[Chapter Size: 1974 Words.]Lucius POVTwilight Manor, Orario.

  ...

  ...

  On a radiant m, the sun's rays began to illumihe training grounds of the Loki family. The gentle light of dawn paihe sky in shades of pink and e, creating a sere vibrant backdrop for the impending battle. As spectatathered, their numbers tio grow, transf what was initially an intimate event into a spectacle watched by fifty pairs of eager eyes.

  "Wow, I 't afford to lose in front of so many people, I?" thought Lucius, feeling the additional responsibility in front of the numerous audience. He stood at the ter of the training ground, while Bete, the imposing wolf-man, stretched his muscles in the m light. Bete's mog gaze revealed fidence, but behind it gleamed a fierce determination.

  "What's the matter? You're not going to tell me you're scared now?" taunted Bete, a sadistic smile t his lips, increasing the tension in the air.

  "Let's get started already; your stretg is getting b..." replied Lucius, impatient, revealing his indifferent attitude towards his oppo's prolonged preparation.

  "What did you say, little mage?" growled the wolf-man, challengingly. The training ground, bathed in m light, was about to bee the stage for a collision of forces uhe watchful eyes of an audience eager for excitement.

  Meanwhile, at some distahe group of spectators eagerly awaited the start of the fight. Tiona, full of enthusiasm, couldn't tain her curiosity. "Who do you think will win?" she asked, eager to withe unfolding battle.

  "Isn't it kind of obvious? I don't think he'll beat Bete... Don't you think so, Captain Finn?" Tione, her sister, ented beside her, her gaze revealing a hint of skepticism.

  "Anyway, I think it's going to be an iing fight!" Gareth added, palpable enthusiasm in his voice.

  "BETE, BEAT HIM FOR ME!" Loki shouted, his voice eg with enthusiasm among the spectators, demonstrating his unwavering support.

  Meanwhile, Finn, the Captain, showed his insight. "Riviera, you create some magical barrier? If he really is the one behind what happened on the eighteenth floor, then his magic must be quite destructive. It's better to be cautious."

  "Yes..." Riviera replied, raisiaff with elegance.

  "...my name is alf!" Upon cluding the t, a magical barrier began to materialize in the middle of the training ground, enclosing Lucius ae in a 40-meter space. Riviera's skillfully woven magic created a defensive barrier promising to taiential damage of the immi battle.

  "Hehe, I'll be able to hit you without w about others," taunted Bete, arrogantly looking at the barrier rising around them.

  "Whatever, e on, dog. Let's fight." Lucius showed no intimidation in front of the numerous audiehe magical barrier, or the challengie. His only desire was to end the frontation to tinue his magical studies.

  "The's begin!" The demi-human growled in response, eg a palpable tension that stretched across the training ground.Lucius closed his eyes, immersed in tration, and suddenly, the training ground was bathed in a profusion of ethereal lights. Eavoked spell maed as a spectacur dispy of colors, creating a magical spectacle that captured the attention of everyone around.

  "[- Strength Boost Spell!]" he procimed, and an intense blue light began to outline his body, revealing a visible increase in his strength. Muscles seemed to pulsate with new vitality, exuding an imposing presence.

  "[- Speed Boost Spell!]" echoed the invocation, and a green light, like a trail of swift energy, radiated from him. It was evident that Lucius's speed was being enhanced, preparing him for the challehat would unfold iraining ground.

  "[- Alteration Spell, Ironflesh!]" he uttered, and a dazzling white light fshed on his body, drawing intricate runes before disappearing. The magical alteration in Lucius's resistance became visible, transf his figure into something more than merely human.

  The spectators, witnessing this dazzling demonstration of magical ability, remained in a state of shod surprise. The murmurs of voices whispered the question of whether this was some kind of unique skill or a rare talent that Lucius possessed.

  The statistics dispyed at this moment were like a revetion of his rength:- **Strength:** LV1: 1,381 + LV2: 770 = 2,151 +10% -> 2366- **Resistance:** LV1: 1,454 + LV2: 812 = 2,266 +10% -> 2492

  - **Dexterity:** LV1: 1,386 + LV2: 603 = 1,989 +10% -> 2188- **Agility:** LV1: 1,433 + LV2: 412 = 1,845 +10% -> 2030- **Magic:** LV1: 2,223 + LV2: 1,120 = 3,343

  Sensations of power vibrated in each of these numbers, marking the beginning of level 3 for Lucius. Despite not having the 10% bonus, magic remai a siderable level, keeping him at a nearly average level 4 status.

