Sword energy swirled violently around Albert before abruptly vanishing. For a single heartbeat, the world fell unnaturally silent.
Then, the entire barren land changed.
The sky dimmed. The mountains groaned. The air itself seemed to be sliced apart, rearranged, and rewritten by an invisible will.
"Heaven Opening Sword Line!" Albert shouted, his voice echoing across heaven and earth as the technique descended upon Grey once more.
This time, Grey was ready.
Nexus Overclock surged without restraint. Nexus energy revolved at a perfect golden-ratio balance, stabilizing for a brief instant before violently reversing. In that single moment, his mental capacity, energy output, physical strength, and defensive capabilities were amplified simultaneously, stacking atop one another without conflict or instability.
On top of that, the Halo flared.
A transcendent pressure descended as its buff enveloped Grey, reinforcing not just his body, but his very existence.
