CHAPTER 397: PAYBACK

He calmly stepped across the room toward his cursed bed, gently sinking onto its soft surface.

The mattress felt exceptionally comfortable after spending months locked in intense internal reflection.

"Tomorrow, let’s finally try the Limitless Arena Mode," he murmured softly. "I haven’t had a chance to experiment with that feature yet. Now, with no urgent issues and having grasped enough about the Darkness Element, it’s finally time to practice swordsmanship."

Almost immediately, Lumi’s cheerful, glowing screen materialized beside him, bobbing energetically as she responded enthusiastically,

[Hehe, yes, Master! Let’s finally settle some old grudges tomorrow! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ]

Orion smiled faintly at her eager tone. His eyes gradually grew heavier as he allowed relaxation to fully wash over him.

***

Morning arrived swiftly, golden rays of sunlight illuminating Orion’s room, casting a gentle warmth across his face. Slowly opening his eyes, Orion stretched leisurely before rising from his bed, feeling fully refreshed and eager for the day’s training.

He methodically went through his daily routine, beginning with the Basic Mana Breathing Technique, feeling mana circulate harmoniously through his meridians and mana channels.

Next, he performed the Ninefold Body Refinement Scripture, strengthening his physical form while preparing his body for intense training.

Just then Fiora and Rina arrived, and after a quick wash, he felt completely rejuvenated, his body and mind primed for the rigorous practice ahead, but first he headed for breakfast.

Afterwards, Orion made his way toward the mansion’s private training hall. He didn’t go to the outdoor training field this time because he didn’t want others to see him using the System.

Entering the training hall, Orion paused briefly, his gaze carefully scanning the intricately reinforced walls.

Dense runic inscriptions glowed subtly upon their surfaces, each rune specifically engineered to absorb and disperse tremendous impacts.

With such powerful runic protections, Orion could safely test the full extent of his power without fear of collateral damage.

Taking in a deep breath, Orion first summoned both of his swords: the Realm Guardian and his long-used Windsteel Sword. He looked at the Windsteel Sword for a moment, its familiar design and worn handle evoking memories of earlier, simpler days where he only used to laze around in the mansion.

A gentle, nostalgic smile crossed his face. "I’ve already outgrown this Tier 5 sword, haven’t I?" Orion whispered softly to himself, mild amusement evident in his tone.

Shaking his head lightly, he carefully placed the Windsteel Sword back into his inventory as he drew out the Bonesteel Sword.

Orion put both the Realm Guardian and Bonesteel Sword firmly at his waist, feeling like a swordsman once again.

Calmly, he then withdrew the Silent Hall Cube from his storage ring, holding the intricate artifact carefully in his palm.

He then inserted several high-quality mana crystals into the cube’s activation slots. Immediately, the cube hummed faintly with potent mana fluctuations, releasing an invisible yet palpable barrier that enveloped the entire training hall in absolute silence and privacy.

Feeling satisfied with the preparations, Orion exhaled slowly, focusing on the Limitless Arena Mode feature. Lumi’s glowing screen floated excitedly beside him, her tone bubbling with anticipation,

[This will be exciting, Master! Show them how much you’ve grown! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]

Orion chuckled softly at her words, drawing both his Realm Guardian sword and Bonesteel Sword smoothly from their sheath. The dual swords, one obsidian black and the other bone white, gleamed with a deathly aura.

"Alright, show me the interface of Limitless Arena Mode."

Lumi’s glowing interface shimmered before Orion’s focused gaze, displaying the vivid details of the Limitless Arena Mode:

[Limitless Arena Mode: Activated]

[Registered Opponents:]

-Lucan [Tier 7]

-Edgar [Tier 7]

-Club Members [Tier 6]

-Assassin from the Forest [Tier 6]

-Assassin from the Forest [Tier 7]

-Vampire General 1 [Tier 7]

-Vampire General 2 [Tier 7]

-Vampire General 3 [Tier 7]

-Vampire General 4 [Tier 7]

...

-Vampire General 10 [Tier 7]

-Valerian Von Erebus [Tier 7] ((⊙_☉)]

[Simulation Options:]

Mode: [Single Combat / Multi-Enemy / Endless Wave]

Orion raised an eyebrow, clearly perplexed. "Brother Lucan and Uncle Edgar at Tier 7? Is this broken?"

Lumi’s interface immediately bobbed in denial, swiftly clarifying her system’s logic,

[No, no, no, Master! (๑•﹏•)⋆ It’s because the System doesn’t have enough data on their actual combat level. They have only fought with you while holding back at the 7th Tier. That’s why the System registered them as Tier 7 opponents.]

Understanding dawned on Orion’s face, as a slight smirk formed on his lips, "Oh, now that makes sense. No wonder that bastard Valerian is also registered as Tier 7. And the Simulation options seem quite interesting, I will play with them later."

Slowly, Orion’s expression shifted from curiosity to a coldness as his eyes lingered on two particular entries on the list.

His voice took on a noticeably colder tone. "How much SP would I need to use to simulate combat against the Tier 6 Assassin from the forest?"

Lumi’s screen blinked rapidly, calculations quickly flashing across her display. She promptly replied with precise clarity,

[1000 SP per hour for opponents on the same level as you, Master!]

Orion nodded decisively, his voice calm, "Very well. Activate the Limitless Ascension Field and the Limitless Arena Mode. I will fight him first."

Without further hesitation, Lumi’s glowing screen spun energetically, mana rapidly surging within the isolated training hall.

Almost immediately, the surroundings subtly warped as the Limitless Ascension Field enveloped the entire room, filling the air with an empowering presence.

Directly in front of Orion, a familiar figure began to take shape from particles of glowing mana.

Within mere moments, the assassin from the forest stood once again in front of Orion, his form vivid and lifelike, grasping two viciously sharp daggers.

His eyes held the same cold ruthlessness Orion remembered clearly from their first encounter in the forest.

As the simulated opponent readied himself, raising his blades and assuming a stance, Orion’s eyes flashed dangerously, wasting no time.

Without hesitation, Orion activated his Nine Step Quake, his powerful muscles instantly launching him forward.

In a blink, he crossed the entire distance between them, arriving directly before the assassin, whose expression barely had time to shift into surprise.

In the same fluid movement, Orion decisively swung the Realm Guardian sword. An intense Intermediate Grade Fire Aura erupted violently along its obsidian blade, intertwined seamlessly with the blazing, scorching flames of the spell Blazing Execution Arc.

The assassin, caught entirely off-guard, only had enough time for his eyes to widen fractionally before Orion’s blade cleanly sliced through his neck, effortlessly decapitating him.

The assassin’s form froze briefly, shimmering and dispersing into scattered motes of mana, swiftly fading back into nothingness.

The entire clash occurred in a single breath of time.

In the sudden silence that followed, Lumi floated beside Orion, her glowing interface displaying slight shock.

For a long moment, she merely stared at the space where the assassin’s form had stood just seconds before, her voice filled with amazement,

[I almost forgot how big of a monster you truly are, Master. You’re always surrounded by other exceptional geniuses, making it easy to overlook your own terrifying strength. Instantly killing another awakener of the same level... hehe, if others learned of this, who knows how they’d react? (๑°ㅁ°๑)‼✧]