Henrik's mind didn't even have time to process the blur that had appeared before him—by the time awareness flickered into existence, Damien's punch was already inches from his face, cutting through space at such overwhelming velocity that only the most elite Gold Rankers in the continent could hope to perceive it.
The seemingly empty air between them—normally formless, weightless—suddenly hardened.
Compressed. Dense. Immovable.
It was no longer just air—it was a barrier of resistance, forged by the sheer force behind Damien's acceleration.
And Damien?
He punched right through it.
BOOOOM!
The sound echoed like thunder inside a mountain cave, bouncing violently off the steel-reinforced walls of the control chamber.
The moment his fist collided with that pocket of solidified air, it ignited, combusting in a shockwave that rippled outward like a miniature starburst, scorching the ground and leaving a crater-like dent in the reinforced alloy floor.
