want to completely fall out with the Arena just yet.

The earlier probing had given Ogre the confidence to retreat unscathed.

The awe of the Professional's strength had dissipated in the two rounds of probing exchanges.

"This is a ring match, not a life-and-death duel. My weapon will only be used against my true enemies and those who can kill me," Ogre explained.

This was also why Ogre always used a staff in the Apprentice-level Arena.

As long as there was no life-threatening danger, Ogre wouldn't use life-and-death techniques in the ring.

When Ogre first entered the arena, he wasn't confident or assured, so he brought a spear.

But now, he just wanted to experience the true strength of a Professional Martial Artist to validate his own progress.

"What an arrogant guy. I really want to see what kind of face is under that mask." Bear, having gotten his answer, didn't immediately launch an attack.

Instead, he mimicked Ogre, removing the pair of knuckle dusters from his hands and tossing them to the ground.

The sound of the knuckle dusters hitting the ground was incredibly heavy, creating a deep pit in the arena floor—clearly, these weapons were not as simple as they appeared.

"Then let's do it this way!"

Bear assumed a bow stance, arms straight, adopting a boxing posture. His body still bore the scars from Ogre's spear.

Bear had indeed wanted a quick victory earlier, but he hadn't fallen so low as to bully an unarmed person.

Ogre's earlier words had also stirred something in Bear—reminding him of his original intent in learning martial arts.

"Then I won't take advantage of you either."

Unlike Lange's previous reckless attacks.

Having failed in his initial strike, Bear was already prepared to change his strategy once he realized his speed was inferior to Ogre's.

'Trying to conserve energy, defending instead of attacking.' Ogre saw through Bear's intentions, a slight smile forming beneath his mask.

"Then let's begin!"

With Ogre's words, the second round of unarmed combat commenced.

This time, Ogre initiated the attack.

A straight punch!

Even the simplest attack, no matter how fast, is easy to defend against. Bear's vitality surged beneath his skin, blocking his vital areas and taking Ogre's punch head-on without dodging.

'A bit tough... Indeed, relying solely on physical prowess to defeat an opponent is challenging.'

Without a weapon, Ogre found it somewhat difficult to defeat an opponent across levels.

The spear given by Foucault was no ordinary item, and its ability to break defenses accounted for thirty percent of Ogre's success against the Goblin Professional.

"Hahaha, kid, your punches lack power." Feeling the impact of Ogre's punches and kicks, Bear's previously uncertain heart was completely at ease.

He had indeed been bluffed by Ogre earlier.

Seeing that Ogre couldn't even break his defense without a weapon, Bear confidently moved, countering with a swinging hammer punch aimed straight at Ogre's face.

Ogre's body reacted in advance, immediately abandoning the attack and sidestepping to dodge Bear's punch.

The subsequent combination of punches was also evaded by Ogre's continuous sidesteps.

'My body's instincts are controlling me... I need a fierce battle to harness this instinct.'

After the transformation, his body developed an instinctual ability to dodge.

To others, this was undoubtedly a good thing.

But Ogre didn't see it that way; he felt that if he didn't control this instinct now, it would eventually lead to trouble.

This was one of the reasons he abandoned his weapon and chose to fight with his fists and feet.

"You're quite agile; it seems I'll have to use that move." After missing several punches, Bear realized he needed to show some real skills.

"Take this move!" Bear roared, unleashing a Martial Skill with the momentum of a bear's pounce!

The soundwave, enhanced by vitality, emanated from his roar, and an ordinary person caught in it at close range would bleed from all seven orifices.

Naturally, Ogre was affected too, but his strong physique minimized the impact.

...

"This apprentice is going to lose..."

The Professionals watching from outside the arena all had the same thought.

Bear's roar and pounce were clearly a combination technique.

With Ogre affected at such close range, it seemed impossible for him to escape unscathed.

However, a moment later, the scene most Professionals imagined did not occur.

"By the truth above! How is this possible!"

Because in this clash, it was Bear who was sent flying!

"How did you... see through it!" Bear, clutching his chest, got up after being kicked.

"When beasts attack, it's often when they're most vulnerable. Although I can't see how your vitality flows, I know where you're weakest."

Ogre approached Bear slowly, step by step.

'Good... I've controlled my body.' This was the only thought in Ogre's mind at the moment.

He successfully suppressed his body's autonomous impulses.

"Then I'm sorry!"

In the pause as Ogre answered, Bear suddenly erupted, lowering his body and charging at Ogre, attempting to take him down with a tackle.

However, what met him was a quicker kick from Ogre after a sidestep.

A series of rapid kicks, precise and elegant, struck Bear's knee, waist, ribs, and chin.

In the brief moment of exchange, Ogre had delivered four kicks.

The afterimages of the consecutive kicks made it seem as if Ogre had grown two extra legs in an instant.

The exchange concluded.

Bear was once again kicked to the side.

At this moment, only one thought remained in Bear's mind: 'How did this guy get even stronger!'

"It's about time to end this."