'How can this be?'

Dean Rolack stepped back, putting another seventy feet between them, his eyes locked on the torn space that had just devoured his spell.

He wasn't shocked that his powerful Yin Vortex was swallowed, that part was normal when facing someone strong.

But what truly shook him was how this strange Clown could use two Intuitions.

Normally, a person could awaken only one Intuition in their lifetime, and even then, they could use it only once a day.

The power and nature of an Intuition depended on the person's soul and will.

Yet this Clown had broken that rule.

First, he used an Intuition called Ice Energy.

Then, not long after, he used another one, something completely different, something darker.

'How is that possible?'

The Dean's mind raced.

There had never been a single record, not even a rumor, of anyone in the entire history of the Elora Continent being able to use two Intuitions.

'So how did this man do it?'

A chill ran down the Dean's spine as he stared at the Clown, who stood there smiling like he was enjoying every moment of the Dean's confusion

"No, this isn't the time to think about such things," the Dean muttered as he created a compressed air barrier around himself and slowly closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, the Clown kicked off the ground and shot into the air.

His speed was astonishing, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky.

In just a blink, he had crossed the distance between them.

At that very moment, the Dean's eyes snapped open.

A strange, divine light shone within them as he uttered two words in a calm but commanding voice.

"Divine Retribution."

The instant the words left his lips, the sky responded.

Clouds began to gather and swirl above, thick and heavy, darkening the entire battlefield.

A deep rumble echoed from the heavens as the air itself grew heavy with power.

This was no ordinary spell.

It carried the force of the heavens themselves.

It had taken the Dean ten long years to understand its theory and another twenty to master it fully.

Among all his spells, this was his greatest, his ultimate weapon.

The ground trembled beneath his feet, and even the Clown's grin seemed to falter for the first time.

"Not good," the Clown muttered, his tone low but tense.

Without wasting a second, he raised his right hand and shouted,

"Intuition: Thousand Lightning Physique!"

The moment the words left his mouth, his entire body began to glow.

Golden light surged from within him, crackling and twisting like living lightning.

This Thousand Lightning Physique was one of the rarest Intuitions known to exist, it granted the user invincibility for ten breaths of time.

During that brief span, no attack could pierce their body, no matter how strong.

High above, the clouds continued to churn.

Lightning flashed again and again until it gathered into a massive, blinding sphere.

A second later, the ball of divine power shot down from the heavens, aimed straight at the Clown.

The Clown let out a fierce roar and thrust his glowing fist forward to meet the descending power of Divine Retribution.

Boom!!!

The world shook.

The sky split apart as the two forces collided, sending shockwaves that tore through the forest.

Trees were uprooted, the ground cracked, and a deafening roar filled the air.

The Clown's body was thrown down with tremendous force, slamming into the earth.

A huge crater formed where he landed, smoke and dust rising high into the sky.

For a moment, nothing moved, only the sound of crackling lightning and the whisper of the wind remained.

Meanwhile, the Dean was even more shocked than before.

"Another Intuition? And this time… Thousand Lightning Physique?

How is that possible!?" he muttered in disbelief.

This wasn't normal, no, it was beyond abnormal.

Something like this shouldn't even exist.

His instincts screamed that letting this man live would be a huge mistake.

"I can't let him escape," the Dean said through his clenched teeth.

He dashed toward the crater with tremendous speed, the air rippling around him from the force of his movement.

As he moved, he withdrew his staff into his spatial ring and raised both hands toward the smoke-filled pit.

The smoke still hadn't cleared, and the Clown's figure was nowhere to be seen.

But the Dean didn't wait. He couldn't afford to.

He shouted with all his might—

"Soul severance!"

A powerful surge of spiritual energy burst from his body, shaking the very ground beneath him.

The air around his hands twisted violently as a bright, blinding light began to form, ready to consume everything in its path.

If anyone had heard the Dean at that moment, they would have been shocked to their very core.

