Chapter 74: Arcane Cultivation

"Valdene?" Clarke's aura wavered, her eyes narrowing at Darius in disbelief. "That's impossible, they're all dead." Yet, her energy surged anew, a formidable mountain of earth mana enveloping her.

Marcus edged forward, his voice firm. "It's true, Clarke. He is Darius Valdene, the sole survivor of the Valdene family."

"Enough!" Darius barked, his patience snapping. "Who I am changes nothing. Or did I misjudge you, mountain woman?" As he spoke, he began channeling his fire mana, 'For my plan to work, we have to duel. Otherwise, she'll be a constant thorn in my side.'

The vein on her temple twitched visibly. 'How long has it been?' A twisted smile slowly spread across her face. "No, you haven't misjudged me, boy. Whether you're a dud, a Valdene, or a Glutton—whatever you call yourself." Her grip on her hammer tightened. "You will die for speaking to me like that!" With a fierce motion, she slammed her hammer down, the force of her mana exploding the ground between them.

Darius leaped back, eyes wide, dodging and deflecting incoming debris and arcs of lightning with swift movements of his gauntlet.

Yellow eyes glowed from within the dust cloud, making Darius feel like a literal mountain was about to crash upon him. Switching to water mana as fast as he could, he barely managed to summon his Mystic Water Mirror just as Clarke's hammer thundered down again.

A loud crash erupted as Clarke's hammer collided with the reflected image from Darius's Mystic Water Mirror.

Clarke's face contorted, 'an artifact?'

The two forces clashed fiercely, yellow auras battling as streams of purple and blue lightning sparked and intertwined. For a tense second, the energies wrestled, each vying for dominance.

Inside his mind, Darius strained, feeling the overwhelming weight of Clarke's attack pressing down. 'She's like a body cultivator! Pure muscle,' he thought as fine cracks began spider-webbing across the surface of the mirror. Moments later, the mirror shattered, releasing a powerful shockwave that rippled through the air.

Darius was flung backwards, barely evading Clarke's hammer as it broke through his defense. "Ethereal steps!" he yelled, his fluid steps propelling himself further. Clarke's grin widened as she launched forward, relentless in pursuit.

As the two darted across the field, eruptions tore through the terrain one after another. Darius wove through the chaos, dodging her ferocious attacks with agile maneuvers, each movement a narrow escape from the destructive force of her hammer.

As Darius's body twisted in the air, narrowly dodging another eruption from Clarke's hammer, he threw a punch at her face from a distance in mid-twist. Clarke smirked at the seemingly futile gesture, but her smile was abruptly engulfed in flames as her head rocked back from the unexpected impact.

Landing deftly, Darius wasted no time and unleashed his Solar Tyrant’s Fist. Like rapid thunder, the sounds of his fists pummeling Clarke’s body exploded, each strike quaking the ground beneath her.

"Lightning Pulse!"

Suddenly, a surge of purple lightning burst from the ongoing explosions covering Clarke's body. Interrupting Darius's assault, he quickly leapt back to evade the sudden discharge.

An excited laugh shattered the tension, "Is this what an arcane cultivator amounts to? Cheap theatrics and fancy footwork? Come on, I'm starting to get bored." Clarke brushed soot from her chin, standing unscathed.

'This is tougher than I expected. I estimate she weilds over a hundred Cauldrons of Force, I can’t even block a hit. Plus, her mana pool dwarfs mine. I need to leverage my advantages.' Smiling, Darius stood with his hands behind him, secretly cycling his lightning mana.

"Lady Clarke, you are indeed formidable. I see why you've earned your title; you truly are as unyielding as a mountain," Darius said, bowing slightly as he turned on the charm. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "It’s too bad your brains aren’t as substantial as those peaks on your chest. Maybe then you'd have thought to enhance your speed as well."

Clarke's eyes flashed with mana, a blush spreading across her face as she slammed her foot into the ground. "You dare?!"

"Why are you offended? It's a plain fact, not an opinion. You have huge tits and zero wits." Darius shrugged, glancing over at Marcus and Percy, "Right? She's like a rock with boobs."

Both Marcus and Percy stood there, mouths agape, faces flushed. As Darius drew attention to them, Marcus cursed internally, 'Don't involve us, you brat!'

Percy, meanwhile, looked at Darius with a mix of newfound respect and a hint of jealousy.

