Lindwan was utterly shocked.

“What?! Impossible!!”

His other hand instinctively reached for the sword at his waist.

*Clang…*

Verlith was faster. She pinned his sword hilt, forcing the blade back into its sheath.

Simultaneously, her right fist—weighted like a thousand pounds—slammed into his abdomen.

*Thud…*

A violent shockwave rippled through the air where she struck.

A tearing force churned inside Lindwan’s gut.

*Urgh!*

Nausea twisted his face.

The next instant—

*Boom!*

He shot backward like a cannonball, vanishing deep into the forest. Trees and debris scattered in his wake.

The crushing pressure enveloping the area vanished.

Verlith’s muscles relaxed, then briefly numbed—a sign of overexertion.

Breaking the gravity field hadn’t been easy. Not simple at all. Few could manage it.

Normally, her speed measured at one unit.

But the moment she escaped the gravity field, she’d forced her body to five units—using sheer velocity to shatter gravity’s grip.

This was her physical limit without full power. With her wings? Easily ten units.

Her previous male body could hit ten units too—but afterward, it’d leave her utterly drained. Even five units used to cramp her muscles like twisted rope. Now? Only mild numbness.

This body held promise. Master it, and she might surpass her former self.

Though its raw strength was noticeably weaker. Speed came at the cost of power.

Proof? Lindwan was already back on his feet. After being launched, he’d instantly reinforced his skin with an earthen membrane.

Elven Sorcerer defenses were terrifying. An ordinary person would’ve died from that blow.

Through the settling dust, Lindwan clutched his aching stomach, vomiting blood.

Bruised but not broken. Still combat-ready.

He glared at Verlith, fury blazing in his eyes. “Explain! How did you do it?!”

“If I must say… I broke through your technique with speed.”

Verlith stalled, buying time for her numb limbs to recover.

“Impossible! My gravity field bends all matter to the planet’s pull! It’s an invincible finishing move! You shouldn’t have moved an inch—let alone gained speed!”

“Well… escaping gravity isn’t unheard of.”

Verlith shrugged under his disbelieving stare. “Ever heard of *second cosmic velocity*?”

She’d learned the term from Cleia’s mythic academia notes.

“That bizarre scholarly term… Are you claiming mythic academia—?” Lindwan choked on his disbelief.

“Second cosmic velocity—the minimum speed needed to escape a celestial body’s gravity. Our continent may lack ‘universes,’ but gravity stems from planetary pull. That’s undeniable.”

“I simply treated Igudora as a star. Applied second cosmic velocity conceptually to break your field. Makes sense, right?”

Verlith left it at that.

“So you’re saying… your speed matched escape velocity from a star?!” Lindwan’s voice cracked. “Are you mocking me? Do I look illiterate? Even if celestial bodies existed, their scale is unimaginable! Humans can’t reach such speeds!”

Horatu stared at the Silverhaired Maiden like she was a pathological liar.

“Just an analogy. I can’t hit *actual* escape velocity. But your gravity field—powered by a Tree Spirit—isn’t true planetary gravity. I only needed enough speed to break *yours*.”

Truthfully, Lindwan’s field was weak. Five units had shattered it easily.

“Meaning… your gravity field is useless against me.”

Verlith lied smoothly. The field still strained her; using speed to evade it left her vulnerable. If he noticed her numbness, she’d be defenseless.

But battle wasn’t just brute force. Wisdom decided victories.

And her bluff worked.

Lindwan reeled as if struck. His greatest strength—the Command Token he mastered—was now worthless.

“I admit… you shocked me,” he growled, voice icy. “But you’re the first to break my gravity field. And the last.”

Killing intent flooded the air. Shadows seemed to swallow him whole.

The fight wasn’t over.

*Thud-thud-thud!*

Earthen spikes erupted where Verlith had stood, shredding the ground.

She’d already leaped back, instincts sharp. Twisting mid-air, she dodged the relentless spikes, then landed lightly on a tree branch. Darting through the canopy, she closed in on Lindwan.

A slender branch snapped into her hand.

She gripped it like a sword.

“Fast little pest! Come again!” Lindwan roared, his Command Token flaring.

“Wait.”

Verlith’s voice cut through. Her gaze locked onto his sword sheath. “That emblem… is it the Sword Chapter of the Mindful Heart School?”

“Oh? You recognize it. So what?”

“The Mindful Heart School—Eastern Pearl Empire’s southern style. Famous for counterattacks after stillness. You’re a swordsman too, I see.”

“Tch. At least you know something.”

“Drop the Elven Sorcerer’s unnatural power. Fight me with your swordsmanship.”

“You don’t even have a blade. Know your place.” Lindwan sneered.

“I have this.”

The branch danced in Verlith’s hand. A flick of her wrist split a falling leaf into four perfect pieces.

“Showy tricks. Women don’t belong with swords. Witness true swordsmanship!”

Pride flared. Lindwan dismissed his earth magic, accepting the challenge.

*Clang…*

His sword slid out with elegant precision.

The moment steel touched air, his entire presence shifted—radiating fierce Sword Intent.

A master.

No wonder he looked down on everyone.

Verlith noted his counter-ready stance. He waited for her first move.

“Perfect. Let’s see how deeply a junior of the Mindful Heart School grasps counterattack principles.”

She dropped from the branch, crouching low. Her legs coiled like springs.

Her senses locked onto his every micro-shift.

Then—

Her eyes snapped sharp.

She lunged, the wind screaming around her, straight at Lindwan’s waiting blade.