The Extra's Rise - Chapter 382

Chapter 382: Valen Ashbluff (2)
“How can I survive ten strikes?” I asked, unable to hide the disbelief in my voice. Even with his power restricted, Valen Ashbluff was still one of the most formidable necromancers alive.

“I will restrict them to below the level of the Wall,” Valen pointed out, his lips curving into a slight smile. “So, won’t it be possible?”

The Wall—the boundary between Integration-rank and Ascendant-rank, a threshold that separated the merely exceptional from the truly legendary. Still, even at peak Integration-rank, Valen’s attacks would be devastating.

“It’s possible,” I conceded, calculating my odds. “Though I question whether surviving constitutes passing, or if you expect me to remain standing.”

Valen’s smile widened. “Conscious will suffice. I have no desire to explain to those princesses of yours why I returned their suitor in pieces.”

I nodded, my mind already racing through defensive combinations. “Where shall we conduct this test?”

Valen gestured toward a previously hidden door that slid open at his command. Beyond lay a circular chamber with reinforced walls and floor, bare of decoration save for faintly glowing runes etched into the stone.

“My private training room,” he explained. “It can withstand far more than what I’ll unleash tonight.”

As I stepped inside, I immediately began preparing my defenses. Soul Resonance activated first, granting me Mythic Body—a reinforcement of my physical form that would make me more resistant to damage. Next came Seraphim’s Embrace, the artifact enhancing my senses, allowing me to perceive threats with greater clarity.

‘Be careful,’ Luna warned, her presence a cool whisper in my mind. ‘He’s testing more than just your power.’

‘I know,’ I replied silently. ‘He wants to see if I’m worthy of his investment.’

“Interesting,” Valen observed, watching as Erebus’s Deepdark and Bone Armour materialized around me, shadows and calcified plates interlocking to form a protective layer. “Most would attempt to counter specific attacks as they come. You build a comprehensive defense from the start.”

“Against you, it seemed prudent,” I replied, drawing Evolvis from my spatial ring. The sword hummed in response to my grip, recognizing its wielder.

Valen nodded, then reached into his own spatial ring, withdrawing a set of ornate daggers. Their blades were darker than night, infused with concentrated Deepdark energy that seemed to absorb the light around them. “These will be my medium. Are you ready?”

I settled into a defensive stance, Lucent Harmony activating to grant me clearer perception of mana flows. “Ready.”

The first dagger came without warning—a flash of darkness that crossed the room faster than an ordinary eye could track. But with Soul Vision and Seraphim’s Embrace, I perceived its approach with enhanced clarity. The throw was precise but restrained, aimed at my shoulder with power that I recognized as low Integration-rank.

I deflected it easily with Evolvis, the blade singing as it connected with the dagger, sending it clattering to the floor.

“One,” Valen counted. “Good reaction time.”

The second dagger came from a different angle, slightly faster but still well within my capabilities to perceive and counter. Again, Low Integration-rank, though with a subtle shift in the mana composition that suggested Valen was testing different approaches.

I sidestepped this one, letting it pass harmlessly before it embedded itself in the wall behind me.

“Two,” Valen noted, his expression unchanged. “Let’s increase the difficulty.”

The third dagger came with something new—a subtle emanation of focused power that I recognized as Dagger Intent, the first level of weapon mastery that allowed proper channeling of Deepdark energy. The blade seemed to acquire a purpose beyond its physical form, as if guided by an invisible hand.

‘Watch the trajectory,’ Luna cautioned. ‘It’s not just moving faster—it’s seeking you.’

I brought up my Bone Armour to intercept it, keeping my Purelight separate as I channeled it through Evolvis to create a countering force. The dagger struck with enough force to crack the armor, though it didn’t penetrate completely.

“Three,” Valen said, a hint of approval in his voice. “Few your age would recognize Intent in time to counter.”

I didn’t respond, focused on maintaining my defenses while simultaneously analyzing the pattern of his attacks. So far, he seemed to be methodically increasing the power and complexity, testing different aspects of my defensive capabilities.

The fourth dagger came faster still, its power elevated to mid Integration-rank. The increase in raw force was substantial—like comparing a stream to a river. It curved in midair, attempting to bypass my guard entirely.

I activated God Flash, disappearing from its path and reappearing two meters to the left. The dagger embedded itself in the floor where I had been standing, the stone cracking around it.

