The Extra's Transcension-Chapter 36: Physical Assessment (16)
*****
Lyrium knew.
He had known it from the start.
No matter how much he tried to fight with just his swordsmanship, no matter how refined his techniques were, no matter how much effort he put into his footwork, stance, and movements—it wasn’t enough.
Eugene wasn’t just any opponent.
He was a world-class sage, a man who had fought in wars, a legend who stood at the pinnacle of power.
Someone who had crushed opponents far stronger than Lyrium with just a flick of his wrist.
And now, here he was, facing that kind of monster.
Lyrium gritted his teeth.
The way Eugene effortlessly dodged and parried every one of his attacks was beyond frustrating—it was humiliating.
No matter how many times Lyrium adjusted his strikes, no matter how much force he put into each swing—none of it reached.
Eugene dodged everything.
With minimal effort.
Like he was playing with a child.
Each time Lyrium attacked, the older man barely moved, stepping aside, tilting his head, flicking his fingers to redirect the blade. It wasn’t even a fight.
It was mockery.
It was a lesson.
"This is the difference between us."
"This is the weight of experience, of true mastery."
Eugene let out a sigh, shaking his head.
"The same attack, the same pattern,"
H muttered, almost sounding bored.
"Haa... Kid, is that really all you’ve got?"
Lyrium’s grip tightened on his sword.
He wanted to curse at him.
He wanted to scream.
But more than anything—he wanted to prove himself.
He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.
And then—
A change.
A shift.
Something awoke inside him.
A spark.
A rumbling.
Lightning.
Whrish—!
A flicker of golden-yellow mana crackled at his fingertips.
And then—it surged.
A blinding, electric glow erupted around his body, crawling over his arms, his legs, his sword.
The very air hummed with static, the ground beneath his feet blackening from the sheer intensity of the energy.
His hair lifted slightly, strands floating as if pulled by unseen forces.
Sparks danced along his skin, leaving faint trails of crackling light.
Eugene’s expression changed.
From amusement—
To interest.
"Ah,"
He murmured, watching the transformation.
"So you were holding back, after all."
Lyrium felt the power coursing through his veins.
It was wild.
It was untamed.
And yet, it was his.
No more playing around.
No more useless swings.
This time—
He would strike with everything.
His feet dug into the ground.
Muscles coiled.
Every fiber of his being tensed.
And then—
He vanished.
BOOM—!
A deafening thunderclap echoed as Lyrium shot forward, the ground beneath him shattering from the sheer force of his launch.
The aftershock sent dust and debris flying into the air, crackling arcs of lightning tearing through the battlefield.
Eugene’s eyes flickered with sharp recognition.
His smirk widened.
"Now that’s more like it."
In the blink of an eye, Lyrium was already in front of Eugene, his greatsword descending with terrifying momentum.
This time, it wasn’t a slow, predictable swing—it was lightning-fast.
Eugene’s eyes widened— for the first time, he had to actually move.
He dodged.
Just barely.
A streak of golden lightning ripped through the space where he had been standing a moment ago, accompanied by a deafening.
CRACK—!
The sheer force of the swing distorted the air, kicking up a fierce gale that sent dust and debris flying in all directions.
Eugene landed a few steps away, his sharp gaze locked onto Lyrium.
’What… was that?’
He expected speed.
Lightning affinity users were known for their swiftness, their agility.
But this—this was different.
This wasn’t just speed—it was ferocity.
Raw. Unstable. Unrestrained.
Lyrium stood in the aftermath of his attack, golden arcs of electricity flickering wildly around his body.
But Eugene’s attention wasn’t on the lightning.
It was on the black mist.
It slithered around Lyrium’s aura like a sentient shadow, merging with the golden sparks, distorting the space around him.
’That’s not normal lightning.’
Eugene narrowed his eyes, carefully observing every flicker of the strange power surrounding the boy.
Lightning wasn’t supposed to behave like this.
It was supposed to be sharp, precise—an element of pure speed and destruction.
But this?
This lightning looked wrong.
It crackled and howled as if it was alive, as if it had a will of its own. It didn’t just spread outward—it twisted in unnatural ways, the black mist within it pulsing with an eerie rhythm.
And then it hit him—this wasn’t just an affinity.
’It’s something else entirely…’
A mystery.
A phenomenon he had never seen before.
Something buried deep within Lyrium’s very existence.
A hidden power.
And yet, despite the unsettling nature of what he was witnessing—
A grin stretched across Eugene’s face.
’Interesting.’
Slowly, he rolled his shoulders, his leather coat shifting slightly as he adjusted his stance.
His deep blue eyes gleamed with excitement.
