The second day of recovery in the cave passed normally. Christopher gradually began to feel his energy returning, although his body was still suffering from some exhaustion after the fierce battle. Time had passed quietly, but now it was time to start serious training.
Melina, who was more knowledgeable in sword techniques, wasted no time and took the initiative in teaching Christopher some basic moves. She moved swiftly between strikes and light attacks, explaining to him how to transition smoothly between offense and defense, and how to use the battlefield to his advantage.
"It's not just the sword that carries your strength, but also your mind and movements. You have to observe your opponent and read his intentions before he moves," said Melina as she swung her sword in the air.
Christopher began to adapt to the new style, using what he had learned from the hunter techniques copied from the disk, and became more flexible with every passing moment. The movements overlapped between the "Shadow of the World Sword" style and the "Basics of the Sword," making his attacks stronger and more precise.
By the afternoon, Christopher had become more familiar with the techniques he was applying. He felt a sense of internal balance, as if he had begun to master the fusion of sword techniques with his other abilities such as "Earth Shadow Steps," where he moved at high speed without making a sound, as if his body had become part of the shadow itself.
While they were taking a short break, Melina spoke about some aspects of training that were more important than just learning the movements. "What you also need to learn is patience and timing. Don't rush, don't attack without thinking. A reckless attack might put you in danger," Melina advised, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
But before he could reply, the air suddenly shook, and a loud deep scream echoed from within the cave.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Both Christopher and Melina froze in place, exchanging tense looks before rushing inside.
In the depth of the cave, Lux tied with black iron chains was growling violently. His eyes were glowing red, and his body was shaking. The veins on his body were throbbing as if they were about to explode. He was panting like a wild beast, while a strong, thick aura was rising from his body and engulfing the surrounding air.
Christopher felt like his body would tear apart from the intensity of the aura. He couldn't help but think of the moment he fought Lux. It seemed Lux hadn't even used ten percent of his strength. But time was not on their side.
Melina took out her special pendant and said in a low voice, as if the words carried an invisible power: "Heart Array—Blood Echo!"
At the moment Melina uttered the words, the atmosphere shook abruptly. The magical inscriptions on her pendant began to glow blue. A deep echo resonated in the air, as if nature itself was responding to those mysterious words. With a swift motion, Melina pushed the light emitted from the pendant to engulf Lux's body, and at that moment Lux began to calm down gradually, starting to regain his consciousness.
Christopher said as he looked at Lux with pity: "He's gradually falling into the Hunting Spiral."
Christopher's words carried a bitter weight, for he knew the Hunting Spiral wasn't just an obsession with hunting, but a deep state of inner loss, where the hunter becomes a prisoner of his mind and emotions, fighting until he collapses, then continuing to fight until the end.
Melina looked at Lux sadly and answered in a soft voice: "Yes."
As the light from the pendant gradually faded, Lux slowly opened his eyes, a mix of confusion and fatigue, as if his mind was about to collapse.
Lux looked at Melina with confused and bewildered eyes and said in a hoarse voice while gasping:
"Sorry Melina... it seems my time is getting closer and closer... it seems I can't stay with you."
Melina's lips trembled, and her body shivered as she knelt beside him, gripping his hand tightly as if trying to tie him to her.
"Don't say that... You're stronger than to end this way!" she said in a trembling voice, trying to hold back her tears.
Lux smiled lightly and said: "I'm ending? It's just a trial. I'll finish it and return with you."
Then Lux straightened his back proudly and continued laughing: "In the end, I am the descendant of the Promised Flame Flaren Clan. Hahaha!"
"Promised Flame Flaren? Is it one of the celestial clans Lux mentioned before?" Christopher thought as he looked at Lux. He didn't feel surprised by this information, as he had already suspected it. Lux's words confirmed his guess, and it also seemed the clan wasn't doing well, otherwise they wouldn't have let Melina be hunted by the temple like this.
Christopher sighed as he looked at them, then placed his hand behind his back and exited the cave to leave them together.
The air outside was cold, and the sky was filled with gray clouds that looked like they were about to cry. Christopher sat on a rock near the cave entrance, watching the tall trees slowly sway with the wind, while his mind was diving into a whirlpool of thoughts.
