Chapter 117: Meeting Selene Again

A cool breeze brushed across the emerald canopy of Thyrandel's vast forest, rustling leaves and carrying with it the faint scent of pine and mana-rich air. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the branches, dappling the forest floor with patches of gold.

Selene appeared in a flash of azure light, stepping lightly onto the soft moss underfoot. Her long dark purple hair fluttered in the wind as the remnants of her teleportation magic faded around her. Her golden eyes scanned the area.

"…A forest," she murmured, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Why is he always here of all places?"

She sighed, more out of habit than annoyance, and began walking toward the familiar mana signature she felt in the distance. After arriving in the forest she didn't need to try and sense his exact location, Arthur's presence stood out like a blazing star in the night sky.

After a week of Chi training Arthur was still unable to use skills like Chi concealment to conceal his presence as it required greater mastery over Chi, so his strong presence was glaring in the silent part of the forest to someone who is sensitive to energy.

Selene's footsteps were soft against the grass, boots barely making a sound as she moved through the trees. The ambient mana in the air seemed to part gently for her, as if recognizing the princess of the dragon clan walking among its roots.

'I should've taken him to meet Grandpa earlier,' she thought, frowning. 'If those old fools from the royal family try anything stupid…'

The memory of her meeting with her grandmother lingered in her mind. It was thanks to her grandmother, she was able to conceal the fact that someone had made her a castle. The elders and her father only knew that her grandmother had helped her with the building of her castle. Otherwise she felt, they would have already sent someone to deal with Arthur.

She clenched her fists. 'Why are their thinking so backward?'

And then, her eyes landed on him.

Arthur stood in the clearing ahead, shirt damp from sweat, arms extended as tendrils of pure mana swirled around his body. He was focused, completely immersed in his training. His breathing was rhythmic, in tune with the flow of his mana.

Selene paused at the edge of the clearing, her golden eyes watching from behind a tree.

She had been paying attention to Arthur these past few days and felt that Arthur was always training in the same location, she thought, 'Again... What a training maniac. Does he not have anything else to do?'she mused with an exasperated sigh.

But despite the sarcasm dancing in her thoughts, she didn't move.

It's not that Selene does not train, in fact she had been training with her grandpa from when she was a kid, and her grandpa's training regime was extremely tough, and she didn't like it that much. 

But seeing Arthur so focused on his training, he seems to be enjoying it, she felt there was something calming about watching him train.

There was a kind of serenity in the way he moved, like the forest itself had quieted just to witness it.

Selene folded her arms and leaned against a nearby tree, lips tugging into a reluctant smile.

'Grandpa would probably like him,' she admitted silently. 'He wouldn't say it out loud, of course. He'd grunt and scoff and challenge him to a duel. But he'd respect him.'

Minutes passed, and Arthur showed no signs of stopping. Lightning crackled briefly across his forearms as he weaved it into his strikes, mixing it with his mana manipulation. Every time he did, a subtle tremor spread through the ground.

Selene raised a brow. 'He's grown stronger from before. Just how fast is he advancing?'

She watched for a few more minutes, arms still folded, expression unreadable.

And then, she shook her head and stepped forward, her boot crunching softly against a dry leaf.

Arthur didn't immediately react, but she saw his body tense slightly, he'd sensed her approach, of course. His perception was far too sharp not to.

"I was wondering when you'd stop lurking," Arthur said, still without turning around.

Selene blinked, giving a pout. "Lurking? That's a strong word for someone who just saved you from dying of overtraining."

He finally turned, beads of sweat glistening on his brow, shirt sticking to his chest. His eyes lit up slightly when they landed on her, it was a first for him to see this type of expression from her.

The corner of his lips raised a bit in amusement. "Wasn't expecting you to come and see me."

"You never expect me," she replied, approaching slowly. "That's part of the fun."

Arthur gave a small chuckle. "Let me guess… you came to ask me to build you something else?"

Selene stopped a few feet away, tilting her head. "Not quite. I actually came to take you somewhere."

Arthur raised a brow. "Oh? Where?"

"To meet someone," she said, more seriously this time. "My grandfather."

Arthur's amused expression faded slightly.

"Your grandfather?" he said quietly. He thought, why would her grandfather want to meet him, but he found no reason.

Selene nodded. "He wants to see you."

Arthur studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. When do we leave?"

Selene gave a satisfied nod, golden eyes softening just a little.

"Tomorrow. I'll come and get you."

Arthur picked up a nearby water bottle and took a sip of water. "Alright."

Selene turned to leave, but before she did, she looked over her shoulder. "And Arthur…"

"Yeah?"

Her voice dropped, almost soft. "You can call me Selene."

Arthur blinked. "Uh…" It was now that he remembered that he never got her name before. He smiled and nodded.

And with that, she vanished in a burst of azure mana.

Arthur stood there a moment longer, eyes still fixed on where she had stood.

Then, he cracked his knuckles.

"Well," he muttered, stepping back into the center of the clearing. "Better get back to training."

…

As the last remnants of Selene's teleportation magic faded, Arthur stood still for a moment, his mind wandered to the golden arcs of lightning still flickering faintly along his arms.

"Time to put it into a real test," he muttered, after half an hour of training.

He activated his 'Map', the familiar translucent blue interface blooming in front of his vision, glowing softly with clusters of life signatures.

