Let's Train Heroine - Chapter 342

Chapter 342: Heroine’s Former Enemy, Nyx II
Nyx hated being caught off guard. The last encounter with the shadowy figure left her with more questions than answers, and that wasn’t something she enjoyed. So, when she sensed the familiar presence in the air—a chill that prickled the back of her neck—Nyx grinned.

“Oh, you’re back,” she muttered, twirling a dagger in her hand. “And this time, I’m ready for you.”

The air around her shimmered, and the figure materialized again. It was just as she remembered: a swirling mass of smoke and shadows, vaguely humanoid but entirely unnerving.

Nyx planted her feet firmly on the ground, a confident smirk on her lips. “Alright, shadow guy. You caught me napping last time, but now? Now, you’re about to see why I’m the most annoying person to Saint.”

The figure tilted its head, as if curious.

“I mean, sure, I’m also dangerous,” Nyx added, raising her dagger. “But mostly annoying. Shall we?”

Without warning, the shadow lunged at her, tendrils of darkness stretching out like claws. Nyx sidestepped gracefully, her form blurring for a split second.

“Too slow!” she taunted, appearing a few feet away.

The shadow didn’t respond verbally—it never did—but its movements became faster, more aggressive. It lashed out with another tendril, but this time, Nyx was ready.

She raised her hand, and the air around her shimmered like a heatwave.

“Let’s slow things down a bit,” she said, her voice laced with mischief.

Time seemed to warp. The shadow’s movements became sluggish, its attacks crawling through the air like molasses. Nyx walked casually around the tendril, inspecting it as if it were an art exhibit.

“Not bad,” she said, tapping her chin. “Very spooky. Very ‘I’m-a-villain-in-a-cheesy-novel.’ that Virnda show me, But you know what? I think you need a little… space.”

With a flick of her wrist, Nyx created a rift in the air. The fabric of reality tore open, revealing a swirling void. The tendril she’d dodged was sucked into the rift, disappearing with a faint pop.

The shadow recoiled, pulling itself back together. It hesitated, as if reassessing its opponent.

“Oh, don’t get shy now,” Nyx said, spinning her dagger. “We were just getting started!”

The shadow seemed to take that as a challenge. It surged forward, splitting into multiple forms that surrounded Nyx.

“Okay, that’s new,” she muttered, her grin faltering for half a second. “But two can play this game.”

Nyx snapped her fingers, and the space around her rippled. She disappeared, reappearing a few feet away, then again, and again, blinking in and out of existence like a mischievous sprite.

The shadow clones tried to keep up, lashing out at each spot she appeared, but Nyx was always one step ahead.

“Catch me if you can!” she called, her laughter echoing through the labyrinth.

—

The fight escalated. The shadow figure adapted quickly, its attacks becoming more precise. Nyx, in turn, got more creative. She used her spatial abilities to warp the terrain, creating walls and barriers out of thin air to block the shadow’s advances.

At one point, she even created a small floating platform and stood on it, watching the shadow writhe below her.

“Is this frustrating for you?” she asked, lounging dramatically on the platform. “Because I gotta say, I’m having a great time.”

The shadow didn’t reply—it never did—but its movements became sharper, angrier. It launched itself at her with renewed vigor, shattering the platform in one swift motion.

Nyx yelped as she fell, but she caught herself mid-air, twisting space around her to float gracefully to the ground.

“Okay, that was rude,” she said, brushing imaginary dust off her clothes. “But if you’re going to play rough, I guess I will too.”

She focused, her playful demeanor giving way to a rare moment of seriousness. The air around her crackled with energy as she activated both her space and time abilities simultaneously.

The labyrinth seemed to react, the walls and plants twisting and warping as Nyx manipulated space and time reality itself.

“Let’s see how you handle this,” she said, creating multiple rifts around her. Each rift pulsed with energy, ready to suck in anything—or anyone—that got too close.

The shadow hesitated, its form flickering as if uncertain.

“What’s the matter?” Nyx taunted. “Afraid of a little void?”

The shadow didn’t back down. Instead, it launched itself at her with reckless abandon, its tendrils weaving through the air like deadly serpents.

Nyx moved like a dancer, her body twisting and turning as she dodged each attack. She used her rifts strategically, redirecting the shadow’s tendrils into the voids.

But the shadow was relentless. It began to adapt, avoiding the rifts and targeting Nyx directly.

One tendril grazed her arm, and she hissed in pain as a cold, burning sensation spread through her skin.

“Alright, that’s it,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “Playtime’s over.”

—

Nyx focused all her energy, the air around her humming with power. She raised her hands, and the labyrinth itself seemed to respond.

The plants and vines twisted and grew, creating a massive barrier around her and the shadow. The space inside the barrier warped and stretched, making it impossible to tell where one thing ended and another began.

“Welcome to my world,” Nyx said, her voice echoing unnaturally.

The shadow hesitated again, but Nyx didn’t give it a chance to recover. She launched herself at it, her daggers glowing with energy.

The fight became a blur of motion, the two figures clashing in a surreal, shifting arena. Nyx used her abilities to teleport around the shadow, striking from unexpected angles.

The shadow fought back fiercely, its tendrils lashing out in all directions.

But Nyx was faster, smarter, and, most importantly, having way too much fun.

At one point, she teleported behind the shadow and tapped it on the shoulder.

“Boo,” she said, grinning as it whirled around.

She stabbed it with both daggers, channeling her energy into the blades. The shadow let out a sound like shattering glass before dissolving into smoke.

—

Nyx stood in the center of the warped arena, breathing heavily. The labyrinth around her slowly returned to normal, the plants and walls settling back into place.

“Well,” she said, wiping sweat from her brow. “That was a workout.”

She glanced around, half-expecting the shadow to reappear, but the area remained quiet.

“Guess that’s one obstacle down,” she said, stretching her arms. “Now, where are the others?”

As she started walking again, she couldn’t help but smile.

“This labyrinth might be trying to kill me,” she said to herself. “But at least it’s never boring.”

And with that, Nyx continued her journey, ready for whatever the Verdant Labyrinth threw at her next.

—

High above the Verdant Labyrinth, in a chamber woven of glowing vines and ancient stones, the Elder of the Labyrinth sat on a throne of pulsating green light. His form, cloaked in living shadows, exuded authority. Beside him stood Aurelia, her arms crossed and a smug smile playing on her lips.

They both watched a magical projection floating in the air—a vivid replay of Nyx’s battle against the shadow figure.

“Space and time,” the Elder murmured, leaning forward, his glowing eyes narrowing. “She wields both with such finesse. To master one is rare, but both? And with such creativity…”

Aurelia chuckled softly, flicking a strand of her hair over her shoulder. “Nyx is full of surprises. But trust me, this is just the warm-up.”

The Elder tilted his head, his voice curious. “And the others? Maris, Lucan, Vrinda, Bing… do they all possess powers of this caliber?”

Aurelia’s smile widened into a grin. “Oh, Elder, you have to watch to find it.”

The Elder leaned back, his expression unreadable. “This trial may prove more fascinating than I anticipated.”

“I told you this would be entertaining.”

The Elder nodded.