CHAPTER 41: SPARRING WITH VANESSA

"So what kind of training are we going to do?" Lucius asked, his voice steady but his body already burdened by the invisible weight of the artifact.

The training field stretched out before them like a miniature stadium.

They were standing opposite each other now, the air thick with expectation.

Vanessa flexed her hands, the dark gloves she wore catching the torchlight.

"Well, regular physical sparring," she said, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly. "I won’t use mana or any spells at all, neither will I use any abilities. The same goes for you. We’re having a clean match."

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "So, basically... you want me to get pummeled the old-fashioned way."

"Exactly," she replied without hesitation. "Regular physical training is the foundation. It builds muscle, endurance, and discipline. If your body can’t endure, your powers won’t save you. And besides—" her eyes lingered on him, assessing, weighing, "—you survived a strike from Rita. That tells me your body is sturdier than you think. Let’s put it to the test."

Lucius smirked dryly.

’She says sturdier like Rita didn’t nearly break me in half...’

"Take your stance," Vanessa ordered, her voice sharp. She lowered herself slightly, knees bent, arms rising.

Lucius’s gaze sharpened.

He noticed how her stance wasn’t random — it was deliberate.

Her front foot pointed forward, her rear foot angled slightly to the side. Both hands were up, but her right hovered just ahead, while her left stayed close to protect her midsection.

Her shoulders were relaxed but coiled like springs, her center of gravity balanced as if she were ready to shift in any direction.

"This," she said, "is called the Blood Hands. It’s a stance built for attacks and counters. I use my lead hand to bait, my rear hand to break through. It’s about punishing reckless opponents and making them regret coming forward."

Lucius tilted his head, studying it. "Looks sturdy... You really are great."

Vanessa’s lips curved faintly. "Thank you."

Lucius inhaled slowly and lowered himself as well.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with this. The original body he inherited carried muscle memory, reflexes sharpened by past training.

He slid into position almost instinctively.

His knees bent wider, his arms lifted at an odd angle — one hand angled downward across his body, the other raised loosely near his temple.

His feet were spread, but not too much, his weight shifting fluidly between them. His eyes never left hers.

"This," Lucius said, "is the Hohenberg Stance. Built on deception. The downward guard looks open, but it’s meant to redirect. The upper guard flows into sudden strikes. It’s about control— letting the opponent think they’ve got me, when really... they don’t."

He said it because she explained her own.

Vanessa’s eyebrows rose.

He wasn’t bluffing.

The stance carried presence.

She could almost feel the intent behind it.

"Good stance," she said finally, nodding. "Now defend yourself. The gravity is there to make it harder, but..." Her lips curled, mischievous. "I believe you can do it."

Lucius’s sneer deepened.

’This isn’t some drama where I suddenly power up just because you ’believe’ in me.’

The instant the thought left his mind, Vanessa blurred forward.

She wasn’t using mana, yet her body moved like a shadow cutting through wind.

Lucius’s eyes widened — he could barely track her, but not completely. His instincts screamed.

Her fist angled toward his shoulder. He shifted to dodge, but mid-motion, her hips twisted.

She switched targets with terrifying precision, slamming her fist into his open stomach.

"Ghk—!" Lucius staggered backward, his boots skidding against stone. His insides clenched, his breath knocked clean out.

Vanessa retracted, surprised.

’That impact... his body didn’t fold. He actually absorbed it.’

Lucius forced himself upright, trembling but not falling.

His abdomen ached like fire. Sweat ran down his forehead. But then —

[Ding]

[You have gained +2 Endurance]

The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

’No pain, no gain, huh?’

The weight on his body shifted slightly — the artifact loosening its grip just a fraction. The air felt less crushing.

Lucius raised his sleeve, wiping sweat from his brow.

He grinned. "That really didn’t hurt."

Vanessa’s eyes locked onto him. She could tell he was bluffing, but she didn’t call him out.

Instead, warmth flickered behind her gaze.

"I’m really glad you didn’t go down in one punch," she said. Her tone was steady, but her heart quickened.

This was what she had wanted — someone who could withstand, endure, rise again.

Someone who wouldn’t shatter under pressure.

And then she moved again.

To Lucius, she seemed to vanish. But he realized quickly — she wasn’t vanishing, she was just fast.

Her fist cut the air toward him again.

This time, Lucius didn’t dodge.

He planted his feet, braced himself, and took it.

The impact rattled through his shoulder, bones creaking under strain. But he stayed upright.

Vanessa’s eyes widened.

And then Lucius countered. He didn’t waste the force.

He used it — letting her punch drive his body just enough to channel momentum into his own strike.

His fist shot forward, sinking into her midsection.

The shock rippled through her. Her body rocked backward. She stumbled one step, then another, almost falling before regaining balance.

Her lungs sucked in air sharply.

Pain blossomed across her stomach, but instead of anger, what bloomed in her chest was joy.

’I knew it,’ she thought, biting back a smile. Her gloves tightened. ’I knew he was the one...’

They didn’t stop.

The sparring became a dance of fists and grit.

Vanessa’s strikes came sharp, each one wanting to bring him to the ground. Lucius bore them with gritted teeth, sometimes redirecting with the deceptive flows of the Hohenberg stance, sometimes tanking them head-on, always searching for an opening.

Every punch he landed was clumsy compared to hers, but they carried intent.

He was slowly growing better with his punches.

[Ding]

[+1 Strength]

[+1 Endurance]

Vanessa, meanwhile, grew exhilarated. It was the first time in a long time that she had felt genuine...

Excitement.

She was fighting with someone weaker than her but she still wanted to continue... She was enjoying it too much.

"Good!" she called, darting past his guard, flicking a jab into his ribs. "Again!"

Lucius growled, swinging back with a heavy cross that barely grazed her cheek.

"Better!" she laughed, twisting, her elbow flashing toward his chest. "Again!"

They moved and their fists collided, cracking sounds echoing in the air.