Chương 95: Hit Me

Defense... Defense... Marcus seized onto that key point. A thought flashed through his mind like lightning. Slowly, he raised his head. The usually calm eyes of the veteran warrior now burned with a fierce determination. The final breakthrough would never happen in a safe training environment. Only true danger could force out his hidden potential!...

"What did you say?" Vaelis stared at Marcus in confusion, wondering if he had misheard.

"Did you drink something strange, Marcus?" Vaelis had just finished his morning training when Marcus came looking for him. Coincidentally, Grey had also crossed paths with them on the way.

"I'm serious." Marcus's expression remained solemn as he repeated himself.

"Please hit me."

"He really did drink something strange." Grey stood nearby with complete certainty, reaching out a hand toward Marcus's forehead.

"Wait, wait, wait... Marcus." Vaelis hurriedly waved his hands.

"I still don't understand. Why would I hit you for no reason?"

"I feel like I'm on the verge of breaking through." Marcus's voice was serious.

"But I'm always missing that final step."

"After thinking about it carefully, I believe the reason is that I've never reached my true limit."

"Only overwhelming external pressure can force out the potential hidden inside my body." He looked directly into Vaelis's eyes. His expression was sincere.

"So please help me, Vaelis."

"I need you to push me beyond my limits." Seeing that Marcus clearly wasn't joking, Vaelis could only frown and try to follow his line of thinking.

"So what you mean is..."

"You want my attacks to simulate a life-or-death situation, forcing out your potential and allowing you to complete your breakthrough?"

"Yes." Marcus nodded.

"You're sure this will work?" Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Vaelis still found it hard to believe. He had never heard of a training method like this.

"We have to try." Marcus replied.

"I can help too." Grey cracked his knuckles excitedly from the side. Marcus glanced at him. Then calmly said:"No. You can't beat me."

"Somehow I feel like I just got looked down on..." Grey muttered. Vaelis thought about it for a while. At first, the idea sounded ridiculous. But after carefully considering it, Marcus's reasoning wasn't completely unreasonable. He had heard of warriors breaking through during battles of life and death. What if it really worked?

"Fine..." Vaelis finally agreed.

"Since you insist, let's give it a try." Half an hour later. In a secluded forest outside Blackstone Town. Grey stood beneath a large tree with his arms crossed, lazily watching the scene unfold. In the center of the clearing, Marcus and Vaelis faced each other, preparing for a spar.

"Ready?" Vaelis rolled his shoulders. His fingers cracked as he clenched his fists.

"Come on." Marcus's fighting spirit burned brightly.

"Don't hold back!"

"Then watch yourself." The moment Vaelis finished speaking, he pushed off the ground and exploded forward. Although Vaelis normally fought with a longbow, that did not mean his close combat ability was weak. Quite the opposite. Years of drawing powerful bows had forged his arm muscles into something compact and explosive. In terms of pure physical strength, even warriors of the same rank would struggle to surpass him. And Vaelis was now a Mid-Tier Ranger.

After his Aura Core advanced, his physical abilities had already reached a completely different level. A vicious straight punch shot toward Marcus's face.

"THUD!" Marcus barely managed to raise his arm to block. The terrifying force sent pain shooting through his bones. His feet staggered backward uncontrollably. Before Marcus could stabilize himself, Vaelis's next attacks arrived. A sweeping kick. An elbow strike. A barrage of combinations. The fierce assault descended like a violent storm. Even Marcus, a vanguard warrior specialized in close combat, struggled to withstand Vaelis's offense. All he could do was defend.

After several exchanges, Marcus wasn't seriously injured. But his face and body were inevitably covered with several bruises. Grey, however, was thoroughly entertained. He never expected the towering Marcus would actually get beaten down by Vaelis. Interesting.

"No..."

"No..." Marcus covered his slightly swollen cheek and narrowly avoided another hook.

"I told you." Vaelis stopped attacking and sighed helplessly.

"This training method doesn't work."

"How could getting beaten up possibly help someone break through?"

"No..." Marcus shook his head.

"That's not what I mean."

"It's not enough." He took a deep breath.

"This level of pressure isn't enough to trigger my potential."

"I can't feel any danger."

"My Aura Core isn't being forced to activate."

"Not enough?" Vaelis frowned.

"Then how much more intense do you want this to get?" Marcus's eyes grew even hotter.

"Vaelis."

"Use your bow and shoot me."

"Impossible!" Vaelis rejected him instantly. Even Grey, who had been enjoying the show, immediately stood up.

"Hey, hey... Marcus, don't lose your mind."

"This isn't the same as a fistfight."

"You could actually die."

"That's exactly the feeling I need." Marcus's voice was firm.

"Help me this once, Vaelis."

"Only this kind of absolute desperation can force my potential to emerge."

"What if you don't break through?" Grey asked.

"Then you just took an arrow for nothing."

"I won't blame Vaelis." Marcus answered calmly.

"This is my own choice."

"That's not the point!" Vaelis's expression turned serious.

"Marcus, I can't let you do something this reckless."

"Trust me, Vaelis!" Marcus's voice rang out with unwavering conviction.

"I can block it!" Vaelis fell silent. He stared into Marcus's determined eyes. After a long moment... He let out a deep sigh.

"Fine, fine..."

"As you wish."

"We'll try." Vaelis picked up his longbow, Moon's Edge, and walked thirty meters away. He pulled out a broadhead arrow from his quiver. But from Marcus's angle, he quietly removed the metal arrowhead. Then Vaelis drew the bowstring. The arrow, now reduced to nothing but a wooden shaft, was aimed directly at Marcus. The moment the string was pulled tight, Vaelis's entire presence changed. Sharp. Focused. Deadly. At this distance, he could be said to have absolute accuracy. Where he aimed, he would hit.

"Come on...!" Marcus stared at Vaelis without blinking. He gathered his strength and prepared his defense. Release!

"Whoosh!" The wooden arrow still tore through the air with terrifying speed. At that instant, Marcus forced his mind into complete focus. He could clearly feel it. The Aura Core within his lower abdomen was becoming more active under the pressure from outside. Streams of heat surged rapidly through his meridians. Trying to merge with his flesh and blood. Trying to form an Aura Shield strong enough to withstand external attacks!