Valeri struggled to keep up with what was happening. His vision was blurry, his body screamed in pain, and the pressure in his chest intensified with every passing second. It was as though his fading consciousness was clashing with his body's desperate attempts to stay alert. "Move." The sharp, commanding voice cut through the haze in his mind, it was unmistakably Luca. Before he could fully comprehend the order, his arms jerked into motion, seizing onto something. Sharp pain erupted in his chest, as if his very core was being pierced. The sensation crawled deeper into his body like needles of fire, and his broken arms flailed instinctively. Somehow, against all odds, his body was reacting. He didn't know how, but a deep sense of foreboding told him: if he let go now, he was dead. He strained, looking up at the figure looming over him. The creature's gaunt frame appeared almost skeletal, resembled a humanoid version of the Strider except, its stomach was sunken so far in, that its ribs jutted out unnaturally. Its skin shifted between shades of black and purple, shimmering like liquid shadows under the sunlight. Valeri glanced down at the sharp, pole-like appendage piercing his chest. His Ki shielded him from further injury, but his strength was waning fast. "Overload your Ki channels with Mana," Luca's voice commanded again, sharp and focused. "Do it now. There won't be any lasting damage, and you'll escape." Valeri's fear gripped him. The thought of channeling more energy into his fractured arms while he was barely holding himself together felt like madness. But there was no alternative. Taking a deep breath, he forced Mana into his Ki channels. The pain was immediate and excruciating. His broken bones screamed in protest as raw energy coursed through his arms, but it worked. The beast recoiled abruptly, withdrawing its pole-like limb. Without hesitation, Valeri threw himself to the side, his body screaming with exhaustion. He scrambled to put as much distance as he could between himself and the monster.
But Before he could go any farther, Luca appeared in front of him, calm and composed. "It doesn't matter how far you run," Luca said, placing a firm hand on Valeri's shoulder. His touch radiated warmth, and the pain in Valeri's body began to dull. "It will always find you." Valeri's chest heaved with ragged breaths as he stared at his mentor. Relief mixed with confusion.
"That's a Null Strider," Luca explained, his tone grave. "It's here to retrieve what I stole."
Valeri frowned, his voice tinged with fear. "What you stole?" Valeri asked, trying to gather his breath and circulate his wild mana "The ring Fenris holds," Luca replied. "It was taken from the Void. I told you The Void is alive, and puts its Creatures in our world whenever something is taken from its world. The beast is tethered to it and will stop at nothing to get it back."
Valeri glanced toward the Null Strider. The creature hadn't left the area, its strange form darting between shadows. It moved with purpose, like it was searching for something, but not aimlessly. It was waiting, its aura spreading outward, probing for any trace of its target. "It's smart," Luca continued. "Smarter than any beast you've faced before. It's not stronger, but its intelligence makes it infinitely more dangerous. It won't leave until it's sure we're no longer here."
Valeri gulped, watching the creature with growing dread.
After a brief pause, Lucien came to a decision, "You need to fight it," Luca said bluntly.
Valeri's head snapped back to his mentor. "What? Are you serious? Look at me, I'm barely standing!" Valeri said in a haste, it wasnt his body he was worried about but his mind, he was scared of the beast and he did not want anything to do with it. "That's exactly why you need to face it," Luca retorted, his voice unwavering. "You can't rely on me forever. The world doesn't stop moving because you're not ready. This battle will force you to think, to adapt and to improvise. If you don't learn now, you'll be dead the moment you step out of this forest."
The weight of Luca's words settled on Valeri. He clenched his fists, but doubt crept in.
"That beast isn't just smart," Valeri said quietly. "It's like a person. an evolved human and beast. I felt it when I held its claw, the aura within it is hollow and rough. I've faced demons before, but this... this is different."
Luca nodded. "Which is why I'm here. I'll guide you where your instincts fall short. I'll provide temporary healing and monitor your stamina, but you need to carry this fight. Trust your abilities."
Valeri hesitated, but Luca continued. "Your Personal Attribute, 'Ultimate Champion,' as you call it is a survival mechanism. It adapts your body to protect you from life-threatening harm. It's a defense reflex, triggered when death is imminent. You've already survived my best attempts to kill you during training. It won't let you die, but that doesn't mean you won't get hurt."
