I want to see if you have what it takes to become a demon hunter. Why don't you have a friendly duel with my second daughter? Lucian's resolve remained unshaken as he faced Commander Draven. "I accept the duel," he said with a firm nod.
Draven's lips curled into a slight smile. "Good. Galen, Selene, go fetch Layla. Galen and Selene nodded and swiftly left the room to fetch Layla. Lucian stood tall, his eyes never leaving Commander Draven. The air was thick with anticipation.
Moments later, the doors swung open, and Layla entered, her presence commanding attention. Her long, silver-blue hair cascaded around her shoulders, and her icy-blue eyes gleamed with a mix of confidence and curiosity. As she walked towards Lucian, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, and a thin layer of frost began forming on the floor where her footsteps fell.
Layla's gaze locked onto Lucian's with a mixture of intrigue and challenge. She raised an eyebrow and offered a slight smirk.
Layla's smirk widened as she approached her father. "Father," she began, her voice as cool as the frost forming beneath her feet, "do you truly believe this one has what it takes to defeat me?"
Commander Draven's eyes flickered with a hint of amusement. "That is precisely what we are here to find out, Layla," he replied, his tone steady and authoritative. "Lucian has shown great promise, but it is up to you to test his mettle."
Lucian remained calm, his expression unwavering. He stood silently, his eyes meeting Layla's with a steady resolve. He knew that words would not prove his worth; only his actions in the duel would.
Layla's gaze lingered on Lucian for a moment longer before she nodded, accepting the challenge. "Very well," she said, turning to face him fully. "Let us see if you can withstand the cold."
"Great, why don't we all head to the training ground," Draven said. As they were heading to the training ground, Lucian could see the familiar screen he had seen when he had regained consciousness.
[Quest: Defeat Layla Frostveil in a duel.]
[Reward: 50 Exp, unlock two new fire abilities]
"This again, what is it asking me to do" Lucian thought reading what was written on the screen. "It's asking me to defeat Layla and I will unlock new fire abilities." Lucian was still confused about what the system was all about. Let me win this duel first then I can understand this better.
The group made their way to the training ground, the anticipation palpable in the air. Lucian's thoughts were focused on the mysterious screen that appeared before him, but he pushed it aside, determined to face Layla with unwavering resolve.
As they reached the training ground, the atmosphere was charged with tension. Layla stood opposite Lucian, her icy-blue eyes fixed on him with a steely determination. The ground beneath her feet was already frosted over, a testament to her formidable ice powers.
Commander Draven raised his hand, signaling the start of the duel. "Begin!" he commanded, his voice resonating through the training ground.
Layla's first move was swift and precise. She thrust her hand forward, sending a barrage of ice shards hurtling towards Lucian. Lucian imbuing his hands with his mana deflected the attacks not moving from the spot.
Layla's ice shards clattered harmlessly off Lucian's mana-enhanced hands, their sharp edges melting upon contact. The sheer precision and speed of her attack spoke volumes about her control over her ice magic, but Lucian's calm demeanor revealed his confidence.
The ground continued to frost over, and a chill began to permeate the training ground. Layla, seeing that her initial barrage had been ineffective, decided to escalate her approach. With a fluid motion, she raised her hands, and a gust of icy wind swept through the arena, creating a swirling vortex of frost.
Lucian took a deep breath, focusing on his breathing to maintain his composure. He could feel the temperature drop significantly, but he refused to let it affect him. Instead, he used the swirling frost as a means to assess Layla's strategy. Her ice magic was impressive, but he needed to find an opening.
As the vortex of frost swirled around him, Lucian shifted his stance, anticipating Layla's next move. He sprang into action, closing the distance between them with lightning speed. Layla's eyes widened slightly as Lucian charged through the ice storm, his movements a blur of focused determination.
Layla attempted to counter with a stream of ice that emerged from her fingertips, but Lucian was already upon her. With a swift, precise strike, he closed the gap and delivered a powerful punch aimed at her midsection. Layla barely managed to bring up a barrier of ice to block the blow, but the impact still forced her back, sliding on the frost-covered ground.
