Apex Star

As Nova stepped in the 30th floor, he felt a presence not presence more like a will. A will that made him feel as if he stood in front of a king, and it made him feel weak that he almost knelt.

When Nova barely registered what happened, in front of him appeared a figure of about 1.70 meters in height, not towering like the other bosses at 3 meters, but still his entire demeanor screamed one word, danger.

Nova felt the space around him compressing and fighting for territory. It was like the space itself had a will of its own. He realized that the humanoid figure in front of him with a mask on should also be a space user, and Nova should have stepped into its range.

'Wait, it doesn't feel like space, it's maybe something related to, but different from space itself.' Nova tried to analyze his opponent in hopes of getting a grasp over its strength.

Barely after a second of staring, Nova's instincts screamed at him to dodge. Nova stepped back as fast as he could, but when he looked at his shoulder, a long wound about 20 centimeters appeared on it, stretching from his shoulder to his elbow.

For Nova, it was a first time getting hit, and so heavily that he could barely focus on the humanoid figure in front of him who didn't move from start to finish.

'How could I win against that..thing?' Nova was getting a bad feeling from the masked figure in front of him. It seemed to be unapproachable, like a mighty God going to a Mortal Realm.

Nova tried to use his left hand to form 'Air Bullets' and fire them at the masked figure, but just as he formed the bullets, they dissipated into nothingness.

Just as Nova prepared to take out his sword, he realized that he couldn't.

Stunned and about to dodge, Nova powerlessly watched as the masked figure raised his hand and brought it down at unbelievable speed. The space seemed to be working in tandem with the masked figures' hand and struck at Nova.

BOOM! Nova was hit so hard that he flew over 10 meters before he collapsed hard on the ground.

The impact almost made him cough blood if not for his body being tempered by his limitless ability. Otherwise, maybe he would've died from this simple attack of the masked figure.

After recovering from the shock of the impact, Nova tried to stand again, only to be met with the masked figure in front of him, kicking him hard.

Nova couldn't believe how strong the masked figure was, despite being only at the Peak of Rank 5. He thought that even if it was the case, he'll still have a way to win, but now it seemed to be impossible.

BOOM! CRASH! After being toyed with by the masked figure for 3 minutes, Nova couldn't stand it anymore, and used his 'Space-Time Stop' ability barely stopping the figure in his tracks before dexterously casting 'Air Bullet' with his right hand and 'Space Arrows' with his left and injured arm.

Before reaching the figure, the techniques stopped ahead of him and dissipated again. 'Space-Time Stop' lost its effect at that moment.

Nova truly felt despair at that moment, he knew that his bloodline gave him an almost perfect affinity for space and time, but the figure before him clearly beat him to submission even with that advantage.

Nova was clearly talented.

Just by looking at how fast he progressed and how far he managed to take his abilities in less than 24 hours after [Awakening] was a proof in itself.

But the masked figure was clearly more familiar, and at ease with using his ability.

The masked figure suddenly erupted with killing intent after almost being hit by Nova's attacks.

How could this foul human stop it and almost hit him with his lousy skill?

When has its prestige dropped so low as to allow itself to be put in such a situation?

The masked figure roared, and space cracked around him.

CRACK CRACK!

Nova was suddenly flung away so hard that he almost passed away, this time really coughing blood and barely keeping his eyes open.

'Am I going to die here? Just like that? In a cold dungeon that's extremely far from Earth? And so close to clearing all floors?' Nova thought hard while the pain coming from his body made him feel as if all hope was lost.

Right when Nova felt the masked figure wanted to end him, all he could think of was rage, the kind of rage that wanted the world to be destroyed.

He didn't scream or swear, but the masked figure picked out something, his eyes.

Nova's gray eyes were slowly turning a shade blacker, his pupils which seemed to contain little golden stars swimming inside of them transformed into a majestic golden with crimson red stars, almost as if all his rage was in his eyes, Nova commanded; 'Bend.'

CRAAACCK!!!

The space around the masked figure bent at an impossible angle from all directions.

The masked figure sensed the danger around him and tried to quickly get out of the way as far as he could.

But that's when she sensed that her control of the gravity was lost...for the first time in her life, the masked figure was scared. Her pupils constricted, and she couldn't dodge in time.

Scared of death, something which she deemed to be impossible.

From her birth until now, she never felt such danger, especially coming from someone that was much weaker than her.

That's when Imperia looked into Nova's eyes and was instantly mesmerized by them, forgetting about the danger in front of her, forgetting to take a breath, not even realizing that she lost her left arm, she took out her mask with her right hand.

His Apex Bloodline quickly reacted, almost as if finding its long-lost friend after millions of years of separation.

A warm current of energy circulated through Nova's body, this managed to make him regain his senses.