Before Leon could think any further, the crab-like monster shot toward him. In the blink of an eye, it appeared before him and thrust its right arm forward, its claws snipping like a pair of giant scissors.

Leon instinctively leaped backward.

But the crab monster immediately hurled its shield. The shield whirled violently, hurtling straight toward Leon. Just before it slammed into his chest, Leon raised his left hand.

"Ice Shield." A translucent shield of ice materialized over his left arm.

Boom! Crack!

The shield didn’t shatter. Instead, the impact sent Leon skidding backward across the ground.

"Then how am I supposed to use my full power?" Leon asked as he dug his feet into the ground to stop himself from sliding any farther.

"Feel the energy coursing through your veins, Master," Noira replied calmly. "You’re focusing too much on your movements... too much on your surroundings. Let nature take its course. Let the power within your core erupt. Stop holding back. Stop overthinking."

"That’s not exactly helpful, you know?" Leon said with a helpless smile as he weaved through another barrage of attacks.

By then, the twin fish monster and the shark monster had joined the assault.

Whoosh!

The shark monster’s fist whistled through the air.

Leon raised his Ice Shield, letting the punch slide harmlessly across its smooth surface.

At the same time, the fish monster whipped its massive tail toward him.

Leon jumped, spun through the air, and spread both legs.

Bam! Bam!

His kicks slammed into the shark monster and the fish monster, knocking both of them backward. Neither suffered much damage, but the attacks forced them to retreat.

"No, Master. You’re still doing it wrong," Noira said. "You’re relying too much on strategy. You’re thinking before you act, and that hesitation is disrupting the flow of power within you. Have confidence. Let power guide your actions, not your thoughts."

Whoosh!

Leon threw a punch the instant he dodged another deadly claw strike.

Bang!

His fist collided with the crab monster’s claw.

"Can you make that a little simpler? I’m still not sure what you’re trying to tell me."

The three monsters continued their relentless assault.

"GRAAAAHHHHH!" The shark monster roared, saliva dripping from its gaping maw as it unleashed punch after punch.

The fish monster whipped its tail as though performing a bizarre dance, its attacks becoming more unpredictable with every passing second.

Meanwhile, the crab monster reared back its head before thrusting it forward.

The next instant, multiple sonic waves burst forth and tore through the air toward Leon.

The three monsters wanted revenge for their fallen comrades.

Yet Leon continued weaving effortlessly through every attack.

Even while fighting all three at once, he wasn’t losing. He wasn’t dominating the battle either, but he was holding his ground without being pushed back.

However, his brows remained slightly furrowed.

Noira’s words had ignited something deep within him. He wanted to experience that true power she was talking about.

"Let me think... how should I explain it?" Noira murmured. After a brief pause, she spoke again. "Right now, you’re thinking about how to counter the next attack before launching your own. Don’t. Let them attack. Let them try to hit you. While they’re attacking, focus entirely on your own strike. Your punches shouldn’t be thrown merely to fight. They should be thrown to destroy... to assert absolute dominance. Your body will instinctively know when to defend. Does that make more sense, Master?"

"Umm... I guess a little more than before," Leon replied.

’So... stop worrying about dodging and focus on landing a devastating blow. That’s basically what she’s saying, right?’ Leon thought to himself.

The shark monster charged straight toward him.

This time, Leon didn’t react immediately. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and focused. Then he opened his eyes again. For an instant, the world around him seemed to slow down.

Or at least, that’s how it felt.

In reality, everything was still happening at lightning speed.

He saw the shark monster clench its fist, its knuckles turning white from the force. He could even make out the subtle ripples running through its muscles as they contracted.

Leon slowly curled his fingers into a fist. His front foot dug into the ground. His rear heel lifted slightly on its own. His waist rotated naturally as he poured every ounce of strength into his right arm.

Then...

Whoosh!

His fist shot forward.

The air rippled around it, brushing against his skin as though his hand were slicing through water.

At the same time, the shark monster threw its own punch.

BAAAAAM!

The two fists collided.

A deafening shockwave exploded outward. The shark monster’s eyes widened. Its entire body bent forward before it was launched away like a rag doll, crashing through one building after another. Concrete and debris erupted into the air as every structure in its path collapsed.

"So... this is what full power feels like." A smile spread across Leon’s face, only to vanish the next moment.

"No, Master," Noira said calmly. "All you did was improve your posture a little. That’s all. You still haven’t tapped into your true potential."

Leon’s left eye twitched slightly. "You’re not messing with me on purpose, are you?"

Before Noira could reply, the crab monster and the fish monster were already upon him, attacking simultaneously.

Leon twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the crab monster’s razor-sharp claws. The next instant, he flipped through the air, evading the fish monster’s sweeping tail.

Only the tip of one foot touched the ground before he used it as a pivot and launched himself forward.

Even as he moved, Leon continued pondering Noira’s words. They sounded absurd. Almost impossible to understand.

Yet, as he focused, something suddenly clicked inside him. It was as though, even if his conscious mind couldn’t grasp her meaning...

...his subconscious already had.

There were no elaborate movements. No complicated techniques. He simply drew his fist back.

But this time, without even realizing it, Leon felt his core...

His dantian...

And the violet energy surging through it.

An invisible aura erupted from his body.

The crab monster thrust its scissor-like claws forward, aiming to sever Leon’s throat. Leon slipped past the deadly claws and appeared directly before the monster.

Before it could even react, Leon’s fist buried itself deep into its abdomen.

Thud!

A dull, heavy impact echoed across the battlefield.

The crab monster froze. Its eyes widened in horror.

For a split second... Nothing happened, as if the time had frozen.

Then....

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!