Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 175: A Spar with Magnus

Chapter 175: A Spar with Magnus

After receiving a detailed explanation of why sensing elemental energy was crucial, Nora finally understood why everyone valued it so highly.

In terms of raw combat ability, those who possessed elemental energy were only slightly superior to those who did not. However, when it came to cultivation speed—especially in the current era—those without elemental energy simply could not compare.

By conventional standards, Nora’s talent was nothing exceptional. But how could he be measured by common logic?

With a smile, he turned to Magnus and said:

"President, what if there are other possibilities? I mean, something truly novel."

Hearing this, Magnus’s eyes flickered with understanding. He observed the young man before him for a moment before nodding:

"Hmm, you’re not wrong. Humanity’s knowledge of supernatural powers is still far too limited. If something entirely new were to appear beyond our understanding, it wouldn’t be surprising."

After a brief moment of contemplation, he continued:

"Young man, let’s have a spar. Don’t worry—I’ll hold back. I won’t overwhelm you with sheer power."

Nora felt a surge of tension but also a spark of anticipation. Sparring with the strongest man in the world was not an opportunity one could simply ask for.

He clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and said:

"Please, I’m in your care!"

The moment his words fell, a massive fist came hurtling straight toward his face.

Magnus had only promised not to use excessive force—he never said he would go easy. His very first move was aimed directly at Nora’s head.

Caught off guard, cold sweat had yet to trickle down Nora’s back before the fist was already dangerously close.

Lacking any real combat experience, he could only rely on pure instinct to react. Any memories or combat skills from his past life had been completely erased.

Following his instincts, he bent backward in an attempt to evade the punch. However, his awkward posture caused him to lose balance, and he ended up falling flat on his back.

The moment he landed with a thud, he quickly pushed himself up and scrambled backward to create some distance between them.

He lowered his center of gravity, shifting into a defensive stance as he calculated his next moves.

Magnus observed him and commented:

"Your movements are clumsy—clearly, you’ve never practiced martial arts. But your natural instincts are excellent. You could be considered fairly talented, though still far below Alice’s assessment of you."

"President, don’t underestimate me! I’ll give it my all to prove myself!"

Nora’s expression turned resolute as he shouted, then lunged straight at Magnus without a moment’s hesitation.

Was he simply reckless? No, in truth, he was trying to leave an impression on the guild president.

To him, saving humanity was not something a single person could accomplish alone. In the future, he would likely need the support of many. Building good relationships now would increase his chances of success later on.

Watching him charge forward, Magnus mused to himself:

"He doesn’t seem like a fool acting on impulse. It’s more like he’s trying to prove something unique about himself. Interesting... Let’s see what makes this kid special."

Nora dashed in and threw a straight punch aimed at Magnus’s chest.

At first, Magnus considered dodging, but instead, he casually raised his arms to block. It wasn’t that he lacked the speed to evade—rather, the level of agility required was simply beyond what an F-rank hero should possess.

Bang!

Nora’s full-force punch, backed by his body weight, crashed against Magnus’s forearms.

Magnus remained completely unfazed, not budging an inch, but Nora’s expression darkened immediately.

He quickly retracted his fist, cursing internally:

"Damn it! His body is way too tough—it’s like punching a solid wall."

Meanwhile, Magnus scratched his head and let out an awkward chuckle:

"Haha, my apologies. I forgot that my body’s durability has long surpassed F-rank heroes."

Magnus turned to Nora and asked:

"Thinking of giving up?"

"Not a chance. I’ll only lose when I can no longer fight."

Nora responded instantly, then, without hesitation, he dashed forward at lightning speed. As he closed in, he leaped into the air and aimed a powerful kick straight at Magnus’s head.

"Good spirit, kid."

Magnus smirked, his impression of Nora improving yet again.

However, he remained unfazed. With his left arm, he effortlessly blocked the incoming kick. Then, glancing at Nora, he said:

"Kid, let me show you how someone with elemental powers fights."

As he spoke, he pressed his thumb and middle finger together, preparing to snap.

Tch! Tch!

The crackling sound of electricity filled the air. A golden sphere of lightning formed just above his thumb, radiating an ominous glow.

Sensing danger, Nora instinctively tried to create distance between them. But how could he have known that such efforts would be utterly meaningless?

Magnus grinned, his expression filled with a dangerous amusement:

"It’s useless, kid. Thunder Bullet!"

With a snap of his fingers, the lightning sphere shot forward. Yet, oddly enough, instead of traveling in a straight line, it veered sharply to the right.

Seeing this, Nora let out a sigh of relief. However, his instincts screamed at him not to lower his guard.

And indeed, things were far from simple.

The Thunder Bullet didn’t miss—it curved mid-air, looping back toward his exposed side.

Upon witnessing this, Nora could only curse internally:

"Damn it! Why the hell did it turn like that? This makes no sense!"

But in reality, it made perfect sense. Those who controlled elemental energy could manipulate their attacks freely, as long as they remained within their sphere of influence.

With no time to think, Nora twisted his body mid-air, narrowly dodging the incoming attack.

The sphere of lightning whizzed past his back, missing by mere centimeters.

Just as he was about to let out a breath of relief, a voice echoed softly through the air—

"Detonate."

Just as the sound went, an explosion immediately appeared. Moreover, it was not a normal explosion but an explosion involving lightning.

And the pitiful one who would be hit by that attack was Nora.

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om