Endless Leveling Done Right!

Chapter 452: I Never Expected Anything From The Start

The sound of a boulder breaking seemed to mark the start of a short break.

Renard took a few deep breaths as he once again took a fighting stance. As if waiting for that moment, another boulder appeared in front of him.

The young man stared at his target for nearly a minute before throwing out a punch.

He was five meters away from the boulder. And yet, a loud crack echoed inside the room.

On the boulder’s surface, a fist size indentation expanded to create a small crater that was at least two-feet wide.

"Too shallow," Renard muttered as white smoke oozed out of his right fist.

After taking another deep breath, the young man released one punch after the other.

The boulder in front of him started to have several cracks in it as the young man continued his barrage of punches a distance away from it.

A minute later, the boulder shattered into pieces as Renard knelt on the ground, panting for breath.

’This Unique Skill feels like second nature to me,’ Renard thought. ’It was as if this skill was personally tailored for me. Just how did Alex get this?’

Right now, he could unleash an attack from five meters away without directly touching his opponent.

This was a Martial Arts that was perfect for Renard who fought at close range.

If his opponent didn’t know about his fighting style, his first blow would take them by surprise and that might just be enough to end the battle then and there.

Even from a distance away, the power of his punch could already leave a mark on the boulder. If his actual fist had hit the boulder, it would have instantly and completely shattered.

It was not an exaggeration to say that Renard had become twice as strong in the short period of time since learning his Unique Martial Skill.

A few hours ago, he received a letter from the Saintess of Solara, Lady Celestria. She apologized for the trouble that she had caused him.

Celestria even advised that Renard should just ignore the duel that would be held when the First Years arrived. She promised that she would handle the situation herself, so he didn’t have to do anything.

Renard read the letter twice over, making sure that he didn’t miss anything.

There was no plea for help and there was no mention of her getting engaged to someone.

Still, he felt that there were things that Lady Celestria was hiding from him, perhaps due to his commoner background.

"I never expected anything from the start," Renard mumbled.

He was a commoner and she was a Saintess.

She had been the one to make the first move by trying to get close to him even though he hadnt—and still didn’t—want to mingle with nobles.

Renard didn’t trust anyone.

He had been betrayed many times in the past, so he decided that he would no longer allow anyone to betray him.

This was why he genuinely pursued strength more than anyone else. For him, the moment he became the strongest, no one would dare to mess with him anymore.

But there was one exception.

Although he had hated him, Renard still found himself trusting Alex. While he knew that his club president was no paragon of virtue, he instinctively believed that the young man wouldn’t betray him.

He didn’t know why he felt this way.

Still, he had a feeling that even if the entire world became his enemy, Alex alone wouldn’t turn against him.

The young man stood up slowly and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

When he finally regained his composure, he once again took a fighting stance.

The boulder once again appeared, and Renard once again unleashed a punch with the intention of raising his familiarity with his new martial arts before they headed to the Solara Kingdom.

Regardless of what was waiting for him in Solara, he would press onwards.

Whether it be a battle of pride or love, he was someone who would not allow other people to take hold of his destiny.

———

Inside another training room...

Charles’ body shuttered uncontrollably before he collapsed on the floor.

His arms and legs were pitch black and oozing black mist.

But that wasn’t all. There were also two small black horns protruding on top of his head.

Charles’ eyes also were glowing with a faint crimson light that slowly turned to gold after a minute passed.

He finally regained his consciousness after he had forced himself to enter a Berserk Phase.

The young man’s shadow extended a bit and from its depth a three-meter demi-human ant emerged.

A golden crown could be seen on the Ant’s head, and it looked down on the young man with unmistakable delight.

"Right now, you look more like a monster than me," the Queen Ant commented before helping the young man sit on the floor. "Don’t push yourself too hard, Charles. This new skill you obtained from that boy might be good, but forcing yourself like this to mutate your abilities is not a good thing.

"You are now a Void-Touched, half of you is no longer human. Do you really want to turn your back on humanity and become a true monster?"

"Of course not," Charles answered. "This is why I am trying to master this power. The more I understand it, the more I will be able to preserve my humanity. Like you said, half of me is no longer human.

"But that is also part of my strength. Turning a blind eye on it would not do me any good, so it is better to confront it and make it truly a part of me."

The Queen Ant no longer said anything. Instead, it handed the young man a honey-colored, jelly-like orb.

Charles accepted it and ate it like it was a simple riceball.

When he finished eating, his eyes once again turned crimson. The young man then clashed with the Ant Queen, who had the strength of a Rank 5 Boss Monster.

Within that private training room, Charles’ roars echoed repeatedly as he tried to kill a monster that was several times stronger than him.