At Kirish's command, Kevin wasted no time. He stepped deep into the fighting stance of his lineage, his fists blurring as he executed the explosive routines of The Hundred Punches of Fire.
As Kirish watched the sequence unfold, a brilliant mechanical notification flickered directly across his retinas.
The System was scanning, cataloging, and entirely dismantling the technique in real-time.
Within moments, the complete data blueprint materialized. Kirish looked at the System's price tag and found it surprisingly cheap—a mere 5,000 W.
[System Analysis: 'The Hundred Punches of Fire']
Rank: 2-Star Martial Art (Mana-Compatible).
Structure: 12 Core Steps.
Elemental Catalyst: Fire. When synchronized with the Fire element, its true destructive nature is unlocked. If mastered to its absolute peak, its structural ceiling matches the lethal potential of the 'Heart of the Sword.' The lethality increases exponentially if the practitioner possesses a specialized 'Fire Body' attribute.
Warning: The introductory steps are deceptive.
As the sequence progresses, the kinetic feedback places massive strain on the muscular framework.
Purchase the complete data package to instantly bypass the training threshold.
For Kirish, this was an absolute goldmine. He had just stumbled upon another elite combat discipline for a bargain.
Without a second thought, he mentally authorized the transaction.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a violent cosmic vision flooded his consciousness. He saw a desolate, apocalyptic battlefield swathed in raging, unquenchable crimson flames.
In the center of the inferno stood a fearless warrior wielding a majestic blazing spear, systematically annihilating waves of oncoming demons.
With every stride the warrior took, a massive wall of fire surged forward, incinerating entire armies at his command.
Every battle this legendary being fought only made his internal flame burn hotter, his presence more terrifying.
This was a Spirit Master—one of the supreme apex tiers of human cultivation.
Before entering his eternal slumber, this ancient entity had forged a mythical combat art known as the 'Wing of Fire.' Over centuries, modern practitioners had watered down that legendary style to make it accessible to ordinary humans.
The Hundred Punches of Fire was merely one of those broken, diluted remnants.
In a matter of seconds, Kirish fully absorbed the absolute root essence of the technique.
Opposite him, Kevin pulled back his final fist, exhaling heavily as he waited for Kirish's critique.
He fully expected the young man to offer some vague, generic advice to justify his 'Master' title.
Kirish looked at his newly acquired knowledge, then looked at Kevin, and let out a soft, amused smile. Compared to the primordial truth now anchored in his mind, Kevin's prized family technique looked like absolute garbage.
"Kevin, may I be completely candid with you? If you don't mind," Kirish said, his voice entirely calm.
Kevin tilted his head, his face a mask of confusion and simmering annoyance. "Speak your mind, Senior.
I'm listening." Kevin still heavily suspected Kirish of being a high-tier scammer, which was why he couldn't bring himself to take the guy seriously. Kirish clearly read the dismissive attitude radiating from the teenager, but he chose to ignore it for now.
"If you want my honest advice... forget this entire martial art. It is garbage.
Complete garbage," Kirish stated flatly. "I happen to possess a vastly superior version of this fist style. If you have the stomach for true training, I can teach it to you."
Kevin's patience finally snapped. His family pride, forged through generations of elite brawlers, had been directly insulted.
"Senior, I have shown you respect, but I will not stand here and listen to you insult the martial art I have dedicated years of my life to master. Prove your words right now, or I will demand a formal apology to the Khanna lineage!"
Kirish had already deduced that Priyanka and Kevin belonged to a powerful faction, and Kevin's fiery declaration confirmed their deep aristocratic pride.
Shifting his weight, Kirish dropped his hands to his sides and took a loose, open stance.
"I have no reason to lie to you. Use your Hundred Punches of Fire with everything you've got. I won't strike back. I will only defend."
Seeing the atmosphere turn dangerously heavy, Priyanka grew incredibly anxious, but she didn't dare intervene.
Based on her experience yesterday, she knew exactly what Kirish was doing—he was going to completely break Kevin's confidence, dismantle his worldview, and then rebuild him with a perfected technique, just like he had done with her Light Axe.
Kevin didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, roaring as a barrage of fist strikes rained down on Kirish like heavy artillery.
