章節 131: Wilderness
After Cecilia's birthday finally came to an end, I took the time to jot down all my future plans.
My primary long-term goal was clear: preventing Elara's engagement to Valerian in order to avert the Slatemark Civil War. To achieve that, I needed considerable influence—more influence than I currently possessed.
To gain that level of power, I decided to establish a guild that would surpass even the twelve great guilds of the Slatemark Empire. Of course, this was no simple task.
One of the key ways I could gain influence was through the Mana-Tech industry. To fully capitalize on the potential of Mana-Tech, which would emerge once aetherite was discovered in the future, I needed an alliance with the Tower of Magic. That meant getting close to Archmage Charlotte, one of the few Radiant-rankers I currently had no connection with.
To do that, I needed to expose the Tower of Alchemy's corruption—something that Lucifer did in the original novel. However, this would only be possible once I reached at least <Ascendant>-rank; otherwise, I would be risking my life for nothing.
Another crucial step was laying the foundation of my guild using Jin and Kali's influence, recruiting capable members to get things started. As the guild grew in power and influence, I would gain more sway within the Empire.
For now, Jin and Kali would do most of the groundwork, using their families' influence while I focused on getting stronger.
The truth was, the gap between Lucifer and me was about to widen again. The reason I managed to match him in power was due to the nature of White-rank, where all White-ranks who hadn't started the integration process were roughly equal in terms of mana.
But Lucifer had already been at White-rank for nearly a year and would soon begin the integration process, making him significantly stronger. By the time I began my own integration, he would have already reached Integration-rank.
The reason he remained in White-rank for so long without beginning the integration process was because his body didn't quite catch up to his mana core yet, but now he had physically matured to the point he could begin the integration process.
There were secret methods to accelerate the integration process—methods that only I knew, thanks to the novel—but, even with those, Lucifer would remain ahead of me for at least the rest of this year.
It was frustrating to accept, but I had to face reality. The path to power wasn't a sprint, and I couldn't allow myself to be consumed by the pressure of trying to catch up. For now, I needed to focus on laying the groundwork and building the influence I'd need in the future.
Slowly but surely, I would make my move—and when the time came, I would be ready.
That didn't mean I planned to remain weak—I still had training with Magnus Draykar ahead of me.
Magnus was a true monster.
In the original novel, he had trained Lucifer, helping him reach <Ascendant>-rank during the winter break of his fourth year. My goal wasn't to learn his personal Grade 6 art but to refine my own swordsmanship and build upon my personal Grade 6 art.
My current Grade 6 art had only its first movement: *God Flash*. Even that needed a lot of refinement, and I knew I would likely only perfect it by the time I reached Immortal-rank. Such was the excruciating difficulty and complexity associated with Grade 6 arts—arts that transcended everything else.
But perfecting it would be worth it. This wasn't about shortcuts; it was about mastering an art that could elevate me beyond limits. Magnus's guidance could help me take that step forward, even if the path was going to be brutal.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day for my departure to begin training with the Martial King. I was prepared to travel to wherever he had chosen for our training, but I hadn't expected Magnus to come to my house to pick me up personally.
The doorbell rang, and before I even opened it, I could sense his presence—a pressure so powerful that even without active intent, it filled the air. When I opened the door, there he stood, his imposing figure taking up the entire doorway.
"Ready, kid?" Magnus asked, a faint smirk playing at his lips, his eyes glinting with challenge.
I nodded, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "Yes, I'm ready."
Magnus looked me over as if assessing my resolve, then gave a grunt of approval. "Good. Don't think I'm going easy on you just because you got guts. From today on, you're stepping into hell."
He turned and gestured for me to follow. My parents stood behind me, watching the exchange with a mix of pride and concern. I glanced back at them, giving a reassuring smile.
"I'll be back," I said. "And I'll be stronger."
My mother gave me a gentle nod, her eyes reflecting a mix of worry and encouragement. "Take care of yourself, Arthur. We'll be waiting for you."
My father added, "Remember what we talked about. Stay sharp, stay focused."
I nodded, then followed Magnus out of the house.
The journey ahead was going to be the toughest I'd ever faced, but it was exactly what I needed. If I was going to change the future and protect those I cared about, I needed to become stronger—strong enough to challenge even the greatest powers of this world.
As Magnus led me away, I felt the weight of my decision. There was no turning back now, and honestly, I didn't want to.
Because this was the path that would take me to where I needed to be.
However, I hadn't expected the training to begin like this.
Magnus had dragged me to some random forest, somewhere deep in the wilderness. I had no idea where we were, and the dense canopy above blocked most of the sunlight, casting the area in an eerie twilight.
"How did you do that?" I asked, still trying to get my bearings as I looked around.
Magnus smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Every martial art begins with the foot. Footwork is the most important thing. My footwork has transcended into the realm of the absolute."
I nodded in understanding. Magnus was truly a monster—even his footwork was considered an art, though its grade wasn't specified. According to him, it was his footwork that allowed him to bring us here in the blink of an eye.
Ridiculous, to say the least.
No wonder he was impossible to track, even for the most powerful people in the world.
Right, I thought, glancing at him. He stands above them all.
He is incredibly powerful, Arthur, Luna spoke to me mentally, her voice carrying a hint of awe. It's hard to believe that someone with just a single Gift managed to reach such a high peak of strength.
I agreed with her silently. Magnus was unlike anyone else I had ever met. His power seemed limitless, and he had achieved it all without the crutch of multiple Gifts or extraordinary artifacts. It was raw, pure skill honed through countless years of training and battles.
Magnus turned towards me, the smirk still on his lips. "You know why I brought you here, right?"
I raised an eyebrow, unsure what to expect. "No, not really."
Magnus pointed to the dense forest around us, his expression growing serious. "This place is infested with mana beasts. For the next month, you're going to survive here. Alone."
My heart skipped a beat, and I could feel Luna's concern echoing in my mind.
"A month?" I asked, trying to mask the unease in my voice. "Without any help?"
Magnus nodded. "No help. No hand-holding. You either survive and grow stronger, or you don't. The choice is yours." He paused, then added, "If you want power, you need to be willing to fight for it—constantly. This forest will test you in ways you've never experienced before."
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. This was the kind of training I had signed up for, wasn't it? I wanted to grow stronger, and Magnus was offering me the chance. But he wasn't going to make it easy. No, he was going to push me to my absolute limits.
Magnus turned, starting to walk away. "I'll be back in a month. Survive, Arthur."
And with that, he disappeared, leaving me alone in the vast, untamed wilderness.
'Great,' I thought. 'Survive for a month in an unknown forest infested with mana beasts. Just what I signed up for.'
Luna's voice came through, her tone soft. 'Be careful, Arthur. We'll get through this together.'
I clenched my fist, my determination hardening. I had chosen this path for a reason. If I wanted to become strong enough to change the future, I couldn't afford to hesitate.
I looked around, taking in the thick undergrowth and the sounds of creatures hidden just beyond sight. This was it—the beginning of my trial.
I was ready.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票