SSS Ranked Transmigration: Taming Beauties and The Beasts!

Zyren's mastery over fire-based artifacts wasn't just brute force. Sliding a hand across the hammer's runic handle, he roared. " Heat Coil!"

The entire hammer glowed white-hot, releasing ribbons of scorching air that threatened to engulf Cain.

Cain thrust his palm forward, creating Advanced Foxfire into a spiral shield. The intense heat wave slammed into the foxfire, scattering bright motes of flame in all directions. Hissing steam rose when the two conflicting fires made contact, flooding the battleground with a wave of swirling flames.

Using the momentary confusion, Zyren rotated. Even though his agility stats weren't as high as Cain's, he still moved with startling swiftness for a bulky warrior. Before Cain could fully steady himself, the old man pressed the advantage and used his [Ignition Hammer] skill.

A direct, overhead strike where the hammer's face blazed with concentrated fire energy.

With a grunt, Cain braced both forearms in front of his body and used his [Demonic Barrier] ability in response. But the sheer force behind Zyren's hammer still drove him several meters back, his boots scraping grooves into the soil.

When Cain straightened, there was a glimmer of surprise in his eyes. "You've really got some power there," he admitted, moving his shoulders as though to loosen them. "Not many can force me to block head-on."

From the other's perspective, the fight was at a deadlock. Neither combatant looked near defeat, yet the area around them bore deep scars of destruction. Smoke and hot ash drifted on the wind as shattered tree trunks smoldered in scattered piles.

Valen stood off to the side, watching with bated breath. He had anticipated his master would crush Cain easily, but what he saw left him perplexed and rather alarmed him. Cain's agile footwork and overwhelming Energy gave him an uncanny resilience despite his master's superior strength.

"How is he still on equal footing with the Master?" Valen muttered, knuckles tight from gripping the hilt of his sword. "He is… he's barely even breathing hard."

Cain took a measured breath, that confident smirk never leaving his lips. In truth, he was barely tapping into his deeper reserves. His Energy was more than twice Zyren's, and if he chose, he could unleash far more destructive abilities than foxfire whips or small explosions.

But for now, he toyed with Zyren, content to test the waters while letting the old man believe they stood on level ground.

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Elder Zyren wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. His chest rose and fell heavily, though his fighting spirit burned just as fiercely as before. "You are surprisingly tough. But you won't hold out forever against my hammer."

Cain merely chuckled in response. "I wonder about that."

Feeling the pressure, Zyren gripped his hammer with determination. The artifact's runes glowed fiercely, forging a swirling vortex of flames around his form. He didn't want to drag out the battle as he intended to crush Cain in a decisive blow.

He jumped high into the air as he moved his hammer overhead, gathering blazing flames around its head. They condensed into a molten aura that crackled with deafening intensity as he used his [Meteoric Anvil] skill.

A downward slam that threatened to flatten anything beneath, its shockwave carrying enough force to uproot the forest itself.

Below, Cain's eyes narrowed. He whipped out both hands, foxfire combining in swirling arcs. This time, his [Demonic Barrier] ability formed not just a single layer, but multiple shimmering rings of azure flame.

As the giant hammer struck down like a blazing meteor, the layered barrier took the brunt of the impact with an explosive flash of orange and blue.

A mountainous crash reverberated across the forest. Dirt, rock, and flame exploded outward, creating a crater under the point of impact. Leaves and branches, set alight by the shockwave, scattered everywhere in a fiery storm.

When the dust settled, Cain stood firm, having slid only a short distance across the devastated ground. Several cracks ran along the outermost ring of his barrier, but it still held strong.

Zyren landed in a crouch, panting heavily. "Damn you," he muttered. He had put a considerable amount of power into that strike, yet Cain was still standing, seemingly unhurt.

A flicker of annoyance or perhaps a touch of respect was shone in Zyren's eyes. He realized Cain wasn't merely surviving as the young man's stamina and resilience were extraordinary, thanks in large part to his massive energy reserves.

From a distance, Valen and the two other onlookers—Elder Ma and his disciple began to sense something ominous about Cain's calm confidence. After seeing Zyren's strong blows fail to overwhelm him, they started to suspect there was more behind Cain's power.

Zyren stood tall once again, adjusting his grip on the hammer. "I've underestimated you," he growled. "But don't think I'm done yet."

Cain simply chuckled, rolling his shoulders as though warming up for a more serious phase of battle. "Show me everything you have then," he invited. "Because once I decide to get serious, you won't have the strength to fight back."

Those words and the mocking look in Cain's eyes sent a chill rolling up Zyren's spine. But the old man refused to yield.

Neither man showed any sign of backing down as their gazes locked into each other. In this precarious moment, the seeds of doubt sprouted in Zyren's mind. He realized he was no longer just contending with a "younger generation." Cain was a foe who demanded true caution or even possibly more than he alone could deliver.

Zyren took a moment to catch his breath. His molten war hammer still pulsed with searing heat, runic engravings flickering in dull orange.

"Ma," he called over without taking his eyes off Cain, "this brat is a real monster. Let's finish him together."

Elder Ma nodded in response. He was a fist-user with a fearsome reputation, noted for pulverizing boulders as if they were made of chalk.

Stepping forward, he sized up Cain as if looking for flaws, but Cain showed no outward sign of fatigue.