2026-10-29 01:16:03
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033
He launched himself forward with a powerful double strike.I waited until the last possible moment.Then I used Crimson Step.The burst carried me just beyond his reach, but I kept the movement short, refusing to spend more energy than necessary. Damon overshot his target and landed heavily near the platform’s edge.His breathing had become ragged.The technique demanded enormous concentration, and he had been forcing it through repeated attacks without allowing himself time to recover. The strain was beginning to show in his shoulders and the slight tremor in his fingers.I had spent the match studying him.Every time he used the Vein-Breaking Palm, he planted his left foot firmly and rotated his hips to drive energy through both arms. After each powerful strike, he needed a fraction of a second to reset his stance.That fraction was my opening.Damon rushed me again, determined to finish the match before his exhaustion became obvious.I blocked the first strike with my forearm and f
032
The first preliminary match took place the following morning, after the academy moved the event forward by a day to accommodate an unexpected inspection.The main combat arena was packed with students, instructors, and representatives from several influential martial families. Protective formations glimmered around the stone platform, designed to contain stray energy and prevent serious injuries from reaching spectators.Master Orin stood at the center, his hands clasped behind his back.“Combat rankings are earned through performance, not reputation,” he announced. “You may use approved martial techniques, but deliberate attempts to kill an opponent will result in immediate disqualification and disciplinary action. The instructors’ decisions are final.”His gaze swept across the assembled fighters.“Begin.”My first opponent was a broad-shouldered student named Harlan, whose current rank placed him several dozen positions above mine. He approached the platform with a confident grin,
031
The black fragment burned against my palm, and the golden threads connecting it to my skin tightened until pain shot through my arm.“Let it go, Theo!” Mira shouted.“I’m trying!”The fragment jerked in the air between us, its engraved symbol glowing brighter with every beat of my heart. Golden lines spread beneath my skin, following the path of my reconstructed martial vein, while the energy inside me surged toward the artifact as though something were dragging it out.Warning: Forced resonance detected.First God Vein stability: 61%.My knees buckled.Mira caught my shoulder, but the instant her fingers touched me, a pulse of golden energy burst across the courtyard. She stumbled backward, and the fragment dropped into my hand.The connection snapped.I hit the ground hard, gasping as the golden lines faded beneath my skin. The fragment had gone cold again, but its symbol was different. A thin line had appeared beneath the original engraving, forming part of a pattern I had seen ins
030
They continued training until the sun rose above the courtyard wall. By then, Theo’s legs were trembling again, and Mira finally ordered him to stop.“You need food and rest,” she said. “If you keep training while your body is recovering, you’ll undo everything we accomplished.”Theo lowered himself onto the stone bench.“Are you always this bossy?”“Only when someone refuses to use common sense.”“Then I imagine I’m exhausting you.”“You have no idea.”She retrieved a small flask from her pack and handed it to him. Theo accepted it, surprised by the gesture.“What’s this?”“Water. Unless you’ve discovered a way to survive without it.”“I’m beginning to think you enjoy insulting me.”“I enjoy watching you make it difficult.”He took a drink, then returned the flask.“Thank you.”Mira nodded, accepting the gratitude without making a joke of it.For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, watching the courtyard slowly brighten. Theo had not told her everything, and she had not pretend
029
Theo closed his eyes and focused on his first God Vein.The familiar golden pulse stirred beneath his skin.He guided the energy through the reconstructed channel, keeping the flow low and even. The process was easier than it had been a week earlier, but the strain from the previous day’s fighting remained. His circulation wavered when he tried to increase the flow, so he reduced it before the instability could spread.“Your shoulders are tense,” Mira observed.“I’m concentrating.”“You’re also holding your breath.”Theo exhaled.“Better?”“Marginally.”He tried again.This time, he allowed his breathing to settle before guiding the energy through his arm. The golden pulse reached his palm without producing a visible flash, and he held it there for several seconds before drawing it back.Mira watched closely.“You’re not releasing the same amount of energy you circulate,” she said.Theo’s eyes opened.“What do you mean?”“Your movement suggests that you’re generating more force than t
028
Theo arrived at the abandoned courtyard before sunrise, hoping the quiet would give him enough time to recover from the ambush without answering a dozen questions about his injuries.His legs still ached whenever he moved too quickly, and the muscles around his right arm remained tender despite the medical instructor’s treatment. The system had warned him against using Crimson Step until his body recovered, but the thought of being cornered again without a reliable escape troubled him more than the pain.He needed to train, even if all he could manage was basic movement and controlled circulation.Theo placed his travel pack beside the cracked stone wall and began stretching his legs. He had barely finished when a familiar voice interrupted him.“You’re early.”He turned.Mira stood at the courtyard entrance with her spear strapped across her back and her arms folded across her chest. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes immediately settled on the way he favored his right leg.
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