MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 965: Torture

At this moment, Kingsley’s body could be seen lying within a ravine, his form utterly unrecognizable as though Anthony had skinned him alive, as at this point he was nothing more than exposed bones and raw muscle, every layer of flesh already stripped away as if erased from existence itself.

He lay submerged within his own blood as though even the simple concept of breathing had become unbearably heavy, his lungs straining violently as they expanded for oxygen, his chest contracting and relaxing in rapid, uneven succession as it pumped blood with an efficiency and speed it had never once been pushed to before, the rhythm frantic, desperate, and dangerously close to collapse.

Even battered was an understatement compared to the state Kingsley was in. Even torture was a kind word in this very moment, because every single fibre of his body screamed in agony, his nerves, every organ, every bone, cartilage, ligament, even the tiny muscles in his eyes and eyelids seeming to cry out in pain simply from the act of keeping his eyes open.

At this moment, he seemed as though he were only a few fragile steps away from death itself as he simply lay there without moving, because he had never regenerated from such a catastrophic state before, and even his monstrous vitality appeared uncertain for the very first time.

Kingsley’s golden eyes remained fixed on the sky as he didn’t move, he couldn’t even clench his teeth to endure the pain, because he had no teeth left, not even a single tooth, as Anthony had shattered them all with merciless jabs and hooks to the chin, the gums in his mouth reduced to ruin and emptiness.

’My regeneration has slowed,’ he thought to himself, and he didn’t know how, but for the first time since receiving his blessing, his regeneration had faltered and staggered like a dying flame. He didn’t know how, he didn’t understand how this was possible, but he could only attribute it to the effects of the Martial Rhythm, because that was the only explanation his mind could accept.

But still, even with this absurd amount of pain, he still hadn’t awakened the Martial Rhythm, and he wondered what more could possibly be done, could an even greater degree of suffering truly be inflicted, could something worse than this actually exist, could he survive it, could he endure it, would he scream.

The next moment, Kingsley’s regeneration finally reached its end as every visible injury on his body had been healed completely, the pain vanishing alongside it as though wiped clean, but before he could even sit upright within the ravine he lay in, his body shook ever so slightly, then spasmed violently as though he were convulsing uncontrollably.

Kingsley frowned for a brief moment in confusion, then the very next second, a slow smile broke across his face as he began to take note of the strange internal changes happening within him.

The moment the regeneration was complete, his body began to climb and evolve to the next level after being pushed to the absolute brink as though it had finally adapted to this degree of madness, pain, and injury, as though the suffering had acted as a forge and his body the steel being tempered within it.

His muscles, skin, and every fibre of his internal being stretched outward before snapping back into place, strengthening with immense power and speed, his entire physique recalibrating in real time, his heart rate increasing as it pumped even more blood with overwhelming force, his cells practically dancing with feral excitement as though he were ascending into an entirely new tier of existence.

Then the next moment, his body seemed to hiss as steam was released from his skin pores and into the air around him, heat radiating outward like a furnace. Kingsley immediately shot to his feet, he could feel the raw power and strength coursing violently through his veins as he stood with a wide, almost manic smile on his face, the pain he had just endured already feeling distant, like a fading nightmare, as he had at least reaped some form of reward from it.

Anthony stared without speaking, because he had just been saying he didn’t want to push Kingsley to the absolute extreme, yet now the man’s body had adapted to the pain, the injuries, the madness, and had forcefully elevated itself beyond its previous limits.

”Congratulations, although this wasn’t our goal, this will make this much easier,” Anthony spoke with a faint smile on his face as he remained exactly where he stood, calm and composed as ever.

Kingsley, who had been smiling like a fool, slowly stopped smiling, because even with his breakthrough, he still didn’t know if he could match Anthony. But after a brief moment of thought, he realized it had never truly mattered, he had taken a step forward in power, and now all that remained was to gain the Martial Rhythm itself.

Anthony smiled again, then spoke once more, ”Since your body has gotten more resilient, I’m sure your tolerance for pain has skyrocketed, right!” he stated calmly, already prepared to pick up the tempo without hesitation.

But before Kingsley could even reply, Anthony was already gone like the wind, already standing directly before Kingsley as though he had always been there from the very beginning. Kingsley’s breakthrough might have been something huge and significant, granting him greater power, but in front of Null Anthony, it made absolutely no difference whatsoever.

His leg left the earth, the Martial Rhythm coating his foot like an invisible current as he unleashed a Brazilian kick, his toes thundering into Kingsley’s chest, and the very next second sound tore outward in a sickening burst, flesh exploding away as this time the entirety of Kingsley’s chest had been obliterated from existence, his chest, his heart, his sternum erased completely as only his shoulders, stomach, and lower body remained.

Blood didn’t splatter, organs and flesh didn’t scatter through the air, no, it was a literal and absolute obliteration, as though reality itself had deleted that portion of him.

Kingsley’s body tore backward violently, his renewed regeneration speed immediately snapping into action as bones, organs, and tissue rushed to refill what once was, reconstructing him with terrifying speed. He collapsed against a tree some distance away as he finally came to a stop, but he didn’t move at all, he simply remained there, sitting silently as though lost in a daze.

And indeed he was, because something was flowing through him, something subtle yet overwhelming, he didn’t know what it was, but he could feel it clearly now, almost as though he could grasp it with his bare hands. He slowly rose to his feet, and the moment he stood, Anthony was already there again with a punch screaming toward his face.

Kingsley’s hand rose instinctively, a faint, colorless glow encasing his right hand, and in the very next instant his arm blurred upward with effortless ease and he caught Anthony’s fist with his palm with shocking efficiency.

For the first time since the battle had begun, Kingsley had blocked an attack.

He had awakened the Martial Rhythm.

Martial Rhythm had finally met Martial Rhythm.