The air in the training ground "S-Rank Containment Zone" was artificially chilled to five degrees Celsius, yet within seconds of Go Gunhee stepping onto the sands, the temperature spiked.
It wasn't just heat; it was the friction of mana rubbing against the very atoms of the air. Min ByungGyu, the task force and Jinhee was there
Go Gunhee stood tall. The hunched shoulders of the "ailing old man" were gone, replaced by the broad, terrifying silhouette of the Gilded Lion.
Thanks to the intensive mana-infusion treatments and the specialized healing he had received in the weeks prior, his heart no longer stuttered like a failing engine.
It beat with the rhythmic thunder of a war drum.
"Chief Woo," Gunhee said, his voice resonating through the chamber without the need for a microphone. "The world thinks of me as a relic. A monument to a time the gates truly opened. They think my strength is a candle flickering in the wind."
Opposite him, Woo Jinchul stood in a combat stance that was unnervingly still. He had given his suit jacket to Jinhee, wearing only a tactical vest over a black dress shirt.
His Reawakening had changed more than just his mana reserves; it had changed his perception.
To Jinchul, the mana radiating from the Chairman wasn't just light—it was a physical sea of molten gold, surging and crashing.
"Chairman," Jinchul replied, his voice a low vibration. "I don't think anyone who has seen you move would call you a candle."
"Then prove it," Gunhee roared.
The Chairman didn't run. He ignited. With a single step, he closed a fifty-foot gap. The sand beneath his feet didn't just fly; it turned into glass from the sheer pressure.
He threw a straight punch—a move so basic it should have been easy to dodge, yet the mana behind it acted like a gravitational well, pulling Jinchul toward the impact.
Jinchul's eyes flashed a deep, abyssal orange - Mana Perception: Overdrive
In Jinchul's vision, the world slowed. He saw the threads of golden mana weaving together to form the Chairman's strike. He didn't retreat. Instead, he channeled his new, dense mana into his forearms, creating a "Mana Shield"
BOOM.
The collision echoed like a mountain collapsing. Jinchul was sent sliding back, his boots screaming against the reinforced flooring, leaving two blackened trails in the sand.
On the observation deck, Min Byung-gu leaned forward so far his forehead touched the glass. "He blocked that? Directly? President's physical output is currently peaking at 75% of his prime. Jinchul should have had both arms shattered."
"Look at the mana readings, Byung-gu," Chiyul whispered, hi hands trembling as he sensed the Mana "Jinchul isn't just blocking. He's... he's neutralizing the kinetic energy."
In the arena, Go Gunhee's eyes widened with genuine surprise. He felt the resistance. Usually, hitting a target was like punching through dry parchment.
Hitting Jinchul was like punching a black hole—the energy was being sucked away before it could do damage.
"Impressive, Jinchul! Again!"
Gunhee unleashed a flurry of strikes. Each movement was infused with 'Ruler's Authority,' manipulating the very air to bind Jinchul's limbs.
Every time Gunhee's golden fist neared, the air pressure increased tenfold, making it feel like Jinchul was fighting underwater.
Jinchul shifted his style. He began to move like smoke. He used 'Mana Blink,' a technique he had refined since his Reawakening, allowing him to flicker quickly.
He appeared behind the Chairman, his hand glowing with a concentrated sphere of violet mana—a 'Mana Collapse' strike.
He thrust the sphere toward Gunhee's spine.
Gunhee didn't turn. He simply let out a pulse of mana from his back. A golden shockwave erupted, a literal lion's mane of energy that shredded Jinchul's sphere and sent the younger man tumbling through the air.
Jinchul twisted mid-flight, his fingers digging into the sand to stabilize himself. He was breathing hard, but his eyes were glowing brighter.
The excitement—the pure, unadulterated joy of fighting someone who could actually push him—was starting to override his professional restraint.
"Chairman," Jinchul said, standing up and dusting off his shirt. "I think it's time I stopped being the 'Chief' for a moment."
"That's what I've been waiting to hear," Gunhee smiled, his aura doubling in size until it hit the ceiling of the bunker.
The mana in the room began to swirl into two distinct cyclones: one of brilliant, blinding gold, and one of silent, Orange. The observers held their breath. They weren't just watching a spar anymore. They were watching the birth of a new tier of power.
"Why they are fighting to death like that. Is it usually like this?" exclaimed Jinhee seeing the fight between Jinchul and President.
"This is just a Warm up, Miss Jinhee" replied Seok
"Yeah they are starting to get serious now only. The Mana is getting stronger in the field" Song Chiyul told.
"Worry not sister-in-law. Nothing serious will happen to Chief. He is a monster that I acknowledged" replied Taeshik who is now a radiating A Rank pressure " and we have Mr. Byung-Gyu who is the strongest healer, so do not worry"
"Sister-in-law!!" "Sister-in-law??" Jinhee exclaimed and others tilted their heads questioning it.
"What??, You guys don't know. Our Chief became unreachable for last few months on consistent, its because of love not training" told Taeshik with a teasing smirk to which Jinhee blushed and everyone had a knowing smile.
"Is it alright, if you talk about your Chief's personal matters here. You got guts now. Is it because your rank ahh" asked Chiyul
"heyyyy, you guys wont be saying this to Chief right. I am your teammate, your friend" exclaimed Taeshik feeling their pettiness.
"Guys, it's alright, you don't need to mention about it" Jinhee interrupted them "Oh thank you sis-in-law" told Taeshik
"I will be informing him personally about this" replied Jinhee with a smile in her eyes.
"Nooooo"