The moment Max laid eyes on the puppet, it reacted as well. There was no warning, no pause, and no attempt at communication. The instant its gaze locked onto him, its body blurred and vanished from its original position.
It moved with terrifying speed, faster than any opponent Max had faced so far, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. In the next moment, it appeared directly before him, its fist already clenched and coated in a brilliant golden glow.
The aura around that fist was so dense that the surrounding air trembled violently, compressed by sheer power as it smashed straight toward Max.
Max's eyes sharpened. He did not retreat. Instead, he clenched his own fist, drawing upon the full might of the Vein of Origin, and met the attack head on.
Bang!
The collision of their fists erupted with a deafening boom that echoed through the forest. Shockwaves tore outward, flattening the undergrowth and shaking the towering trees as though a storm had passed through them.
