Chương 372: Chapter 362 - We Meet at Last

Leonie's eyes widened, though she kept her posture controlled. She had a suspicion who this man might be. Before entering The Tower, he was the only Climber ever classified as Black Grade. His name circulated through the organisation like a mandatory case study. A reference point. An anomaly. A man who had once defeated Siddharth Kubar, her sword arts teacher and former Climber, despite the large gap in their martial backgrounds. She had reviewed his visuals countless times as part of her curriculum.

Efficient analysis. Tactical breakdown. Combat awareness. And she had to admit… he was good. Very good. However, she had always believed that given the same chance, the same Stage Progress, the same stats… she could surpass him. Siddharth, had spoken of him with unusual respect. He had called Alonso someone very difficult to fight, the kind of person willing to gamble everything, with a will sharpened to something terrifying. Someone whose growth was unpredictable.

Even Viktor, the Gen-Zero senior who rarely praised anyone, had labelled him "the type of warrior mankind needs." Her hand tightened slightly, not from awe but from the cold spark of competition. Was she finally going to meet him? The so-called legend. The black-tier Climber her organisation used as the top benchmark for everyone else. And supposedly, he had actually defeated the seven-tail Xok'al. The monster she believed was not meant to be fought.

The embodiment of the prophecy, the warning that had crushed their confidence completely. Was the difference between them truly that large? Or was there some hidden luck or circumstance she had not accounted for? She had climbed fast, shattered records, surpassed every limit pushed before her. She had been told she was humanity's hope. And she believed it.

Yet now, hearing her brother, seeing the weight behind his eyes, realising all five Gen-1 survivors had reached the Third Extreme State, realising one of them had struck down the seven-tail… Perhaps she needed to reassess. Perhaps she and all the others… had underestimated Gen-1.

"Hmmm… he rejected my invi—oh, he is inviting me back. Maybe he has a guest?" Lukas said suddenly. He looked at her.

"I will go first and tell him to invite you." Leonie nodded, and a moment later she vanished and reappeared in her own room. She folded her arms and let out a slow breath, feeling a familiar spark of anticipation roll through her chest. She was curious. Curious to finally measure him with her own eyes. A slow grin tugged at her lips as she straightened. She wanted to know what the gap truly was between Gen-1's strongest and herself.

Not because she doubted him, but because she doubted everyone else's narrative, and only she knew how strong she really was. A prompt appeared before her. Alonso Shemson has invited you. Do you accept? So it was really him. As expected. Good. She steadied her breath only to centre herself, then accepted the invitation. The next moment she appeared inside a white room similar to her own, and her gaze flicked immediately over the unexpected crowd gathered. Pablo stood up first, nodding quickly and respectfully.

She returned the gesture with a brief smile. Now that she remembered, these two were friends. Right… She had almost forgotten the reason she had taken Pablo in at the start. He had proven himself so much lately that the old reason felt distant. Her eyes moved across the others until they halted. This woman… She was striking. Powerful. Radiant in a way that wasn't soft but fierce, as if her presence filled the room by instinct alone. It wasn't just her beauty that caught Leonie's attention but dominance.

A natural pull that demanded acknowledgement. And Leonie, who was rarely ever overshadowed, felt a competitive spark ignite low in her chest. But who was she? If a woman like this had been in the Gen-1 roster, Leonie would never have forgotten her face. Wait. She did resemble someone. Ayu… the Thai girl with the Muay Thai background. But how had she changed this much? And why did she feel a faint, instinctive wariness toward her?

It was like standing near something wild and dangerous, a beast assessing whether she was prey or rival. Leonie refused to let it get to her. She lifted her chin slightly, letting her own refined confidence meet Ayu's raw presence head-on. Two predators evaluating each other. She offered her a polite nod before finally shifting her focus to the man she had come to see. Alonso stood with an almost casual posture, relaxed in a way that made him seem harmless. But nothing about him felt harmless.

His stillness was deliberate, the kind born from absolute self-control. And when she met his gaze, she felt a subtle pressure, quiet but unmistakable, like staring into a sheathed blade that knew exactly when to strike.

"Well, Ayu, Alonso, this is my sister, Leonie," Lukas said. Ayu smiled.

"Damn, you two really look alike!" She stood up and extended her hand.

"A pleasure. Ayu." Leonie accepted the gesture.

"The pleasure is mine." And then Alonso approached her.

"Lukas has told us quite a bit about you. It is nice to finally meet you, though the circumstances could have been… different," he said with a small chuckle. Leonie let a small, confident smile curve across her lips.

"Alonso… I have truly been looking forward to meeting you."

"Oh… you have?" he asked, a little confused at the sincerity.

"Well… I am not sure if Pablo mentioned it, but you were something of a role model to many back on Earth," she said.

"I remember watching your fights for hours in the visuals, and I cannot tell you how much I—" She paused. A sudden ripple pressed against her skin like a silent shockwave, cold enough to raise goosebumps along her arms. What…? Her gaze shifted and met Ayu's eyes. Calm. Focused. But with something feral underneath, something that watched her like another apex predator sizing up a rival. A pressure that felt instinctive rather than EM-based.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Leonie's pulse jumped once despite herself. Had she said something wrong? Why this pressure… Before the air could thicken further, Alonso glanced at Ayu and gave the faintest shake of his head. The tension receded, just enough to breathe. A familiar ping brushed the back of her mind. Lukas." Ayu and Alonso are together. And Ayu is… competitive. I'd stay measured," he warned. Ah. Not hostility. Jealousy.

Leonie nearly scoffed. The pressure had felt so real she thought she had stepped into a battlefield. She smoothed her expression, offered Ayu the slightest acknowledging smile, and composed herself. She cleared her throat.

