The moment I stepped onto the training field, the air crackled with tension. I barely took a breath when—
Zpp—Swoosh!
BOOM!
A surge of lightning struck my chest, followed by a gust of slicing wind. I was blown off my feet and skidded across the ground, smoke rising from my uniform.
"This is for making me wait, son," my father's voice boomed across the field. Richard stood there, arms crossed, lightning dancing around him. "Time is precious."
I grunted, covering my body with a swirl of wind and lightning mana. "Noted, old man."
Without hesitation, I retaliated. "Lightning Spear!" Three crackling spears of lightning formed above me and launched forward.
He didn't even flinch. With a flick of his wrist, a spiral of wind twisted into existence and swatted them aside.
Flash Step!
I vanished, appearing behind him in an instant. "Web Shot!" Shadowy threads bound his legs.
Flash Step again—I reappeared at a safe distance, preparing my next move. I inhaled slowly. Control… precision… fuse them together.
"Mind Acceleration."
Mana rushed through my body, and I wove both wind and lightning into one chaotic mass.
[Lightning Bolt + Wind Storm]
The winds howled like a hurricane, while dozens of black-violet lightning bolts surged inside, their arcs growing more violent and unpredictable.
"Thunderstorm!" I roared, launching the spell with everything I had.
The condensed storm barreled toward my father like a wrathful god descending from the skies.
Richard's eyes widened—just for a moment. I caught it. Surprise.
He didn't expect me to progress this far… especially not overnight.
Richard was looking at the spell his son had cast. It wasn't even more than a month since I started training, and yet, here I was, pushing my limits.
Thunderstorm wasn't a very high-level spell, but combining wind and lightning into it was no easy feat. I didn't even have a dedicated thunder element. It should've been impossible.
"But it's fine," Richard thought, his voice calm. "He's my son. Everyone has their secrets."
Now, looking at the spell just a few meters away from him, Richard chuckled softly.
"Old man, move, I don't want to lose my dad," I said, smirking.
He grinned, his eyes alight with a mix of amusement and challenge. "Foolish boy, let me show you who's your dad."
Richard focused, his aura shifting. He flicked his finger, and immediately, a massive dragon of wind and lightning began to take form. The creature roared as its shimmering body grew, reaching 10 meters long and 5 meters wide.
[Thunder Dragon]
The dragon's massive wings flapped, creating shockwaves in the air, and with a flick of Richard's hand, the beast charged toward my spell.
"Devour."
The dragon surged forward, opening its mouth wide. The storm of lightning I had cast was consumed in an instant, as though it was a mere snack for the thunderous beast. A puff of smoke drifted from its nose, its power unfazed.
I froze. "What the hell was that? Where did that dragon come from…?" My thoughts scrambled, trying to comprehend what just happened.
Before I could think clearly, Richard smiled, and I immediately knew what was coming next.
"Ah, that smile… it's going to hell of a training," I thought, shaking in fear as the Thunder Dragon roared, now charging straight toward me.
"Hey old man, do you mean for me to die?" I called out, my voice laced with a mix of sarcasm and concern.
"Oh, you want to fight it, huh? Sure, here you go." Richard was now fully in battle mode, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he unleashed the dragon upon me.
I gulped. "I have no choice."
I glanced at the massive beast charging toward me, then at Richard. With a grimace, I muttered, "Sorry, Dad…"
"Echo of Oblivion." As the words left my mouth, a dark anti-magic barrier surrounded me, crackling with an eerie energy.
The dragon struck, its jaws snapping down with terrifying force. But the barrier held. The impact sent shockwaves through my body, rattling my bones, but the dragon didn't pierce through. It was stopped.
"What do you—?" Richard was interrupted by his own disbelief as he saw the dragon suddenly shift course.
The beast turned, now rushing back toward its master at high speed. The force of its return knocked me backward, and I crashed into the wall, blood spilling from my mouth.
"What the hell? Did he just reflect my spell?" Richard thought, his brows furrowing as he watched me struggle to stand.