"You are the first person to ever speak to me like that." Clarke hissed, her face beet red, a pulsing vein bulging next to her now bloodshot eye. "I was considering just crippling you if you put up a decent fight. But now, I make sure there's nothing left to bury."

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Suddenly, Clarke hunched over, her muscles spasming.

Darius's eyes widened for a moment, before a tense smile spread across his face, 'This is it!'

A low, guttural rumble escaped Clarke's body, like boulders dragged over cobblestone, growing louder as her spasms turned violent. Her mana gathered into a colossal mound around her. Suddenly, she stood straight, throwing her head back to face the sky, "Mountain's Ra—"

Her words were cut off as Darius saw the perfect moment and launched his Echoing Thunder Palm. A lightning bolt instantly erupted, striking Clarke's face with a blinding flash and deafening crack, the impact exploding through the air and shaking the ground.

Seizing the momentum, Darius closed the distance in a flash. Clarke stood immobilized, her body convulsing as lightning surged through every inch, paralyzing her. Darius gathered more lightning mana in his palms. With a resounding thunderclap, he slammed his hands together on her ears, channeling the force and electricity directly into her skull.

Clarke's paralyzed face contorted in pain, blood bursting from every orifice in her head.

Not holding back, Darius switched to his earth mana, cycling it rapidly and forcing as much power as he could into his arms and back. He then unleashed a barrage of rapid-fire punches, targeting her throat, temples, and just below her nose.

In the mere three seconds that elapsed from the initial surprise attack to his final punch to her throat, Darius struck Clarke twenty-eight times, each blow landing with brutal percision.

From the sidelines, Percy observed Darius with unwavering focus, his gaze sharp, his wind aura swirling. "He can use lightning too? I thought his powers were limited to just fire and water. Father...is he actually winning?"

Marcus's expression hardened, though a hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "It appears he's kept some tricks hidden even from us. I'm genuinely surprised," he admitted as his aura fluctuating, "Clarke is technically a shield knight, yet she leans heavily into offensive tactics. I doubt she can keep this up."

Watching Clarke still stand after Darius's relentless attacks, Percy felt a mix of admiration and conflict. "I'm not sure who I should be rooting for."

Intently observing Clarke, Darius's expression darkened as he switched to his water mana. "Breath of the Frost Serpent!" he announced, releasing a frosty breath. From it, two-meter-long serpentine ice formations spiraled out, wrapping snugly around each of his arms.

As the smoke surrounding Clarke dissipated, it revealed her battered face, yet her eyes, glazed and distant, were lit by a chilling grin.

The sight of her eerie smile sent a shiver down Darius's spine. "She's out on her feet! Marcus, come help her!" Exhausted, Darius collapsed to the ground, his breaths coming in heavy gasps as he dropped his guard.

With a broad grin, Marcus dashed over in a blur, Sabre swiftly carrying Percy along, the other beasts in tow.

"That was incredible!" Marcus laughed as he reached Clarke, carefully lowering her to the ground. He touched his pouch and produced a vial of silver liquid. "Her throat is completely crushed, but fortunately, she's still alive."

"Fortunately?! It felt like I was punching a steel plate. If I had been off by even a hair, her hammer would have liquefied me!" Darius exclaimed as he flopped onto his back, releasing his martial technique around his arms, only to be swarmed by Borg, who eagerly licked his face.

Laughing, Marcus finished administering the potion to Clarke, "Seems Borg was worried, and I can't say I wasn't either. And you can use four elements?! In all of history, I don't think anyone's managed that. Two, yes, but four?!"

"Four?" Percy echoed, looking at his father in confusion as he dismounted Sabre.

'At this point, I might as well tell them,' Darius thought, pushing Borg away and wiping slobber from his face. "I'm sorry for hiding this, and to be completely honest...I can wield all five."

"Fuck you!"

Both Marcus and Darius frowned in shock for a moment before turning to Percy.

"...sorry, it just kinda slipped out," Percy offered with an apologetic smile. "Is she okay?" He avoided Darius's gaze as he tentatively approached Clarke's unconscious form.

"She'll be fine; her throat has already healed. She just needs to wake up now," Marcus assured.

"She's going to wake up with a massive headache," Darius laughed.

Marcus shook his head, looking at Darius with a mix of pride and curiosity. "I think I've figured it out—your mana. It's only visible once it leaves your body. You have an aura like us, but it's both internal and external."

