Training Part 1

Riven barely had time to think before Nyx's next attack came.

Her movements were fluid, effortless - like liquid darkness given form. The shadows around her pulsed and twisted in time with her strikes, enhancing her speed and her precision. Every attack came from a new angle, unpredictable and relentless.

Riven gritted his teeth, dodging the first few swings on instinct alone, but she was faster than anything he'd ever faced before. His muscles strained against the unrelenting attacks, his body already sore from today's training. His reactions slowed just slightly and that was all Nyx needed.

A fist of pure shadow struck him square in the ribs.

The impact sent him skidding back, his feet barely managing to keep him upright. Pain laced through his side, but he barely had time to register it before she was upon him again.

"Your body really is weak," Nyx agreed with Rivens previous statement, her voice calm, assessing. "You've relied on magic all this time and haven't strengthened your body. Power is only as strong as the vessel that contains it."

Riven exhaled sharply, eyes flickering with frustration. He hated to admit it, but she was right.

From the moment he entered this world, Riven had known his body was weak—a consequence of years of torment and suffering. He had always intended to rebuild it, to make himself stronger, but his focus had been elsewhere. He had prioritized honing his mana, securing his place at the academy, and surviving the immediate dangers in front of him. Physical training had always been something he told himself he'd get to later.

But later wasn't good enough anymore.

His physical endurance was lacking. The way she moved… it wasn't just speed, every movement was refined to perfection. Every strike, every feint, was calculated - meant to dismantle him bit by bit.

But he wouldn't break that easily.

Nyx darted forward again, aiming a sharp kick towards his side. This time, Riven anticipated it. He twisted his body at the last moment, letting the shadows within his body fuel his muscles so that he shifted just enough that she only grazed his ribs instead of landing fully. Before she could recoil, he struck out with his forearm, catching her by the wrist and yanking her forward.

She stumbled - only slightly, but it was enough.

Riven didn't hesitate. He countered immediately, bringing up his knee to strike her in the stomach.

A grin flickered across Nyx's face. Shadows exploded from her form, twisting around her midsection like armour. His knee met resistance, the impact softened by the shifting darkness.

Huh… so we can use the shadows like this too?

Riven barely had time to ponder this new skill before Nyx retaliated.

A palm strike to his sternum sent him flying backward, his breath stolen from his lungs. 

Riven hit the ground hard, coughing as pain rippled through his torso. He forced himself up quickly, dragging in deep breaths as he steadied himself.

Riven wiped the blood from his mouth, lifting a hand to halt Nyx before she could launch another strike. His body ached, his muscles screaming in protest, but his mind was sharper than ever.

The way Nyx moved - the way she fought - it was like watching the shadows themselves come alive. It wasn't just raw speed or power - it was precision, control… an instinct honed by countless battles.

He needed it.

'System,' he thought quickly, hope stirring in his chest. 'Is there anyway you can download Nyx's fighting style? Do you have a function like that?'

For a moment, silence.

Then -

[[ Scanning memory sequences of previous engagements with the subject: Abyss Born Nyx… ]]

Rivens vision flickered.

It was like a film reel unspooling before his eyes, replaying their battle in perfect clarity. Every movement, every feint and every devastating counterattack. He could see it all - the way the shadows twisted around her form, the seamless way she combined speed with ruthless efficiency.

But then the footage changed.

[[ Searching the Archive for additional data… ]]

His breath hitched. Archive?

Suddenly, images flooded his mind.

It was Nyx - but not the one he knew.

A warrior stood before him, her hair as dark as the void, her skin like pale moonlight. Her eyes… they weren't just obsidian pools like he was used to. They were deep, endless, like looking into the Abyss itself.

She was breathtaking. Terrifying.

And in these visions, she was far more than his teasing shadow companion.

He saw her clad in bloodstained silver armour, her blade carving through human soldiers like they were made of parchment. She stood amidst the carnage, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of frenzied beasts - towering creatures that should have been formidable, yet to her, they were nothing more than nuisances, dispatched with effortless precision.

