Chapter 459: Lux’s Intense Training 1
Seven humanoid monsters emerged from the undergrowth without making a sound.
Two came from the front.
Three spread to the flanks.
The remaining two climbed onto the rooftops of the abandoned buildings, their hollow eyes fixed upon the lone intruder.
None of them roared.
None of them hesitated.
They simply attacked.
Whoosh!
The first monster thrust out a claw.
A crescent blade of compressed wind split the air, slicing through the ruined street.
Lux remained motionless.
His silver eyes calmly tracked its trajectory.
At the last possible moment, he shifted half a step to the side.
The wind blade skimmed past his shoulder.
Boom!
The ruined temple behind him exploded apart, stone blocks flying in every direction.
Lux finally moved.
His wings of light expanded.
A single flap.
Bang!
His figure disappeared.
The monster barely reacted before the short staff struck its jaw.
Crack.
The impact folded its neck backward without breaking it, launching the creature high into the air.
Lux followed.
Golden-white feathers scattered behind him as he ascended faster than the monster itself.
He rotated his staff.
Light gathered around one end.
A downward strike.
Boom!
The monster crashed through three abandoned houses before disappearing beneath a cloud of rubble.
Lux never looked back.
The second monster had already arrived.
Darkness gathered around its claws, condensing into black spikes.
It slashed.
The air itself seemed to split.
Lux raised his staff.
Shing!
Light collided against darkness.
The black claws slid along the glowing shaft before Lux twisted his wrist.
The staff rolled over the monster’s arm.
A smooth motion.
No wasted effort.
Its balance vanished.
Lux stepped inside its guard.
His elbow drove into its chest.
Boom!
The creature staggered backward.
Before it could recover—
Tap.
The end of the staff lightly touched its forehead.
A point of light appeared.
Lux walked away.
"...Detonate."
Boom!
The compressed light exploded behind him.
The monster vanished inside a pillar of white radiance.
The remaining five attacked together.
Whoosh!
Wind currents spiraled across the abandoned town.
Dust rose.
Leaves swirled.
Entire trees bent under the pressure.
Dark mist seeped between the streets, swallowing every source of light.
Visibility disappeared almost instantly.
Lux calmly closed his eyes.
"..."
His Law spread outward.
The darkness concealed vision.
Not intent.
Not prana.
Every movement inside the mist appeared clearly within his perception.
Three from the left.
One above.
One behind.
His wings beat once.
The darkness exploded outward.
The shockwave of light tore open the black fog, revealing the monsters for only an instant.
That instant was enough.
Lux extended one hand.
Twenty arrows of light materialized.
Twack!
Twack!
Twack!
The arrows scattered instead of flying straight.
Each curved through impossible angles.
One monster manipulated wind, trying to divert them.
The currents bent.
The arrows bent with them.
They adjusted naturally.
Three arrows struck its shoulder.
Five pierced both thighs.
Another embedded itself through its palm.
The creature lost control of its Law.
Lux appeared before it.
A horizontal swing.
Shing!
The glowing staff struck across its ribs.
The monster spun violently before crashing through an ancient stone fountain.
Before it stopped moving—
Three more arrows pinned it to the ground.
Lux turned.
The rooftop monster leaped.
Dark blades extended from both forearms.
It descended like a guillotine.
Lux simply leaned backward.
The twin blades missed his face by inches.
His body continued bending until nearly parallel with the ground.
The monster landed.
Lux’s palm touched the earth.
Using it as support, he kicked upward.
Boom!
His heel struck beneath the creature’s chin.
It lifted off the ground.
Lux rose with it.
His wings folded.
Then opened.
A burst of acceleration.
He overtook the airborne monster.
His staff spun once.
Then twice.
Light gathered around its tip.
A thrust.
The glowing weapon pierced straight through the creature’s shoulder.
Not deep enough to kill.
Only enough.
Lux twisted.
The monster lost all orientation.
