2026-11-02 23:48:10
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036
The challenge came three days after Theo Vale was accused of stealing a restricted martial technique.By then, the accusation had spread beyond the academy walls, and the suspension of his provisional ranking had become the subject of heated arguments among the students. Some believed he was a fraud who had finally been caught. Others suspected the Draven family had arranged the accusation to prevent him from advancing.Theo had no intention of wasting his strength arguing with either group.He had spent the last three days recovering, although recovery was a generous description of what his body had allowed him to do. The physician had forbidden strenuous training, his ordinary martial channels still ached, and his first God Vein remained dangerously unstable.The system had refused to release any additional rewards.SUPREME MARTIAL GOD SYSTEMHost condition: Recovering.First God Vein stability: 52%.Ordinary martial channels: Partial recovery.Available amplification output: Restri
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Finn found Theo near the western dormitory shortly before evening.He was breathing hard, and his expression was unusually serious.“Brother Theo.”Theo turned.“Finn? What happened?”“I heard about the accusation.”“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”Finn frowned.“It’s obviously not nothing. They suspended your ranking.”Theo placed a hand on his shoulder.“I’m handling it.”Finn hesitated.“Someone came looking for you earlier.”“Who?”“I don’t know. Two senior students. They asked where you’ve been training after curfew.”Theo’s expression changed.“What did you tell them?”“Nothing.”“Finn.”“I told them I didn’t know.”“Good.”Finn looked down.“They didn’t believe me.”Theo’s hand tightened slightly on his shoulder.“What did they do?”“Nothing serious.”“Finn.”The younger boy swallowed.“One of them grabbed my arm. I pulled away, and the other pushed me against the wall.”Theo’s expression darkened.“Are you hurt?”“It’s just a bruise.”Finn tried to smile, but his face t
034
The news of Theo Vale’s provisional ranking had barely settled across Celestial Martial Academy when the first order arrived from the Draven estate.It was delivered shortly after sunrise, carried by a man in a dark formal robe who walked through the academy’s main entrance as though he owned the ground beneath his feet.Theo was in the infirmary when it happened.He sat on the edge of a narrow bed while a physician examined the bruising around his ribs. His right arm was wrapped from the elbow down, and every attempt to straighten his back sent a sharp ache through his abdomen.The physician pressed two fingers against his wrist, allowing a thread of martial energy to enter his body.His expression changed.“Strange.”Theo glanced at him. “What is it?”“Your energy circulation is unusually complicated.” The physician withdrew his fingers and examined him again. “Several of your channels have sustained damage, but the energy moving through them doesn’t behave like ordinary martial ene
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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
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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,
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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
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