Riven sat cross-legged, eyes closed, both hands resting on the scythe's handle.Alright… let's do this, he thought, summoning his amber mana.
He guided the energy toward his hands, pushing it into the weapon. He didn't expect much—maybe a faint flicker at best. But to his shock, the mana responded instantly, surging forward and coating the entire weapon in an amber glow.
"Damn, kid. I knew you'd pick this up fast, but this… this is something else," Roman muttered nearby, awe and concern blending in his voice.
The triumph was short-lived. The energy didn't stop—it poured in faster, flooding the scythe with reckless force. The glow brightened, pulsing erratically. Even through his eyelids, Riven saw the light bleeding through.
"Kid! Stop the flow of mana!" Roman's tone cut through the hum with urgency.
Panic shot through Riven. He tried to pull back, to seize control—but the mana ignored him, gushing out in torrents. This again… His mind flashed back to his fight with Zephyr—when he'd tried to circulate all his amber mana and nearly lost himself to it.
The weapon began to tremble, emitting a deep hum that climbed in pitch. Riven's eyes snapped open. The scythe was drowned in amber light, its form barely visible beneath it. Cracks ran along its surface—fractures filled not with emptiness but with glowing liquid, as if the mana itself was fusing the broken parts together.
Half his mana was already gone.
Roman stepped closer, crouching to inspect it, eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Now that is fascinating," he murmured. "Normally, the weapon should've been reduced to dust… but your mana's holding it together. No—more than that." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's like your mana and the weapon have fused into some kind of unholy amalgamation."
Riven barely heard him over his racing heartbeat. The drain wouldn't stop. The weapon kept pulling, devouring his energy.
"I—I can't control it," he stammered. "It's taking everything!"
Then—suddenly—the pull weakened. The wild torrent slowed to a trickle. But even as it did, the weapon's power continued to swell, glowing brighter and brighter until the room was drenched in amber light.
Roman didn't move. He just watched, studying every flicker of the weapon.
A minute crawled by. The scythe's body fractured completely—yet somehow stayed whole. Its form shrank to half its size, fragments suspended in a viscous amber liquid shaped like a scythe. Then, without warning, the glow collapsed inward.
The draining stopped.
They watched as the liquid hardened into a solid shell, the amber glow fading to a faint, rhythmic pulse.
"Fascinating," Roman murmured, turning toward Riven with a crooked smile. "It's sustaining itself on the ambient mana around us, only siphoning a little from you to stay active."
"I… I don't know what happened," Riven said quietly. He could feel Roman's gaze on him—sharp, analyzing. "I've never done anything like this before."
Roman studied him a moment longer, then smiled again—this time softer. "I believe you, kid. It's a colossal waste of mana… but it's incredibly interesting."
He rose to his feet, summoning his own scythe, its blade thrumming with dark violet energy. "Come on. Let's see if it's a useful waste."
Riven hesitated, eyes on the weapon's altered form. Should he really use that thing again?
"Kid," Roman's voice broke through, firm but reassuring, "you won't get stronger if you're afraid to take risks. Now pick it up."
Riven exhaled slowly. He's right. I came here for a reason. Besides, since when had he ever backed down from danger?
Confidence reignited, he grabbed the scythe and stood. Despite being fifty percent larger, it felt almost weightless—an extension of himself rather than a burden. Still, a faint unease stirred in the back of his mind as he stepped into the pit and fell into a natural stance.
Roman's figure flickered—then vanished.
Riven's instincts screamed. A blur of motion, a flash of steel—Roman appeared a foot away, scythe slicing toward his waist.
Riven froze under the crushing pressure—until the amber mana moved for him.
It burst to life, flooding his body with sharp, violent intent. His eyes flared amber as he twisted, bringing his weapon up just in time to intercept.
The blades met with a ringing clang, and with a burst of strength, Riven redirected Roman's swing, spinning him midair.
Roman landed lightly, unfazed. He pulled, twisting his weapon free from Riven's grip.
The scythe slipped from Riven's hands, clattering across the floor. Roman smirked. "Not bad," he started—
Then the scythe moved.
It floated, then shot back toward Riven like a loyal hound. His hands closed around the handle instinctively, and he dropped back into stance. What the hell…?
No time to think.
Roman lunged again, his scythe now pulsing with darker, hungrier energy. Riven's heart pounded. His body moved before thought—he ducked low, pivoted, and swung horizontally.
The amber blade howled to life, tripling in size.
Roman met it head-on.
The clash detonated in a shockwave that tore through the arena, sand and light exploding outward.
Riven was thrown back, slamming into the stone wall. His vision blurred as his weapon slipped from his grip.
When his sight cleared, he saw the result—a crater gouged into the training ground, half a foot deep. His weapon lay to his right, breaking apart, the amber material disintegrating into drifting motes.
Through the ringing in his ears, Roman's voice reached him."Well done, kid. That thing just took Rank 2 empowered strikes without shattering completely."
Riven groaned, forcing himself upright. "Why do you keep throwing me around like that? You could go a little easier, you know."
Roman only chuckled, brushing sand off his trousers.
Before he could reply, the training room door creaked open.
A tall, pale man stepped in—immaculate suit, bartender's poise—but his expression was taut, uneasy."Sir," he said curtly. "We've got a problem. The noble kind."
Roman's posture shifted in an instant. Amusement drained from his face, replaced by cool focus."Alright," he said simply, striding toward the door. Just before stepping out, he glanced back at Riven. "Training's over. Use the back exit."
Riven opened his mouth to argue but stopped. There was no mistaking that tone.
With a sigh, he sank into the sand, exhaustion finally catching up."He'll probably be too busy to notice if I rest a bit…" he muttered.
A soft meow was his only reply.
Luna padded over and curled up on his chest, purring softly as Riven's eyes drifted closed.