Chapter 3: The embers under the thunder
Class and Morning: The Baptism of the Church
There is no sun in the morning of St. Erinius.
When the pale artificial light source with simulated texture shone in through the huge rose window of the church, Lin Che had been standing on Qingshiping in the training area for two hours. His muscles twitched because of yesterday's "stripping ceremony", and the black mark on his spine was like a cold centipede, always reminding him of the existence of the shadow.
"In the sanctuary, rest is the privilege of the dead."
Erin's voice came from behind. She changed into a neat black combat suit, and the dark golden chain was wrapped around her waist, with a cold metallic luster in the dim light. She threw a 20-kilogram weight-bearing vest to Lin Che, "Put it on. Before you can manipulate the shadow, you must first learn to control this weak body. Su Lian calculated that if you can't adapt to the gravity here within three weeks, your shadow will have a 'extraction reaction' because the host is too weak.
Lin Che silently took over the vest. At the moment of the metal buckle, the floor tiles under his feet made a slight crack.
On the other side of the training ground, several students in gorgeous white school uniforms are gathering together. They are the so-called "original aristocrats", born in the villa area, with the power of the embers that have been purified for generations flowing in their blood.
"Look, the 'black account' picked up by Instructor Ska can't even do the basic ember sensing."
The mockery was not loud, but it was extremely harsh in the empty church.
Leonardo stood in the center of the crowd, and he was not even training. He just stood there, pressing the thin sword around his waist with one hand, and the light behind him formed a faint arc above his head. That's the high-level performance of "The Glow of Helios" - the crown of light.
"Irene, don't waste time on this kind of waste that is destined to be 'cleaned up'." Leonardo stepped forward, with a sense of oppression that made people unable to look directly at every step. "The resources of the college are limited. Instead of focusing on a shadow monster that can get out of control at any time, it's better to pay more attention to the 'fog cleaning' task next week.
He stopped in front of Lin Che, and his blue eyes were full of cold judgment.
"Your name is Lin Che, right?" Leonardo lowered his voice, and only Lin Che could hear the disgust in his tone. "Here, freedom is not what you think. If you want to live like a mouse here, never look up in front of the light.
Personification of Shadows: Another Perspective
Lin Che clenched his fist tightly, and his nails pierced into his palm, bringing out a trace of pain.
"Kill him... Kill him..."
The overlapping voice sounded in his mind again.
"He is afraid... He is afraid of your purity... As long as you give me a little control, I can let that arrogant face be completely shattered by the darkness..."
"Shut up." Lin Che responded in his heart.
He found that with the violent fluctuations of his emotions, the shadow under his feet began to become extremely solid. This is no longer a simple darkness, but a "negative space" that can absorb the surrounding light. When Leonardo's light shone around Lyncher, it seemed to fall into a black hole and disappeared without a trace.
"Huh?" Su Lian, who had been sitting on the high surveillance tower, made a slight suspicious voice.
She quickly swiped on the screen, "The photon escape rate around Lin Che has reached 100%. This is not defense, this is 'plunder'. Tutor Ska, this kid's potential may be beyond prediction.
Ska held a wine jug and leaned lazily against the stone pillar on the second floor, with a playful arc at the corners of his mouth, "The kid of the Saxon family is going to kick the iron plate. He doesn't understand at all that the longer the spring is suppressed, the more it can kill people when it bounces.
Provocation and Duel: The Strange Path of Shadow
"As a senior, I feel obliged to help you test your 'bearance'."
Leonardo didn't gain because of Lyncher's silence. He suddenly pulled out the thin sword around his waist.
That's the famous weapon of St. Erinius - "The Tongue of the Morning".
"Pull out your weapon, or use your shadow to please me." Leonardo's eyes suddenly became sharp. "If you can't even take my casual blow, you don't need to stay in the sanctuary."
