---
Chapter 21: A Spar with Lucy
The group headed to the academy's private arena later that day. The stands were empty except for Karth, Amy, and Lark, who leaned forward with anticipation.
Lucy and Jefel stood opposite each other in the center of the arena. The air grew heavy, buzzing with hidden killing intent beneath the guise of a simple spar.
"Let's see if you're truly a predator," Lucy smirked, her eyes glowing with feral hunger.
Tink—
[System Alert: Duel Engaged]
Opponent: Lucy Armstrong (Illusion Predator Physique 40%, Illusion Predator Arts)
Danger Level: Maximum
Quest Updated → Defeat Lucy
Reward: Hidden
Her body shifted instantly. Bones cracked. Hair lengthened into a blinding, silvery-white mane. Her nails sharpened into claws that gleamed with killing light. Behind her, a spectral tiger roared, shaking the arena.
Then her figure multiplied. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of Lucys filled the stage, each moving with predatory fluidity. Sight alone became unbearable—his mind screamed at the impossibility.
And then she vanished.
Tink—
[Combat Engagement Imminent]
[Predator Autonomy: 10% Synced]
[Battle Instinct Autonomy: Activated]
BANG!
A strike smashed into Jefel's ribs. Another slammed into his jaw. Again. Again. Faster. He barely followed, blood dripping from shallow cuts across his skin as the rhythm grew merciless.
Lucy grinned, pressing harder. "Let's raise the tempo."
Illusion Predator Arts: First Form!
BOOM—his vision fractured. A thousand phantom versions of himself appeared, each distorted and overlapping. His mind stretched, threatening to snap.
"Second Form!"
"Third! Fourth! Fifth! Sixth! Seventh! Eighth! Ninth!"
"Final Form—Illusionar!"
The entire arena warped into a nightmare. Illusions folded upon illusions, reality itself becoming unstable. Even in the stands, Amy and Karth staggered, clutching their heads.
"O-My-God… she's going all out!" Lark gasped.
Jefel's knees buckled under the pressure, his jaw clenched so tight blood seeped from his gums. "That's… enough…"
Tink—
[Physique: Predator's Eclipse Physique Activated (5%)]
A surge of black, silver, and blue light erupted around him. His aura devoured fragments of her illusions, converting them into strength. Sparks of lightning, streams of shadow, and traces of wind pulsed through his veins.
But Lucy didn't stop. She only grew sharper, faster, deadlier.
Tink—
[System Trait Copy: Illusion (1%)]
[Illusion Predator Arts +1…+1…+1…]
[Illusion Predator Physique +1…+1…+1…]
[Mind Strengthening: 79%]
Every slash carved his flesh, but his mind adapted. His bloodline demanded more. His body howled, but his spirit roared louder.
"I said…" Jefel bellowed. "ENOUGH!"
BOOOOOOM!
The private-space mechanism groaned under the pressure. The arena shook so violently that without the barrier, the academy itself might have collapsed.
For five relentless minutes, the clash thundered—strike to strike, illusion to counter, blood against blood.
Tink—
[Transformation Ends → (10s Used)]
[Cooldown: 24 Hours]
"Damn it!" Jefel hissed, staggering. His strength waned, but his eyes burned brighter than ever.
His hair lengthened, streaked with glowing strands of blue, red, silver, indigo, and faint violet. Elemental energy swirled, leaving behind afterimages infused with lightning, fire, wind, and shadow. Dozens of phantoms joined his side, striking in harmony with him.
For the first time, blood spilled from Lucy's arms and shoulders.
She narrowed her eyes. He's… imitating me? My illusion arts… my physique… he's replicating it in real-time.
But she smirked, baring her claws. "Not enough."
Her aura exploded. A white tiger wrapped around her body, and her speed tripled. Her claws cut the air itself as she lunged forward.
Jefel staggered, body trembling on the brink of collapse. His reserves bottomed out. His will scraped against despair. So this… is what the Blue Tiger felt. Desperation.
"System…" His voice cracked, low but firm. "Activate… everything."
Tink—
[Full System Activation Initiated]
[Battle Heir Traits → Fully Engaged]
Light erupted from him—not dazzling, but terrifying. Ordinary yet divine.
Karth, Amy, and Lark froze in their seats, their instincts screaming at the phenomenon blooming before them.
Tink—
[Illusion +1%]
[Illusion Predator Arts]
[Illusion Predator Physique]
—Interpretation Complete—
Tink—
[System Update: Integration Complete]
New Physique Unlocked
[Phantasmal Eclipse Physique]
– Predator's Eclipse absorbed Illusion Predator Physique.
– Mind Immunity: Immune to illusions, spirit assaults, perception distortions.
– Reality-Bending: Illusions generated become 70% real, dealing true damage.
– Adaptive Evolution: Each illusion absorbed strengthens instincts and mental fortitude.
New Art Unlocked
[Infinity Mirage Arts]
– Fusion of Eclipse Arts + Illusion Predator Arts.
– Generates countless mirages; each strike delivers both illusionary and real damage.
– Domain Skill – Eclipse Dominion: Creates a sealed battlefield where illusion and reality overlap. Enemies face infinite phantoms of the Predator.
Synergy Bonus
– Adaptive Copy: Absorbed arts evolve alongside Predator's Eclipse.
– Illusion Sync: 11% → Growing…
Warning: Overuse will strain body and spirit. Recovery required.
---
Lucy froze mid-strike. Her claws hovered inches from his throat. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"This… this can't be."
Her instincts recoiled as the truth sank in. Her Illusion Predator Arts—her birthright—were not only copied, but perfected. His illusions weren't tricks. They carried the weight of reality.
Shadows bent toward Jefel, weaving illusions into terrifying reality. His aura devoured hers, reshaping it into something higher.
Lucy staggered, chest heaving. "He… evolved my bloodline… beyond me. Even my clan elders couldn't…"
Her lips twitched, torn between awe and fury. For the first time, her arrogance cracked.
"This guy… Jefel…" Her voice dropped into a breathless whisper.
"He's not a predator. He's the apex predators fear."
The stands erupted in silence. Karth and Amy trembled, goosebumps racing across their skin. Lark's eyes narrowed, sharp with calculation.
The arena darkened. Illusions stacked endlessly. Reality cracked. Elements raged in tandem with phantoms that moved as if alive.
Lucy's pupils narrowed. For the first time, her instincts screamed danger.
She leapt back, tiger form blazing—but her eyes widened further. Her lips curved into an involuntary smile of awe.
"What… has he become…?"
And then—
The trio in the stands flinched, instincts firing. Their hearts skipped a beat.
Even Lucy froze, her aura faltering. Something stirred within Jefel's awakening that none of them could name.
"What the hell is that!?" Lark shouted, his face pale.
The arena's pressure shifted—glorious, terrifying, absolute.
For the first time, even Lucy… stepped back.