CHAPTER 250: THE NEXT MORNING

After their soothing boat ride, the couple strolled through the garden under the soft glow of the moon. They shared a comfortable silence; they didn’t need to speak. The gentle clasp of their fingers and the rhythm of their footsteps on the gravel conveyed everything they felt. The conversations of the night—filled with important revelations and quiet plans—had settled between them, replaced by a deep sense of happiness. The night air was cool and calm, and the grand estate around them lay in peaceful stillness.

Before long, they reached the point where they would part ways to their separate rooms. The long, quiet hallway ahead was a reminder that their magical evening was coming to an end.

Nero turned to face Khione, holding her hands gently. Though her skin was cool, he felt warmth where they touched. "Good night, my ice queen," he said softly, his voice warm in the quiet night.

"Good night, Ner," she replied, her voice sweet and soft. The nickname felt special, as if it was a secret just between the two of them.

He leaned in, and she rose on her toes to meet him. This kiss was different from the gentle one they had shared in the boat; it was slow, deep, and filled with passion, a powerful exchange of all the feelings the night had awakened. In that moment, they made a silent promise of protection and connection, hoping for more evenings like this in the future. For a brief moment, everything else faded away, and only the warmth they felt for each other remained.

When they finally pulled away, both of them were a little breathless. Khione let out a soft, happy sigh—a sound that was rare and precious. With one last look full of understanding, they reluctantly released each other’s hands.

Without saying another word, they turned and walked in opposite directions down the softly lit hallway. Their doors opened and closed gently, separating them into their own rooms. Yet, as they prepared for sleep, the warmth on their lips and the memories of the moonlit garden kept them connected. The magic of the night followed them into their dreams, a sweet reminder of a perfect night date they shared together.

°°°

The next morning, sunlight streamed into Nero’s room, painting bright rectangles on the floor. He awoke not with a jolt, but with a slow, deep sense of refreshment, his body humming with a quiet energy. After a quick routine of washing up, he changed into his comfortable, well-worn training gear and headed out to meet the others.

Lux and Adam were already waiting in the courtyard, bathed in the gentle gold of the early sun. As Nero approached, both of his friends looked at him, their expressions shifting to a subtle, curious scrutiny.

"Morning," Nero said simply.

Lux tilted his head, his silver hair catching the light.

"You seem... different," he remarked, his keen eyes scanning Nero. "Did you get a new haircut or something?"

Adam, standing with his usual solid presence, gave a slow, agreeing nod.

"Something’s off. You’re standing differently."

Nero just offered a small, noncommittal smile. He knew the source of the change—the newly awakened Law of Lightning humming just beneath his skin, refining his posture and sharpening his aura in a way that was invisible yet palpable to those who knew him well. But he wasn’t ready to explain. Not yet.

Shaking his head with a light laugh, Lux let the matter drop. "Alright, mystery man. Let’s go."

With Adam falling into step behind him and Nero bringing up the rear, the trio set off. They were a smaller group than usual. Eltreth and Azalea were absent, likely occupied with their own pursuits. Khione, too, was nowhere to be seen, perhaps enjoying a quiet morning. And Blake, true to his core nature, had flatly refused to join, no doubt still luxuriating in his bed. The young demon prince’s legendary laziness remained unchallenged.

Leaving the manicured grounds of the estate behind, they struck out for the nearby mountain range. A gentle summer breeze swept down from the peaks, cool and fresh, caressing their faces and rustling the leaves in the trees that lined their path. It was a perfect morning for a run, and as their feet found a steady rhythm on the dirt trail, the last of the sleepiness faded away, replaced by the familiar, welcome burn of exertion.

The path into the mountains was a rugged ribbon of dirt and stone, winding upward through pine forests that filled the air with a crisp, clean scent. The gentle breeze that had greeted them at the estate became a more persistent wind the higher they climbed, whipping through their hair and cooling the sweat that soon began to bead on their brows.

Their training began not with a grand announcement, but with a shared, unspoken understanding. It started with a run, but this was no casual jog. Lux, light and agile as a leaf on the wind, set a punishing pace. His feet seemed to barely touch the ground, his movements effortless as he weaved between trees and leaped over exposed roots. Adam, in contrast, was like a force of nature. Each of his footfalls was a solid thump that kicked up small clouds of dust. He didn’t avoid obstacles; he powered through them, his dwarven stamina a deep, unshakeable well. Nero found his own rhythm between them, his body falling into the familiar, meditative state of a long-distance run, the steady thrum of his dual cores a comforting presence.

After what felt like an hour, they burst out of the treeline onto a wide, flat ledge of granite that overlooked the entire valley below. The view was breathtaking, but they had not come for sightseeing. This was their training ground.

The first phase was pure physical conditioning. Without a word, they fell into synchronized drills. They began with a series of complex stretches, holding positions that tested the limits of their flexibility, feeling muscles pull and warm up. This was followed by bodyweight exercises: sets of push-ups performed with such control that their bodies remained perfectly rigid, core exercises that carved their midsections, and powerful squats that built the foundational strength for their combat styles.

Next came strength training. Adam, in his element, approached a collection of massive, smooth boulders at the edge of the clearing. He wrapped his powerful hands around one that must have weighed several hundred pounds. With a grunt of effort, his muscles corded, and he lifted it, hoisting it over his head before slamming it back to the ground with a resonant thud that shook the ledge. He did this again and again, a display of raw, brute power.

Lux’s approach was different. He had set up a series of wooden posts at uneven intervals. He began to move between them, his body a blur of motion. He would strike a post with the blade of his hand, the impact a sharp crack, then immediately pivot into a spinning kick against another, his movements so fluid they looked like a deadly dance.

Nero focused on his swordsmanship. He drew the blade Adam had forged for him and began to move through his forms. He started slowly, each thrust, parry, and slash executed with meticulous precision. He wasn’t just swinging the sword; he was feeling its balance, the way it cut through the air, the minute adjustments his wrists and shoulders needed to make for a perfect strike. As he warmed up, his movements accelerated, the sword becoming a silver blur around him, the swish-swish of it cutting the air a constant soundtrack to his focus.

The second phase of their training was prana control. The three of them sat in a triangle, cross-legged on the stone, and closed their eyes. The goal was to draw in the ambient energy of the world—the prana that flowed through the air, the stone, the very sunlight—and circulate it through their bodies. To an outside observer, they would have seemed perfectly still. But in the world of energy, a silent storm was brewing.

Lux’s aura was a shimmering, white vortex, drawing in energy with a graceful, pulling motion. Adam’s was different; it was a slow, deep, grounding pull, as if the mountain itself were feeding him strength, a steady, earthen-brown glow surrounding him. Nero, for his part, had to be careful. He focused solely on his primary core, drawing in prana and refining it, feeling it swell within him. He dared not touch the golden star of lightning, not here, not yet. The familiar warmth of fire was his focus, a comfortable and controlled blaze.

’I bet my eyes must have evolved as well but more test is needed to understand what kind of ability I have gained through this new evolution.’ he thought inwardly, after awakening his second law, not only his physical strength increased, his special eyes seemed to have evolved again, his eyesight had become sharper, he could see tiny prana particles even without focusing, by willing it he could see prana structures, meaning the structure of spells, could easily cancel basics spell thus disrupting the Law. He couldn’t wait to dwell on the mystery of his ominous red eyes, a color never seen on human.