Chapter 440: The Rising Strength Of Aegon Veyr
(Somewhere amidst a secret training field, hidden within mountains, the Fourth Elder’s POV, 7 days before the fight)
*Pant*
*Pant*
Veyr’s body was drenched in sweat from head to toe, steam rising from his bare shoulders as though his very blood was boiling beneath the surface, radiating heat and exertion in equal measure.
The tall mountains that surrounded the training ground bore the scars of dozens of failed attempts: trenches carved into stone, entire ridges flattened, and black scorch marks scattered across the walls from the shockwaves that had cracked them apart like brittle shells.
However, the success that Veyr chased seemed to still elude him based on the focused expression on his face.
Veyr stood motionless, blade in hand, head tilted slightly downward as he stared at the next mountain in front of him, his gaze sharp and unwavering. Unlike the shattered peaks all around, this one still stood whole, untouched, almost as if it were daring him to try again.
For the past thirty days, Veyr had committed himself entirely to mastering the Cult’s most destructive offensive technique under the Monarch Tier, known as [Final Slash] — a move of such terrifying magnitude that it was said to cut clean through mountains and even rupture the Earth beneath if charged with enough mana.
The Fourth Elder had observed the boy endure all manner of hardship in pursuit of this goal.
He had trained through violent storms, ignored the agony of starvation, and pushed forward through bone-cracking exhaustion that would have crippled most men.
Veyr had surpassed what should have been the absolute limits of human endurance and continued onward with frightening resolve to master this technique that was both cruel and difficult to learn.
Even a slight misstep in energy control or the angle of release could result in catastrophic backlash — torn ligaments, ruptured muscles, or worse.
And yet, despite the danger, Veyr advanced with every attempt.
His last strike had carved a deep gash across the mountain’s surface, nearly splitting it in two. But it stopped just short at the final moment, like a sword pausing an inch before the executioner’s call.
But now... now was different.
This time, Veyr’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade, and the atmosphere around him grew dense, vibrating with a cold sharpness that made even the Fourth Elder’s seasoned skin prickle in warning.
A wave of spiritual pressure erupted from beneath Veyr’s feet, rippling outward like a heartbeat buried in the land itself. The Elder, sensing the change, instinctively took a step back as unease gripped his chest.
His eyes widened.
His throat constricted.
His heart began to pound faster with a sense of anxious anticipation.
’This time the boy is close. I can feel it...’ the Fourth Elder thought, watching intently as Veyr’s body ignited with brilliant silver light, the glow burning so fiercely that it cloaked his figure in radiant luminescence, while thousands of motes of mana swirled around him in chaotic, almost reverent, harmony.
The sword in his hand began to tremble, not because he himself shuddered, but because the weapon itself was unable to contain Veyr’s coiled energy, as though it too desperately awaited the moment of release.
And then, with a fluidity that defied logic, Veyr vanished.
A blinding flash split the sky as the young prodigy reappeared mid-air in front of the mountain, both hands gripping the hilt of his blade as he brought it down in a flawless, diagonal arc.
*SLASH*
The mountain in front of him didn’t crack, as for a brief second, it appeared untouched, the silence drawing out like a breath held too long.
But then, moments later, a perfect diagonal line revealed itself across the face of the mountain, the upper half slowly beginning to shift — sliding downward and to the side with a quiet rumble, as though it were nothing more than paper.
*RUMBLE*
The precision was absolute. The depth, breathtaking.
And yet, it still wasn’t over.
The residual energy from the strike continued upward, unnoticed at first, invisible to the naked eye. But once it reached the clouds high above, the sky responded.
*BOOM*
A colossal explosion roared across the heavens as the clouds were torn apart by the force of the aftershock.
A two-mile-wide ring of sky was instantly cleared, stripped of its cover, exposing the blue above as the shockwave echoed outward, thundering through the valley like the scream of a vengeful god.
"Oh, Mercy Lord Soron—"
The Fourth Elder stumbled back a step, his balance shaken.
His robes whipped about wildly. Sweat ran freely down his spine. His lips parted in shock, but no coherent words came out as his mind fell silent.
"This... This..." he finally whispered, the sound barely audible, as awe and fear mixed freely in his voice.
If any part of him still doubted that Veyr could lose the upcoming duel, even by the smallest margin or an accidental slip, then that belief had been utterly destroyed now, crushed beneath the weight of what he had just witnessed.
Because what stood before him now was no longer a boy.
Only a monster.
*Sheath*
The soft click of the blade sliding into its scabbard marked the end of the demonstration, and as the echo faded, the Fourth Elder broke into applause, clapping his hands with wild fervor like an excited fan watching a hero take form.
*Clap*
*Clap*
*Clap*
"Aww come on. This wasn’t even a real challenge," Veyr muttered, waving the elder off with mock humility. But the light in his eyes betrayed the truth.
A quiet satisfaction gleamed behind Veyr’s eyes, as he exhaled slowly, allowing himself the smallest, most telling of smiles.
He had done it.
He had finally mastered [Final Slash], a feat that not only made him stronger as a warrior, but also tilted the scales of the upcoming fight dramatically in his favor.
"Oh Skyshard, I hope you last long enough for me to use this beauty in battle.
It will be a shame if I can’t even show my real strength to the spectators because you were too weak to draw this out of me.
I’m not asking for too much, just entertain me long enough so I can end you with this..." Veyr said at the end, as an evil smile played out on his lips.