My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

From that match onward, the remaining contestants clearly understood one thing: even the slightest mistake could lead to defeat.

Soon, it was time for the fourth match.

Although the original schedule had been adjusted, Rieka was now set to face a youth named Orion Ashford.

Both of them stepped onto the platform.

This was not expected to be a difficult match for Rieka. Orion had been the second-to-last contestant to claim a platform in the previous round, and his level was only 1450.

Both fighters took their positions on the platform.

Although Rieka’s level was lower than Orion’s, there was no hesitation in her eyes. She had no intention of testing the waters or giving him time to settle into the fight.

From the very first second, she planned to dominate completely — just as she had decided, and just as Nova had advised her.

The moment the signal was given, Rieka moved.

Her figure blurred as she activated Fox Steps, her body becoming a swift streak across the platform. Orion’s eyes widened. He barely managed to raise his sword in time to block the first claw strike that came toward his chest.

The impact forced him back several steps.

Before he could regain his balance, Rieka was already upon him again. Her claws flashed from different angles in rapid succession, each strike sharp and precise.

Orion desperately swung his sword to defend, but every one of his movements felt a half-beat too slow.

Through Heartseeker, Rieka clearly sensed the flow of his intent. The moment he decided to counterattack from the right, she was already shifting to his left.

When he tried to create distance with a heavy downward slash, she slipped past it with ease and raked her claws across his side, leaving a deep cut.

Blood sprayed across the platform.

Orion staggered, his face pale. He tried to gather his mana for a stronger attack, but Rieka gave him no opportunity.

Her figure flickered once more, appearing directly behind him. Both of her clawed hands shot forward and stopped just short of his neck, the sharp tips pressing lightly against his skin.

Orion froze completely.

Cold sweat ran down his forehead as he felt the killing intent lingering behind those claws. After a brief moment of silence, he slowly opened his mouth.

”...I concede.”

Rieka held her position for a second longer, then withdrew her claws and stepped back. Her expression remained calm, as if the outcome had never been in doubt.

The entire exchange had lasted less than a minute. The audience erupted into loud cheers.

Although Rieka had taken second place in the previous round, many people had still believed it was largely due to luck — that she had simply faced fewer or weaker demonic beasts in her lane.

This match, however, completely changed their perception.

Rieka was not to be underestimated.

She was fast and smooth like a fox, yet ferocious and dominating like a wolf. No one would question her strength any longer. In the eyes of the crowd, she was no weaker than Celine in any way.

Vaorak and the other high-level figures offered quiet praise. Nova smiled as he watched Rieka perform so cleanly.

In the family section, Jenna and Edward also cheered for her. Nyxara turned toward Velena, who had trained Rieka for several months.

”Why doesn’t she use her Spirit affinity?”

Velena shook her head slightly.

”She can’t. Even I couldn’t fully understand the reason. It may be because her bloodline has not yet awakened. That shouldn’t normally matter this much... but the skill she uses to read her opponent’s intent is clearly related to spirits.”

”Though she hasn’t realized it yet,” Velena added.

Nyxara’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked toward Aurora.

”Just like that woman... the Spirit Queen. I wonder if she has already noticed.”

Aurora suddenly felt a sharp gaze directed toward her, but it disappeared just as quickly. She focused on Rieka once more.

Her earlier suspicions had now solidified into certainty — Rieka possessed remarkable talent, though it still needed proper refinement.

Nova already knew about Rieka’s affinity. Velena had previously explained why she was unable to draw out her full potential. The conclusion they had reached was the same: the root of the problem lay in her dormant bloodline.

In the end, the only real solution was for her to awaken it. Once that happened, most of her current limitations would disappear. Nova could not even imagine how much stronger she would become after her bloodline fully awakened.

In a quiet corner of his mind, Nova had wondered about this more than once. Rieka’s divine bloodline was different from the others.

Asia had obtained hers through the blood essence of a Divine Ice Phoenix. Nyxara and Maria had both received blessings from ancient goddesses. But Rieka had been born with hers.

That meant her father was almost certainly a divine being. It was possible that the bloodline had been intentionally sealed by him for some unknown reason. They would only learn the truth if they eventually met him.

For now, they could only wait until they entered the secret realm.

Nova could attempt to search for a solution through the gacha, but his luck had been terrible lately. He was not confident in relying on it. Still, once he accumulated enough Evolution Points, he intended to try.

With that, the matches continued one after another.

Every contestant gave their all. None of them wanted to be eliminated, especially among the elites where most youths were of similar levels. In many cases, the difference between victory and defeat came down to only a slight edge in skill.

The excitement of the audience never faded. The crowd remained full of energy, cheering loudly for every fighter who stepped onto the platform.

Some contestants were killed within the formation, while others were forced to concede. This time, blood spilled more freely than before — the protective formation had been adjusted slightly.

Yet the moment a defeated youth was removed from the platform, they felt nothing missing from their bodies.

Nova quietly marveled at the uniqueness of the formation. It was truly remarkable. If he could one day understand and apply something similar on a completely different level, it would become an incredibly useful tool in real battles.

He had already learned that Formation Masters were highly revered across the world.

Meanwhile, betting continued both inside the Colosseum and across the entire Human Continent where the tournament was being broadcast. Many people won large sums, while many others lost, adding another layer of excitement to the event.

Time passed quickly. Before long, it was past noon, and only two matches of Round Three remained.

On the platform stood Liam Everhart. Opposite him was a young man named William Voss.

Liam’s mood was clearly bad.

The moment the match began, he had no intention of dragging it out. Without relying on many of his main skills, he overwhelmed William through pure, refined battle skill alone.

His movements were sharp, efficient, and merciless. William was given no real chance to even speak the words of concession before he was defeated.

Liam wanted everyone to remember that he was still very much in the game.

Ever since Nova’s earlier match, he had felt himself being overshadowed. This victory was his way of reminding the audience — and Nova — that he was not someone to be ignored.

”Darling, he seems to be challenging you... hehehe,” Rieka said with a soft chuckle.

Nova let out a light chuckle of his own.

In truth, he could defeat Liam without using much of his power.

Even if his actual level was 3160, it would not be considered cheating — after all, he had been restricting himself to the strength of only around level 1500 throughout the tournament.

Still, Nova had no choice but to participate properly. He could not simply seize the secret realm passes by force. Compared to the true powerhouses of this world, he was still far too weak.

**

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