"A man has to have some secrets," Darius chuckled, pulling out a mid-grade mana crystal. He sat down and began to cycle his Arcane Talisman Technique.

Percy observed his father, noticing the pride on his face—a look he rarely saw directed at himself. His emotions churned: admiration for the unconscious Clarke, envy of Darius's youth and strength, and the daunting reality that Darius could wield all five elements. As Darius eventually opened his eyes, completing his mana replenishment, Percy stepped forward. "Darius? I mean, boss?"

"Boss?" Marcus echoed, casting a suspicious glance at Darius.

Feeling the awkwardness of the moment, Darius coughed and shifted, choosing to ignore Marcus's questioning stare. "Yeah?"

Dropping to his knees, Percy placed his fist over his heart, locking eyes with Darius. "I would like to make a blood oath to serve you as your squire, and once you deem me worthy, as your knight."

Feeling the onset of a headache, Darius frowned slightly. "I'm more than willing to help train you and set you on a path to become stronger... but I'm sorry, Percy, I must decline."

Visibly shaken but resolute, Percy remained kneeling. "I know I've shown little to inspire your faith in me, and I might seem pathetic, but please, give me a chance to prove myself."

Rubbing his temples, Darius glanced towards Marcus, irritation in his tone. "Why are you suddenly so quiet? Shouldn't you say something?"

Marcus gazed at his son, his expression distant as if lost in thought. After a moment, his attention shifted to Darius, his expression turning serious. "What is your goal?"

Caught off guard by the abrupt question, Darius blinked a few times. "My goal?" Tightening his fists and jaw, he declared, "Revenge."

"And are you going to wait until you've reached the power of an archmagus or legend knight to enact your revenge?" Marcus probed further.

Darius squinted, slightly annoyed by the line of questioning. "No, I just need to be strong enough to kill Crowley. There's no way to predict how long it will take to reach the level of an archmagus; I can't rely on that."

Marcus's expression darkened. "So, it's a suicide mission."

Darius's aura flared with irritation, "Why would you assume that? I fully intend to survive." Fixing Marcus with a steely gaze. "What are you getting at?"

With a sigh that carried a hint of pity, Marcus responded, "I need to stop forgetting that you're still just a boy."

'If he calls me 'boy' one more time, when she wakes up, I'm having her kick his ass.' Darius took a deep, calming breath, his frustration barely contained. "Just get to your point already."

"If you kill Rainslif Crowley, a Tower Master, there's no way you can do that without the world noticing. Every mage and knight powerful enough to challenge you will be on a relentless hunt for you. You wouldn't stand a chance against that."

Fiddling with the invisible signet ring on his hand, Darius smirked, "I have my ways of escape, plus—"

"And they have their ways of finding you," Marcus interjected firmly. "The only reason you're still alive is because Crowley lied about your death and no one knows about your true abilities. If the True Ascended decide to come after you, it won't matter if you can delve to the center of Gaia or even possess your own dimensional space; they will find you eventually."

Feeling a chill crawl up his neck, Darius's mind flashed to Haku, his temper flaring. "Then what do you suggest I do?! For all I know, it might take hundreds of years to become that strong! Rainslif is only a fifth-tier mage; does he even have that many years left?"

Marcus met Darius’s fiery gaze, his response unwavering, "Build your own force."

Stunned, Darius stared at Marcus, his thoughts racing. 'That's absurd—so they can just die alongside me?...wait, what if I...? It could work, but...'

Sighing, he shook his head, "There's a flaw in your plan. I could gather as many allies as possible, but it wouldn't matter unless some of them were True Ascended. Without them, I'd just be amassing flies to be swatted."

Marcus laughed, his gaze softening with pity, "Your growth is astonishing, Darius. Never in the history of Gaia has a 16-year-old defeated a fourth-tier knight. You've proven beyond doubt that your... Arcane Cultivation? It's the strongest path. Build a force strong enough to make others take pause, to forge alliances. Not all the True Ascended were against your family; some were close with Warwick. Show them there's a new Valdene to count on, and you might just lay the groundwork for a new power to rise."

Percy, still kneeling, gazed at his father with admiration before turning his hopeful eyes back to Darius, never expecting the next words that came from his father: "Allow my Kinneman family to be the first to form an alliance with you."