Chapter 7: Training Part 2

The hum of mana coursing through the walls was a constant presence in the Anderson family's basement training room. Hidden beneath their large house, the room was a marvel of advanced technology—a seamless blend of metallic walls, shimmering with holographic projectors, and padded flooring designed to absorb impacts. It was here, in this high-tech arena, that Lucien Anderson, now nine years old, honed his skills.

Lucien's raven-black hair clung to his forehead with sweat as he lunged forward, spear in hand. His crimson eyes burned with focus, tracking the unpredictable movement of a holographic target. The spear hummed faintly with energy, the faint glow along its shaft a sign of his growing ability to channel mana.

He spun, the wooden tip of his practice spear slicing through the air with precision. The target flickered out of existence, replaced by two more hovering at his flanks.

"Breathe, Lucien," he muttered to himself. "Smooth movements."

He adjusted his grip, his small hands firm on the spear's haft, and jabbed at the closest target. The hologram shattered, leaving a faint trail of sparks. Pivoting on his heel, he swept the spear in a low arc, catching the second target just before it blinked out of reach.

As the targets disappeared, a soft clap echoed from the entrance to the room.

"Not bad for a beginner," came the teasing voice of Seraphina, his older sister.

Lucien looked up to see her standing in the doorway, her raven-black hair catching the fluorescent light like a flickering flame. At thirteen years old, she was already full of spirit, her ruby eyes alight with both mischief and pride. She held her training sword in one hand—a sleek, lightweight blade designed for her size; its hilt adorned with a small red crystal that glowed faintly.

"Seraphina," Lucien said, lowering his spear. "What are you doing here? This is my training time."

She grinned, stepping into the room with a mock flourish. "Father said I could join you. Besides, you look like you could use some competition."

Before Lucien could respond, the hiss of the entrance door sliding open caught their attention.

"Am I late?" Amara's voice was calm, cool like the frost her powers commanded. The silver-haired girl stepped into the room, her bow slung over her shoulder. At nine years old, Amara matched Lucien in height but carried herself with a quiet confidence beyond her years. Her ice-blue eyes scanned the room before settling on her two friends.

"Father sent you too?" Lucien asked with a sigh, already guessing the answer.

"No," Amara said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Seraphina invited me to come spar with you." She unshouldered her bow and gave it a light twirl. "Besides, it's more fun when we all train together."

Lucien rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile creeping onto his face. "Fine. Let's get this started."

Seraphina raised her sword, the blade flaring briefly with heat. "Hope your ready I don't plan on going easy on you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Amara stepped forward, nocking a blunted arrow onto her bowstring. "Shall we begin?"

Looking back, it has been around nine years since Lucien had been reincarnated. After realizing that Amara was one of the main heroines in the story, he was lucky that his sister managed to befriend her, even in the story the two were best friends even though there was no mention of Seraphina having a brother he quickly deduced that whatever major decision he made would have major changes on the plot thus had to exercise caution.

"Ready to get schooled, little brother?" Seraphina teased, her fiery sword igniting with a soft roar.

Lucien grinned, spinning his spear with a flourish. "You wish. Don't forget, I'm not so little anymore."

Amara stood a few paces away, her bow in hand, ice-tipped arrows shimmering faintly in the dim light. "Let's see if that big talk matches your skills, Lucien. Don't hold back."

Lucien took a deep breath, his crimson eyes narrowing. The shadows in the room seemed to pulse as he activated Glimmer Cloak, his outline wavering slightly in the dim light.

Seraphina charged first, her fiery blade cutting through the darkness like a beacon. Lucien stayed rooted, waiting until the last moment to sidestep her strike. Her blade swung down with a fiery arc, but Lucien was no longer there—he had invoked Flicker Step, darting five meters to her side in a jerky, shadowy blur.

Seraphina skidded to a halt, her amber eyes darting to find him. "Sneaky snake."

"Adapt or lose," Lucien replied, thrusting forward with Linear Strike. His spear shot toward her with precise speed, but Seraphina managed to deflect it with her sword, sparks flying.

From the corner of his eye, Lucien caught Amara drawing her bow, her ice-tipped arrow aimed at his back. He didn't turn; instead, he summoned Shadow Lash, a whip-like tendril of shadow shooting out from his side. The lash struck Amara's bowstring mid-draw, forcing her shot off course.

"Cheap shot," Amara muttered, quickly recovering.

