Chapter 276
Ka ka ka (5)
IAM had chosen to close the distance and switch to semi-automatic to minimize any chance of error. His goal wasn't to kill Blaze—only to incapacitate him, to end this before it went any further. Killing or severely injuring him would create far more problems than it would solve.
He had used [STOP],momentarily halting Blaze's movement. IAM seized the chance, surging forward while the world around him seemed to slow.
A heavy strain tugged at him; his Avien flared as he drew on a sizable thirty percent of his mana—far more than he would normally risk—to ensure Blaze remained frozen long enough. Even a second too short, and the effect could break.
But as IAM drew closer, Blaze—whose face had been frozen mid-expression, caught somewhere between shock and rage—suddenly twitched. In the next instant, a sharp hiss filled the air as heat burst from his body.
Steam poured from his skin, the air around him distorting with a shimmer of rising temperature. He had forced his way out of his spell, using one of his path methods to regain control of his body.
With a powerful burst of strength, Blaze leapt backward skidding across the floor as he widened the distance between them. The heat radiating from him was intense enough that IAM could feel it prickling against his skin even several meters away.
It was no surprise. Blaze's path set was far more refined and extensive than IAM's. He had been an ascender for years— he was far seasoned and experienced—while IAM had only stepped into this world months ago. The difference in foundation was clear. Blaze had more versatility, more methods, and a greater reservoir of mana to draw upon.
Yet, even with all that, it was clear he was beginning to strain. The continuous use of his path methods was burning through his mana at an alarming rate, and the exertion was starting to show.
His breathing was heavier and his movements just a little slower. And the bullet wound on his shoulder was only making things worse.
He might have been stronger, but right now, Blaze was far from his best.
Seizing the brief opening created by Blaze's slightly faltering movements, IAM steadied his breathing, forcing his focus through the haze of bloodlust clouding his mind. Blaze's steps was uneven, his balance just slightly off, and IAM knew this was the best chance he'd get.
He raised KASSARA, doing his best to ignore the pounding in his chest and the dark, vicious urge clawing at the back of his mind.
He aimed carefully for Blaze's right leg. But as he exhaled and tightened his grip, his hand trembled violently. The killing intent surging through him felt almost alive, pushing against his will, whispering for him to aim higher. His finger twitched against the trigger.
BANG.
The shot rang out sharply, echoing through the hall. The bullet sliced past Blaze's leg, grazing the side of his thigh and tearing through flesh before burying itself in the wall behind him. Blaze hissed, jerking back instinctively as the pain registered, his expression twisting in a mix of surprise and fury.
IAM lowered the gun slightly, his face was tense. He had barely managed to fire at all—at the last instant, his body had almost betrayed him, nearly pulling the barrel upward toward Blaze's chest. This killing intent was impeding him from fighting properly.
Blaze glared at IAM like a furious bull, his chest heaving, sweat and heat radiating from his body. "You've got pretty shit aim," he barked, his voice sharp with anger and strain. "After all that, you still missed."
IAM didn't respond. His eyes stayed fixed on Blaze, empty and unreadable, while his mind raced through possible solutions. Every option he considered seemed to spiral into chaos if he wasn't careful. The killing intent still lingered beneath his calm expression , coiling like smoke just waiting to erupt again.
Blaze took IAM's lack of pursuit as a brief moment of respite. Without wasting a heartbeat, he focused and activated his healing method, his breath steadying as his leg and the smaller grazes left by the passing bullets began twitching as the flesh started tightening as the wounds began to knit themselves together.
Despite his efforts, Blaze's frustration deepened.
He had underestimated IAM—completely.
The initial bullet wound was worse than he wanted to admit, and every movement strained him more than it should have. He could feel his reserves thinning at an uncomfortable rate even though his Avien was working hard, constantly trying to replenish the mana he was losing.
He could feel his reserves thinning at an uncomfortable rate.
The rate of mana absorption varied drastically between levels, even within the same rank. A low-level ascender could never compare to one at the peak of their stage.
For novices, it typically took around forty minutes to fully replenish their mana core, though this fluctuated slightly depending on their individual proficiency. Those at the lower end might take even longer, while high novices could trim that time by several minutes.
Experienced-level ascenders, however, stood in a completely different category. Their cores were not only more refined but their Avien pathways were broader and more stable, allowing them to draw in and process mana far faster. On average, it took them about twenty minutes to completely fill their core—again, fluctuating between the lower and upper ends of the level.
By comparison, master-level ascenders were on another plane entirely. Their control, capacity, and flow efficiency reached a point where mana absorption became nearly seamless. They could replenish a fully drained core in just five minutes—an astounding difference that set them apart from all others.
While Blaze didn't need a full core to continue using his path methods, the imbalance between his consumption rate and recovery rate was quickly catching up to him. Even with his Avien working tirelessly to replenish mana, it simply couldn't keep pace with his current output. He couldn't sustain a drawn-out fight like this.
He knew he had to reduce his reliance on his path methods before he reached the point of backlash. Though his proficiency with them was exceptionally high—honed through countless high-pressure battles—his current state was far from ideal. Fatigue, injury, and strain were all building beneath the surface. The more his condition deteriorated, the greater the risk that his mana flow would spiral out of control, and if that happened, the backlash could cripple him.
Yet the real issue wasn't his stamina—it was that damn gun in IAM's hands. The weapon kept him at a disadvantage, forcing him to rely on evasive bursts of speed and defensive methods just to stay alive. He couldn't engage properly, and couldn't close the distance without risking another bullet tearing through him.
But just as Blaze was beginning to rack his mind for a way to outsmart IAM, something unexpected happened. His thoughts froze for a moment as his eyes caught the movement—IAM, without a word, calmly lowered KASSARA and tucked it into his waistband.
Blaze blinked, almost in disbelief. He hadn't even said a word to provoke it, yet the bastard had put away the one thing keeping him at bay.
"What the fuck is your dumbass—" Blaze started, his tone dripping with disbelief and irritation. He had been about to calmly and kindly ask what IAM thought he was doing. But before he could finish the sentence, the words caught in his throat.
Because IAM did something he couldn't quite wrap his head around.
Slowly, IAM raised both of his hands, curling them into tight fists. His feet shifted across the floor, spaced out evenly with one slightly ahead of the other. His shoulders squared, and his eyes locked straight onto Blaze.
A boxing stance.
Blaze's expression twisted into one of utter confusion. "You've gotta be kidding me…" he muttered under his breath. The tension in the air thickened as the realization sank in—IAM had just put away his gun to fight him with his bare hands.