Victor did not wait for a transport. He did not even slow down long enough to consider it. The moment he stepped beyond the outer streets of Leon Town, he pushed his body forward at full speed. He understood the situation clearly.
After what had happened, the entire town would be on alert. Patrol teams would spread out. Surveillance drones might already be sweeping the gates. If he delayed even a little, someone would recognize him. Once that happened, escape would become impossible.
Aurora City lay one hundred kilometers away. Under normal circumstances, even seasoned gene warriors did not attempt that journey on foot. The wilderness between Leon Town and the city was not empty land.
It was a shifting domain of mutated beasts, roaming predators, and unknown hazards. Ordinary townsfolk usually hired armored transport convoys or traveled under the escort of professional gene warriors. Some even waited days to join large caravans, just to reduce risk.
Aurora City itself was not open to everyone. It was the sanctuary of elite families and powerful factions. Entry required a residence or business license, and licenses were not granted to commoners. Anyone below the Third Transformation was considered too weak to contribute to the city's defense. Without influence, talent, or backing, a person could not even step inside.
Victor knew all of this, yet he still chose to run.
His enhanced physique allowed him to maintain a speed close to one hundred eighty kilometers per hour. The air whistled past his ears. The ground blurred beneath his feet. Within ten minutes, the walls of Leon Town shrank behind him, and he entered the wilderness.
The terrain immediately changed. Dense vegetation spread in every direction. Tall trees blocked sunlight. The air smelled damp and wild. The silence here felt different. It was not peaceful silence. It was the kind that hid danger.
From this point forward, laws meant nothing. If he died here, no one would investigate. Unless the victim belonged to a powerful family, the wilderness swallowed everything.
Victor ran another ten minutes before slowing down. His breathing became heavier. Even with his enhanced physique, sustaining that speed required enormous energy. He exhaled slowly and stopped near a towering tree with thick branches.
There was another reason he needed to stop.
He leaped upward and climbed the tree with quick, agile movements. Within seconds, he reached a broad branch and sat cross legged. From there, he could observe the surroundings while remaining hidden.
"I need to comprehend the Iron Fist technique to perfection before meeting the guardian," he murmured.
He thought carefully. He could not reveal the Star Breaking Fist technique. That ability was too abnormal. It would attract unwanted attention. On the other hand, achieving perfection in a common technique before injecting the gene serum would place him among rare talents. It would give him the label he needed. Genius.
A perfection level comprehension of a common technique granted roughly 1.5 tonnes of physical strength. It was not extraordinary, but it was enough to build a believable foundation.
Victor closed his eyes and began comprehending.
To his surprise, the difficulty he had felt earlier vanished. The technique unfolded in his mind naturally. Every movement, every angle, every shift of weight appeared clearly. It felt like reviewing something he had already mastered long ago.
Compared to the Star Breaking Fist, this technique was extremely simple. The difference was like comparing basic letters to complex literature.
Time passed quietly.
Within one hour, he completed the comprehension.
Victor opened his eyes slowly. He clenched his fist. There was no noticeable surge of strength. He was not surprised. The technique only allowed better utilization of existing power. It did not directly enhance physique as his physique was already enhanced by an Ultimate technique.
"Time to move," he said softly.
He jumped down and resumed running at a slow pace. While moving, he practiced the fist motion repeatedly. He wanted to ensure the exact output when needed.
After several minutes, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Hey kid, where are you running like this? The wilderness is dangerous."
Victor glanced sideways. A team of five stood not far away. Their posture, gear, and aura identified them instantly. Gene warriors.
Common people did not travel in the wilderness unless they were desperate like him.
Victor did not reply.
Boom.
He accelerated instantly. His body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
The five warriors froze.
"What the hell? He is a gene warrior?" the captain muttered.
They watched Victor disappear into the trees within seconds.
"I do not recognize him," a female member said. "Should we follow?"
The captain shook his head. "No. We are exhausted. We will investigate later."
The others agreed. They had been roaming for three days. None of them wanted another pursuit.
Victor continued running.
After ten more minutes, he finally slowed down. Sweat covered his forehead.
"Damn. That was careless," he muttered. "If they belonged to the White family, I would already be dead."
He estimated the distance. Forty kilometers covered. Sixty remained.
Just as he prepared to move again, his instinct screamed.
Danger.
He jumped sideways.
A dark blur sliced past his neck. Wind brushed his skin.
Victor landed and scanned the surroundings.
A massive black panther emerged from the shadows. Its muscles rippled under dark fur. Its eyes glowed with predatory intelligence. Its claws dug into the ground.
A mutated panther.
An elite monster.
Information appeared before his vision.
[Name: Mutated Panther
Rank: Elite
Physique: 20 tonnes]
Victor narrowed his eyes.
"Twenty tonnes," he whispered. "Four times stronger than me."
Normally, a team of five to ten First Transformation gene warriors would be required to kill such a beast safely. Monsters possessed superior instincts, durability, and killing intent.
The panther growled and circled him slowly. Its tail swayed. It analyzed him.
Victor adjusted his stance. His heartbeat remained steady for some reason.
Despite the difference in strength, he felt calm. The Star Breaking Fist comprehension gave him combat instinct beyond his level.
The system didn't simply install the technique in his brain. The technique had been engraved through countless simulated practice sessions in his mind. His body remembered those movements.
The panther suddenly lunged.
It moved like a black shadow.
Victor shifted half a step sideways. The claws missed his chest by inches. He twisted his body and retreated.
The panther landed and turned immediately. It was faster than expected.
It attacked again.
Victor ducked. The claws tore through a nearby tree trunk. Bark exploded.
Victor inhaled deeply. His muscles tightened.
"Looks like you will be the first test," he murmured.
He planted his feet firmly. His body aligned. Power gathered from his legs, flowed through his waist, and concentrated in his shoulder.
The panther roared and charged.
Victor did not move.
At the last instant, he stepped forward instead of retreating. His fist shot out.
Star Breaking Fist.
The movement was precise. The power chain activated perfectly. His entire body acted as one.
Boom.
The punch landed on the panther's skull.
The sound resembled an explosion.
The head shattered instantly. Bone fragments scattered. Blood sprayed outward. The massive body flew sideways and crashed into the ground.
Silence followed.
Victor stood still, his fist extended.
He blinked slowly.
The panther twitched once, then became motionless.
Victor lowered his hand and stared at it.
"Holy..." he muttered softly.
He had expected damage. He had not expected complete destruction.
"At least five times amplification," he whispered. "This is insane."
The Iron Fist technique offered no such multiplier. It only improved efficiency. The Star Breaking Fist directly amplified output.
Victor exhaled deeply. His heart finally relaxed.
He walked toward the corpse. The beast lay broken, its massive body was still warm.
If he sold this, he could earn a fortune. Elite monsters were valuable. Meat, hide, bones, everything had use.
He imagined his mother and Luna eating properly. He imagined their worn clothes replaced. He imagined relief on their faces.
"Wait for me," he murmured. "Things will change soon."
He did not carry the corpse. It was too heavy. And he didn't have time to waste.
Victor turned and resumed running.
The wilderness stretched endlessly ahead. The sun slowly descended. Shadows lengthened.
He maintained steady speed, conserving energy.
One thought repeated in his mind.
He just hoped he would not encounter a general tier monster.
Because if that happened, even he would not survive long enough to react.