Child of Destiny

The moment Heartless Dream brought out the massive hammer, Shin and the others immediately recognized that it was no ordinary weapon.

”A Legendary Weapon?” Shin raised his brows beneath his mask after seeing the hammer in Heartless Dream’s hands.

A grin slowly appeared on his face. ”Now this is getting a little more interesting.”

As someone who possessed several Legendary Weapons himself, Shin naturally understood just how powerful such weapons could be and how much they could amplify their wielder’s combat capabilities.

”I wonder which lineage it’s from,” he mumbled while focusing on Heartless Dream.

From what Shin could tell, Heartless Dream appeared to belong to the Desert Barbarian Race, one of the Ascended Races under the Human Evolutionary Line.

His gaze shifted between Owen and Heartless Dream, who were already standing at the center of the battlefield.

This battle was clearly going to be different from the previous one.

...

While Shin and the others had recognized the quality of the Legendary Hammer in Heartless Dream’s hands, Owen naturally realized it as well.

”This is going to be a little harder than I expected,” Owen muttered, already recognizing the threat posed by his opponent’s weapon.

”I guess I can’t afford to hold back either.” He then summoned the strongest state he could currently muster.

Unfortunately, most of his trump cards were still on cooldown from the previous raid, preventing him from using some of his most powerful abilities in this match.

However, that didn’t mean he was powerless.

Owen’s expression gradually became serious as he entered his Unique Combat State.

Boom!

’Unique Combat State: Virtual Simulation’

The instant the Combat State activated, something subtle changed in Owen.

His movements became unnaturally precise.

The way he shifted his weight, the angle of his shoulders, the positioning of his feet, and even the distance between his shields and his body all became perfectly calculated.

It was as though every movement he made had already been simulated countless times before his body actually performed it.

That was the true essence of Virtual Simulation.

It wasn’t simply about copying the martial arts Owen had mastered in the real world.

It was about reproducing the principles behind those martial arts and adapting them to the capabilities of his virtual body.

Every movement, every adjustment, and every reaction was continuously calculated according to his opponent’s position, his own physical capabilities, the terrain beneath his feet, and the countless possible developments of the battle.

His real-world combat experience served as the foundation, while his virtual body served as the weapon. And Virtual Simulation was the bridge connecting the two.

A technique that would normally require years of physical conditioning could now be performed by Owen’s virtual body while being reinforced by Stats and Skills that no real human body could possibly possess.

Likewise, movements that were impossible to execute in the real world could be broken down into their underlying principles and reconstructed into something his virtual body could perform.

This was why Virtual Simulation was fundamentally different from ordinary combat techniques.

It didn’t simply make Owen stronger since it allowed him to fight with the combat instincts and physical understanding he had accumulated in the real world while simultaneously taking full advantage of everything his virtual avatar could do.

It wasn’t a complete fusion of the principles behind Reality Manifestation and Hyperactive Immersion, but it occupied the space between the two.

Reality Manifestation allowed a player’s understanding of reality to influence the virtual world, particularly when they were summoning their Martial Arts and Martial Prowess inside the game.

On the other hand, Hyperactive Immersion allowed the player to immerse themselves so deeply into the virtual body that the boundary between thought and movement almost disappeared.

Meanwhile, Owen’s Virtual Simulation took a different path.

It simulated the physical possibilities of Owen’s fighting style within the rules of the virtual world and constantly refined them until his body could execute the optimal response.

That was why Owen had created this Unique Combat State specifically for himself.

It wasn’t something that could simply be copied by another player.

It was the product of his real-world martial foundation, his understanding of his own body, and the countless battles he had fought throughout his career.

And this was also why Owen’s fighting style with shields had become so difficult for others to imitate.

He wasn’t merely wielding them as defensive equipment. He treated every shield as an extension of his body.

One could become a weapon while the other could become a wall.

Both could defend, attack, redirect force, manipulate his momentum, or create openings depending on how he positioned them.

Under Virtual Simulation, Owen could calculate all of those possibilities almost instinctively.

His movements flowed from one action into another without any unnecessary transition. Even the smallest shift in his stance could become the beginning of another technique.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

At the same time, arcs of lightning suddenly emerged around Owen’s body and danced across his armor.

