The sand arena retained the searing heat of battle, like a furnace. Owen stood panting, his shoulders heaving with each ragged breath. Every time he inhaled, the burning pain from the gash on his arm flared, a stark reminder of his disadvantage.

Pouring all his mana into that last counterattack had left his body empty, like a vessel drained of its contents. All that remained was an encroaching exhaustion that made him feel dizzy.

Across from him, the two men in black were back in their ready stances. The carelessness they once had was completely gone, replaced by a cold and even more cautious gaze. The tattooed man unsteadily supported his battered body.

The scarred man stepped in front of his partner, his eyes fixed on Owen with the utmost hatred. They knew they had been completely fooled by this bastard. His true combat ability was in direct opposition to his F-Rank mana level.

"You bastard… you almost took my partner out for good," he growled. "I have to admit, you're a cunning one… but now, you're just a cornered dog with no mana left!"

He turned and yelled to his partner, who was struggling to his feet. "Finish him!"

At his command, the two prepared to launch their final assault to end the fight.

Owen watched them, his vision slightly blurred. He knew that in his current state, he had no way of handling their coordinated attack. Dodging with an exhausted body would only lead to death.

'Should I use it... my final trump card?' The thought of using [Warp Reality] flashed in his mind... but he immediately discarded it. 'No! Not now! There has to be another way!'

As the two assailants were about to charge, Owen realized he had no choice but to use his true power... a power that came at a heavy price. He closed his eyes, cutting himself off from the suffocating world outside, and focused on the power sleeping at the core of his soul.

In the dark void of his mind, the image of the massive "Scales of Covenant" appeared, looking more sacred and formidable than ever in this desperate situation.

'Scales of Covenant... I am making a temporary covenant!' he roared in his mind.

He had no time to negotiate or find a balanced exchange. He needed power... power to turn this situation around instantly, and he was ready to pay any price!

'I sacrifice... my senses of hearing, smell, and touch... for one full day!'

The moment the vow was made, on the left pan of the scales… the side of sacrifice… three energy orbs representing his three senses appeared simultaneously. They glowed brightly before dimming. The left pan lowered, fast and heavy, a confirmation that the heavy price had been paid.

'In exchange for... a massive increase in speed for five minutes... and an immediate 20% mana restoration!'

On the right pan, a golden lightning bolt representing speed and a glowing, clear blue mana orb appeared. It lowered rapidly… until the two pans came to a perfect level!

The covenant was complete!

And in that instant, Owen opened his eyes to the real world... and his world had changed completely.

Silence…

That was the first thing he perceived. The sound of the crashing waves, the whistling wind, and the roar of his enemies charging... all of it was gone, leaving only an oppressive silence, as if he were in a vacuum.

The salty scent of the sea and the faint, metallic smell of blood from his wound disappeared... leaving only emptiness.

The feeling of his feet on the hot sand, the wind on his skin, or even the burning pain from his wound... all of it faded away. His body felt light and numb, as if he were a floating spirit.

But amidst the loss... he had gained something in return.

Owen could feel the 20% mana reignite in his empty power core, like the first drop of divine water on a barren land. At the same time, he felt a surge of speed coursing through every cell. It was pure energy that made every muscle tremble, ready to explode!

The world through his eyes changed... Everything slowed to an unbelievable crawl... He could see the tattooed man charging forward in slow motion, see every drop of sweat flying from his face, see the malice in his eyes...

And a slow smile spread across his lips... the smile of a predator just freed from its chains.

…..

"Finish him!"

At the scarred man's command, the tattooed man threw his injured body at Owen again, while the mage began to gather mana for a supporting attack.

But in the next split second... the space in front of them was empty! The body of Owen, who had been standing there panting weakly... vanished as if he had never been there!

"What the!?" the tattooed man swore in alarm. His dagger sliced through empty air. He quickly scanned the sealed sand arena, but there was no trace of his prey.

The battle had shifted into Owen's world... a world of silence and slow motion.

He could feel the power of speed rushing through every cell. It was a phenomenal feeling. His body was as light as a feather. Every step on the sand was weightless and silent. He couldn't even hear his own heart, which should have been pounding in his chest. There was only the image of impossibly fast movement.

The world in his eyes was now a perfect slow-motion picture. He could see the tattooed man looking around in a panic, see the mage hastily casting a defensive spell... They were so slow.

Owen used his newly restored mana to reinforce both his arms. A faint red aura enveloped his fists. Then, his body became a blur, appearing behind the tattooed man, who was still completely unaware.

It was a silent dance of death.

Owen began his merciless assault. His reinforced right fist slammed into the tattooed man's chin. He didn't feel the impact, didn't hear the bone crack, only saw the enemy's body convulse and his eyes roll back in pain.

THWACK!

His left fist followed, smashing into the man's side, right on his previous injury.

THUD!

A flying knee slammed into his solar plexus, lifting his body slightly off the ground.

The scarred man realized instantly that a direct attack was useless against this high-speed demon. His plan to use long-range magic to kill him had crumbled. He switched his strategy to full support and area control, to help his friend out of this desperate situation.