Soul severance wasn't just any spell, it was a unique ability that only those who had reached the realm of Grandmaster could use.

Though there were stages beyond Grandmaster, like Ascendant, the Grandmaster realm was known to be the hardest to achieve.

It wasn't because of talent, no, talent had little to do with it.

If talent alone were enough, then people like Vined would have already surpassed that stage long ago.

What truly mattered was understanding, understanding oneself and the heavens.

Only when a person deeply understood their own existence, their soul, and the natural laws that governed the world could they touch the Grandmaster realm.

And with that understanding came a new kind of power, one far beyond ordinary mana.

That power was called spiritual energy, a pure force born from the soul itself.

It was what defined a true Grandmaster, a power that existed between life and the heavens, beyond what ordinary humans could ever hope to grasp.

And now, the Dean was about to use that power.

Though his body felt heavy and his mind a bit fatigued, he pushed those feelings aside.

This was not the time to rest.

He drew in a sharp breath as streams of spiritual energy began to gather in his hands.

The air around him shimmered and twisted, reacting to the immense pressure of his power.

He didn't need to chant or call out a spell name, just giving the energy a proper shape would be enough.

Normally, channeling spiritual energy through a weapon like a sword or spear would make it far more powerful, but the Dean had no time for that.

The situation was too dangerous, and hesitation could create mistakes.

The energy continued to condense, glowing brightly until it finally took the shape of a spear in his right hand.

Its surface rippled like liquid light, and the air around it hummed with pure, divine strength.

The Dean tightened his grip and adjusted his stance, preparing to throw it straight into the crater where the Clown had fallen.

But before he could release it—

The Clown's presence suddenly vanished.

"Huh?" The Dean froze for a moment, his brows knitting together in confusion.

He could no longer sense even the slightest trace of energy from the crater.

Keeping his guard up, he slowly moved closer, the glowing spear still steady in his hand.

He didn't dare release it yet, something didn't feel right.

But after carefully checking the whole area, the Dean couldn't sense even the faintest trace of the Clown's presence.

It was as if the man had completely vanished from existence.

"He… vanished?" The Dean muttered, his frown deepening as he slowly let the spiritual spear fade away from his hand.

He scanned the surroundings one last time, extending his senses as far as he could, but still, nothing.

Not even a lingering breath of energy remained.

After a moment, he rose into the air, his robes fluttering as he looked down at the ruined forest below.

His expression was heavy, thoughtful.

"Who exactly was that man?" he murmured.

Throughout the entire battle, he had felt an unease that he couldn't explain.

No matter how carefully he observed, he couldn't understand that man at all.

The Clown's movements, his timing, his power, they all felt unnatural, far beyond what any normal being could possess.

And worst of all, the Dean was certain of one thing: the Clown hadn't been fighting seriously.

"He didn't even use thirty percent of his strength…"

The Dean clenched his teeth, frustration flickering in his eyes.

It was the truth.

The Clown clearly had many Intuitions, yet during the entire fight, he had only revealed three, and two of them were mediocre compared to the Thousand Lightning Physique.

'If that man had decided to go all out…' Dean had no doubt that the battle would've turned into a life-and-death struggle, and the chances of the Clown's victory would have been far higher.

"No, this won't do," the Dean muttered, shaking his head firmly.

His expression turned grave as his thoughts settled.

"I need to report this to His Majesty… and take action immediately."

There was no doubt in his mind now, the Clown wasn't someone with good intentions.

A man with such power, hiding behind a mask and playing games with others, could only mean trouble.

He must have some hidden purpose, and the Dean had to find out what it was before it was too late.

"Just you wait…" he said under his breath, his teeth clenched and eyes filled with determination.

With that, the Dean turned and shot through the air, leaving behind the shattered forest.

The wind howled around him as he sped toward the examination grounds where the students had gathered, his heart heavy with both worry and resolve.

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