’Sacred Neanderthal Ascended Ability: Divine Tattoo – Thunderbird Tattoo’

The familiar lightning tattoos spread across his body before crawling over his equipment and wrapping around the pair of tower shields attached to his arms.

The lightning didn’t merely decorate his equipment. It fully synchronized with Owen’s movements.

Every time he shifted his weight, sparks erupted around his feet. And whenever he raised a shield, lightning crawled across its surface. Even the smallest movement seemed to carry a hidden surge of power.

The Thunderbird Tattoo had already greatly enhanced his physical capabilities, but under Virtual Simulation, Owen could utilize those enhancements with far greater efficiency.

His strength was no longer simply overwhelming, as it had become controlled. His speed was no longer merely fast as well, since it had become precise.

Even his defenses were no longer simply sturdy since they were positioned exactly where they needed to be.

Owen might not possess a Legendary Weapon or Legendary equipment of his own, but the equipment set he was currently wearing was perfectly suited to his overall abilities.

Although the set was only Meteor Rank, its exceptional compatibility with his race, class, and combat style allowed him to draw out its full potential.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Owen slammed the two tower shields against each other, sending a metallic roar across the battlefield.

His body leaned forward slightly while his stance lowered.

The lightning around him became denser.

For a brief moment, Owen looked less like a knight preparing to defend himself and more like a beast preparing to pounce.

He then raised his head and stared directly at Heartless Dream. ”God of the Golden Hammer, huh?”

A fierce grin appeared beneath his helmet. ”Let’s see if I’ve finally stepped into that realm!”

...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Seeing the chaotic storm of mana surrounding Owen, Heartless Dream, who stood on the opposite side of the battlefield, couldn’t help but raise his brows slightly.

”So... this is how powerful you’ve become, huh?” Heartless Dream muttered before casually resting his massive hammer across his shoulders.

”But if you think this is enough to challenge an Old God like me, then you’re gravely mistaken.”

A smirk appeared on his face as he released the power within his body.

BOOM!

An equally powerful storm of mana suddenly erupted from Heartless Dream, causing the surrounding air to tremble violently.

At the same time, his already muscular body became even bulkier, while the deep crimson tattoos covering his body began to glow.

The mysterious tattoos pulsed rhythmically, releasing an eerie flow of mana that coursed through his body like crimson blood.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Successive shockwaves spread in every direction before slamming into the surrounding canyon walls.

The rocky walls immediately shattered under the tremendous pressure, with countless cracks spreading across their surfaces.

Boom!

A blazing torrent of mana engulfed Heartless Dream’s body before surging outward, clashing violently with the chaotic storm of lightning surrounding Owen.

”You’ll need more than this if you want to prove that you’ve reached our realm!” Heartless Dream roared as he released an even greater amount of mana.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two overwhelming powers collided, causing violent shockwaves to erupt repeatedly and further tearing apart the surrounding canyon.

The sheer intensity of the clash made even those watching from a distance feel the pressure.

Samael couldn’t help but gulp hard. ”So... this is the level of a true battle between two god-level experts.”

Just the sheer quantity and quality of mana being released was enough to overwhelm him.

Bang! Bang!

At almost the exact same moment, Owen and Heartless Dream disappeared from their respective positions.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Their figures crossed the battlefield in an instant, closing the distance between them before reappearing only a few meters apart.

WHOOSH!

Heartless Dream immediately drove his right arm against the metal shaft of his massive hammer, lifting the enormous weapon high above his head.

Bang!

He stomped heavily into the ground and gripped the hammer with both hands before pouring all his strength into a single downward swing.

BOOM!

The air itself seemed to erupt as the massive hammer came crashing down.

The enormous hammerhead carried such terrifying momentum that the space beneath it appeared to distort, while the surrounding ground trembled under the pressure.

At the same time, Owen pulled both arms outward, positioning the pair of tower shields along his sides.

Both shields immediately radiated brilliant light as he channeled his mana into them.

Crackle! Crackle!

Lightning gathered around the flattened bottoms of the shields, condensing into dense spheres of energy as Owen’s muscles tensed beneath his armor.

BOOM!

Just as Heartless Dream’s hammer was about to crush him, Owen suddenly thrust both arms forward.

The pair of tower shields shot upward like two enormous battering rams, meeting the descending hammer head-on.

BOOOOOOM!!!

......