Ethan clenched his teeth until his jaw ached.
He could feel the pressure coming off the other man's power—like an invisible mountain was slowly pressing down on his body, inch by inch.
Inside the Powered Combat Armor, the energy regulation system was running at full load. Cold warning prompts kept flashing at the edge of his awareness, telling him his output was pushing the limit.
Shit… Ethan cursed under his breath.
He'd thought he was already strong enough. But the power this middle-aged man was showing was way beyond what Ethan had estimated.
That Black Rose's aura felt like it was directly linked to the deeper layers of the Dark Abyss. Every rotation devoured the surrounding power, shaving away at Ethan's momentum.
And then the middle-aged man suddenly laughed.
"Didn't expect you to be this good!" His voice echoed through the ravine, excited and arrogant at the same time. "Not many people can block my Black Rose."
As he spoke, his hand slipped toward his chest.