"If I remember correctly, Orion was a fire magic user, and so his son should have inherited his fire magic right? And yet, he's just using his physical strength," Draven observed a hint of admiration in his voice. "Impressive, Lucian. You're holding your own without relying on magic."
Layla's eyes flashed with determination as she swiftly regained her footing. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a blade of frost, its edge glinting in the dim light of the training ground. The air around her seemed to grow even colder as if the very presence of the blade was drawing the heat out of the atmosphere.
Without hesitation, Layla charged forward, her frost blade flashing in swift, precise arcs. Lucian stood his ground, his eyes locked onto the blade as it danced through the air.
The first strike came swiftly, Layla's blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Lucian sidestepped the attack with ease, his movements calm and fluid. The second strike followed quickly, and Lucian raised his hand, palm outward, to meet the blade. The frost blade bit deep into his palm, but Lucian's mana-enhanced skin held firm, refusing to yield to the cold.
Layla's eyes narrowed her grip on the blade tightening as she unleashed a flurry of strikes. Lucian blocked and dodged each attack with calm precision, his movements a testament to his focus and determination. The frost blade flashed through the air, striking true time and again, but Lucian's defenses held firm.
Layla's frustration grew with each failed strike. Her eyes narrowed into a determined glare, the frost blade's cold glow reflecting her mounting anger. She could feel the tension in the air, her breath coming in short, controlled bursts. She needed to break through Lucian's defenses; her pride demanded it.
With a fierce yell, Layla swung her blade in a wide arc, releasing a sharp, cascading wave of ice energy. The ice slash cut through the air like a crescent-shaped blade, shimmering with deadly precision. Lucian's instincts kicked in, and he leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the icy wave. The ice slash struck the ground where he had been standing, and the instant it made contact, the ground erupted in a shower of sharp, jagged ice spikes.
Lucian's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected turn of events, but he quickly regained his composure. Lucian's reflexes were quick. He pivoted mid-air, using his momentum to block the incoming spikes with his forearm, his mana-enhanced skin taking the brunt of the impact. His defensive posture was impeccable, though the force of the ice shards still forced him to stagger slightly.
Watching from her position, Layla saw the icy spikes fail to reach their mark and a flicker of frustration crossed her face. She tightened her grip on the frost blade, eyes narrowing as she assessed Lucian's defensive prowess. "Enough of all this, why don't you fight me for real and show me what you can do," Layla said her frustration growing even more.
"You didn't have to tell me, I was about to do just that," Lucian said as he dashed toward her, his fists began to glow with a faint, ethereal light, a testament to the mana coursing through his veins. Layla braced herself, her frost blade at the ready, but Lucian's speed was astonishing.
The first punch came like a thunderbolt, a straight jab aimed at Layla's midsection. She barely had time to react, raising her blade to block the blow. The impact sent a shockwave through her arms, the force of Lucian's punch reverberating through her entire body. She staggered back, her eyes wide with surprise at the sheer power behind his attack.
Lucian didn't give her a moment to recover. He followed up with a swift uppercut, his fist glowing brighter as it arced upward. Layla twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the punch, but the air around her seemed to crackle with energy. She countered with a horizontal slash of her frost blade, aiming for Lucian's side.
Lucian's reflexes were impeccable. He sidestepped the blade with ease, his movements fluid and precise. He retaliated with a powerful roundhouse kick, his leg sweeping through the air with incredible speed. Layla raised her blade to block, but the force of the kick sent her skidding backward across the training ground, her feet digging into the dirt to regain her balance.
Lucian didn't waste a moment. He dashed at Layla again, his speed a blur. Layla determined not to be outdone, raised her frost blade to block his incoming attack. But this time, Lucian's fist, glowing with intense mana, connected with the blade with a resounding crack. The frost blade shattered into countless icy shards, sparkling in the air like a burst of frozen fireworks.
Without hesitation, Lucian followed up with a powerful sidekick. His foot struck Layla with precision, sending her sprawling through the air. Her body flew through the training ground, the wind whistling past her as she soared. She crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud, She lay still, unconscious, the remnants of her frost blade scattered around her.