Before gravity reclaimed it—
Dozens of light arrows appeared beneath it.
Like a blooming flower.
Twack!
Twack!
Twack!
Twack!
Each arrow launched upward simultaneously.
The creature was struck from every direction.
It resembled a puppet suspended by strings of light.
Lux snapped his fingers.
The arrows dispersed.
The monster dropped unconscious onto the ruined street.
The last three exchanged glances.
Instinct.
They understood.
This prey...
Was wrong.
Wind exploded beneath their feet.
They charged together.
One manipulated the currents to increase their speed.
Another wrapped itself in darkness, becoming almost invisible.
The third gathered compressed wind into both fists.
The abandoned city trembled beneath their synchronized assault.
Lux exhaled softly.
"...Better."
His grip shifted.
For the first time since the battle began—
He assumed a proper stance.
Light condensed around his feet.
Then—
Flash.
Everything slowed.
No.
Lux had simply become faster.
To the monsters, he disappeared.
To the outside world, streaks of white radiance danced between the ruined buildings.
Boom!
One monster’s punch struck empty air.
Boom!
Another slashed only afterimages.
The invisible one finally located Lux—
Too late.
A glowing staff rested gently against its neck.
"...Found you."
Crack.
The creature flew sideways.
Before it landed—
Lux vanished again.
The second monster swung wildly.
Its fist met only light.
A hand grabbed its wrist.
Lux pivoted.
Using the creature’s own momentum, he threw it over his shoulder.
The monster smashed into the street.
Before it could rise—
A glowing boot pressed lightly against its chest.
"Sleep."
Light flooded into its body.
The accumulated energy overloaded its nervous system.
Its movements ceased.
Only one remained.
The strongest.
Wind screamed around its body.
Buildings collapsed under the pressure.
Chunks of stone floated into the air.
The monster roared for the first time.
Its muscles swelled.
Compressed wind covered both arms like transparent armor.
Then—
Boom!
It vanished.
Lux’s wings folded protectively.
A fraction of a second later—
Bang!
The monster’s fist collided against his crossed staff.
The ground beneath Lux shattered.
Cracks spread for dozens of meters.
The force would have crushed an ordinary Purple-Rank cadet.
Lux didn’t move.
His boots remained rooted.
"...Good strength."
The monster roared again.
Punch after punch descended.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Each strike carried enough force to demolish buildings.
Lux blocked every single one.
His movements remained economical.
Minimal.
Efficient.
Not a single motion was wasted.
The creature grew faster.
Lux matched it.
The creature became more violent.
Lux remained calm.
Eventually—
The rhythm broke.
One punch extended just slightly farther than the others.
That was enough.
Lux stepped inside.
His shoulder bumped the monster’s chest.
Its balance disappeared.
His staff rotated.
One strike against the elbow.
Another against the ribs.
A third against the knee.
Three impacts.
Three weak points.
The monster collapsed onto one leg.
Lux pointed his palm forward.
Hundreds of tiny stars bloomed behind him.
Each one...
A miniature arrow of light.
The ruined town became brighter than daylight.
The monster raised both arms, gathering every ounce of wind it possessed.
Lux’s expression remained unchanged.
"Go."
The stars descended.
A meteor shower of light.
Twack!
Twack!
Twack!
Twack!
The arrows rained endlessly, shattering every layer of compressed wind protecting the monster.
Its defenses crumbled piece by piece.
When the final arrow landed—
Silence returned.
The creature remained standing for a brief moment.
Then it collapsed.
Lux slowly lowered his hand.
The wings behind his back dissolved into drifting particles of light.
He glanced across the battlefield.
Seven monsters.
All defeated.
His breathing remained perfectly steady.
Not a trace of fatigue could be seen on his face.
"...Still not enough."
He looked toward the deeper parts of the ancient forest.
His intuition told him something stronger was waiting.
Without another glance at the fallen monsters, Lux rested the short staff on his shoulder and continued walking into the wilderness, as calm as when he had first arrived.