Another vision - she was in an enormous armoury, sparring with others dressed in dark, familiar attire. They laughed, they exchanged blows, they moved like dancers wrapped in shadows.

And then, a final image.

Nyx, smiling - a grin that was both wild and wicked - as she executed a rapid three-strike movement, incapacitating a human warrior in the blink of an eye. Before the man could even scream, she had sunk her teeth into his neck, blood trickling down her chin as she tossed him aside like discarded prey.

Riven shuddered as that final image seemed to engrave itself into his mind.

So this was Nyx - the real Nyx.

[[ Analysis complete ]]

[[ Beginning combat download… ]]

A sudden, searing pulse of energy surged through Riven's mind. His limbs jerked involuntarily, his muscles locking up as an overwhelming force coursed through his nerves, setting them ablaze with raw intensity.

Then, the pain struck.

A white-hot agony ripped through his skull, as if an unseen hand had split it open and was forcefully cramming foreign knowledge into the cracks. His vision blurred, his breath caught in his throat, and he barely stifled a ragged cry as the sensation tore through him like lightning splitting stone.

"You cheating bastard!" Nyx huffed, her voice a mix of amusement and exasperation as she hurried toward him. "How is it a fair fight if you just steal my moves?" She crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks in a pout before sighing and kneeling beside him, her fingers pressing soothing circles into his back.

The instant her touch met his skin, his already overloaded nerves reacted violently.

A pulse of raw shadow erupted from his body.

The shockwave blasted outward, sending Nyx flying across the chamber. She twisted midair, landing gracefully on her feet, her obsidian eyes wide with surprise.

Riven barely registered it.

Another wave of agony wracked his body, and he clutched his head, his fingers tangling in his hair as his vision swam. He curled inward, his knees drawn close as flashes of movement filled his mind—each strike, each stance, each precise execution of Nyx's fighting techniques replaying in vivid, relentless detail.

They burned into him.

Not just in his memory, but in his very being—etched into his muscles, carved into his bones, woven into the essence of his existence. His body trembled, caught between agony and transformation, as the knowledge embedded itself deep within him.

[[ Now reconstructing muscles to adapt with the complex movements ]]

A new wave of agony tore through Rivens body, sharper and more consuming than before. His back arched violently as his muscles shredded themselves apart, fibre by fibre, breaking down under the sheer force of transformation.

Then, his mana heart responded.

Dark mana surged through his veins, latching onto the torn muscle tissue like a living entity, weaving itself into his very flesh. The pain was unbearable - bones strained, sinew stretched, his entire frame reshaping itself under the pressure.

His once-frail body, skinny from a lifetime of torment, was reforging itself. New muscle formed, denser and stronger, moulding him into something more - something built for battle. His limbs lengthened, his physique becoming more defined and sculpted.

His eyes rolled back, body convulsing as the transformation overtook him completely.

And yet - he was laughing.

A wild, guttural cackle tore from his throat, raw and unhinged. Blood trickled from his mouth as his body continued to contort against the pain. Every nerve screamed, every fibre of his being burned, but he embraced it. Welcomed it.

Because pain meant growth.

Pain meant power.

"My god…" Nyx's voice was barely above a whisper. She hovered nearby, her usual smirk absent, her expression torn between awe and disbelief.

Riven only grinned wider, his laughter still ringing through the chamber as his body continued to break - and rebuild - into something stronger.

If this was the price of strength, he would pay it again and again—without hesitation.

There was nothing he wouldn't endure… nothing he wouldn't sacrifice.

As the last remnants of pain faded and the tremors subsided, Riven finally opened his eyes. Though he couldn't see it himself, the once-bright blue of his irises had darkened, the shadows seeping into them like ink bleeding through water.

When his gaze met Nyx's, he noticed the way she instinctively stiffened—the slight shudder in her posture, the flicker of something almost wary in her expression.

It was subtle. But he felt it.

He had changed.