The confrontation persisted in the same matchup for a while. Unlike before, the opponent did not move hastily; it seemed they were conscious of Chi-Woo, but Yunael paid no heed to them.

[Don’t try to force yourself to do something.]

[You don’t have to strive for a dramatic awakening. You’re still very strong as you are.]

[If only you can use it properly.]

Yunael engraved Byeok’s words into her heart and tried her best to carry that out into reality. There was no need for her to copy those who were strong because they became strong using their own methods. They were them, and Yunael was herself.

[Look back on the path you’ve walked.]

[Look and listen carefully.]

[Your body already knows the answer.]

The opponent and Yunael just stared at each other. For a while, a quiet and bizarre silence stretched between them, seemingly about to go off at any moment. And in the middle of this silence, the opponent jumped and began rushing towards Yunael with lightning speed, while Yunael did nothing. Originally, she would have pulled her spear back in frantic desperation and tried to read their movement somehow. However, she did not do that this time. She just asked her body, ‘What do you want to do?’

Her body moved. It waited for the opponent to get closer and made a single precise thrust, piercing the part that Yunael had instinctively perceived as where the opponent’s body was subtly centered around. Then something shocking happened. The opponent suddenly stopped as if they had run into an unexpected obstacle while traveling at high speed.

Yunael’s spear danced one more time. When she stepped forward and swung wide, the opponent stepped back in bemusement. They had been attacking nonstop this whole time, but for once they chose to pass their turn to Yunael.

—…

Of course, the opponent didn’t sit still either. They immediately went back on the offensive, and with their eyes wide open, they spun even faster than...