With a brief flex of his will, [Telekinesis] surged around him. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly as he lifted himself effortlessly off the forest floor. He shot forward into the dense canopy at supersonic speed, the trees below blurring into green streaks.

He zipped across the forest like a silent thunderbolt, scanning for a worthy opponent.

Fifteen minutes passed in a blur before a sharp spike of mana and danger lit up on his map like a flare.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "There you are."

He angled downward and landed softly about half a mile from the target. The mana in the air was denser, this deep in the forest. As he stood in the clearing, he took out the golem, who popped into view with its usual rocky-body.

Arthur gestured toward the forest. "You can stay here… or roam around the forest, if you want."

The golem gave a little wiggle and then skipped happily off in a different direction, disappearing through the foliage like a toddler chasing butterflies.

Arthur shook his head with a slight smile. "Alright, buddy. Be safe."

Then he turned serious.

He took off running, boots pounding the forest floor, leaves and underbrush whipping past as he zeroed in on his target.

In less than a minute, he found it.

The creature stood tall at nearly three meters, a blend of lion and scorpion, its fur bristling like coiled wire, and its tail, long and chitinous, ending in a venomous stinger the size of a greatsword. Its golden-red eyes locked onto Arthur as he emerged from the trees.

Its growl vibrated through the trees, a low rumble filled with warning and wrath. The air around it flared slightly with latent mana, and Arthur could tell immediately, it was intelligent.

"I'm guessing you don't like someone invading your territory," Arthur muttered, already lowering into his stance.

The monster roared, spraying a jet of green venom from its tail. Arthur jumped backward, the venom sizzling as it hit a nearby tree and melted halfway through the trunk.

His [Toxin Immunity] kicked in, dulling the effects of the tiny mist that had brushed his cheek.

"Guess we're doing this."

Arthur surged forward.

Lightning arced along his arms as he activated [Lightning Manipulation], sparks crawling up his fingers and dancing around his fists. Simultaneously, he channeled Chi into his legs and core, tripling his base strength.

The forest floor cracked beneath his feet.

He launched a series of rapid [Mana Bullets], blue orbs zipping through the air.

The creature growled again and charged, its mane flaring, claws digging deep into the dirt as it surged forward like a battering ram.

The mana bullets struck its hide but barely scorched it.

'As expected, well they work fine for distractions,' Arthur mused.

As the creature pounced, Arthur met it halfway. He ducked low, sliding beneath the beast's swipe and punching upward into its jaw with a Chi-enhanced uppercut.

The blow landed hard.

The monster reeled, stumbling back and growling in confusion. Its claws dug deep furrows in the earth as it steadied itself.

Arthur didn't give it a chance to recover. He clenched both fists, and Chi flared over them, forming glowing gauntlet constructs golden in color. He dashed forward again, exchanging a furious series of blows with the beast.

A claw slashed toward him, he blocked it with his left forearm, Chi constructs absorbing the impact, before countering with a spinning backhand that cracked against the creature's skull.

It roared and responded with a sweeping strike of its scorpion tail. Arthur leaned backward just enough to avoid a direct hit, but a spray of poison still grazed his shoulder.

His skin burned for a moment.

But just a second later it stopped burning. His body, already adapting fast.

"Yeah," Arthur growled, shaking off the sting. "That's not gonna work on me."

He leapt into the air, lightning coiling around his legs. As he came down, he drove a knee straight into the monster's side, releasing a burst of lightning on contact.

Boom!

The beast slammed into a nearby boulder, sending cracks spider webbing through the rock.

It got up slower this time. Blood leaked from its mouth, and its mane bristled with mana.

Arthur could see it gathering power, mana swirled around its chest, as its eyes glowed. He recognized the buildup.

Arthur acted fast.

He rushed forward again, this time zig-zagging to avoid the venom tail swipes and claw strikes. Lightning surged through his body, accelerating his movements beyond his normal limits.

He appeared just beneath the creature's chin and punched upward with a lightning-infused Chi strike.

Crack!

The sound echoed like thunder.

The monster's buildup faltered. Its jaw snapped shut. It stumbled backward, dazed.

Arthur didn't let up.

He dashed behind it in a blink, wrapped his arms around its torso, then channeled lightning directly into its spine.

A golden burst exploded from its back.

"RrrROAR…!!"

The beast shrieked, muscles locking up from the surge. Arthur let go, took a few steps back, and charged one final Chi-empowered strike into his right fist.

The monster turned, sluggish now, tail drooping and legs unsteady.

Arthur darted in and slammed his fist straight into its chest.

The impact echoed through the woods like a thunderclap.

The creature's body lifted from the ground and crashed into a tree behind it, knocking the entire trunk over with a splintering snap.

The monster wheezed once, and then… it collapsed.

Arthur waited a moment longer, watching for signs of movement. But it was down, though it was still very much alive.

He looked at his hands, still crackling faintly with lightning, golden gauntlet constructs fading into nothing.

"Okay," he muttered between breaths, "That was a good warm-up."

He walked over and knelt by the monster, checking its pulse. Still alive, but unconscious. He'd held back just enough to let it live.

'Time to head back. Tomorrow's going to be interesting.'

He turned and disappeared into the trees, the faint scent of ozone and scorched earth lingering behind him.

***

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