From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 452

"A primal-element metahuman?"

Leander stared at the swirling flames re-forming in front of him, genuine interest flashing through his eyes.

The crowd stood frozen. No one understood what they were seeing.

Leander had just thrown a full-force punch at Halia's face. That blow carried enough destructive force to crush bone, cave in a skull, or, at the very least, leave someone coughing blood.

Yet, her body never took the hit.

The moment his knuckles touched her cheek, her entire form scattered into glowing sparks. Those embers drifted for a breath, then surged back together and rebuilt her from head to toe—flawless, uninjured, and immaculate.

The sight sent chills through the spectators.

Seth's eyes widened in disbelief, and his voice shook with it. "She really is a primal-element metahuman?"

Metahumans were individuals born with abilities beyond anything ordinary people could reach, or who awakened powers in ways no one else could. Some commanded thunder. Others shaped fire, wind, or storms. Some shifted their bodies or saw through anything in their path. Their variations felt endless.

Their entire kind fell into three major branches.

The first branch included the force-type metahuman. Evelyn the Flame Witch and Taylor the Stormcaller belonged here, individuals who manipulated fire or wind and stirred blazes or hurricanes with a thought.

The second branch contained animal-type metahumans who could transform into birds, beasts, or even ancient monsters from forgotten eras.

The third branch stood at the pinnacle of rarity. These were the ones who turned their bodies into living elements—fire, frost, lightning, storms, light, flowing water, molten rock, or drifting sand. They became the element itself, shifting into whatever shape they chose. Physical attacks passed straight through them. Nothing conventional could harm them. Those were the primal-element metahumans.

Halia had just proved she belonged to that group.

Leander's punch never connected with flesh. It met nothing, like striking the empty sky. She had dissolved into flame before his power landed and rebuilt herself without a trace.

Seth's jaw clenched as he glanced at Leander. "This is trouble."

Halia was already one of the world's most dangerous fighters. Realizing she also possessed a primal-element body pushed her into a different league entirely.

Primal-element metahumans were considered nearly immortal. Their bodies could hide within any particle of their element, surviving any impact. No matter how many times they were torn apart, they always re-formed unharmed.

They were almost impossible to injure. Their core dissolved into the element, beyond the reach of ordinary attacks. Only rare techniques or abilities could touch it—the most direct path involved cultivating Profound Force.

Profound Force allowed someone to strike through the elemental form and damage the true body. Without it, nothing worked. A primal-element metahuman could be destroyed endlessly, yet they would always rebuild themselves from their element.

Khaedor watched from the side, arms at ease and expression inscrutable. He likely knew Halia's true nature well before today. There was a reason he stood beside her.

Leander's strength shook worlds, although brute power alone couldn't suppress someone like her.

Even Khaedor would need to activate his Blood Clan mystery arts to inflict real damage on Halia. That was why those two never left the top ranks of the International Combat Units list.

A soft, sultry laugh rolled behind Leander.

"Haha..."

Halia materialized behind him, her voice dripping with confidence.

"Jeff, it doesn't matter how hard you hit. You can't touch me.

"You haven't reached the King Phase or cultivated Profound Force. Your punches won't even scratch me. You can try thousands of times. It won't change anything. This is what a primal-element metahuman truly looks like."

She lifted both hands, fire swirling around her wrists.

"Jeff, from this moment on, you're the easiest target on this mountain."

Her palms closed together, forming an intricate seal. Twin fire dragons twisted inward, weaving themselves into a flaming whip.

"Flame Lash."

The whip burst forward, carving arcs in the air. It moved like a living creature, splitting into streaks that looped around Leander from every direction.

Hiss!

Vmmm!

"Is he... a god-level being?"

Their shock grew by the second. Every display of Leander's power dwarfed the last.

Khaedor's pupils thinned as he stared at the boy with a blend of awe and hidden bitterness. Despite appearing like a young man, he was nearing sixty. His mixed human and Blood Clan bloodline slowed his aging, giving him the time to reach the Infernal Crown Transcendent Realm and dominate the International Combat Units leaderboard.

Leander, barely nineteen, was already ranked among the top five. His body, mind, and spirit exhibited extraordinary talent.

Even Khaedor understood one truth—this young man walked a path brighter than his own.

Leander gave the whip a vicious tug. Halia lurched toward him, her body pulled off the ground.

His left hand held the flaming whip. His right arm pulled back, ready to deliver another punch.

Halia drew closer, yet her expression stayed smug. A faint smile curled her lips. "Idiot. Jeff, I told you already. You can't hurt me. Throw that punch a million times if you want. Nothing changes."

She stopped inches from him.

Leander's grin spread wide. "Just a primal-element metahuman, and you think you're untouchable? What makes you so certain I can't strike your real body?"

The gleam in his eyes startled her. A violent ripple pulsed around his fist.

Her breath caught.

"Crap!"

She tried to dissolve into flame. Her body shimmered as the elemental state began forming, yet Leander's punch had already fired.

Power roared off his knuckles like a ruptured dam. The shockwave thundered outward, carrying a force strong enough to rattle the mountain itself.

One punch—capable of splitting the earth.