Atop the ship's tower, the moment Ur saw Jangsen unleash that shockwave, his full attention was seized.
Because, as far as he knew, a pure martial artist was not supposed to possess long-range attacks. Even if they did, it would only be something akin to residual gusts of force—aftershocks that could hardly even be considered true attacks.
So-called martial artists were, in essence, those without the aptitude to become mages.
It wasn't that such people lacked magic power entirely. In this world, magic resided within every living being—only its strength differed. Those capable of actively manipulating magic possessed what was called magical aptitude.
As for those who could not actively wield magic, though they could never become mages, they could still strengthen the magic within their bodies through relentless training, passively amplifying it, tempering their flesh, and thereby gaining power.
On the surface, the difference between the two paths did not seem great.
But in truth, constrained by the very laws of this world, those who pursued martial arts faced far greater difficulty in cultivation. The time required, the effort expended, and even the final results were all vastly inferior to those achieved by mages who cultivated magic.
Even Ur, cheat-like existence that he was, could not escape the constraints of the world's laws in this regard.
Precisely because of this, martial artists, who could only passively strengthen their magic, were unable to wield it directly. And without the ability to wield magic, they naturally lost any means of long-range attack.
That had always been a fact Ur believed without question. But today, that fact had been overturned.
Right before his eyes, Jangsen had actively used magic. Though the magic was faint, more like a new force born from the fusion of magic and something else, it was, undeniably, a long-range attack belonging to a martial artist.
More importantly, Ur had sensed something familiar within that punch.
"The power of true intent?" Ur murmured inwardly. "Could that force really be connected to 'True Intent'?"
He wasn't entirely certain. The distance had been considerable, and his perception of Jangsen's power somewhat vague. Yet faintly, very faintly, he had sensed something akin to his own Sword Intent within that strike.
Confusion and curiosity surged within him.
Up ahead, the battle between Jangsen and Bubuta had erupted in full.
Bubuta was no weakling. His magic power was infinitely close to that of an S-Class mage. A clash between two powerhouses of this caliber sent astonishing shockwaves across the sea. If the one fighting hadn't been Bubuta, the remaining members of Seaweed Blade would likely have fled long ago.
Boom!
Jangsen threw a punch, and a terrifying shockwave blasted forward. The force was peculiar. It was not purely magic; rather, magic formed only a tiny fraction of it, serving at most as a medium. The true source of its power lay in Jangsen's physical strength.
It was as if the strength of his flesh had been materialized.
Buzz!
A magic array flared in Bubuta's palm. Strange ripples spread through the air, and under those distortions, the shockwave Jangsen had unleashed began to twist unnaturally before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Jangsen's gaze shifted slightly.
"Vibration magic?" He had grasped the essence of Bubuta's spell, mildly surprised, but nothing more.
For a pure martial artist like him, many aspects of combat might fall short of a mage's versatility. But to reach his current level, Jangsen had fought battles beyond what most could imagine. His combat experience was extraordinarily rich. Otherwise, he would not have discerned Bubuta's magic after merely two probing exchanges.
Whoosh!
Having identified Bubuta's ability, Jangsen ceased testing him. He leapt from the small boat he had seized earlier and lunged straight toward Bubuta's skiff.
"Magic, Oscillating Rend!" Bubuta reacted instantly. Against someone like Jangsen, defense alone would be fatal. Compared to martial artists, mages excelled far more in offense than in defense.
A white magic circle gleamed at Bubuta's fingertips. Waves of magic surged from his body, stirring violent tremors in the air itself.
Using the atmosphere as a medium, Bubuta sealed off Jangsen's path entirely. Endless vibrations churned through the air, as if space itself had been twisted beyond recognition.
Jangsen's eyes narrowed. In the next instant, he clenched his fist and hurled a punch straight into the distorted void ahead.
Thud!
Though nothing visible lay at the point of impact, a dull boom echoed across the air the moment his fist struck.
This time, Jangsen did not compress his power into a focused shockwave. Instead, he dispersed it outward, unleashing it in a sweeping surge that blanketed the air before him.
Crack! Crack!
A sound like shattering glass rang out.
In the blink of an eye, Bubuta's vibrating defense was smashed apart. And Jangsen himself landed upon Bubuta's skiff in the same breath.
Tap!
The instant one foot touched the boat, Jangsen pivoted on it. His waist twisted like a coiled rope, and his other leg lashed out like a whip toward Bubuta.
"Vibrate!" Unhurried, Bubuta raised his right hand. A magic array flared to block the strike.
Jangsen's shin halted beside Bubuta's ear, unable to advance further. A palm shining with a magic circle stood in its path.
The power of vibration was formidable. Before Jangsen's attack could even reach Bubuta's body, layers of oscillating force had already dissipated its strength, stripping it of all impact.
But Jangsen was no ordinary opponent. Seasoned by countless battles, he reacted almost instantly.
His right leg withdrew. He dropped low. His left leg swept. The sequence unfolded in a flash.
Caught by the shift in momentum, Bubuta lost his balance, his expression changing at once. Though their exchange seemed prolonged, in truth it lasted only a heartbeat.
Once a mage allowed a master of martial arts like Jangsen to close the distance, the outcome was all but sealed.
"Vibration Shield!" Unwilling to concede, Bubuta hastily erected a defensive barrier around himself the moment he hit the deck.
But this time, Jangsen gave him no further chance. His fists tightened. The muscles in his right arm swelled abruptly, the fabric of his tailcoat splitting apart. Waves of awe-inspiring power radiated from his arm.
"Meteor... Heavy Punch!"
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