"If anything I said sounded… odd, my apologies. I simply meant I was interested in meeting the man behind the legends." Ayu's gaze softened by a fraction—enough to remove the threat but not the warning.

"I see," Alonso said with a grin.

"Feels strange knowing people were watching us. Not something I'm thrilled about, but if it helped… I suppose it isn't all bad." Leonie nodded, then her expression sharpened.

"By the way… my brother told me you defeated the seven-tail Xok'al." The room shifted. Pablo went pale, eyes widening as if the ground had tilted beneath him. He stared at Alonso like he was looking at a ghost. Alonso nodded.

"I did not do it alone. We defeated it together."

"I understand," Leonie said.

"But I will admit this: we did not dare face it."

"And perhaps that was wise," Alonso said simply.

"I do not know your current strength, but there is a real possibility that if you had tried, we would not be standing here talking." Leonie held his gaze. It was not arrogance. It was certainty. The same certainty she had always carried… reflected back at her. So this was the man who stood at the apex of all Climbers. The man who killed the seven-tails. The man she had come to measure herself against. Interesting indeed.

"Well," she said, straightening her back, confidence returning to her posture, "as much as I would like to see the visuals of that fight…" Her eyes locked onto his.

"…there is something I want first." She inhaled, determination simmering under her skin.

"Would it be possible for us to have a spar?" Alonso's eyes widened in genuine surprise. Even Lukas stared at her as if she had said something unexpected. Pablo felt something extremely odd was happening. He had seen Alonso's visuals back then, sure, but Leonie was still Leonie. So why did it suddenly feel as if she was treating him as someone on her own level. It could not be that Alonso was… that strong. Right? Alonso remained silent for a moment as he studied her.

"Sure. Why not." He shrugged lightly.

"But it may be a bit too unbalanced due to our stats difference." He looked toward Lukas.

"Do you think you can boost your sister for the spar?" Leonie froze. What? Unbalanced? Boost? From Lukas? What exactly was he implying?

"Fair enough," Lukas answered, completely calm.

"But I warn you, now that I am in the Third State, the boost is slightly higher."

"Perfect," Alonso said with a small, relaxed smile as he stepped back with unhurried ease. Ayu grinned, amused, and casually blinked out of the way. Pablo, suddenly very aware of how out of place he was, moved aside as well. He could not believe what he was about to witness. A spar between his best friend and Leonie. And Leonie with a boost! Leonie stared at Lukas and sent him a transmission." You have a support mutation?" Lukas smiled." Yes. I can empower others. Pillar, Body, Fusion, and healing rate."

Leonie's eyes widened. Not only because his support mutation sounded absurdly powerful, but because it was similar to her own in a way that felt almost intentional." What about yours?" Lukas asked, instantly catching her expression. Leonie hesitated, but it was Lukas." I can only boost myself. Same parameters. Roughly 30% increase to body and Pillar efficiency, and about 200% to healing rate." Lukas blinked, genuinely impressed." So you can only boost yourself, and I can only boost others. Same metrics.

Do you think it is because we are twins?"

"Could be, yes."" One for all, and all for one," Lukas sent, lightly amused." Interesting. Still… that is a very good Awakening. With my boost, this fight may actually be slightly fair." Leonie almost scoffed. Slightly… fair?" By how much can you boost me?" she asked casually. Lukas did not answer. Instead, power surged into her like a silent wave. Her senses sharpened. Her strength surged. Her vision cleared. Her EM control locked into precise, blade-thin focus. Then she pushed it further with her own boost.

Her entire body responded like a weapon finally forged to perfection.

With the two boosts together… They launched her far beyond the Third State. It felt as if she were standing in the Fourth Fusion State, perhaps even edging past it. She exhaled slowly, savouring the rush. A thrill ran through her. She flexed her fingers, feeling the Dark Stars hum eagerly from the core of her armour. The resonance was immediate, precise, almost natural. This power… As expected of her brother. She fixed her eyes on him with a pleased smile." Your mutation is incredible."

Compared to this, Collin's support or even Robert's reaction enhancement felt like scraps. No wonder Gen-1 had progressed so far. With her brother granting this kind of power to others, it was no longer surprising at all. So that was the secret. The key behind them defeating the seven-tails. But then a thought struck her. With this power… they said this spar was supposed to be fair? No chance. If she had Lukas back in the last stage, she might have fought the seven-tails herself!

Her confidence swelled, hot and steady. She turned toward Alonso. He stood at the far end of the room, swords unsheathed, posture relaxed. Too relaxed. As if a Fourth-State-level opponent meant nothing. Arrogant? Or truly that strong? A flicker of wariness stirred in her chest. Even so, she felt certain that if they were on equal footing, she would not lose. And especially not with this boost. Not when Lukas's power pushed her well beyond the gap in their Stage Progress. Still, this was Gen-1's strongest.

Someone whose greatest feat eclipsed anything she had accomplished so far by defeating the seven-tails. But she felt no fear. Only thrill. The thrill of finally facing an opponent worthy of her. Of finally discovering who stood at the peak. Of proving she had always been meant to stand there. She wanted this. She wanted to see him. She wanted to measure herself against him and finally take what she believed was hers. The rightful title of humanity's strongest.

She drew a long breath, letting the surging power settle into her bones. She unsheathed her sword. The Dark Stars detached from her vest, orbiting smoothly before condensing into a sleek, dense metal gauntlet along her left forearm. Her stance steadied. Her pulse quickened. She smiled. This was it. She was finally going to spar with him. The Black Grade legend. The Climber who slew the seven-tails. Gen-1's champion. Alonso Shemson.