CHAPTER 128: CHAPTER 128: INTENSE TRAINING

After watching the line of beasts ready to be devoured, Anubis looked at William seriously.

"You were right. Only devour those you defeat yourself," he nodded solemnly.

"It’s the right thing to do. I also firmly believe that the only strength that matters is what you earn with sweat, with pain, and with determination. Feeding without effort is like robbing yourself of the chance to grow."

William watched him for a moment. Then, as if a weight lifted from him, he spoke:

"Then, before we start, I’d like to learn about the Void."

Anubis raised an eyebrow.

"How to open it?"

"I read the book you left me, but I still don’t understand. I just know that... it’s like touching a second plane, as if the world has another skin underneath... and I can’t reach it."

Anubis smiled and nodded, signaling him to follow. He led him to an empty space they could use for training.

"To open Void portals, you need to master three things: your internal flow, mental projection... and the acceptance of the abyss."

"Acceptance?"

"The Void doesn’t respond to those who fear being swallowed by it. If you look into the abyss, the abyss will look into you, so you must enter it with confidence, as if you own the abyss."

Anubis explained the concepts while tracing invisible lines in the air with a claw. Small portals opened for seconds, cutting space with black, silent edges. Each time he tore space, a second cut appeared in another position.

"The Sixteen Void Strikes use portals to reach distances an weapon couldn’t. Each strike is launched from a different point; each movement must connect with the next. Precision. Rhythm. Intuition. Although they’re called 16 strikes, they can become infinite by changing trajectories: downward cut, upward cut, thrust, horizontal slash... The 16 strikes you can make with a sword must be delivered to the enemy in a single instant before they feel it, so the portal must open as close to the blade as possible, because if you give the enemy enough time, they’ll discover the attack point and easily dodge it."

William tried. He traced the movements. He repeated the spell.

But nothing; something was missing. It was as if he couldn’t grasp it; it was right there in front of him, but he couldn’t touch it, making him feel very frustrated.

"Perhaps you’re still too weak," Anubis admitted gently. "And also, this world was sealed by war. The space here is warped, like cracked glass... it’s harder to open the Void under these conditions because the planet, though dormant, protects itself from more invasions."

William gritted his teeth.

"Then show me. I want to see how far I need to go."

Anubis nodded. He stepped back and exhaled. His body vanished for an instant... and then the show began.

He appeared and disappeared at impossible speeds, launching cuts from unforeseen angles, using portals that emerged mid-air. Each strike had its unique mark. One burned, another froze, another was so precise it split a rock ten meters away... without the portal even being seen.

William could only see flashes and feel the waves of power.

"This is... absurd!" he murmured, mouth agape.

When Anubis finished, he lowered his guard and looked at him.

"Are you ready to test yourself?"

William nodded, still stunned.

"Yes. But I want to start with something physical."

"The hellhounds. They aren’t prisoners, but we use them for hunting and patrolling, like those that accompanied the lizard knight you defeated."

Anubis snapped his fingers, and twenty infernal hounds appeared, with black bodies, red eyes, and fangs dripping toxic saliva. They lined up like a pack waiting for the kill order.

"Each one is equivalent to a third-level knight. Their strength is physical, and their scent... lethal."

William took a breath. The hellhounds charged without hesitation.

The battle was brutal. William couldn’t use magical teleportation, so he only had instant steps, but the hounds followed him by instinct, like true hunters.

They jumped, bit, surrounded. Each time he slipped, two more appeared from another angle. William started to sweat, his muscles burning. Angel cast support spells: fire, lightning, wind. But the hounds barely retreated.

"Damn it!" William growled, panting.

Then, something in his eyes changed.

"Enough!"

He summoned the Sword of Chaos.

A tremor ran through the ground.

As soon as he gripped it, the hounds threw themselves to the ground, whimpering, refusing to advance. William frowned.

"What...?"

"Hellhounds can’t attack someone they consider superior," Anubis explained calmly. "They are cowardly by nature. If they detect a predator... they submit."

William clicked his tongue in frustration.

"Do you have anything else?"

"Nothing below mage or grand knight level. That’s why I chose the hounds."

William thought for a moment.

"What about him?"

He pointed to a three-meter stone golem, chained to the back wall. It was a block of rock muscles, with red light eyes in its featureless face.

"He killed several of mine for a treasure. He’s brutal. We locked him up years ago."

William stepped forward.

"Then I’ll make a deal. If he defeats me, he’s free. But if not... he’ll be mine."

The golem roared, breaking its shackles. Thousands of stones began to float around it, spinning with deadly precision. The area became a storm of projectiles, each the size of a human head.

Angel cast fire. Lightning. Wind. Water. Nothing worked. The rocks spun as if they were an extension of the monster’s body, shields and weapons at the same time.

"We’re not doing anything to him!" Angel shouted.

William didn’t give up. He began to cast every basic spell he knew: light flashes, waves, projectiles, gusts.

Nothing worked.

But his body adapted. He moved better. Faster. More precisely. It was as if he were dancing in the middle of a hurricane. Angel compared him to a helicopter fighting King Kong... but William didn’t fall.

Hours passed. His breathing was heavy. His clothes, torn.

Then... he smiled.

"It’s time to end this."

The Sword of Chaos returned to his hand. The blade drew the golem’s attention. It roared and launched all the rocks at once, creating an impassable wall.

But William... floated among them. Like a butterfly.

He slipped. Spun. Passed through impossible gaps. And at the exact instant, he cut.

The golem’s head rolled to the ground, and the stone storm collapsed with a dry crash.

Silence.

William lowered his sword.

"One by one. As I promised."

Anubis watched him in silence, and for the first time... he bowed his head with genuine respect.

"He is awakening."