  The audienow enveloped in the magic's radiance, remaiunned, questioning whether this was the result of some peculiar ability or if Lucius possessed araordinary talent. The training ground, bathed in the magical light surrounding Lucius, became a stage for specution and surprises. The versation among Tiona, Riviera, and the other spectators reflected the awe in the face of the unfolding unique magic.

  "What magic is that, Riviera? It seems like some kind of support type tthen the body..." Tione inquired, her eyes fixed on the magical dispy.

  "I don't know; I've never seen anything like this before." Riviera's response carried a glint of i in her elven eyes, denoting the rarity of the phenomenon.

  "Incredible, magic that strehe body... I thought only skills had that capability." Surprise echoed in Tione's voice beside her.

  "For most people, that would be a skill, but for our first-css adventurer senses, it's different; we feel the difference." Gareth crified, sharing the peculiar perspective of experienced adventurers.

  "He didn't even t; it seems like he cast the magic just by thinking instantly..." Lefiya timidly ented in a er o Aiz, indig the extraordinary nature of Lucius's ability.

  While the audience processed the y, Tione broke the silehey've started!" Her vibraement filled the air.

  Otlefield, the magice began. Six fireballs materialized around Lucius, orbiting him with fiery grace before being uoward the agile Bete. The wolf-man, mog the magical attacks, disappeared like a shadow, leaving the explosions of the fireballs eg in the empty space.

  *Boom**Boom**Boom*

  As the explosions echoed, Bete reappeared, rapidly approag Lucius. The mage, anticipating the frontation with the fierce berserker-style fighter, prepared for the unfolding csh. The training ground, now enveloped in magical aura and echoes of explosions, withe beginning of a battle where magical ing would meet physical ferocity.

  Sun rays cast a golden light oraining ground, revealing the iy of the immi frontation. Lucius, recalling the st time a level 5 attacked him, felt the echo of Shakti's blow reverberate on his cheek, even though he was already healed. A fsh of caution crossed his thoughts.

  Thanks to his st experience, he already had an idea of what he would face here, so he prepared.

  Bete, the imposing figure of the wolf-man, emerged at his side, a glimpse of ferocity in his eyes. Lucius, anticipating the attack, instinctively pnned his strategy. The only possible rea was the quick decision to dodge.

  Vanishing from Bete's punch, Lucius reappeared a few meters ahead. However, the oppo's surprising speed required an immediate adaptation. His heightened senses went o, f the level-two mage to adopt a defeance. Despite the initial mistake, Bete adjusted with supernatural agility, delivering a blow that found Lucius before it could be seen.

  Seeing the blow unfold, Lucius, raising his arms in instinctive defense, was sent flying like a puppet for a few meters. He nded on his feet, but the pain, even from this defense, was gring.

  'This guy is no joke... His blows are so powerful; I'm seeing that fighting level six is so horrible!'

  Rec from the onsught, Lucius watched the wolf-man advang again. With no choice, he eled a rge amount of magic toward the path of the formidable level-six oppo in a desperate attempt to curb the momentum of the attack.

  In a desperate effort to ge the course of the frontation, Lucius eled his magic with a determined expression.

  "[Gravitational Spell, Gravitational Field!]"The atmosphere arouook on a purplish hue, indig the maion of the gravitational spell. Even under five times the pressure, Bete, with his imposing stature, faced the challehout being shaken, casting a mog g Lucius.

  "[Fire Spell, Multi-Firebolt!]"Fireballs were uowards the wolf-man, but with the speed worthy of a first-css adventurer, Bete easily dodged them. The mog expression remained, as if he were just having fun.

  'This guy is just toying with me, so I'll have to fight with everything I have...' thought Lucius, raising his hand and shouting.

