?Chapter 679 151.1 - Let me see your strength


    Irina''s smirk widened as she stepped toward the wall and pressed her hand against a glowing panel. Mana surged through her fingertips, activating a mechanism that rarely saw use. The floor beneath them vibrated faintly, and the entire arena began to shift. Targets retracted into the walls, reced by intricate formations and dynamic structures-pirs, walls, and elevated tforms-that rose from the ground in smooth, deliberate motions. The changes created an environment designed to push thebatants to their limits.


    This was no ordinary mode. "Crucible Protocol" was reserved for the most intense sparring sessions. Designed with high-level safeguards, it activated the strongest defensive formations embedded in the arena''s architecture. These formations monitored the contestants for any signs of critical danger, instantly deploying protective barriers to prevent lethal injuries. Around the edges of the room, concealedpartments opened, revealing shelves stocked with high-ranking and mid-ranking potions, ready to be deployed in case the formations weren''t sufficient.


    The temperature in the room rose as the mana channels embedded in the floor and walls glowed brighter, amplifying the intensity of the environment. mes flickered along the edges of the room, casting long, dynamic shadows across the space.


    Irina turned back to Astron, her grin widening. "Crucible Protocol," she said, her tone teasing yet serious. "This isn''t something I activate lightly. I hope you''re ready."


    As part of the mode, a new set of sparring clothes emerged from an enchantedpartment.


    Both contestants changed into specially designed attire, woven with mana-conductive threads that linked directly to the room''s systems. These garments ensured seamless integration with the protective formations, allowing the room to monitor their energy levels and prevent any dangerous spikes or drops.


    Astron nced down at the attire, adjusting the lightweight material that fit snugly yetfortably. "Impressive," he remarked, his tone neutral but faintly intrigued.


    Irina folded her arms, watching him with anticipation. "It should be," she replied. "This mode isn''t about holding back. The Crucible doesn''t just test strength-it challenges control, adaptability, and endurance. Let''s see if you can handle it."


    Astron adjusted the mana-conductive attire, his gaze flicking to the intricate formations glowing faintly in the room. "The academy has something simr," he remarked his tone calm but tinged with curiosity. "These types of rooms are incredibly expensive to build and maintain. Is Arcadia Dominion supplying them here as well?"


    Irina raised an eyebrow at his question, her expression turning mildly amused. "Impressed, are we?" she teased, though her smirk faltered slightly as she nced at the shifting formations. Memories flickered through her mind-memories of her training in this very room as a child.


    "You could say that," Astron replied, his gaze scanning the room again. "Having direct ess to something like this-it''s overwhelming, to say the least. How do you even justify using it? Most people wouldn''t even dare, considering the cost."


    Irina hesitated for a moment, her mes dimming slightly as her expression turned pensive. "You''d be surprised," she said softly. "I''ve been using this room since I was a child." Her tone shifted, bing quieter, tinged with something Astron couldn''t quite ce. "Back then, it wasn''t exactly... optional."


    Astron''s brow furrowed slightly, as he immediately realized what she meant. "I see...."


    There was no reason for Irina to borate further after all.


    Astron''s expression shifted subtly as Irina''s words sank in. The Matriarch-Irina''s mother-was known for her unyielding demeanor and the high expectations she set for her family. The idea of Irina being forced to train here as a child pushed against opponents far stronger than her, painted a vivid picture of the kind of pressure she''d grown up under.


    ''I should''ve seen thating,"


    It made sense now that this kind of room was installed in Irina''s building.... It was also quite easy to see, but it appeared that he somehow missed it this time.


    ''Next time, I shall be careful.


    Though it was not his fault that Irina had such memories, he could at least be more considerate.


    But now wasn''t the time to dwell on it. Astron realized there was no need to press her further on something so personal. Instead, he decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.


    "With this mode," he said, his tone calm and steady, "we should be safe. No real holding back this time, then?"


    Irina''s smirk returned, her mes sparking to life around her once more. "Exactly. No holding back."


    Astron nodded, settling into his stance. The spar they''d just had felt like a warm-up in retrospect. Both of them had held back significantly-there was no real need to go all out just to test the bracelet. But this time, it was different. The air between them was charged with a new energy,petitive and unrelenting.


    Irina, for her part, felt a strange sense of anticipation coursing through her veins. She''d been thinking about this moment since the end of the semester. She had fought beside Astron, seen his abilities as a teammate, and marveled at his precise, calcted approach. But she''d never faced him directly, never tested herself against him to see where she truly stood.


    Her n roared higher as her excitement grew. "I''ve been curious about this for a while, she admitted, her voice carrying a fiery edge. "Fighting beside you is one thing. But facing you? That''s an entirely different challenge."


    Astron adjusted his stance, his sharp gaze meeting Irina''s as the energy in the room seemed to intensify. Her mes danced wildly around her, a clear reflection of her anticipation and determination. For the first time, he truly understood the weight of this encounter-not just for her, but for himself as well.


