He realized that, he was no longer bound to just his physical body. There was now another factor which could substantially help him increase his power by a margin.
Nexus Energy!
It was the most perfect energy there is and if he added that into this equation then…
[Your comprehension defies the heavens! In the face of death, you've connected the dots and evolved 'Instant Recoil Step' into 'Nexus Overclock.']
Boom!
The notification had barely faded when the burly leader's massive fist appeared in front of Grey's face, the strike fast enough to shatter bone.
But the impact never landed.
Nexus energy erupted like a wildfire, fracturing into countless streams that coursed through Grey's body like living conduits. They raced along his muscles, veins, and tendons, before finally piercing into his nervous system—like countless microscopic blades weaving him into something beyond human.
Bzzzt–Whrrr!
Boom!
In the burly leader's vision, Grey vanished as if he had never existed. Before he could even register what happened, a streak of crackling, fire like purple energy ripped through his body, hurling him across the air.
"Huh?!" The burly leader's expression twisted in shock as a wave of excruciating pain erupted from within.
"Sword energy!" He was utterly stunned.
What just happened? He hadn't even caught the brat's shadow!
He suddenly became even faster than before!
And to make matters worse—this brat had actually comprehended sword energy!
Grinding his teeth, he immediately circulated his True Energy, desperately forcing it through his body to expel the invasive sword energy. Only after clearing it did he lift his head, in that very same fleeting moment, to glare ahead.
Ahead stood the same brat who had just hurled him into the air. But now, he looked a bit different.
Dark purple lines crawled across his hands, and his eyes had changed—within his irises, strange circular patterns spun like a vortex, glowing with a sharp, radiant purple light. Cracks of violet energy spread outward from his pupils, making it seem as though his very gaze could tear the world apart.
"You didn't see that coming, did you?" Grey tilted his head to the side with a cold smile. "Now come at me, you bastard! Let's see who's stronger!"
As he spoke, the two swords belonging to the burly leader's subordinates suddenly rose into the air, sheathed in radiant purple energy, and neatly aligned themselves behind Grey.
Zenith Sword Art – Sword Control!
"You… you!" The burly leader's expression twisted with fury.
A mere level-one brat! How dare he disrespect him!
"If killing you is the last thing I do, then so be it!" the burly leader roared, his voice seething with wrath. From his spatial ring, he pulled out a pitch-black pill and crunched it between his teeth.
Instantly, a violent red aura exploded from his body.
"Arghhh!" he screamed, veins bulging as his frame expanded, his muscles swelling until he towered even higher than before. The aura spread like wildfire, saturating the battlefield in a suffocating crimson haze.
Grey narrowed his eyes. "Corrupted energy?"
At once, the Nexus energy within him surged forth, colliding head-on with the crimson power. The moment they touched, the corruption was erased—dissolved, neutralized, and reduced to nothing by the perfect supremacy of Nexus energy.
"YOU WILL DIE NOW, KID!" The burly leader, now resembling a hulking demon, bellowed as he charged forward, his speed even greater than before.
A cold smile curled across Grey's lips. Nexus energy surged into his nervous system, amplifying his every motion, and he shot forward as well, the two flying swords orbiting above him like predators awaiting their prey.
Swish! Whoosh! Boom!
The burly leader struck first, his fist descending like a meteor. The sheer force warped the air around it as it crashed down toward Grey.
In that instant, Grey's flying swords moved. Guided by his precise control, they slashed in unison, their sword energy clashing against the corrupted aura coating the burly leader's gauntlet. The collision erupted in a shower of sparks and streaks of light that carved through the battlefield.
"Arghhh!" the burly leader roared, his rage mounting. With a single leap, his massive frame soared into the air, before he hurled another crushing strike downward with overwhelming force.
Grey's expression remained calm. Fire crackled along the edge of his blade as Nexus energy poured into it. Meeting the incoming blow head-on, he unleashed the Zenith Sword Art!
Clank! BOOM!
Both were knocked back, but it didn't take long before they closed the distance again, clashing with renewed ferocity. Each strike sent ripples through the air, distorting air with their sheer force.
Grey's eyes glowed brighter than ever as he dodged and countered the burly leader's sound-breaking attacks. Blow after blow, he matched the brute's strength evenly.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!" the burly leader howled, his sanity slipping as he unleashed a storm of fists.
Swish! Clank! Clank!
Grey deflected each one with precision, his swords weaving arcs of purple energy that sliced into the burly leader's body bit by bit, gnawing away at his defenses.
"Why won't you die?!" the burly leader roared, his voice cracking with rage. "Your puny first-level body—how can it stand against me? With this strength, I'm as powerful as a peak second level of the first rank! How can I lose to the likes of you?!"
Grey laughed. "Because you're not as talented as me."
As he said that, he swiftly pulled an energy potion from his spatial ring and downed it in one gulp. His supply of Nexus energy was draining fast with the sheer amount of sword energy he was releasing into the world.
"I'll kill you, bastard!" the burly leader roared, charging forward with murderous intent.
He threw a vicious punch, but Grey slipped past it with ease, a teasing grin tugging at his lips.
"With Nexus Overlock, I can contend directly with someone at nearly the early stage of the peak Second Level, First Rank!" Grey thought, his eyes glowing with satisfaction.
Then, a dangerous smirk tugged at his lips. "And if I push my nervous system even further…"
Nexus energy surged violently through him, flooding into his nerves and sharpening his perception to an even greater extreme. His every sense flared alive, his vision splitting each motion of the burly leader into countless frames.
The instant that happened, the world slowed down around him even more.
With the sword in Grey's hand burning with sword energy, he dashed forward and slashed forward horizontally, straight at the burly leader's head.
Buzz!
In that instant, the glowing purple lines etched across Grey's hands and eyes flickered, then faded away, returning him to normal.
At the same time, a heavy thud echoed through the barren land as the burly leader's head toppled from his shoulders, his face still frozen in rage.
He had died without even realizing he died.