Chapter 339: Fighting Adept Rank Crimson Panther "But I haven’t really tested what that means against an opponent operating at similar levels without human limitations or tournament restrictions." Lola studied him for a long moment, clearly torn between her protective instincts and recognition that he needed genuine combat experience to continue developing. Her breakthrough to peak archmage had reminded her how important it was to push boundaries and face challenges that tested limits. "Alright," she finally agreed, though her tone carried concern. "But I’ll intervene immediately if the situation becomes dangerous. Your survival takes absolute priority over training value." Noah smiled at her protective attitude. "I wouldn’t expect anything less. But I think you’ll be surprised by what I can do now." The crimson panther seemed to sense the shift in dynamics, its intelligent eyes narrowing as it recognized that these prey had decided to engage rather than flee. The beast’s body lowered into a hunting crouch, muscles coiling in preparation for explosive action. Noah drew his blade and settled into a ready stance, his body language reflecting calm confidence rather than bravado or fear. The confrontation was about to begin, providing the first real test of his advancement against an opponent worthy of his current capabilities.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Noah walked toward the crimson panther slowly with deliberate steps, his blade remaining sheathed at his side. His empty hands hung relaxed at his sides, projecting calm confidence that bordered on arrogance. He wanted to test his physical body’s capabilities against a genuine adept-rank opponent before introducing weapons or magic into the equation. The panther’s eyes tracked his approach with growing confusion mixed with predatory calculation. Its instincts screamed warnings about prey that moved toward predators with such a complete lack of fear. The beast was confident in its speed and power, having dominated this territory through natural superiority over everything it encountered except for very few that it avoided. When Noah came within striking range, the panther exploded into motion with the blinding velocity that would put other adept-rank beasts into shame. Its muscular frame launched forward in a blur, moving faster than normal human eyes could track. The attack should have torn through Noah’s undefended torso before he could react. Instead, Noah’s hand shot out with speed that made the panther’s assault look sluggish by comparison. His fingers closed around the creature’s throat mid-lunge, stopping its forward momentum as completely as if it had struck a stone wall. The panther’s eyes went wide with shock as it found itself suspended in the air, held effortlessly by this human who shouldn’t possess such impossible strength. Noah’s grip tightened slightly, his 420 vitality attribute making his physical durability absurd compared to what his human frame suggested. The panther’s claws raked desperately at his arm, techniques that should have shredded flesh and muscle. But the attacks left no marks on his skin, bouncing off as if striking reinforced steel rather than vulnerable human tissue. "You’re fast...but not fast enough." He pivoted and hurled the panther away with a casual throw, sending the heavy predator flying through the air like a toy weighing a few pounds. The creature crashed through multiple tree trunks before finally impacting the ground twenty meters away, rolling to an ungraceful stop in a cloud of disturbed earth and shattered wood. The panther struggled to its feet, clearly stunned by the overwhelming physical dominance it had just experienced. Blood trickled from its mouth, where internal injuries from the impact had caused damage. Its confident bearing had evaporated, replaced by wary confusion about what kind of creature it was actually facing. Noah walked toward it again with the same unhurried pace, his expression showing no particular emotion beyond mild curiosity about how many more punches the beast could absorb before dying. When the panther tried another desperate attack, launching itself forward with all its remaining speed and power, Noah stepped to the side and delivered a palm strike to its ribs that sent it tumbling across the forest floor. The clash demonstrated Noah’s superiority across every relevant metric. Noah dominated in speed despite the panther’s natural advantages. He dominated in strength despite the beast’s muscular frame, designed for bringing down large prey. And his vitality made him virtually immune to anything the creature could inflict with its claws or teeth. When their bodies collided during the panther’s third futile assault, the magical beast was thrown backwards like a kite caught in a hurricane while Noah stood planted in his original position without having moved even a single step. The force differential was so extreme it appeared almost comical. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚 Lola watched the entire display with obvious shock written across her features. She had witnessed countless battles throughout her life, but this level of physical dominance was unprecedented in her experience. She had never seen somebody dominate so completely at the same rank level—no, actually at a lower effective level. Even though Noah had just entered adept rank recently, he was easily beating and completely dominating a panther of the middle grade of adept rank. And this wasn’t some random monster either. Crimson panthers were known throughout the magical community as one of the more powerful beast species, prized for their speed and combat instincts that made them dangerous even to experienced practitioners. Yet Noah was handling it like an adult disciplining an unruly child rather than engaging in serious combat with a peer-level threat. The gap in their actual capabilities appeared vastly larger than their official ranks would suggest. A smile slowly formed on Lola’s face as she watched Noah deliver another effortless strike that sent the increasingly desperate panther sprawling. Her ruby eyes tracked his movements with appreciation for both his technical skill and the raw power behind each casual gesture. He is so hot, she thought, unconsciously licking her lips as she observed him dominate the magical beast. Although Noah’s overall power was objectively less than hers, that fundamental fact didn’t make him any less attractive in her eyes. If anything, his rapid advancement made him more compelling rather than less.