Beginning of Cultivation
Chapter 186: Nora injured

Chapter 186: Nora injured

In the open space at the center of the crime scene, two men stood facing each other, their gazes locked in an intense stare.

Although Cedric was far stronger than Nora, there was not a trace of arrogance in his eyes.

This was the most fundamental quality a true warrior should possess—never underestimating their opponent.

Of course, using words to belittle one’s opponent was part of psychological warfare.

Even though Nora had landed a hit on Cedric, his nerves were stretched taut. His full-force attack had barely inflicted any damage.

At this moment, a thought flashed through his mind:

"Damn it, why is the power gap so huge? When I fought the president, I thought I could at least severely wound an E-rank hero, but I was dead wrong. At most, I can only leave some bruises."

Cedric, however, did not rush to attack. Instead, he remarked in a slightly surprised tone,

"Newcomer, your combat instincts are quite impressive. If this were back when I had just awakened, I wouldn’t have stood a chance against you."

He then paused for a moment before curling his lips into a smirk and saying:

"Well then... are you mentally prepared to experience society’s merciless beatdown?"

"Huh?!"

Nora was still in shock when Cedric suddenly charged forward like an unstoppable tank.

Bang!

Nora’s entire body was sent flying backward by Cedric’s sheer force, crashing into the crowd behind him.

The nearby police officers widened their eyes in disbelief, and someone shouted:

"Watch out! Someone’s flying over here!"

Boom!

A loud crash echoed across the area, throwing everything into chaos.

"Cough, cough."

From within the wreckage, Nora slowly stood up, coughing a few times.

His mask concealed the truth, but blood had already begun trickling from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes, sharp as blades, locked onto Cedric as he growled:

"Hmph! If you think this is enough to defeat me, you’re dreaming."

With that, he dashed forward at full speed.

Cedric smirked and said:

"Then let me show you what it means to be so strong... that all hope turns to despair."

His gaze locked onto the target like a predator eyeing its prey. His right hand swung up, his entire stance poised to unleash a punch at any moment.

As soon as Nora stepped within range, Cedric’s fist shot out like a cannon—

Whoosh!

—But then, something unexpected happened.

Nora effortlessly sidestepped, his movements as fluid as flowing water, evading the attack with masterful precision.

Planting one foot firmly on the ground, he channeled all his strength into a vicious uppercut aimed straight at Cedric’s jaw.

Thud!

Pfft!

Cedric spat out saliva as the punch connected, his eyes filled with undisguised shock.

He had thought himself fully prepared, yet somehow, it was Nora who had landed a clean hit.

Nora, on the other hand, expected Cedric to be knocked into the air for a moment. However, before he could react, Cedric quickly lowered his head and shot him a ferocious glare.

Bang!

A devastating kick sent him flying into the crowd—again.

The police officers, who had just managed to steady themselves, saw another human projectile heading their way. One of them, his face dark with frustration, yelled:

"Damn it! That guy’s sending people flying again!"

Crash!

The recently reorganized area instantly fell back into chaos.

This time, Nora remained sprawled on the ground for a few seconds longer than before. Blood trickled from his mouth, staining the inside of his mask.

But soon enough, he struggled to his feet, his unwavering eyes still locked onto Cedric.

"Huff... huff..."

His breathing was heavy and ragged after taking such a brutal blow.

Alice, watching from the sidelines, felt a twinge of concern as she thought to herself:

"He should be fine... right? In the end, a flower sheltered in a greenhouse will never become one of humanity’s peak warriors."

She had endured countless grueling training sessions, fought with everything she had, and suffered numerous injuries.

So while she did worry about Nora, she also knew—this was what he needed for the sake of his future.

Cedric’s eyes were filled with disbelief as he watched the battered figure in front of him struggle to stand.

He cursed inwardly:

"What the hell?! This doesn’t make any sense! I remember when I was at rank F, my endurance wasn’t anywhere near this level! That guy’s seriously injured, but he can still fight? This dude’s a freaking monster!"

Adjusting his stance, Cedric opened his right palm, staring at Nora before saying:

"Alright, rookie. I’ll admit it—you’ve got my respect. To show you my sincerity, I’ll fight you seriously with my metal element."

The moment he finished speaking, a metallic sphere, resembling solid iron, materialized in his palm.

"Metal Ball!"

He swung his arm forcefully, hurling the iron sphere straight toward Nora.

Nora focused intently on the projectile’s trajectory, his mind racing:

"Hmph, it’s fast, but it’s not nearly as unpredictable as the president’s attacks."

He swiftly dodged to the left—

But then—

A familiar yet unexpected situation unfolded.

Just as the metal sphere passed by his side, a quiet voice echoed through the air.

"Metal Spikes."

The moment the words were spoken, the metal ball transformed—countless razor-sharp spikes shot outward like a steel hedgehog.

Shnk! Shnk! Shnk!

"Arghh!"

Nora cried out in pain as several spikes embedded themselves in his body. Fortunately, they weren’t sharp enough to pierce too deeply, but the pain was undeniable.

He tumbled across the ground before finally coming to a stop, fresh blood dripping even more freely from his mouth.

Drip...

A single drop of blood slid down from his mask and splattered onto the ground—catching Alice’s attention.

Still, she remained in place, not rushing forward.

She thought to herself:

"This is nothing. Heroes have excellent recovery abilities. At worst, he’ll need an extra day in the hospital—he’ll be fine."

Nora, struggling, pushed himself upright once more. His gaze locked onto Cedric as he declared:

"I haven’t lost yet. Keep going."

Cedric was momentarily stunned.

"What the hell?! His endurance is seriously messed up... Wait. Could it be...? Ah, I get it now. So that’s his special trait."

Saying nothing further, Cedric dashed forward with incredible speed, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick aimed straight at Nora’s battered side.

Already worn down by repeated injuries, Nora’s movements had slowed considerably.

This time—

He had no way to dodge.

All he could do was brace himself—

And take the full force of the attack.