Published at 6th of April 2026 7:10 am

Chapter 1653 First Time

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Edward descended from the skies, his feet firmly touching the ground.

Lightning streaked across his body, and it was most intense around his fists. With a dark look on his face, he cast his piercing gaze toward Orion, who lay miserably on the ground.

"Look how pathetic you are," he spat in sheer disdain. "Mighty Mana Cora

Magus of the Cult, takes pleasure in hurting children, yet here you are... fucking miserable!"

Orion gnashed his teeth in rage. The feeling of being looked down upon was never nice. Worse yet, the one looking down on him was a child.

"What the fuck do you know!" He hissed as he slowly rose to his feet.

Faint arcs of lightning still danced across his aged body, wreaking havoc. But still, this wasn't nearly enough to take him down - he who has had centuries of experience as a Mana Core Magus.

"Do you wish to know what happened to all those kids who didn't survive the experiments?" Orion's lips curled into a cruel smirk.

He was buying time as he stumbled onto his feet, trying to balance himself. But the lightning shock jolting across his flesh made it difficult.

"I'm sure you're curious, boy" His grin turned wider.

On the other side, Edward's eyes turned bloodshot. A part of him hoped that Orion would display a shred of remorse for what the organization he belonged to had done to those poor children.

But no. This was pure evil. The Cult of Bones was truly diabolical.

The Strom King gnashed his teeth in fury, his fists clenching tightly as more and more lightning gathered around them.

"You bastard," he cursed. "By the time I'm done with you-"

His words got caught in his throat when suddenly he felt the hair on the back

of his neck stand on end. Goosebumps crawled across his skin as he quickly turned to the side.

Just in time to see...

A volley of obsidian spikes hurling toward him with shocking precision! When did he-

That was all the time Edward had to think before his foe's spell arrived right before him. There was no time to cast a defensive spell, and so, he could only dodge.

Lightning flashes through his blue eyes, his pupils constricting.

Mana surged through his veins, turning into faint arcs of lightning that danced not only across his skin, but also within his body. His heart pounded harder, blood rushed faster, and muscles coiled tighter, ready to release at a moment's notice.

Everything sharpened. Not only did the lightning surround him, but it moved through him. His reactions sped up, his thoughts snapping into place without delay. And then, his body followed instantly. There was no hesitation between intent and action.

To him, the world slowed. Movements that should have been fast became clear. Time seemed to stretch, and in that stretched moment, the first of the black, rocky spikes appeared right before his very eyes.

The Storm King moved with shocking speed, faster than he'd ever been in his life.

He leaned sideways. Just enough. And the obsidian spike shot past his cheek, close enough to graze the air against his skin.

For a split second, it should have hit. But it didn't. A faint crackle of lightning burst from that exact spot, nudging the spike off its path... just enough to miss. By the time the first spike missed him, he was already moving forward.

He leaned to the other side, once again nearly dodging another projectile. Then, he took a step back and turned sideways. Two black spikes rushed past him — one from the front, and the other from the back.

Edward's senses flared to life, and then, without even looking, he adjusted his position and bent backward, his back arching. A projectile flew past right over him, tearing his robes, but unable to land a direct hit on him.

Then another spike appeared before him, and it seemed that this one would pierce straight through his torso. But at the last possible moment, he twisted at an unnatural angle and dodged the projectile once again.

In a space of only two seconds, he had managed to evade half a dozen spikes! But half a dozen still remained...

Edward moved again, faster this time. More dark projectiles came at him from different angles. He dodged again, but wasn't able to do so cleanly.

One tore across his arm, another clipped his leg. A third grazed the side of his head. While the rest passed close enough to draw shallow lines across his body. However, none of them slowed him down. The wounds were there, but they weren't enough.

In another couple of seconds, he had managed to dodge all twelve projectiles. Judging by how much damage they dealt simply by grazing him, he knew they were part of a Rank 4 Spell.

He felt his heartbeat slow, his blood flow settle, and a wave of exhaustion slowly creep into his muscles. He could handle the fatigue, but there was a strange reaction taking place inside his Head. Something felt... wrong. Blood trickled down from his nostrils, and for a brief moment, his vision spun. Just moments ago, he had subconsciously directed lightning into his brain. It was pure instinct. It had sharpened his reactions and pushed his reaction speed beyond normal limits.

But it was his first time attemtping it...

And he hadn't been ready for the cost.

No! He screamed inwardly.

This was a very dangerous situation to be in. He already realized that the "Orion" he was talking to before the attack arrived had been nothing but an

illusion.

The real Orion had concealed himself expertly and then struck with those obsidian projectiles.

Edward gritted his teeth as more blood trickled down from his nose. Ignoring the cutting pain in his head, he quickly weaved hand seals to cast a defensive spell. He did not know the enemy's true location, and he wasn't quite in the

state to launch a quick counterattack.

His hands moved fast, turning into a blur.

But they weren't fast enough...

SPLAT!

An obsidian blade - the same material as the earlier projectiles - viciously drove straight through his waist and burst out from his stomach. Edward choked and spat a mouthful of blood as he lowered his head. Blood

spilled from his lips as his body went still for a second.

And then, a sinister voice reached his ears.

It echoed from right behind him.

"Rookie mistake, boy."

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