"Leonaldo! Stit up!" Erin stepped forward, and the chain burst between the two. "Lin Che has not undergone actual combat training. You are violating the school rules!"
"Irene, I'm just having a 'friendly match'. According to Article 21 of the school rules, full members have the right to conduct a surprise assessment of the reserve service. The light around Leonardo burst out in an instant, and the dazzling golden light made the surrounding students close their eyes one after another.
At that moment, Lin Che felt as if he had been thrown into a huge melting pot.
Burning.
Extremely scorching.
Leonardo's light has a very strong purifying attribute, which is simply a fatal corrosion for Lincher, who has awakened the embers of the shadow. He felt that every inch of nerves under his skin was screaming, and the shadow personality in the spine roared wildly, trying to break through the shackles and fight back.
"Trick."
Reonaldo turned into a stream of light, and the thin sword brought up a string of golden shadows and took Lin Che's shoulder.
Although he avoided the key point with this blow, if he hit, half of Lin Che's body would be completely necrotic due to the overload of the light element.
Lin Che didn't escape.
At that moment of zero and one second, the survival instinct in his brain honed by bullying completely took over the body.
He didn't defend in the way that Erin taught.
He bent down suddenly and pressed his hands on the ground.
"Open it for me!"
Boom!
The shadow under Lin Che's feet did not turn into a tentacle attack as usual, but collapsed instantly.
A circular black hole with a diameter of three meters was formed in front of Lin Che. The moment Leonardo's thin sword pierced into the black hole, it was like piercing into a sticky quagmire. Light energy was diluted in an instant, and the unparalleled momentum was forcibly pulled away by a strange gravity.
"What?" Leonardo's face changed slightly.
He felt that the tip of his sword seemed to be bitten by some force from another dimension.
What frightened him even more was that Lin Che followed the gravity of the black hole, his body folded strangely like a thin piece of paper, and slid under his sword body.
This kind of action is by no means what human beings can do. That's the logic of the shadow - boneless, distorted and unreasonable.
Lincher appeared behind Leonardo, and his right fist was wrapped in a thick black fog. Although he had no weapon, the sound of breaking the air brought by that punch faintly carried the wailing of the dead.
"Get out of here!"
After all, Leonardo reacted quickly, and the light shield opened behind his back in an instant.
Bang!
The black fist hit the golden shield of light.
The violent ember waves exploded in the middle of the training ground. Lin Che was blown out by the huge anti-shock, hit the stone pillar heavily, and spit out a mouthful of blood. And Leonardo also took three steps back, and the cuffs of the white military uniform were corroded by the black fog.
The Shadow of the Fifth Man: Zero's Approach
The audience was silent.
A reserve who has not yet entered the game actually shocked the strongest genius of this term?
"Enough."
Ska's figure appeared strangely between the two. He held the second sword that Leonardo was about to pull out with one hand, and picked up Lin Che, who was covered with blood in the other hand.
"The assessment is over. Leonardo, your arrogance slows you down by 0.3 seconds. If this is in the fog, you have lost a rib.
Leonardo's face was pale. He stared at Lin Che and put his sword into the sheath. "Next week's task, I hope you can still be so lucky."
Just as the crowd dispersed and Lin Che tried to stand up with Erin's help, Su Lian suddenly jumped down from the surveillance tower with a solemn face.
"Tutor Ska, something has happened."
She turned the screen in her hand to the crowd.
The screen shows the misty ruins on the north side of the college. An extremely petite figure is dragging a rusty heavy sword taller than others and staggering to the gate of the college.
Behind her were a long string of fog demon remains that had turned into ashes.
"It's the 'Zero' picked up from the 'garbage pile'." Su Lian's voice trembled slightly, "She brought back the information of the fog core. The core... is producing a kind of spontaneous evolution for the college.
Lin Che looked at the embarrassed girl on the screen with a primitive murderous spirit, and his heart trembled violently.
He felt that the gears of the world accelerated because of his arrival.