CHAPTER 114: C-RANK TRAINING: PART I

Today’s session was different; to push the trio past their limits into the paradise of C-rank, Marcus had designed a regimen to test them. Each was assigned a distinct component of the training, split into three parts, each going to one.

Nova stood in the center of the main arena, clutching his daggers. Marcus faced him, his shadow tendrils curling at his feet, a smirk tugging his lips. The one-on-one was planned for Marcus to use his shadow manipulation in actuality, instead of just using his martial arts, like he did yesterday.

Elesch sat cross-legged in a corner, her eyes closed, delving into her Ability Chamber for meditation and training. She rested her rapier above her knees, smiling.

Adam, on the other hand, was in the holographic training bay, surrounded by D-rank monsters who resembled goblins but with sharper claws and menacing eyes.

Nova grip tightened on his daggers, as he knew that Marcus would go harder on him since yesterday, after delivering his first faint cut to Marcus’s cheeks. His body ached from all the previous days of training, whether it was badminton, guild mission, or just training with Marcus.

Though he was determined that today was the day he would land another strike on Marcus. He wanted to be optimistic; he wanted his determination to lead him to battle again and be victorious.

Marcus raised a hand, his shadows coiling like snakes ready to strike. "No holding back, Nova," he said, his voice calm, though giving him a challenge. "C-rank means you face real threats. Show me you’re ready."

Nova didn’t respond with words. He lunged, his daggers slashing in a crisscross pattern aimed at Marcus’s torso. The shadows snapped up, forming a barrier that deflected the blades effortlessly.

Nova pivoted, using his momentum to spin low, aiming a sweeping kick at Marcus’s legs. Marcus sidestepped effortlessly, his shadows lashing out like whips. One grazed Nova’s shoulder, slicing through his shirt and drawing a thin line of blood.

The pain was sharp, but he grinned. This

was what he came to the mortal realm for. He rolled backward, dodging another shadow tendril, and hurled a dagger at Marcus’s chest. The blade spun through the air, but Marcus tilted his head, letting it sail past and embed itself in the wall.

Before Nova could react, Marcus closed the distance, his fist slamming into Nova’s gut with controlled force. Nova staggered, coughing, but his eyes never left Marcus.

"Too predictable," Marcus said, stepping back. "You’re fast, but speed alone won’t cut it."

Nova wiped blood from his lip, his smirk unwavering. "Then let’s make it unpredictable."

He sprinted forward, feinting a high slash, then dropped low, his second dagger arcing toward Marcus’s thigh. The shadow tendrils reacted, but Nova twisted mid-motion, using a silat technique to redirect his momentum. His blade scratched Marcus’s forearm with a shallow cut, enough to make Marcus’s eyes narrow in approval.

"Good," Marcus said, his shadows surging with renewed intensity. "Now survive this."

The tendrils lunged towards Nova from every angle. Nova’s instincts kicked in, his body began moving on autopilot, dodging, parrying, and weaving through the onslaught.

Blood dripped from new cuts, but he didn’t falter. He couldn’t. He kept at it, parrying, dodging, weaving, more cuts sparkling on his skin, but still he didn’t falter, and had a more menacing grin than before.

---

On the other hand, in the quiet corner of the hall, Elesch sat crossed-legged, her soul submerged in the Ability Chamber, the vast void where her duplicate waited patiently. The duplicate smiled when she saw Elesch, holding her rapier in the infinite darkness that reflected across the Ability Chamber.

Elesch exhaled, centering herself, grounding herself. Meditation wasn’t just about rest; it was a battle of will. Her goal was to refine her void manipulation, to deepen her control over the intangible force that let her bend space and disrupt energy.

The duplicate lunged without warning, its rapier slicing through the air with precision. Elesch parried, her blade meeting the duplicate’s in a burst of sparks. The void vibrated around them, distorting the space where their rapier’s collided.

"You’re hesitating," the duplicate said coldly. "C-rank demands certainty. Tell me you got that certainty to surpass even C-rank."

Elesch gritted her teeth, thrusting her rapier forward. The void warped, creating a pocket of distorted space that redirected the duplicate’s counterattack. She followed with a series of precise strikes, each one laced with void energy that distorted the void even further.

The duplicate matched her. Elesch’s mind strained, her focus razor-sharp as she pushed her ability further, trying to collapse the space around her duplicate’s blade.

The duplicate smirked, stepping through a void rift to reappear behind her. Elesch anticipated it, spinning and slashing upward. The blades locked, and Elesch poured more energy into her void manipulation, creating a small vortex that tugged at the duplicate’s form.

The duplicate resisted, but Elesch felt a spark of progress, feeling her control tightening, her power growing. Sweat dripped from her forehead, but she didn’t break focus.

---

In the holographic bay, Adam faced a large number of D-rank monsters. The goblin-like creatures snarled, their claws glowing as they surrounded him.

Adam’s claws extended from his knuckles. His heart pounded, not from fear but from the lingering trauma of the graveyard spirits.

"No ghosts this time," he muttered, cracking his neck. "Just things I can hit."

The first goblin lunged, its claws aiming for Adam’s throat. Adam sidestepped, his claws raking across its side, shattering the hologram into pixels. Two more attacked from opposite sides, their movements synchronized.

Adam ducked, rolling forward and slashing upward, catching one in the chest. The other grazed his arm, leaving a simulated burn that stung like the real thing. He cursed, spinning to face the remaining horde.

The bay’s AI adjusted, spawning more goblins, each faster than the last. Adam’s movements were fluid but strained; his stamina was waning from yesterday’s drills. He slashed through another goblin, its form dissolving, but three more took its place.

"Oh, come on!" he shouted, diving into a frenzy of strikes.

A larger goblin, a D-rank elite, appeared at the back, its eyes glowing brighter. It roared, charging with a massive club raised. Adam’s instincts screamed to dodge, but he stood his ground, channeling his ability into a single, powerful strike.

His claws glowed faintly, and he met the club head-on, shattering it and slicing through the goblin’s core. The hologram exploded into a million pieces, but Adam stumbled, panting, as more enemies spawned.

"Marcus is trying to kill me," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.