"This… is unexpected,"
Eugene muttered under his breath.
And then—
He stepped forward.
The air around him changed.
It wasn’t mana.
It wasn’t pressure.
It was something deeper.
A shift in presence. A shift in the flow of battle itself.
And for the first time in this fight—
Eugene Darcyroix got serious.
*****
"Lyrium!!"
Ren’s voice tore through the empty corridor, echoing like a desperate cry lost in the void.
His bare feet struck against the cold marble, each step frantic, yet his mind was far ahead of him—already at the battlefield, already fearing the worst.
The white infirmary robes clung loosely to his frame, fluttering behind him like a ghost of restraint, a reminder of his own frailty.
Yet none of it mattered.
The dull ache in his body, the remnants of his own defeat—everything was drowned beneath the deafening roar of urgency.
He didn’t understand it.
He didn’t know why—but something deep within him stirred, a primal instinct gnawing at his consciousness.
Something was wrong.
Then, he arrived.
And the world stilled.
The battlefield hall stretched before him, vast and shrouded in an eerie silence.
The weight of an unseen force pressed down on the very air itself, thick and suffocating, as though the hall itself had become a sealed tomb for the battle taking place within.
His gaze snapped forward.
Seated upon the elevated viewing platform was Instructor Alicia.
Her posture was composed—arms crossed, back straight—yet there was something in her stillness that felt unnatural.
A tension lurked beneath her usual discipline, a flicker of unease buried beneath the cold mask of observation.
But Ren’s attention did not linger on her.
No.
His golden eyes were drawn beyond—to the very heart of the arena.
To the two figures locked in combat.
To Lyrium and Eugene.
A storm raged.
Lightning carved jagged veins through the battlefield, wild and untamed, splitting through the air with a feral intensity.
Golden arcs crackled and slashed against the earth, the scent of ozone thick, almost suffocating.
Yet it was not the lightning alone that made Ren’s breath hitch.
No, it was the shadow that clung to it.
A dark, writhing mist, curling through the violent energy like whispers from the abyss.
It did not simply exist—it devoured.
The light of the lightning did not pierce it. Instead, the shadows swallowed the radiance, bending it, distorting it, consuming it whole.
And amidst it all, Eugene stood.
Unshaken.
Untouched.
A predator entertained by the futile struggles of its prey.
His stance was relaxed, effortless—one hand still tucked in his coat pocket, the other lazily raised to parry Lyrium’s relentless assault.
Then, he smiled.
Not a kind smile.
Not one of amusement.
But one that promised destruction.
Ren’s heart clenched.
This wasn’t just a duel.
This was a hunt.
Step—!
Ren took a step forward, his bare feet barely making a sound against the polished floor.
Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.
His breath was still uneven, his body weak from his previous battle, but none of that mattered right now.
His golden eyes were locked onto the battlefield, his mind drowning in the chaos unfolding before him.
Then, a voice snapped him out of his trance.
"Student Ren?!"
Instructor Alicia’s sharp, surprised tone cut through the heavy silence.
Her usually composed demeanor cracked slightly as she turned toward him, her piercing gaze filled with disbelief.
"What are you doing here?!"
Her arms, which had been crossed in quiet observation, tensed as she straightened her posture.
"You should be in the infirmary!"
She insisted, her brows furrowed.
"Your injuries—"
But Ren simply sighed, slipping a hand into the pocket of his hospital robe.
From it, he pulled out a simple black rubber band.
Without answering immediately, he raised both hands to gather his long, crimson hair, the wild strands still damp with sweat.
His movements were slow, deliberate, as if savoring the moment, as if preparing for something greater than just tying his hair.
Then, as he finished securing it into a low ponytail, he finally spoke.
"Lyrium is my friend, Instructor."
His voice was calm, yet laced with an unshaken resolve.
"How could I miss his fight… when he didn’t miss mine?"
A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he turned his gaze toward the battlefield once more, his golden eyes gleaming with unspoken emotions.
Instructor Alicia, still taken aback, watched him closely.
Ren simply walked past her, lowering himself onto the seat beside her with an easy, almost lazy movement.
His posture was relaxed, yet his eyes burned with intensity, following every motion within the battlefield.
And as Alicia studied him, something stirred in her mind.
’Despite how Lyrium acts around him... despite the way he treats him…’
Her gaze flickered between Ren and the young swordsman standing in the storm of lightning and shadows.
’He still considers Lyrium a friend… even though Lyrium does not.’
A small sigh escaped her lips, though whether it was in relief or frustration, even she couldn’t tell.
*****
The ranks beyond SSS are hard to remember isn’t?
Same here..
I’ll name them instead...read the Auxiliary chapter.