  "[- Fire Spell, Fireball!]""[- Fire Spell, Fireball!]""[- Fire Spell, Fireball!]""[- Fire Spell, Fireball!]"*BOOOM!**BOOOM!**BOOOM!**BOOOM!*

  Uhe previous attempts, the explosions now caused more signifit damage, leaving the ground marked with craters where the spells hit. While Lucius ted these spells, Bete, for the first time, seemed to perceive a real threat and stepped back as soon as he saw the mage's hand raised.

  The explosions roared in the spot where Bete had been, but his agility still allowed him to dodge the attacks. Amidst the smoke, Lucius heard a frustrated expression from Bete.

  "Tsk, how does he have so much power..."Lucius, knowing that a direct victory was unlikely, couldn't help but taunt the wolf-mae, now in defensive mode, realized that the battle wouldn't be as easy as he initially imagined.

  Meanwhile...

  "Now I believe he broke part of the third floor; this power is no joke, not when he seems to cast so quickly and has so much magic." Finn's measured observatioed a genuine appreciation for the power maed by Lucius, even though the Captain was unaware of the truth about the fight against the Variant Goliath.

  "Very impressive, if he cast that magic multiple times as we heard in the rumors, he is very powerful. If we had someone like that, our dungeon dives would be much easier, as he could destroy a horde of monsters or even distract bosses and monsters from the deep floors with those attacks." Gareth shared his enthusiasm, envisioning the strategic possibilities that Lucius's power offered.

  "Yes, the chibi got another precious adventurer. No, this one is even strohan that record holder. A mage who cast magic like this is unpreted in the hundreds of years I've been here in Genkai." Loki, the fight seriously, expressed his awe at the uniqueness of Lucius's power.

  "BUT HE WANTS TO STEAL MOMMY!!!" Suddenly, Loki started to cry, turning his surprised expression into determination. His abrupt mood ge resulted in a cry of pain when Riviera acted firmly, reprimanding the goddess for her interruption again."OW!!!" Loki couldn't help but scream at the sudden pain in the head caused by Riviera aaff."Pay attention, Goddess Loki," said Riviera stoically, imposing discipline.

  The training ground, oranquil, was now a boiling cauldron of ents aions, each spemersed in the nuances of the battle between Lucius ae.

  "Watg the fight so far, he's very powerful for a level 2, and I don't say that in magical terms... What do you think, Captain?" Tione shared her thoughts, revealing sharp insight in evaluating Lucius's ability. The attentive looks of those present reflected the plexity of the se.

  "Because his physical stats are already at a level 3 adventurer..." Finn spoke, his eyes fixed otle, immersed in his strategialysis.

  "What?? But he's not a swordsman, is he?" Lefiya's question echoed in general perplexity.

  "It's incredible; he's a mage who prioritizes his physical stats, from what we've heard in the rumors. He fights with a sword enveloped in lightning magiething no one else has as that kind of style here in Orario." Gareth pondered, eg pieces of the puzzle that was Lucius's fighting style.

  "And in magical terms, he's already at level 4... That's why Bete had to dodge; those st spells are no joke, even for a level 6." Riviera's stoic voice cut through the murmurs of the training ground, adding a yer of seriouso the discussion.

  "He wasn't at this level when he was at the camp, was he?" Finn inquired, and Lefiya's displeased expression revealed her disfort with the idea of being surpassed by an unknown mage.

  "True," Lefiya ented, expressing surprise at Lucius's rapid growth.

  "It hasn't been even a month since he leveled up, and he's already entering level 3 in physical strength and level 4 in magic. This is truly abnormal..." Finn remarked, eg the general astonishment at Lucius's extraordinary evolution.

  "First the white-haired brat, now this mage? Is that chibi doing something to her kids?" Loki asked seriously, casting a shadow of suspi over the notable developments.

  "Anyway, he's quite strong; I want to fight him too!" Tiona expressed her excitement, seemingly oblivious to the suspicious atmosphere that was settling in.

  Aiz, always seeking strength, observed with i. Lucius's rapid growth echoed what she had witnessed with her friend Bell, inspiring and thrillio see another adventurer evolving before her eyes.

  "Let's watch the fight and see if he show more about his secrets." Finn spoke, gathering everyone's attention back to the fight. The Loki family, along with the rest of the members of the training ground, remained enveloped in anticipation, witnessing one of their main team members against a rising adventurer.