Christopher closed his eyes to review his sword training and analyze the mistakes he made. Two hours passed in this state, his mind focused and his breath calm. But, while Christopher's eyes were closed, he heard fast footsteps sneaking from between the nearby trees.
Christopher immediately opened his eyes and felt a strong aura approaching. He frowned, gripped his sword tightly, and took a step back toward the cave, preparing to escape if necessary.
Out of the trees emerged a demonic beast in the form of a tiger, but its size was that of a massive carriage. Its body was covered in dark gray fur matted with dried blood, and its glowing fiery red eyes pierced the air. Its claws were long and hooked, sinking into the ground with each step, making a terrible tearing sound, while a hoarse roar full of madness came from its mouth.
Christopher looked at the demonic tiger form and thought quickly: "How did this demonic beast get here? Melina placed magical arrays to hide the place."
Christopher quietly and cautiously drew his sword from its sheath, his eyes never leaving the demonic tiger before him. He now knew it would be a tough battle if he didn't use the black ring, so Christopher decided to end the fight before it began.
Christopher channeled his mana into the ring, and a deep, dark aura emerged from it, igniting the air around him and causing the winds to stagnate and fall silent before it.
The demonic tiger felt the terrifying aura and involuntarily took a step back, its teeth chattering while its burning eyes watched Christopher cautiously.
Christopher looked at the tiger mockingly and said provocatively: "What? Are you afraid?"
The demonic tiger roared in rage, as if it understood his words. It struck the ground hard, the earth cracking beneath its feet, and a fierce aura like a fiery cyclone erupted from it, then it lunged like an arrow toward Christopher.
"Fool," Christopher muttered, placing his hand on his shadow stretched across the ground and whispered: "Shadow Seal."
At the moment he uttered those words, the shadow beneath his feet moved as if it were a living creature. Soon the shadow branched out like the roots of a giant tree, swiftly flowing toward the demonic tiger.
Before the tiger could comprehend what was happening, the shadow pounced on it with terrifying force. The shadow split into small and large tendrils, surrounding its massive body, binding the beast of darkness in an inescapable grip. The tiger's roar turned into a muffled scream as the shadows tightened around it, constraining its movement and twisting its massive body painfully.
But the tiger, though weakened, did not surrender easily. It began to resist, slashing the air with its claws, while the shadows wrapped tighter around it, tearing its skin and body membranes from the pressure. This was a struggle for survival, but the overwhelming power Christopher unleashed through his shadow was too much for it.
Christopher didn't stop. He leapt forward, his sword glowing with dark mana, and shouted as he swung his strike: "Sword Basics — Opening Strike!"
The sword's aura shot forward in a straight line, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle, colliding with the demonic tiger's body intending to split it in two. As the aura struck, a dark light burst out amid a bloody explosion, shaking the surrounding trees violently.
Everything stopped for a second.
Then the tiger's body collapsed to the ground, clearly split from shoulder to waist. Its eyes dimmed, and part of its aura evaporated into the air as if it had finally been buried.
Christopher stood silently, breathing heavily, then raised his head and calmly stared at the massive corpse.
Christopher rubbed his clean-shaven chin and thought: "The gem should be inside this beast... hmm, okay, where is it?"
Christopher walked steadily toward the massive body, then began to cut into the demonic tiger's body with his sword in a somewhat bloody manner. Its flesh was tough, filled with layers of hard skin. After minutes of searching through blood, bones, and muscles, Christopher found nothing.
He frowned slightly, then said in annoyance: "Damn it, if it's not in the body, maybe... in the head?"
He lifted the beast's heavy head with both hands, braced it against a rock, then drove his sword down with force. The skull split violently, releasing a dark vapor and a sharp metallic stench.
As bone fractured and blood cleared away, the gem emerged.
It was pure white almost unnaturally so glowing with a faint, eerie light. There was something unsettling about its pristine brilliance.
"Huh?" Christopher murmured, eyes narrowing as he stared. Slowly, with utmost caution, he reached out and took it.