It turned out that Adam had taken a page straight out of Dexter’s book. The trick was simple but effective—create a distraction, seize the enemy’s attention, and then move while they were locked onto the wrong target.From the distance between them, and with Adam’s frightening speed, it would take him no more than a single second to reach Dexter. But the problem was that it would also only take Dexter a single second to unleash his devastating spell, IMPLOSION. It was a battle of fractions, of who would act first, of who would seize that tiny gap.Dexter, his eyes narrowed and his hand still pointed at George Anderson, did not hesitate. He didn’t dare blink, not when the slightest delay meant his defeat. With his focus unbroken, his lips moved swiftly, chanting the words of destruction, and the air around his hand shimmered with violent magical force.When the last syllable rolled off his tongue, the spell erupted outward like a violent pulse, a wave of destructive energy that tore th

On the other hand, Dexter smacked his tongue in frustration, his irritation radiating through every muscle in his body. He was furious—not just because he had missed hitting George Anderson, but because Adam had foiled yet another one of his meticulously planned attacks.With the painful aftermath of having two of his spells destroyed by Adam, coupled with the failure of three separate IMPLOSION attacks that had all missed their intended target, Dexter’s patience was wearing thin. His body ached from the exertion, his mind simmered with frustration, and a gnawing fatigue tugged at his consciousness.“What the hell was that?!” George Anderson exclaimed, his voice sharp with disbelief and residual fear. He had just narrowly escaped death, and his pulse still raced from the near-catastrophic experience.As soon as Dexter fired the spell, George had instinctively attempted to deploy his martial arts skills to block it. But he quickly realized that something was terribly wrong. It was as i

Angry and frustrated that his last barrage had failed to strike Adam, Dexter began to unleash fireballs one after the other in rapid succession. His target remained the same—Adam, who kept darting around the room with incredible speed, evading every single attack as though the fireballs were nothing more than playful sparks.Adam’s plan was simple yet highly effective. He wasn’t going to recklessly charge in. Instead, he chose to keep moving, carefully circling and closing in on Dexter while dodging the incoming fireballs. Once he was close enough, he intended to finish the battle swiftly.Dexter, however, wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly what Adam was planning. That was why he continued to fire one scorching purple flame after another, not necessarily to hit Adam directly, but to maintain distance and keep the martial artist from closing the gap.But there was a limit. Dexter was running out of ammunition. He understood the mechanics of his own spell better than anyone else, and he kne

The way Adam held Dexter up by his neck—his toes barely brushing the dusty floor—made the mage look like a ragdoll dangling helplessly in the air. Dexter’s face was turning an unhealthy shade of red, and his breath came in short, desperate rasps as the pressure on his windpipe increased. His eyes bulged slightly, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He tried to squirm free, but Adam’s grip was like iron.The suffocating sensation was unbearable, yet Dexter’s ego refused to allow him to plead for mercy. He would rather choke than beg Adam for release. That same stubborn arrogance that had carried him this far pushed him to gamble on one last desperate move. Since Adam had brought their bodies so close, Dexter thought perhaps he could take advantage of the proximity to land a surprise strike.Summoning every ounce of willpower left in his fading body, Dexter reached into his pocket with his free hand. His fingers fumbled, but at last they found the handle of a small concealed knif

A couple of minutes earlier—right after George Anderson had stormed out of the room where Adam and Dexter were facing each other—he wandered aimlessly through the endless, suffocating hallways of the sprawling plant facility, muttering curses under his breath. He still remembered Adam’s sharp command to leave, as if Adam had any right to order him around.“Why is it so damn hard to leave this place?!” George snapped, his voice echoing against the metallic walls. His frustration wasn’t just about the labyrinth-like building; it was also a boiling resentment toward Adam.The memory of Adam’s command replayed in his head like an irritating itch he couldn’t scratch. Adam’s cold tone, his absolute certainty—George smacked his tongue loudly, his anger swelling.“That bastard!” George hissed. “Ordering me around like we’re equals. Who the fuck does he think he’s talking to?!” His fists clenched tightly, his nails biting into his palms as he fumed.For a brief moment, George entertained the t