Chapter 256: Ch256: The Spar

Daniel turned his gaze toward the man standing behind Harley. He had short curly hair and wore a turmeric-colored tunic decorated with intricate patterns, black pants, and a leather sword belt around his waist.

Before Daniel could say a word, Harley spoke first.

"He’s Daniel. Daniel, this is Tristan," Harley murmured, introducing them.

"Hi," Daniel said, extending his hand toward Tristan.

Tristan’s eyes briefly dropped to the outstretched hand. Instead of taking it, he slowly raised his arms and crossed them over his chest.

"Nice to meet you, Daniel," Tristan said, standing straight.

Daniel’s hand remained suspended for a moment, his fingers curled before he slowly pulled it back — a faintly awkward smile tugging at his lips.

"Harley, let’s go practice with the others," Tristan said, his expression neutral.

"Yes, let’s go," Harley replied, turning around.

"Wait, aren’t you going to invite your new friend?"

"He’s not my—" Harley mumbled before suddenly stopping himself. He then glanced back at Daniel. "Oh, Daniel. Would you like to train with us?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow slightly. "Sure..."

They made their way toward the center of the arena, where several trainees had already gathered. Their voices blended into the sounds of laughter, casual chatter, and the occasional thunder of someone striking a training dummy.

"Let’s warm up a bit," said Tristan.

He rolled his shoulders, stretched both arms, then twisted his torso from side to side.

*Crack! Crack!*

The sound of his joints popping made Daniel glance at him.

Nearby, Harley began stretching his arms and shoulders while Daniel followed along, loosening his own body.

"Hey, Harley. What’s up with this new guy?" a girl asked, tilting her head toward Daniel.

"Don’t say it, Isabella. He’ll start crying like a baby and run to his mother," another girl teased, shooting Harley a mischievous glance.

Harley’s eyebrow twitched.

Once they finished warming up, Tristan led them toward a wooden training dummy standing in the middle of the practice area.

A thick metal rod was driven into the ground behind it, supporting a small crystal orb.

"Unleash as much of your power as you can," Tristan instructed. "The stronger the attack, the brighter the orb will glow. Try to make it shine bright white."

Daniel gave a small nod.

Harley stepped forward. Yellow lightning crawled across his arm, snapping against his skin as he gathered his power.

*BZZT!*

The dummy shook slightly from the impact. Behind it, the orb flashed bright for a brief moment before its glow vanished.

"Watch me," Tristan said, before stepping forward, his expression calm.

Lightning gathered around his hand.

*BZZT!*

His attack struck the dummy with a sharp crack, and the orb instantly erupted with bright white light.

For a moment, it remained glowing before slowly fading.

Seeing the orb, Daniel took a deep breath, reassuring himself. He stepped beside them and raised his hand — sparks crawled between his fingers.

*Bzzap!*

The attack struck the dummy, making it shudder slightly.

The orb lit up.

But compared to Harley and Tristan, its glow was noticeably weaker. It faded almost as soon as it appeared.

The girls nearby exchanged quick glances.

Tristan’s eyes narrowed. "Why you stepping back? Do more."

*Burp~*

A small burp slipped from Daniel’s mouth.

Silence settled for a brief moment until Tristan broke it.

"Did you eat too much for dinner before training?"

"Um... Yes..." Daniel admitted without hesitation.

One of the girls covered her mouth, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Pfft. Who even eats too much before training? That’s just common sense."

"Don’t listen to her," Tristan said, waving her off. "Ignore her nonsense."

"What did you say, Tristan!" Isabella said, stepping forward.

*BzZAP!*

A bolt of lightning burst from her hand and slammed into the dummy. The orb behind it instantly blazed with white light.

One second. Two. Three.

It continued glowing before finally fading.

"Huh?" Isabella turned, raising her chin slightly.

"Status," Daniel whispered, his eyes locked on her.

——————

Name: Isabella Rosier

Age: 20

HP: 4300/4300

Mana: 3460/3600

Description: A young woman hungry for power who enjoys bullying those weaker than her, with a goal of becoming stronger and achieving what others cannot. She dreams of exploring the depths of every Sanctum and uncovering what lies within.

——————

"Don’t mess with her, or you’ll be sorry. Isn’t that right, Isabella?" another girl said with a teasing smile.

Meanwhile, Daniel simply ignored them and channeled his lightning toward the training dummy.

...

Soon, more men arrived at the training ground.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Jamson."

"Daniel. Nice name. I’m Kyle by the way."

Daniel shook hands with Tristan’s friends before they moved to another section of the arena, where several teams were already battling each other.

His eyes scanned the battlefield. Two lightning users were locked in a fierce battle, attacking each other like they were in a real fight.

*BZZT!*

Lightning burst from their hands one after another, striking toward their opponents. But neither fighter stood in the open. They moved behind obstacles, using them as cover before launching their next attacks.

A sudden urge to fight surged through Daniel’s body.

"Tristan, how about we do two versus two today?" Jamson asked, his tone eager.

"We could," Tristan replied without looking at him.

"How about you all versus us?" Isabella suggested from behind them.

"Yes, you all versus us," another girl added.

Daniel turned around and met their gazes. Standing beside Isabella were three men — two muscular men, a chubby man — and another skinny girl.

"Not interested," Harley replied almost immediately.

"Heh, knew it. I knew you guys didn’t have the guts to even spar. Come on, guys. We shouldn’t waste our time on losers—"

"Isabella, watch your words," Kyle said, his tone firm.

"So you accept the spar?" she replied with a smirk.

"Stop," Tristan whispered, placing a hand on Kyle’s shoulder. "She does this all the time."

"Tristan is right," Jamson added.

"So what? We just walk away and accept defeat without even trying?" Harley said, his tone firm. "What did Master Zeus tell us? Every fight is a lesson, an opportunity to become better."

"That only works when the fight is fair. If it’s not, the smart move is to fuck off from there," Tristan replied.

"I think we should accept," Daniel said, a faint, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The three of them turned their gazes toward him, their eyes filled with surprise.

"I’ve got an idea," Daniel added.