"Annoying pest! How did he get so fast all of a sudden!?" he roared in frustration, raising his staff to cast a support spell. "Sandstorm!"

A thick curtain of sand quickly swirled up around Owen like a raging storm, obscuring his vision and severely hampering his movement. But that wasn't all. The scarred man continued to cast another spell.

"Quicksand!"

Instantly, five spots within the arena transformed as if alive. They sank, becoming quicksand pits waiting for their prey, limiting movement and dragging at Owen's superhuman speed with a viscous pull.

Owen's once-clear world was now blurred by the swirling sandstorm. His silent battle had become a deadly game of cat and mouse. He had to use short bursts of speed to break through the sand curtain, attack the tattooed man, and quickly retreat before being caught by the quicksand or the stone walls the mage was continuously creating to block him.

"Aaargh! Where is he!?"

The tattooed man, now completely the prey, screamed in a frenzy. He couldn't keep up with Owen's speed at all. All he could do was use his raw survival instincts to fend off the red shadow that darted in and out of the sandstorm like a demon.

A reinforced fist shot towards his neck from the left... He could only desperately raise his left arm to block!

CRACK!

The sound of his arm bone shattering (which Owen only felt as a decrease in resistance) didn't slow him down. He dodged a counter-thrust from the dagger by a hair's breadth before sending another fist into the man's side.

The tattooed man sacrificed non-vital parts of his body to protect his vital points. He let his arm break to save his neck, let his ribs crack to protect his heart. It was a pathetic struggle, but it kept him on his feet.

'Damn it! He's annoyingly tough!' Owen thought as he dodged a stone spike that shot up from the ground.

A fight that should have ended in a minute was dragged out to three agonizing minutes for the tattooed man and a battle of wits for Owen. But finally... it had to end.

Owen found a moment when the sandstorm thinned. He shot forward one last time, but this time his target wasn't the tattooed man... but the mage standing far away!

The scarred man, seeing Owen charge straight at him, was shocked. He quickly created a stone wall to defend himself, and that was the opening Owen needed!

'Success!'

He stomped on the sand, changing direction in an instant like an arrow turning in mid-air, and shot back towards the tattooed man, who was now completely without defense or support.

"N-no!"

The tattooed man's eyes widened with despair. He looked up to meet Owen's cold gaze... and that was the last thing he saw.

Owen used his mana-reinforced palm to chop the back of his neck!

Thump!

A dull sound, and the tattooed man's body crumpled to the sand. His eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness instantly. His resistance ended completely.

One down…

Of the five minutes he had gained… less than two remained.

The scarred man, seeing his partner taken down as easily as a sandbag, was in a state of complete panic. The cold professionalism of an assassin had shattered. He no longer had a frontline to protect him.

"Monster! You're a monster!" he screamed hysterically (which Owen didn't hear).

He switched from attacking to full defense. He slammed his staff into the sand. "Stone Wall! Earth Spikes! Protect me!"

Earthen walls and sharp stone spikes erupted around him from all directions, creating a desperate fortress with no openings. He wasn't just hiding... he was controlling the entire arena! Sharp spikes periodically shot up from the ground to block Owen's path.

Owen watched with empty eyes. He could feel the power of speed in his body begin to waver... It was about to run out. He didn't have much time.

His body became a red blur again, running around the earthen fortress at top speed, searching for an opening. But the defense was dense and constantly being reinforced. Second after second passed uselessly. Nearly a full minute was wasted in a futile search for an entry point.

'I have to break through!' he decided in a split second.

Owen gathered all the remaining mana in his body... the 20% he had just regained... and condensed it into his right arm.

[Avatar of Asura!]

A crimson mana arm, larger and more solid than any he had ever created, materialized. It glowed with a terrifyingly bright light, a sign of all the energy packed within.

With less than thirty seconds before his speed ran out... Owen charged at the thickest part of the earthen wall!

He didn't hear the explosion...

But he saw it...

The sturdy earthen wall shattered like paper when the Asura fist slammed into it!

Owen burst through the curtain of dust, confronting the mage, whose eyes were wide with shock and despair. He tried to cast a final stone spike to defend himself, but it was too late.

Owen ended the fight with his still-reinforced right fist, sending it crashing into the scarred man's solar plexus…

Thwack! Urk!

And in that same instant...

The surging power of speed throughout his body vanished.

The world in his eyes, which had been moving in slow motion... suddenly snapped back to normal speed. The abrupt change in perception made him feel so dizzy he almost lost his balance.

But his world remained silent...

He didn't hear the sound of his fist hitting flesh, didn't hear the sound of bone cracking, or the enemy's cry of pain.

The pain from his wound hadn't returned. The true exhaustion was still masked by numbness, but he could feel the weight of his body come rushing back, almost making him collapse.

Owen stood panting heavily in his silent world, watching the scarred man's body fly back and land unconscious in the distance... The fight... was over... but the price he had to pay was only just beginning.

—-------

From the author: We now have 15 chapters available for early access! This will soon increase to 20. Join my Patreon to get ahead of the story, along with exclusive, uncensored illustrations.

Your support is crucial in helping this story continue. Thank you very much!

[Patreon Spirit_Alphabet: /SpiritAlphabet]

—-------