“Four,” Valen counted. “Impressive mobility.”

The fifth attack changed the paradigm entirely. This time, three daggers materialized simultaneously, each thrumming with Dagger Resonance—a higher application of weapon mastery that transformed the simple blades into carriers for devastating force. They were arranged in a triangular formation, eliminating simple escape routes.

‘He’s testing your adaptability,’ Luna observed. ‘You can’t dodge all three.’

I channeled Purelight through Evolvis, creating a blade of light energy that extended beyond the physical sword. Against Deepdark, Purelight was the natural counter. As the daggers approached, I swept the energy blade in an arc, attempting to disrupt their formation.

It partially worked—two daggers wavered, their resonance disrupted enough to send them off course. But the third struck my Bone Armour directly, shattering several plates and sending a jolt of pain through my chest.

“Five,” Valen said, his interest visibly growing. “You understand elemental opposition principles that many twice your age fail to grasp.”

I steadied myself, breathing harder now. The cumulative strain of maintaining multiple defenses was beginning to tell, and we were only halfway through.

The sixth attack came with barely a heartbeat’s pause—a flurry of five daggers, each imbued with high Integration-rank power and Dagger Resonance. Their approach created a localized distortion in the air, the Deepdark energy so concentrated that it seemed to warp the very space around them.

‘You can’t counter them all head-on,’ Luna warned urgently. ‘You need a different approach.’

I channeled Deepdark through my free hand, creating a swirling vortex that attracted the daggers toward it, while simultaneously using Purelight through Evolvis to create a barrier between me and the point of convergence. The daggers collided, their resonances interfering with each other in a chaotic explosion of energy.

The force of the blast sent me sliding backward, my boots leaving furrows in the stone floor. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I fought to maintain control over the conflicting energies.

“Six,” Valen counted. “Creative application of principles.”

I didn’t waste breath responding. My muscles trembled with exertion as I reinforced my Mythic Body, channeling more energy into my physical enhancements. The next attacks would be even more dangerous.

True to expectation, the seventh attack materialized as a ring of daggers—twelve in total—that surrounded me completely, all pulsing with high Integration-rank power and Dagger Resonance. They hovered momentarily, their Deepdark energy creating a cage of lethal intent.

‘Arthur!’ Luna’s voice held a note of alarm I rarely heard. ‘This is beyond—’

‘I know,’ I cut her off, my mind racing through possibilities.

I activated every defense strategically—Mythic Body at full power, Bone Armour reinforced with Deepdark, Evolvis channeling Purelight. But it wouldn’t be enough for a direct defense.

In a desperate gambit, I drove Evolvis into the floor, channeling both Purelight and my lightning elemental energy through it in a radial burst. The stone beneath me cracked, and a shockwave of countering energy exploded outward just as the daggers converged.

The collision was catastrophic. Several daggers were deflected, others shattered, but three broke through my defenses. One sliced across my shoulder, another grazed my thigh, and the third—the most dangerous—embedded itself in my side, missing vital organs by millimeters.

Blood soaked through my formal attire, the pain sharp and immediate. I staggered but remained standing, my vision briefly blurring as shock threatened to overwhelm me.

“Seven,” Valen said, his voice betraying neither concern nor satisfaction. “You’re bleeding quite heavily.”

I grimaced, pressing my free hand against the wound while maintaining my defensive posture. “I’m still conscious,” I managed through gritted teeth.

‘Arthur, your mana reserves are depleting rapidly,’ Luna cautioned, her presence providing stability as my focus wavered. ‘And your physical condition is deteriorating.’

‘I can make it,’ I insisted, though even in our mental connection, the strain was evident.

The eighth attack came before I could fully recover, another peak Integration-rank assault but with a different application of resonance. This time, a single dagger materialized before Valen, larger than the previous ones, its blade clad in Deepdark.

When he released it, it didn’t simply fly—it phased in and out of reality, its trajectory impossible to predict as it seemed to exist in multiple places simultaneously.

I attempted to evade with God Flash, but the stress of my wounds and depleted mana had slowed my reactions. The dagger caught me mid-teleport, its trajectory intersecting with my new position as if it had anticipated my movement.

The impact was devastating. It pierced through what remained of my Bone Armour, punctured my reinforced body, and exited through my back, missing my spine by millimeters but severing critical blood vessels. I collapsed to my knees, blood pooling rapidly beneath me as my vision darkened at the edges.