I groaned. "Damn it, I'm not done yet!"
Richard saw me unconscious for a moment, but the dragon was still coming, a silent and inevitable doom. Reacting swiftly, he raised his hand, and a blade of wind formed in his grip.
[Windstyle: First Form]
With a fluid motion, Richard slashed the air, and the wind obeyed him instantly. He sent out a flurry of cuts toward the Thunder Dragon, slicing it apart into thousands of tiny mana particles, each crackling with lightning and wind.
The dragon disintegrated into dust.
Richard stood there, his chest rising and falling with each breath, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward me.
"You're a hundred years too young to think you can beat this old man," he laughed, his voice filled with both amusement and affection.
"But seriously, what a surprise. Just one night with the girls… What if he—" Richard's thoughts drifted momentarily, but he shook his head. No, he wouldn't entertain that line of thought.
As I lay there, battered but still alive, Richard's smile softened, and he approached, his footsteps heavy on the field.
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In another training ground, the atmosphere was charged with an electric sense of anticipation. Julia stood tall, her posture unwavering. Before her, Scarlett, Lyra, and Layla were ready, their focus sharp and their elemental auras swirling around them in ever-growing intensity.
Scarlett's fingers curled around her daggers, shadows weaving around her like an eerie cloak. Her eyes narrowed, glowing faintly as the darkness around her intensified, each strand of shadow seeming to resonate with her growing determination.
Beside her, Lyra exhaled slowly, conjuring two ice lances in each hand. The ice was denser, colder than ever before, each shard reflecting the frosty mist hanging in the air. The power in her hands felt as if it could freeze an entire battlefield.
Layla, at the farthest point, stepped forward, her cursed energy coiling around her like a snake. Her hands gripped the familiar ethereal scythe, but it was different now. It was sharper, darker, its presence ominous and foreboding—more than just a weapon, it was an extension of her very soul.
Julia blinked, taking it all in. The progress these girls had made in such a short time was staggering. Their control over their elements was refined, far beyond what she'd expected from them.
Her thoughts drifted briefly. "Hah, I guess it's fine to let them sleep once in a while if they can improve this much." But then, shaking her head, she smirked inwardly. "No. Too much greed can blind you."
Her smile turned into something darker as she shifted her focus to the trio before her. She formed ten shadow and ice spears in the blink of an eye, each one pulsing with raw power.
"Show me what you've got," she grinned, a mischievous spark dancing in her eyes.
The three girls tensed. The ominous grin on Julia's face made their spines tingle. They knew, without a doubt, this would be a battle unlike any they had faced before. But there was no backing down now.
"I have to surprise her," they all thought in unison, the resolve within them strengthening. It was their chance to push beyond their limits.
The battle began.
Scarlett darted forward, vanishing in a blur of shadows. Her movement was smooth, almost imperceptible, as she reappeared behind Julia, daggers raised. She struck with the precision of an assassin, but Julia was ready.
In a flash, Julia spun, using Shadow Step to disappear and reappear behind Scarlett. She fired an Ice Spear, but Scarlett dodged gracefully, using Wind Slash to deflect the incoming projectile, her speed unmatched.
Not to be outdone, Lyra followed up. She raised her arms and unleashed Frost Lance, the icy projectile flying straight for Julia's chest. But Julia flicked her wrist, summoning a Shadow Spear to intercept the ice, the two forces clashing with a shockwave that rattled the air.
Layla, meanwhile, prepared her own deadly strike. Her Cursed Touch flared, and she rushed forward, attempting to bind Julia's movement with Shadow Bind. But Julia was quicker than they expected—Shadow Dance—a blur of dark movement, and Julia was gone, her form swirling around Layla, who missed her strike entirely.
The girls didn't falter. They understood now. They had to attack together, not in isolation.
Lyra was the first to signal the shift in strategy. She stepped back, her breathing steady as she whispered the incantation for her ultimate spell. Chill of the North infused her lance, the temperature plummeting around her. The icy winds picked up, howling, before Lyra shouted, "Frostbite!"