Seraphina pressed her advantage, her fiery sword slashing in quick succession. Lucien activated Point Guard, spinning his spear to deflect her strikes. Sparks and embers filled the air as their weapons clashed, each attack forcing Lucien to retreat another step.

"Too slow!" Seraphina yelled, aiming a low slash at his legs.

Lucien leaped back, planting his spear into the ground to vault himself out of range. Mid-air, he activated Sweeping Arc, the spear's length spinning in a wide horizontal swing as he landed. The move forced Seraphina to retreat, buying Lucien precious seconds to reposition.

Amara wasn't idle. She loosed two arrows in quick succession, one aimed at Lucien's legs and the other at his chest. Lucien dropped low, sliding along the ground in a shadowy blur with Flicker Step to evade.

The shadows seemed to embrace him as he rose, summoning Binding Wisp. A faint chain of dark energy snaked out and latched onto Seraphina's ankle, slowing her movements for a crucial moment.

"Goddammit Lucy!" Seraphina growled, struggling against the chain.

Lucien smirked. "Not my fault you fell for it."

Lucien seized the opening, dashing toward Amara with Lancing Dash, his spear thrusting toward her side. She twisted gracefully, the attack barely grazing her arm. With an icy glare, she retaliated, firing a close-range arrow that exploded into frost on impact.

Lucien stumbled, his boots skidding on the sudden patch of ice. Amara smirked. "Gotcha."

But Lucien wasn't finished. He invoked Shade's Touch, his movements becoming quieter as he slipped into the shadows of the room. His outline flickered faintly under the effects of Glimmer Cloak, making it harder for Amara and Seraphina to track him.

Seraphina broke free of the shadowy chain and joined Amara, the two scanning the dim room.

"Where is he?" Amara muttered, an arrow ready.

"Stay alert," Seraphina warned, her sword glowing brighter to push back the encroaching darkness.

Lucien appeared behind them in a burst of motion, thrusting his spear with Echo Stab. The attack struck Seraphina's shoulder lightly, signaling a hit.

Before she could retaliate, Lucien spun, using Sweeping Arc to force her and Amara apart. His movements were fluid, the combination of shadow and spear techniques making him a difficult target.

Amara fired another arrow, but Lucien deflected it with Point Guard, the spear shaft absorbing the impact. He turned toward her, summoning Shadow Lash once more. The tendril of darkness snapped toward her bow, knocking it from her grip.

Amara raised her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm out!"

That left Seraphina, who glared at Lucien with determination. Her sword flared brighter, and she lunged with a final, powerful strike.

Lucien braced himself, using Linear Strike to counter. His spear thrust forward, meeting her blade in a clash of fire and shadow.

The weapons clashed, and for a moment, it seemed neither would give ground. But ultimately Lucien lost due to the difference in strength and mana output, his spear was thrown out of his hand and Seraphina tapped him on the sternum with her sword signaling the end of the match.

Lucien dropped to the ground, groaning. "I almost had you!"

"Almost doesn't count." Seraphina joined him on the floor, breathing heavily. "Though your shadows are annoying as hell."

Amara joined them, clapping Lucien on the back. "Good match. You're getting better."

"So are you," Lucien said, offering Seraphina a hand to help her up.

The three of them broke out in laughter, though plagued by exhaustion they always enjoyed their time together. During this, Lucien decided to check his status sreen.

Subject: Lucien Anderson

Race: Human 

Status: Exhausted

Talent: SSS

Elements: Shadow, Chaos(Locked)

Rank: F+

Core Attributes: Strength: F+ Agility: F+ Endurance: F+ Intelligence: F

Hidden Attributes: Charm: D Focus: D+

Blessing: Herald of the Goddess of Shadows and Chaos

Abilities 

Aspect of Shadows

Abilities under this Aspect focus on stealth, deception, and using darkness as both a weapon and a shield.

Core Abilities

Veil of Shadows (Passive)

Automatically shrouds the user in a dark aura when standing in dim or no light, reducing visibility and suppressing sound by 70%. Effect: Enhances stealth and evasion capabilities.

Umbral Step (Active)

Teleports the user a short distance (up to 20 meters) to a shadowed location within sight. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

Eclipse Blade (Active)

Conjures a blade of pure shadow energy, which ignores physical armor and targets the soul. Effect: Inflicts direct damage to vitality and drains energy from the target until dispelled by the user or if a stronger opponent is able to break free.

