I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

Chapter 110 'Unleashing Potential'

That's not just a simple increase in power, but a deeper level of liberation.

Zod could clearly feel that the shackles that had bound him were peeling away layer by layer.

Muscle contractions are more rapid, nerve conduction is faster, and the five senses are more acute.

Even pain becomes clear and layered, no longer a vague agony, but a signal that can be perceived and controlled.

His body is transforming at an incredible speed.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

He could even "see" the movement of Axel's hand.

The hand that was just moments ago too fast to catch was now clearly visible to him.

The tiny cracks on those black rings, the airflow created when the fingers moved, even the premonition of the knuckles about to burst—

Everything has changed.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Zod's lips.

The murderous intent in Axel's eyes suddenly froze.

He sensed it.

The dying Imperial lieutenant suddenly unleashed a completely different aura.

That was an aura he knew all too well; it was an aura that only a level two 'Hakuja' could possess.

Axel's eyes widened: "This—how is this possible?!"

This was the first time in his career that he had seen someone unleash their potential in a desperate situation.

To Captain Axel's incredulous gaze, Zod's figure vanished once more.

The "Shadow Step" was used again, but this time, the familiar tearing pain did not arrive as expected.

My legs felt as if they had been freed from shackles and chains, becoming lighter than ever before.

The heavy feeling that had been binding him vanished, and every step and every movement became as fluid as instinct.

It's as if this footwork was meant to be used this way, and all the pain and struggle before were just necessary steps on the way to this moment.

The pain and fatigue accumulated from the previous battle had not completely disappeared; deep in my legs, I could still feel the soreness and dull pain in my muscles, which were the marks left by the previous overexertion.

But compared to the excruciating pain of burning and piercing with steel needles when it was used just now, the burden at this moment is simply insignificant.

He felt the power surging within his body and a realization dawned on him: this was the true form of the "Shadow Step".

Axel couldn't believe that Zod had broken through the "critical state" of a Level 1 "Hakuja" and mastered the "potential release" of a Level 2 "Hakuja" in such a short time.

He thought the battle was over and was therefore unprepared.

In the instant Axel was stunned, Zod's figure had already disappeared from the spot.

This is not the previous "Shadow Step" that was barely overdrawn and shackled, but the "Shadow Step" at full strength after "potential release".

Before the shrill sound of the air being torn apart could even reach their ears, a sharp sword light had already slashed in from the side!

Axel's fighting instincts saved his life.

He didn't even have time to think before his body reacted.

He suddenly turned to the side and fell backward. The sword blade grazed his chest, severing several buttons on his chest and tearing the skin beneath his uniform.

Warm blood seeped out instantly, staining the white shirt red.

But the attacks did not stop.

Zod twisted his body again the instant the sword light missed its mark, his right leg sweeping across and delivering a powerful kick to Axel's side with a loud "thud!"

With a dull thud, Axel was sent flying, knocking over two soldiers who were still fighting, and sliding several meters on the ground.

He braced himself with one hand on the ground, forcibly stabilizing his body. He glanced down at the wound on his chest, then looked up again, staring intently at the figure standing in the distance.

Fresh blood dripped from his fingertips.

he got hurt.

As a Level 2 'Hercules' and a seasoned captain, he was actually injured by an Imperial lieutenant who had just broken through to the next level.

"you-

—

Axel's voice was low and hoarse, his eyes filled with disbelief.

But soon, the disbelief was replaced by a more complex emotion, a mixture of astonishment, wariness, and a hint of excitement.

Zod stood still, his Imperial longsword pointing diagonally at the ground. His breathing was still somewhat heavy, but his tired eyes became clear again at this moment.

"How interesting, you actually mastered 'potential unleashing'!"

Captain Axel's voice carried a hint of surprise, but not panic.

He lightly patted the dust off his body, his movements calm and unhurried, as if the embarrassing attack just now was merely an insignificant interlude.

He touched the wound on his chest with his index finger, put the crimson stain to his lips, and slowly licked it.

That rusty, fishy sweetness melted on the tip of my tongue.

It's been a long time since I've felt this hurt.

What he couldn't believe was that the person who had harmed him was a newly promoted second lieutenant.

"But you're not the only one who can 'unleash your potential'!"

Captain Axel's face suddenly darkened, and his aura sharpened like a knife.

The admiration and pity that had been in those eyes vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised murderous intent.

Zod's heart tightened suddenly, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the sword hilt, his palms sweating profusely.

The real battle has only just begun.

Zod knew that mastering the "Unleash Your Potential" only meant he was qualified to fight Captain Axel on equal terms; it did not mean he would achieve final victory.

Compared to his opponent's combat experience, he had only just mastered "Potential Unleashed" and was not yet very proficient in its application.

In the center of the battlefield, Cassius and Hitis stood back to back, panting heavily.

Around them, imperial soldiers formed circles of three to five men, desperately resisting the surging Holy Kingdom army.

Gunshots, shouts of killing, and the clash of metal mingled together, echoing across the open field.

Hitis raised her rifle, aimed at a Holy Kingdom officer giving orders in the distance, and pulled the trigger.

The man fell to the ground, but more people immediately filled his place.

Cassius gritted his teeth. They had been fighting here for who knows how long, and their forces had gradually gone from being at a disadvantage to being completely suppressed.

The Holy Kingdom's army surged like a tide, wave after wave, seemingly without end.

But their numbers are dwindling little by little.

"If this continues—" Hitis didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

Cassius gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white.

His gaze swept over the young faces; some were firing desperately, some were gritting their teeth and parrying, and some had already fallen into pools of blood, never to rise again.

A wave of sadness washed over him, but he shook his head hard to suppress the emotion.

"I know!" he roared. "Lieutenant Kezod is still fighting, we cannot fall!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a sparse burst of gunfire came from afar, which grew more and more frequent, followed by a deafening roar of shouts.