The revelation made Valeri's stomach churn. He wasn't sure what unsettled him more: the idea that his mentor had tried to kill him or the notion that his survival was entirely out of his control. "What about self-inflicted harm?" Valeri asked hesitantly.
Luca's expression darkened. "I don't know. You haven't tested it, and I wouldn't recommend finding out."
Before Valeri could question further, Luca placed a hand on his chest. A surge of energy flooded his body, making him gasp.
"This is my Mana control," Luca explained. "I've put it into constant circulation within you. It'll force your reserves to stay active. If you can't regulate it, your Ki channels will overload, and your system will collapse. But if you manage, you'll learn to maintain your stamina and endurance in battle."
Valeri felt like his body was on fire. The burning sensation was overwhelming, but he could feel every movement within himself—every muscle, every fiber, every channel of energy.
"Control it," Luca instructed. "The moment you lose focus, it'll spiral out of control. Use that fear. Keep yourself grounded."
Valeri nodded weakly, his resolve slowly hardening. The weight of his task still pressed heavily on him, but the fire burning within urged him forward. He wasn't sure if he could survive this, but he was willing to try.
"Good," Luca said, stepping back. "Now, let's begin."
The faint hum of the barrier filled the air, casting a translucent dome around Valeri and the beast. Outside, Lucas stood still, arms crossed, his presence unwavering.
The beast's low growl reverberated through the enclosed space, a sound that seemed to coil around Valeri's chest, tightening his breath. His palms felt clammy, his grip on the jagged bone shard loose.
Lucas's voice cut through the tension, calm and deliberate. "Redirect. Don't meet its strength head-on. Its power isn't infinite. Neither is its reach."
Valeri exhaled slowly, centering himself. He wasn't here to overpower the beast; he was here to outlast it.
The creature's hulking form lunged, its sinewy limbs stretching unnaturally toward Valeri. He barely ducked in time, the air slicing above his head as the extended limb recoiled with a snapping sound.
It didn't stop. Another arm shot forward, then another, each strike more erratic than the last. Valeri stumbled back, his feet dragging against the dirt. He raised the shard defensively, but his movements were sluggish, uncoordinated.
Lucas's voice echoed again, sharp now. "It's testing you. Don't react. Control."
Valeri clenched his jaw. The beast wasn't just attacking; it was probing him, learning. He shifted his weight, planting his feet firmly.
The next strike came faster than expected, a limb snapping toward his side. Instead of blocking, Valeri pivoted, letting the attack glide past him. The momentum carried the beast off balance, its limb slamming into the ground with a thunderous impact.
Redirect. Don't resist.
The mantra played in his head as he sidestepped another blow, this time grabbing the creature's extended arm. He twisted sharply, forcing the limb to fold unnaturally. A sickening crack echoed as the beast howled in pain, its elastic skin tearing under the pressure.
But the creature was quick to adapt. It retracted its arm faster than before, coiling it like a whip before snapping it back toward Valeri. The force knocked him off his feet, sending him sprawling across the ground.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Valeri's breath came sharp, measured. one, two, three. His muscles ached, blood trickling from a fresh gash across his shoulder. The Null Strider stood across from him, body twitching unnaturally, its clawed fingers flexing as if memorizing the last exchange.
Neither moved.
The silence between them was razor-thin.
Then
BANG!
They blurred into motion at the same time.
Valeri's fist shot forward, a clean, snapping jab aimed for the Null's throat. The Strider reacted, twisting its body unnaturally, barely missing the impact. But Valeri had already anticipated the dodge, his left foot slammed down, shifting his weight, and his elbow came crashing toward the Null's temple.
CRACK.
A solid hit. But instead of recoiling, the Null lunged into the blow, its head snapping sideways unnaturally before its entire torso twisted mid-air, a clawed heel whipping toward Valeri's ribs.
Too fast.
He barely managed to brace, arms snapping into a cross-block.
BOOM!
The impact sent him skidding back, his boots tearing into the dirt as he fought for balance.
The Null was already on him.
Valeri ducked, barely dodging a clawed swipe meant to tear open his throat. He countered, twisting his entire torso into a devastating body shot.
The blow landed deep.
A shockwave rippled through the Strider's frame, its ribs visibly caving in.
Still, it did not stop.