Phantom Cloak (Active)

Grants complete invisibility for up to 15 seconds, provided the user does not attack. Bonus: Movement speed increases by 25% while cloaked.

Nightmare Chains (Ultimate)

Summons shadowy chains from the ground to bind and torment all enemies within a 15-meter radius. Effect: Inflicts fear, immobilizes enemies for 10 seconds, and deals gradual damage. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Aspect of the Spear (Spear Mastery)

Abilities under this Aspect center around mastering spear combat, channeling both physical skill and supernatural power.

Core Abilities

Piercing Fang (Active)

A powerful thrust attack that can penetrate multiple enemies in a straight line. Effect: Deals 200% weapon damage to all targets in a 10-meter line.

Spiral Vortex (Active)

The user spins the spear in a circular motion, creating a vortex of wind that knocks back enemies and deflects projectiles. Cooldown: 15 seconds.

Lance of Eternity (Active)

Temporarily extends the spear's range with pure energy, allowing for long-range strikes. Effect: Adds 10 meters of range and deals an extra 50% damage for 20 seconds.

Aetheric Strike (Active)

Channels energy into the spear's tip, delivering a powerful strike that explodes on impact. Effect: Area-of-effect damage within 5 meters of the target.

Dragon's Ascension (Ultimate)

The user leaps high into the air, channeling energy into their spear, and descends with devastating force. Effect: Massive area-of-effect damage (20 meters), with a chance to inflict "shockwave" status, stunning enemies. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Synergy and Combination Abilities

For users who manage to awaken both Aspects, special hybrid abilities are unlocked:

Shadow Lance (Hybrid Ultimate)

Creates a spear forged entirely of shadow energy, combining the lethality of the spear art with the stealth and mystique of shadows. Effect: The spear phases through shields and barriers, striking vital points directly. Bonus: User becomes invisible while the shadow lance is active. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Phantom Vanguard (Hybrid Passive)

Enhances spear techniques with shadow energy, increasing critical hit rate by 30% in low-light conditions.

Eclipse Strike (Hybrid Active)

Unleashes a flurry of spear thrusts, each laced with shadow energy, targeting multiple enemies at once. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Aspect of Shadows (Downgraded skills)

Shade's Touch (Passive)

Reduces the sound of the user's footsteps slightly in dim lighting, making them harder to detect. Effect: Minimal stealth enhancement, useful for quiet movement only.

Flicker Step (Active)

A short, jerky movement in the direction of the user's choice, covering up to 5 meters. Limitation: Requires shadows nearby and has a noticeable delay. Cooldown: 15 seconds.

Shadow Lash (Active)

Creates a whip-like tendril of shadow that strikes a single target. Effect: Minor damage can trip or disarm weaker foes.

Glimmer Cloak (Active)

Slightly obscures the user's outline in low-light conditions, making them harder to notice but not fully invisible. Limitation: Ineffective in direct light or against attentive opponents.

Binding Wisp (Active)

Summons a weak shadowy chain to momentarily slow an enemy's movement. Duration: 3 seconds.

Aspect of the Spear (Downgraded skills)

Linear Strike (Active)

A basic spear thrust with increased speed and minor piercing power. Limitation: Can only strike one enemy, with no effect on barriers or armor.

Sweeping Arc (Active)

A wide horizontal swing of the spear, designed to knock back enemies.Effect: Moderate force but no significant damage.

Point Guard (Passive)

Improves the user's ability to deflect melee attacks with the shaft of their spear.Limitation: Only effective against weaker enemies or slower attacks.

Lancing Dash (Active)

A short burst of speed toward an enemy, ending with a thrust.Range: 3 meters. Cooldown: 20 seconds.

Echo Stab (Active)

A quick follow-up strike after a successful attack. Limitation: Damage is reduced if the initial attack misses or is blocked.

A/N: (I showed both true and downgraded skills to not show confusion as his downgraded skills are a cover up. It's my firdt time writing something proper so I hpoe you can share your views in the comments)

Through constant practice Lucien was able to raise his stats to F+, he was a bit disatisfied with the slow progress though it was understandable since he hadn't experienced true combat yet.

Thinking of the future troubles he is likely to face Lucien looked at his sister and Amara who were laughing at the side, his fists clenched in determination vowing to protect them and his family for what's to come.