The air itself froze as a blizzard began to swirl around them. Julia's eyes widened, but she didn't move. She was calculating.
Layla, in unison with Lyra, spun her scythe. The Cursed of Weakness began to warp the very air around her, followed by a dark green aura that enveloped her weapon. "Soul Drain!" she cried out, the energy in the scythe surging as she slashed forward.
The cursed energy twisted into a crimson-black-green trail, slicing through the air with a sickening speed. The girls had prepared their opening—their ultimate move was about to hit.
Scarlett, realizing the timing was now or never, stepped into position. Two clones of herself emerged from the shadows, identical to her in every way. Shadow Dance took over as she hurled herself into the fray, summoning Shadow Summon to reinforce her attack. The three Scarlets moved in a synchronized motion, blending shadow and speed into a flawless storm of attacks.
"Now!" Scarlett called out.
The three girls attacked simultaneously. Lyra's Frost Embrace—a fusion of Chill of the North and Frostbite—encased Julia in an ice storm. Layla's Crimson Eclipse Curse, with the combined weight of Cursed of Weakness and Soul Drain, struck from a distance, aiming to weaken and drain her life force. Meanwhile, Scarlett's clones launched their assault with Wind Storm, Shadow Dance, and Shadow Storm, forming a deadly convergence of wind and shadow in one explosive attack.
It was the ultimate combination of their powers, and it all came at once.
Julia's POV
The world around Julia slowed as the attacks rushed towards her. A grin formed on her lips as she watched the girls' attacks come together. Most would be caught off guard, terrified, but Julia felt only exhilaration. This... this was what she had been waiting for.
They've done well. But she could sense the flaw. They were still too green, too unrefined.
She chuckled softly. "Heh, you wanna beat me? You're still too young," Julia muttered under her breath.
As the attacks neared, Julia closed her eyes, the air around her thickening. The temperature dropped, the shadows twisted, and her aura surged.
Her eyes opened—one shadowy, the other a piercing icy blue, matching the hue of her hair. "Ice and Shadow, combine."
The two elements began to swirl around her, merging into a chaotic vortex. The air hummed with power as an ancient yin-yang symbol began to form, pulsing with energy.
"Domain Expansion: Eternal Dusk."
The world around them seemed to collapse as the vortex expanded outward, ice and shadows mixing in a colossal explosion. The force was unimaginable—wind, ice, and darkness consuming everything in its path.
The girls didn't even get a chance to react. The blast sent them flying, their bodies slamming into the ground with bone-crushing force. The air was thick with the taste of blood, their wounds deep and severe. They gasped for breath, unable to rise.
Julia watched them, her expression a mixture of amusement and admiration. They gave it their all, she thought, but it's not enough.
She stuck her tongue out, a playful grin appearing on her face. "Oh my, I might've overdone it."
A voice cut through the silence. "Looks like we went a little too far," Richard said, his voice full of amusement.
Julia turned to find Richard standing nearby, Noah slung over his shoulder like a sack. The sight of Noah, unconscious but unharmed, made her smirk.
"Well," Julia said, feigning innocence, "it was important to teach them not to get arrogant."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "How's that going, then?"
Julia's grin widened. "Hmm, they've improved. But next time, I'll hold back a little more."
The two shared a brief moment of understanding before Richard turned his attention to the girls. "What do you think of their improvement?"
Julia shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know how they did it. I mean, look at them. They didn't take any drugs or shortcuts. It's all real progress. I guess they just needed a little... push."
Richard chuckled. "Are you implying that it's because you slept with them?"
Julia raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should try it tonight. Who knows?"
Richard blinked, sweating slightly. "Uh… let's talk about that later."
Julia laughed, tossing his hand away with a wink. "Pervert," she teased.
--------
(Following night in Richard's Room)
Richard muttered under his breath, "Sorry, Noah. I won't be able to train you tomorrow."
"Hehehe."
Julia's laughter echoed in the room, the sound both teasing and terrifying in its own way.
-To be continued...