Chapter 340: Fighting Adept Rank Crimson Panther [2] She had reached peak archmage rank because of his help after all, the premium items and training resources he provided had accelerated her development beyond what she had ever hoped she could reach. As the princess of the lelin clan, and an enemy to the crown of the demon kingdom, with no followers, she had struggled a lot from a young age to reach the master rank, then she committed a fatal error of attacking Prince Malphas, who had bought a very powerful item from Noah’s shop, making him save time until backup arrived, when she was about to die, Noah saved her. So in her eyes, Noah was her only family in this world. Lola possessed enough self-awareness to recognise that Noah’s current trajectory pointed toward heights she could barely comprehend. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he exceeded her power completely and reached ranks she had never heard of and might never reach herself, regardless of how much effort she invested in her own training. That inevitable reality didn’t hurt her pride or trigger jealousy the way it might have with other practitioners. Lola had long ago accepted that true genius operated on different scales than mere talent or dedication. She knew that by comparing herself to others from a young age. Whilst she blasted through the ranks, others were stuck for years and decades. Watching Noah advance didn’t diminish her own accomplishments or make her feel inadequate about her abilities. But one thing did cause a sharp pang of anxiety in her chest whenever she allowed herself to think about the future too deeply. I hope he doesn’t leave me behind when he reaches those levels, she thought, the vulnerability in that internal admission something she would never voice aloud. I hope I can continue being useful to him, continue being someone he wants to keep close, rather than someone who becomes obsolete as he transcends everything I know entirely. The thought of Noah ascending to ranks beyond her reach and simply moving on without her felt worse than any physical injury or setback she had ever experienced. Somewhere along the way, this man had become far more important to her than their relationship strictly required. Down on the forest floor, the crimson panther was reaching the same conclusion that fleeing represented its only realistic chance of survival. The beast’s confidence had completely evaporated after multiple failed assaults that demonstrated the overwhelming gap between their capabilities. The panther feinted another desperate attack, launching forward as if committing to one final attempt to wound its tormentor. But at the last possible moment, it pivoted sharply and bolted in the opposite direction, its tail tucked between its legs in the universal sign of defeated retreat. The creature ran with every ounce of speed its powerful legs could generate, abandoning all dignity in favour of pure survival instinct. A smile formed on Noah’s face as he watched the attempted escape, his expression showing satisfaction. Noah had seen through the obvious deception. "Where do you think you’re going?" Multiple wind blades materialised in the air before him, compressed air taking solid forms. The razor-sharp constructs hovered for a fraction of a second before launching toward the fleeing panther with a velocity that exceeded anything the beast’s natural speed could hope to evade. The panther didn’t even glance back as it used all its remaining strength to run, every muscle fibre dedicated to putting maximum distance between itself and the terrifying human. Its survival instincts screamed warnings, but the creature had no way to perceive the invisible death approaching from behind. Suddenly, the panther’s vision lowered dramatically as its perspective shifted in ways that shouldn’t be physically possible. The world started spinning in disorienting patterns as the beast’s consciousness struggled to process the sensory information that made no logical sense. Whoosh! The wind blades had struck at once, one of them severing the panther’s head cleanly from its muscular neck. The decapitation was so swift and clean that the creature’s body continued running for several more steps before its nervous system registered that death had already occurred. Thud! The crimson panther’s head hit the forest floor and rolled to a stop against a moss-covered stone, its eyes still wide with the shock of its final moments. The body collapsed seconds later, blood pooling beneath the massive corpse as its heart pumped its final beats. [You have killed a Tier 3 Crimson Panther!] The system notification appeared in Noah’s vision, confirming the successful elimination of an adept-rank magical beast. His first real combat test against a serious opponent had concluded decisively in his favor, validating the dramatic improvements his recent advancements had provided. Lola approached Noah with an approving smile, her earlier internal worries temporarily pushed aside in favour of the playful dynamic they had established. "That was quite the impressive display of power. The poor panther didn’t stand a chance against my powerful boss." Noah glanced at her with mild suspicion, recognising the teasing tone in her voice. "It was a straightforward fight. Nothing particularly special." "Nothing special?" Lola repeated with mock disbelief, moving closer. "You threw a middle-grade adept-rank beast around like it was a training dummy. Most adepts would struggle against such an opponent, but you made it look effortless." "I had a good run," Noah replied modestly. "Good run? Is that what we’re calling your absurdly strong now? The panther’s claws couldn’t even scratch your skin. That’s beyond normal adept-rank durability," Lola echoed, her grin widening." "My vitality stat is somewhat higher than average." Noah shrugged. "Somewhat higher," Lola laughed, shaking her head at his obvious understatement. "You’re adorable when you try to be humble about being ridiculously overpowered." Before Noah could protest that characterisation, Lola turned and began walking toward their destination. "Come on, my invincible boss. We still have several miles to cover before reaching the World Tree’s coordinates. Try not to completely terrorise any other local wildlife along the way, okay?"