chapter 11: leap before you listen

Valeri struggled to keep up with what was happening. His vision blurred, 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, its stomach 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.

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?"

"The ring Fenris holds," Luca replied. "It was taken from the Void. 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.

"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!"

"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. 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. 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 Mana," 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.

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?"