Luther woke up calmly, feeling the first rays of sunlight piercing through the treetops. His body was stiff from sleeping on the branch, but the brief rest had restored some of his energy. He looked at the sky, noticing the sun was already quite high.
"Damn it!" he exclaimed, quickly getting to his feet. Panic surged through his mind. If the test ended soon and he didn't reach the meeting point on time, all his efforts would have been for nothing.
He climbed down the tree with agile movements, adjusting his cloak and ensuring his bag of magic stones was still intact. "I can't waste any time," he muttered as he began sprinting through the forest, dodging low-hanging branches and exposed roots. Along the way, he avoided any confrontations with creatures. Every second counted, and fighting would only slow him down.
As he ran, the forest began to clear, signaling he was getting closer to the meeting point. But then, a chill ran down his spine. Something wasn't right. He slowed his pace and stopped, his senses sharpening. His instinct, honed from years of surviving on the streets, told him he was being watched.
Luther turned slowly on his heels, his eyes scanning every corner of the forest. "I know you're there," he shouted, his firm voice echoing through the trees. "Stop hiding, cowards. Show yourselves already!"
The silence grew even heavier, but Luther didn't relax. He kept turning, looking for any movement in the shadows. Then, a familiar figure emerged from the trees.
"Well, well," said Marcus, stepping out with a wide grin. "What a surprise to see you here, Luther."
Luther fixed his gaze on Marcus, his lips curling into a mocking smile as he lowered his guard. "God, I thought it would be something interesting. But it's just Marcus's lapdog," he said, his sarcastic tone cutting through the clearing.
Marcus's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a look of irritation. "Don't get cocky, you bastard," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "If you want to make it out of here in one piece, you'd better leave your magic stones right here."
Luther raised an eyebrow, and before he could respond, he began noticing figures emerging from the trees around him. Marcus's goons—at least five of them—were slowly surrounding him, all wearing confident expressions and armed to the teeth.
"Interesting," Luther muttered as he quickly turned his head, assessing the situation. "So, this is the genius strategy of Marcus, huh?" He started laughing, covering his face with one hand. "Do you really think this pack of mutts is going to intimidate me?"
Marcus let out an exaggerated laugh, but there was a spark of madness in his eyes. "I didn't expect you to be so easy, Luther. I already know how you are. But you made a big mistake thinking you could outdo me."
Suddenly, Marcus's laugh stopped abruptly, and his face twisted into a sneer of pure malice. He snapped his fingers, and one of his lackeys appeared, dragging someone through the trees. Luther's heart stopped for a moment as he recognized Elise, tied hand and foot, her head hanging as she appeared to be unconscious.
"What the hell did you do, Marcus?" roared Luther, his voice filled with fury as his fists clenched tightly.
Marcus approached slowly, his sadistic grin lighting up his face. "What I had to do to ensure you cooperate," he said coldly. "You're a problem, Luther. But even you have weaknesses. And she…" he gestured toward Elise with a nod of his head, "is your most obvious one."
Luther took a deep breath, trying to control the rage threatening to overflow. His mind worked at lightning speed, searching for a way out of this situation without Elise getting hurt. He knew Marcus was savoring every second of it.
"What do you want?" he finally asked, his tone calm but icy.
"Oh, Luther," Marcus said, tilting his head as he toyed with a dagger in his hand. "Don't underestimate yourself. I already know you're skilled. But even someone like you knows when there's no escape." He raised a finger, pointing at his men. "Five against one. And if you do something stupid, she pays the price."
Luther closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly. "You're not thinking this through, Marcus," he said, opening his eyes with a sharp gaze. "Do you really think you'll walk away from this unscathed?"
Luther stood motionless, his gaze fixed on Marcus as the latter let out a maniacal laugh, toying with the bag of magic stones Luther had just tossed him.
"Did you really think it would end here?" Marcus shouted, his voice unhinged as he sneered. "Not only did you humiliate me in front of everyone, Luther, but you also had the nerve to steal my fiancée." His tone darkened, and the madness in his eyes intensified. "I'll make you pay. You… and this bitch for being unfaithful."
With those words, Marcus placed his knife against Elise's neck, who remained unconscious. The blade gleamed in the faint light filtering through the forest as Marcus leaned in close, licking her cheek in a grotesque display.
Luther, paralyzed by shock and anger, felt the world around him crumble. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions: helplessness, rage, desperation. He couldn't move a muscle, as if his body was trapped by the gravity of the situation.
"Maybe…" Marcus said, his twisted smile widening as he glanced at Luther. "We should have some fun with her before killing her, don't you think?"
Those words were the trigger.
The air around Luther began to vibrate with an intense force. Dark waves of energy began to radiate from his body, enveloping him in a sinister aura that seemed to drain the light from the area. The atmosphere grew heavy, as if the forest itself was reacting to his uncontrolled rage. The sky, previously clear, darkened suddenly, as though night had fallen in an instant.
Marcus's lackeys exchanged nervous glances, their faces reflecting fear as they looked up at the sky. "What the hell is happening?" one of them whispered.
The dark mana emanating from Luther began swirling around him like a storm, and his eyes, once filled with fury, turned pitch black, like an abyss. His breathing was heavy, and a low growl rumbled from his throat. His entire being radiated a threat so intense that even Marcus, despite his unhinged confidence, instinctively took a step back, alerted by the shift in the atmosphere.
Luther didn't say a word. In the blink of an eye, his figure moved like lightning toward Marcus. The force of his movement kicked up dust and leaves, and before anyone could react, Luther's fist collided with Marcus's chest with overwhelming power. The blow sent Marcus flying several meters back, crashing into a tree with a sickening thud. The tree groaned under the impact, leaving Marcus sprawled on the ground, coughing blood as he struggled to breathe.
"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING? ATTACK HIM!" Marcus screamed from the ground, his voice filled with desperation and rage. His lackeys, though visibly terrified, mustered their courage and charged at Luther, shouting to mask their fear.