    "It''s the same for me," Astron said, his voice steady yet charged with a subtle undercurrent of excitement. He wasn''t one to openly disy emotion, but he couldn''t deny the rush coursing through him. "Back then, I wouldn''t have had a chance against you-not enough strength, not enough skill. But now..." He shifted his weight slightly, the mana-conductive attire amplifying the aura around him. "Things are different." He wasn''t boasting-it was a simple statement of fact. Since the end of the semester, Astron''s progress has been relentless. His training,bined with his natural talents and the boosts that he''d gathered, had brought his stats to a level where he could trulypete with Irina.


    Especially in raw parameters like speed, strength, and endurance, he could feel that he was no longer overmatched.


    This was an opportunity to gauge just how far he hade-and how much further he still had to go.


    Irina tilted her head slightly, her fiery gaze narrowing as she studied him. She could sense it too. The Astron standing before her wasn''t the same as the one she''d fought beside before. His movements carried a subtle confidence, his stance exuding calm control. For a brief moment, she wondered if he might even be capable of surpassing


    her.


    ''Interesting,'' she thought, the corner of her lips curling into a smirk. "This is going to be fun.


    The room pulsed with energy as the Crucible Protocol adjusted to the rising tension. The mes along the edges red brighter, responding to the heat of their mana. Astron could feel the bracelet on his wrist faintly hums with potential energy, its fusion with the Orichalcum already attuning itself to his rhythm.


    "Alright." Irina said, her voice steady but charged with anticipation. Her mes surged, crackling as they wrapped around her arms in a fiery embrace. "Let''s see if all that


    progress of yours means anything."


    Astron gave a faint nod, his eyes locked onto her. "You will see."


    No further words were exchanged. The room fell silent save for the crackle of mes


    and the hum of mana, and then...


    SWIRL!


    Irina''s mes roared to life, surging outward in a vibrant disy of power. She didn''t


    hesitate this time, there would be no holding back. With a sharp sweep of her arm,


    she channeled her mana into a fiery wave.


    [School of Emberheart: Infernal SurgeJ


    A massive column of me erupted from the ground, its intensity shaking the room


    and sting toward Astron with explosive force. The heat was oppressive, the mes crackling with relentless energy as they raced to engulf him. She smirked, confident that this opening move would at least slow him down.


    But then he moved.


    Astron blurred forward, his speed far exceeding what Irina had seen before. It was as if


    he''d been holding back during their earlier exchanges, saving his true speed for this moment. His movements were seamless, weaving through the edges of her mes with a precision that left her momentarily stunned.


    ''So he was holding back,'' she thought, narrowing her eyes. The realization only ignited


    her determination further.


    Though she couldn''t hope to match him in speed, her instincts kicked in. Her ''intuition''-an innate parameter honed through relentless training-allowed her to track his movements despite his velocity. She focused, channeling mana into her body as her mes began to wrap around her, forming a protectiveyer.


    [School of Emberheart: Pyrostic Aegis]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The fiery coating surged along her limbs, reinforcing her body and amplifying her physical capabilities. With her defenses up, she started moving, keeping him at bay with rapid bursts of fire.


    [School of Emberheart: zing Scattershot]


    Sheunched a series of ming projectiles in rapid session, each one forcing


    Astron to adjust his approach. But he was relentless, dodging with an almost supernatural grace as he closed the gap between them. Irina gritted her teeth, taking a step back to create distance while continuing to strike at him with calcted


    precision. Astron''s expression remained calm, his sharp gaze never wavering as he advanced. But


    then, to Irina''s surprise, he slowed his pace. In a single fluid motion, he reached over his shoulder and drew a sleek ck bow from his back, its frame humming faintly with mana. Without hesitation, he nocked an arrow, the motion smooth and practiced. ''A bow?" Irina''s eyes narrowed, her focus sharpening as she saw him pull the string


    back. He was indeed a marksman, but for the moment. Irina had forgotten that he was like that.


    After all, he had been fighting in closebat, as a [Marital Artist] all the time before, and she didn''t think he would take his bow out at that moment.


    SWOOSH!


    The mana-infused arrow crackled with energy, and before she could react further, he


    released it.


    The arrow flew fast and true, a streak of light cutting through the air with unerring


    uracy.


    ''What?''


    Irina''s instincts red, warning her of its precision. She reacted immediately,


    summoning a burst of fire to intercept it.


    [School of Emberheart: Ember re]


    The arrow collided with her mes, detonating in a controlled burst of energy. But just as the explosion cleared, Irina caught a glimpse of Astron darting forward through the smoke, using the distraction to close the distance.


    ''Damn it,'' she thought, her smirk returning despite herself. The way he adapted and


    took advantage of every opening was impressive-even frustratingly so. But if he thought she''d let him get the upper hand so easily, he was sorely mistaken. With a flick of her wrist, she redirected her mes, sending a searing wave toward him to force him back once again. "Not so fast, Astron," she called, her voice tinged


    with both challenge and excitement. "Let''s see what you will do now."