Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

"Woahh!"

"What's that?"

The crowd gasped in shock as their voices overlapped in disbelief.

Oliver, who had been holding his breath with his fists clenched tight, finally exhaled. His chest rose and fell heavily, and relief spread across his face.

For a moment, he thought it was truly over, that Ethan would fall right there in front of everyone. His heart had almost given out, but now he muttered under his breath,

"Thank God…" His expression softened as he let go of the tension he had been holding.

Baron Fenwick, however, stood frozen. His sword still burned faintly with mana as he stared at the afterimage his blade had just cut.

He blinked, his face twisting with disbelief. For a moment he truly thought the fight was already his. His killing strike had seemed perfect, but Ethan was standing a few steps away, very much alive. Fenwick turned slowly, his brows furrowed in anger and frustration.

'A high level movement technique,' he thought bitterly. His lips pressed together in a tight line.

From the clash of blades earlier he had already studied Ethan's weakness. He had strength far above ordinary knights, but his swordsmanship was rough and unrefined. It should have been easy for him to win with experience. But now, this boy showed a speed technique that shifted the balance. Fenwick's pride burned with anger.

He gripped his sword tighter and poured more mana into it. The blade glowed fiercely, almost humming with power. His expression turned frantic as veins popped against his temples. Then he bent low, mana surging into his legs until they too began to glow faintly.

SWISHH!

In the blink of an eye his body blurred. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he shot forward, his sword swinging again and again with ruthless precision. Dozens of slashes filled the air in the span of a heartbeat. Sword lights crisscrossed, slicing through the dust and sending waves of wind crashing outward.

Ethan's eyes stayed sharp. His heart pounded in his chest, beating louder and louder until it drowned out the roar of the crowd. He felt lightning spark across his skin, flickering around his limbs.

His senses sharpened as if the world had slowed. Each strike from Fenwick seemed slower, almost suspended in the air.

[Lightning Steps]

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

His heartbeat matched the rhythm of his feet. Ethan tilted his body at just the right moment, letting the first slash pass harmlessly by his shoulder.

He twisted again and the second blade whistled past his waist. Sparks of steel flew across his cheek as he ducked low and rolled aside, avoiding a strike that would have taken his head. Every movement was sharp, fast, and precise, his body glowing faintly with the energy flowing through him.

Fenwick's eyes widened in disbelief as each cut missed. His slashes were faster than most knights could even see, yet Ethan slipped past them with clean steps.

"What's going on?"

His mind screamed in frustration.

How was this boy dodging attacks that should have cut him apart?

Ethan then seized his chance. As Fenwick lunged forward with another blazing cut, Ethan twisted and drove his foot straight into Fenwick's side.

THUD!

The impact echoed through the arena as Fenwick staggered from the heavy kick. His body jolted to the side,and his stance breaking for a moment.

He gritted his teeth and quickly steadied himself, swinging his sword backward in a blind strike to cover his retreat.

But Ethan was no longer in front of him.

Fenwick spun, his eyes darting in panic, only to feel a presence behind him. He tried to react, raising his sword in desperation, but before the blade could find its mark, a pair of strong hands gripped his waist.

"What—" Fenwick managed to gasp.

In the next instant, his world was flipped upside down.

"Let me welcome you to the Suplex City."

Ethan roared as he lifted the older knight clean off the ground. With a surge of strength, he slammed Fenwick upside down into the earth.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The ground shook violently as if struck by a falling boulder. Dust and stone exploded outward, sweeping across the courtyard in a roaring wave.

The shockwave rattled the stands, forcing many to shield their eyes from the flying debris. A crater formed where Fenwick's body had struck, deep and wide, the earth itself breaking apart under the brutal impact.

For a moment nothing could be seen. Only the sound of debris settling filled the silence. Then slowly, as the dust cleared, the sight was revealed.

Baron Fenwick's body lay twisted and broken at the center of the crater, his sword shattered beside him. His chest heaved weakly, and his eyes had gone dull showing that he had been knocked out.

Ethan stood above the crater, feeling a bit out of breath.

He exhaled heavily, his shoulders rising and falling as he caught his breath. His hand tightened around his fist before he slowly straightened his back. His eyes scanned the stunned crowd, and then he let out a long sigh.

"Finally… it's over."

His voice was steady, quiet, but it carried across the arena. The silence that followed was broken only by gasps and murmurs, as everyone realized what had just happened.

Ethan had defeated Baron Fenwick.

Ethan stood there with a faint smile and turned toward Duke Philip to signal his win. His body was tired but his heart felt light.

However just then.....

A sharp voice came from behind him, calm yet sharp, and it made his chest tighten with a strange déjà vu.

"Yeah, it's over…"

Ethan froze. He turned back slowly and his eyes widened.

Baron Fenwick rose onto his feet with an unsteady gait. His armour, cracked and broken, slid from his body piece by piece and fell to the ground. Dust clung to his bloodstained face, yet his eyes burned with an unyielding light.

Ethan felt a chill run through his chest, a deep ominous sensation that gnawed at him.

"It's over, but not for me."

Baron Fenwick took a step forward and in that instant his image blurred. Ethan's instincts screamed and his Lightning Steps activated on their own making his body flickering away. But Fenwick's speed was beyond what Ethan had expected.

BOOOOOM!

A deafening blast erupted as Fenwick's strike carved through the air. The sheer force of it ripped through a tree behind them in the arena and tore it apart into shredded tatters

Ethan barely managed to tilt his head aside, and even then his neck muscles strained painfully as if about to tear. His eyes widened at the dull yet terrifying look on Fenwick's face.

"You… you broke through…" Ethan muttered, his voice trembling.

He could not even finish before Fenwick's fist came down again. Ethan raised his palm and blocked it, but the raw strength was overwhelming. The impact threw him across the arena like a ragdoll.

His body twisted midair but before he could steady himself, Fenwick appeared before him and kicked him hard in the torso.

BOOOOM!

Ethan's chest caved under the impact. Pain shot through every nerve in his body as blood burst from his lips. His expression distorted in agony while he screamed inwardly.

'What the hell is this?'

'How can the gap between late Intermediate stage and early Advanced stage be so wide?'

The overwhelming power crushed him like a mountain. He could still move only because of Lightning Steps. Without it, he realized with dread, he would have been killed in a single strike.

His body slammed to the ground with a heavy crash. He rolled across the dirt, leaving a trail of broken earth and deep marks until he finally came to a stop. Dust rose around him while blood dripped from his mouth.

The crowd fell into chaos the moment Baron Fenwick's aura burst forth. The shock of his breakthrough spread like wildfire. Gasps echoed through the arena as their eyes widened with shock and bodies stiffened.

"He… He broke through!"

"Advanced Knight… He's an Advanced Knight now!"