But Kirish moved like a ghost. Using only the palms of his hands and minor, micro-calculated step-backs, he deflected every single punch with fluid ease.
Physically, their raw strength attributes were perfectly balanced, but the gap in their actual combat skill was a literal chasm. After several minutes of non-stop attacking, Kevin's movements slowed, his lungs burning from exhaustion.
Kirish gracefully stepped out of the striking zone. "While defending, I counted no less than seven structural loopholes in your execution. If this were a real battle, I could have ended your life several times over. So, do I counter-attack now, or are you ready to actually learn?"
Kevin stood there, panting heavily, his eyes wide as he stared at Kirish. Shock,
humiliation, and a deep sense of awe warred within his chest.
As his breathing slowed, his rational mind took over. This is no scam. The guy standing in front of me is an absolute master-level combat genius.
Kevin was pragmatic. Money was never an issue for the Khanna family, and if this guy turned out to be a fraud later, he could easily have him blacklisted across the entire city network.
"Senior Kirish... I admit my defeat," Kevin said, bowing his head in a gesture of genuine apology.
"You are an expert. I am ready to learn your style, and I apologize for my previous arrogance."
Kirish hadn't expected the stubborn teenager to capitulate so quickly, but he appreciated Kevin's ability to recognize a superior force. "Good. Then let us discuss the terms."
A digital interface materialized between them. Kevin looked at the title of the technique displayed on the holographic document: 'Hundred Punches Like Feather.' It was the perfected, optimized evolution of his family's art.
The non-disclosure and premium payment clauses were identical to Priyanka's contract.
Before Kevin could even press his thumb against the digital signature pad, a violent, deafening explosion ripped through the air.
BOOM!
The entire reinforced structure of the Ania Martial Hall groaned under a massive kinetic shockwave. The floor beneath their feet buckled violently.
"System! Report! What the hell was that?!" Kirish shouted in his mind.
["WARNING! Multiple high-tier Cataclysmic Monsters have launched a coordinated assault on the city's outer perimeter. The impact has fractured the localized sub-terrain. The structural integrity of this sector is compromised!"]
The metropolis of Blue Orbit was strictly divided into three vertical tiers: the Upper District for the ruling elite, the Mid District for commerce, and the Lower District—where they currently stood—which bore the brunt of the wilderness boundaries. They were right in the path of a Beast Tide.
"We need to move right now!" Kevin yelled, his aristocratic composure instantly shifting into survival mode. "The military will deploy, but we can't afford to get trapped underground!"
Kirish, Priyanka, and Kevin bolted through the collapsing corridors.
The Martial Hall was a scene of utter chaos, alarms blaring as hundreds of trainees scrambled for the exits.
When they burst through the main doors into the open air, Kirish froze. The sky was an apocalyptic nightmare.
Before he could process the sheer scale of the panic, a sleek, heavily armored transport vehicle screeched to a halt right in front of him. The gull-wing door hissed open, and Kevin's voice roared from the interior.
"Senior! Get in, now!"
Kirish didn't hesitate. He vaulted into the cabin, slamming into the leather seats right next to Priyanka as Kevin gunned the engine from the driver's seat.
"Buckle up! Things are about to get ugly!" Kevin commanded, throwing the armored vehicle into maximum acceleration.
Looking through the reinforced rear windshield, Kirish's blood ran cold.
The massive, sky-spanning Qi Magic Array—the glowing runic shield protecting the city—was covered in a web of thousands of violent, glowing cracks.
Another thunderous detonation shook the earth, and the shield finally shattered like glass.
The moment the magical barrier collapsed, the planet's lethal atmosphere rushed in.
On Blue Orbit, the regulated, habitable temperature inside the shield was a stable 40°C to 45°C. But outside, the raw, untamed climate of the wasteland raged at a lethal 70°C to 80°C.
Though the vehicle's internal climate control was heavily insulated against the sudden spike in thermal radiation, the real horror was just beginning.
Through the dust and the shimmering heatwaves of the broken shield, a black, undulating wave of monstrous beasts began pouring into the city streets.
[The background music swells to a thundering crescendo and abruptly cuts to dead silence]
[To Be Continued...]