If he hadn't improved, perhaps Varian would have to expose his other paths if he wanted to win.
Thankfully the numerous battles earlier gave him enough improvement.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Like metal chains breaking, Ahri's mental power binding Varian was broken.
Ahri's eyes narrowed dangerously at Varian a few hundred meters away from her.
'I'll make you kneel.' She gritted her teeth.
But her years of experience in fighting the Pluto Abyssals didn't let her lose control due to emotions.
With calculated calmness, she carefully captured his moments in her mental sense.
Through her mental vision, she saw him glancing at her and his knees pressing into the ground.
'He's preparing to dash towards me. Once he closes distance, even if I can shield myself with my mental power, I'll be at a great disadvantage.' Ahri instantly came to the conclusion.
Unlike Telepaths, Telekinetics could defend themselves against physical attacks.
It was like how Space Awakeners block the physical attacks by solidifying space—Telekinetics use their mental power to create an invisible, yet solid shield protecting them.
But despite that, close combat wasn't suitable for them.
Their bodies, despite being stronger than a Level 1 Body Awakener, were fragile.
If Varian managed to break through her mental armor and land just one hit, she'd be done.
'Do you think I'll give you the chance to get close? I'll immediately hold you down with my mental power and strike you till you can't get up.'
Ahri's lips curled up into a cold smile and using her mental sense as the radar, she commanded her mind power to capture Varian, just like the last time she held stopped him.
But…
"Huh?!" As Ahri gaped in shock, Varian's speed suddenly spiked.
She hurriedly tried to lock his position to attack him, but he was moving fast. In the blink of an eye, he was only a few dozen meters away.
"Gulp!" Ahri realized she had no time and hurriedly set up a wall of mental power all around her.
'How the hell did his speed rise…?'
Crack!
Crack!
Before she could even think, cracks spread on her defense wall.
Varian's punches were too fast, and Ahri hurriedly clenched her fist.
Her mental power crushed him from all sides and should've any peak level 4 and severely injured low level 5.
Even mid level 5 would cough out blood and high level 5 would halt.
Varian's punched slowed down. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth and his skin began to crack.
Like cobwebs, cracks appeared all over his body and he began to bleed.
The attacks from her mental strength took the shape of hammers, maces and other blunt weapons as they relentlessly attacked him.
Injuries were quickly starting to pile up, but Varian didn't care and roared.
He pulled back his hand and punched with all his strength.
Kacha!
Kacha!
The barrier nearly broke. Just one more punch from him and she'd be defenseless.
Ahri didn't want to give him any chance and hurriedly used her mental power to yank him away.
Varian's figure was suddenly flung backward as if someone pulled him hard. But before Ahri could rejoice, he broke free of the bindings and dashed towards her.
His speed weirdly rose again.
"Argh!" Ahri was half-enraged and half-anxious.
With her mental power, she made the walls covering her, forming a hemispherical barrier. In fact, she would have let the barrier run underground as well. But the banquet hall's floor was made of a material tough enough to withstand level 7s.
With the barrier, her plan was set.
Once he started attacking a place, she could catch him. And this time, she would deal a full blow from the start.
But…unlike last time, he didn't attack one place.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Varian's figure blurred as he circled around the hemispherical barrier and threw his punches.
His speed surpassed the range her mental sense could precisely lock him. So, all her mental attacks were either a miss or cleverly evaded by him.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
In mere seconds, cracks were all over the barrier.
"Damn it!" Ahri repaired the barrier but every second, the damage was piling up.
With each round, Varian began to attack at the same place. Cracks deepened in multiple places.
She could repair them all easily, but at the same time, she also had to focus on the new cracks.
Crack!
Crack!
As Ahri's focus was completed devoted to defense, a blue light flashed and Varian equipped himself with two gauntlets.
Ahri frowned and put on two rings to slightly increase her mental power.
But..
Crack! Kacha! Crack!
Varian's strength increased significantly.
In an instant, like a water bubble, the barrier she constructed with so much effort collapsed.
Boom!
The gauntlets were gone and Varian's figure towered over hers.
Thud!
Ahri's legs collapsed and she knelt on the spot as she stared blankly.
Varian looked at her expression and smiled. "Thanks."
"Huh?" Ahri raised her head and looked at him in confusion. "…are you mocking me?"
"Huh? Why would I mock you?" Varian shrugged. "Fighting you was very annoying, because you are stronger than every level 5 I fought."
'Besides…you helped me out.' Varian didn't say that out as he left for the resting room.
A blue screen floated in front of him, and the text on it caused him to nearly scream out loud.
[Mind Path Level 0-3: 300/300]
As he leaned back into the chair, waiting for the sweet remainder of the system, it felt like deja vu.
Just an hour ago, he advanced in the same room and in same posture.
Was this his lucky room?
As his thoughts drifted, Varian felt a familiar sensation well up in his head.
The next moment, like a dam burst, his mental power rose.
The System's usually cold voice sounded like an angel's.
[Host, you've endured repeated Telekinetic attacks.
You should've awaken in Mind Path and then step by step improved. Once you reached Level 4, then you would've been a Telekinetic.
Mind Awakener (Level 1-3) —> Telekinetic (Level 4-6)
But…you are already a Telepath.
Mind Awakener (Level 1-3) —> Telepath (Level 4-6)
Mind Awakener path is common for both and you've already walked it.
So, now that you've awakened in Mind Path again, you've already passed through the first three levels and after sufficient XP, you have advanced to Telekinetic.]
"Fuck!"