It twisted in ways a human body shouldn't, its arm rotating at an unnatural angle, fingers curling toward Valeri's exposed side.
Valeri saw it.
Too close. Too quick. No time to dodge.
His answer?
Step in.
Before the claws could tear into him, he closed the distance, his forehead slamming into the Null's face.
A wet crunch.
The creature staggered, but only for a second.
Then it lunged again.
This time, it wasn't attacking. It was grappling.
The sudden shift nearly caught Valeri off guard. The Strider locked its arms around his torso, bending its body backward
A suplex.
Valeri's instincts screamed.
If he hit the ground like this, his spine would shatter.
Tch.
At the last moment, he shifted his weight, his hands clamping down onto the Null's arms. Instead of resisting, he let the momentum carry him, legs snapping up in midair
And then he spun.
A sudden, brutal reversal.
BOOM!
The Null slammed into the ground first, its body folding under the force. But even as it hit, its claws lashed upward, aiming for Valeri's neck.
Valeri leaned back just barely, feeling the air split as the claws passed within a hair's breadth.
Then, without hesitation, he drove his knee down.
CRACK!
His knee buried into the Null's sternum, the ground beneath them splintering from the force.
But
No reaction.
Even with its bones shattered, the Strider didn't stop moving. Its legs snapped up, locking around Valeri's shoulders like a vice.
Shit.
It twisted, hard.
Valeri's body was yanked sideways, vision flipping as the world spun. The next thing he knew, his back, slammed into the dirt, his entire frame bouncing from the impact.
He barely had time to exhale before the Null pounced.
No time.
He reacted on pure instinct, his legs coiling beneath him before
BOOM! A brutal upkick, right into the creature's chin.
The force snapped its head back, but Valeri wasn't done. Using the recoil, he twisted his entire body, flipping back onto his feet in one seamless motion.
His fist cocked back, then
BANG!
A perfectly placed liver shot.
The Null jerked. Its movements faltered for the first time.
Valeri didn't let the opening slip.
His hands shot forward, grabbing the creature by its torn ribs, and with one explosive motion
He threw it.
The Strider soared, its body crashing through a boulder, debris exploding outward in every direction.
Dust settled.
Valeri exhaled.
His knuckles were bloody. His breathing was ragged. Then, through the debris
A low, guttural growl.
The beast rose.
Its head twitched unnaturally, its body shaking. The wounds across its torso knitted together, its hollowed face turning back toward Valeri. Valeri clenched his fists.
This fight was far from over.
It didn't give him time to recover. The beast lashed out again, its limbs now feinting before striking from unexpected angles. Valeri rolled to avoid a swipe, narrowly missing another limb aimed at his back. Its movements grew more calculated, less frenzied. The creature was learning, its attacks designed to force him into mistakes. Valeri gritted his teeth. The fear in his chest hadn't disappeared, but something else was taking its place. Each successful evasion, each redirected strike fueled a sense of exhilaration. His heart pounded, not from dread, but from the rhythm of the fight. Lucas's earlier words clicked in his mind. "Its skin isn't infinite. Stretch it far enough, and you'll find its blind spots." Valeri's gaze flicked to the beast's torso, watching how its skin stretched and recoiled. If he could force it to overextend…
The next attack came from above. Valeri sidestepped, grabbing another shard of bone from the ground. He spun, slashing at the beast's limb as it recoiled. The skin snapped back with less elasticity, small tears forming along the surface. He baited it again, dodging and redirecting its limbs until the beast overextended two arms simultaneously. Its torso stretched thin, revealing a vulnerable gap beneath.
Valeri seized the opening. He moved with precision, his body flowing like water. Grabbing one of the beast's extended limbs, he spiraled into its blind spot, redirecting the limb toward its exposed torso. The force of the attack was its undoing. The beast's limb tore through its own stretched skin, splitting its core. It let out a final, guttural roar before collapsing, its elastic form deflating like a ruptured balloon.
Valeri stood over its remains, chest heaving. His fingers trembled, but not from fear. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as adrenaline coursed through his veins, leaving him lightheaded yet grounded.
Outside the barrier, Lucas nodded approvingly. "You're learning."
Valeri's smile faded, replaced by quiet determination. He turned toward Lucas, his voice steady. "What's next?"