Chapter 791 – Impulse [Part 1]

They arrived in the training ground.

And it was very obviously hers.

The garden’s soft lantern glow gave way to a wide circular arena carved into polished emerald stone, the surface etched with faint geometric runes that pulsed lazily beneath the floor like veins under skin. Tall obsidian pillars ringed the space, each wrapped in thin strands of envy sigils, layered enchantments, subtle but active. The air felt heavier here. Cleaner. Sharper. There were spectator tiers built into the stone walls, cushioned in dark velvet, overlooking the arena like a private coliseum. No audience. No outsiders. Just curated conflict.

Lux stepped onto the polished stone.

The ground hummed.

Immediately...

[Environmental Scan Initiated.]

[High Envy Density Detected.]

[Layered Emotional Amplification Field: Active.]

[Comparative Aggression Boost: +18%]

[Competitive Impulse Enhancement: +22%]

[Host Advantage Zone: Confirmed.]

Lux exhaled slowly.

Because this wasn’t just a training ground.

It was an amplifier.

An emotional greenhouse.

Egos grew fast here.

Wrath burned hotter.

Pride stood taller.

Envy sharpened teeth. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Behind him, the nobles spread out naturally, forming a loose half-circle. Their body language shifted subtly, less social now, more territorial. Shoulders squared. Spines straightened. A few rolled their wrists. One cracked his knuckles.

Vira moved last.

Gracefully.

Effortlessly.

She didn’t step into the arena. Of course not.

Instead, she ascended the shallow marble steps to one of the elevated seats carved into the stone. The cushion adjusted slightly as she sat, silk cascading around her legs like water poured into a glass.

A servant... Okay, when did he get here? He placed a crystal wine glass into her hand.

She crossed her legs.

Elegant.

Composed.

Like a princess watching knights duel for her favor.

And she looked good doing it.

Lux glanced at her once. ’You’re enjoying this way too much.’

She lifted her glass slightly, the faintest smile curving her lips.

He couldn’t tell if it was meant for him.

Probably both.

"So," one of the nobles called out, stepping forward into the arena. "How we are going to fight?"

Another scoffed. "Don’t tell me we’re doing spells. That’d be boring."

"Hand to hand?" someone suggested.

A ripple of agreement followed.

"No skills. No tricks. Just strength."

The words spread quickly. The environment fed them. The competitive aura thickened like oxygen before a spark.

One demon smirked openly at Lux. "Greed can’t really fight though."

Another chuckled. "He hires fighters."

"Or seduces them."

A few laughed.

Lux stood still in the center of the arena, hands still in his pockets, expression relaxed.

From the edge of the circle, a broader figure stepped forward.

Shoulders wide.

Jaw square.

Aura heavy.

Wrath alignment. Obvious.

His presence didn’t shimmer like Envy. It pressed. Dense. Solid. Like iron being carried casually.

"Let me try," the Wrath noble said, rolling his neck slowly. "No skills needed."

He stepped fully into the ring.

"Just me and you. Strength."

His eyes locked on Lux.

"Don’t worry," he added, voice low but loud enough for the others to hear. "He’s the son of the Lord of Greed. He should be able to stand us."

The undertone?

Mocking.

Testing.

Challenging.

Lux felt the Envy field pulse at that line.

[Comparative Hostility Increasing.]

[Wrath Presence Amplified by +12%.]

Lux removed his hands from his pockets slowly.

"Fine."

Simple.

He slipped his infernal jacket off his shoulders and handed it to no one in particular. It vanished into his dimensional space before it could touch the ground.

Then he rolled his sleeves.

Slowly.

Unhurried.

The sound of fabric shifting was louder than it should’ve been in the charged silence.

His movements were clean. Controlled. Not flashy.

Vira took a sip of her wine.

Watching.

Measuring.

’Let’s see,’ she thought quietly. ’Are you really just Greed?’

Lux stepped forward onto the center mark etched faintly into the stone.

His opponent cracked his knuckles once.

"So," the Wrath noble said, circling slightly. "No magic. No skills. No enchantments."

Lux nodded once. "Just hands."

The Wrath noble smirked. "Try not to die."

He lunged first.

Fast.

Faster than his size suggested.

A straight punch aimed at Lux’s jaw, clean, direct, heavy.

Lux didn’t block.

He pivoted.

Minimal movement.

The fist cut through air where his head had been a fraction of a second earlier.

Stone cracked beneath the noble’s foot as he adjusted mid-lunge.

Lux stepped back lightly, heels barely making sound against the polished floor.

He didn’t attack.

He watched.

His eyes tracked shoulder rotation. Hip alignment. Breath rhythm.

’System.’

[Analyzing Opponent.]

[Muscle Distribution: High Upper Body Density.]

[Dominant Strike Pattern: Linear Forward Pressure.]

[Guard Recovery Speed: Moderate.]

[Weakness Probability: Lateral Blind Spot (Left).]

[Stamina Drain Rate: Accelerated Under Missed Impact.]

Lux’s lips twitched faintly.

The Wrath noble charged again.

This time a hook.

Lux ducked.

The air split above him.

A backhand came immediately after, predictable. Momentum-based.

Lux slid sideways, footwork precise, almost lazy.

He still hadn’t thrown a punch.

From the sidelines, they shouted.

"Fight back!"

"Is that it?"

"Running already?"

The Envy field intensified the noise. Amplified judgment. Inflamed pride.

Vira leaned slightly forward. ’He’s not reacting emotionally,’ she realized.

That bothered her.

The Wrath noble growled softly, irritation rising. "You going to hit me or what?"

Lux tilted his head slightly. "Maybe."

And that was the first real spark.

The Wrath noble roared and lunged with full force this time, driving forward with brute strength.

Lux stepped inside the attack.

Closer.

Unexpected.

He let the punch graze his shoulder, minimal damage, while rotating his body just enough to redirect the force.

His palm tapped lightly against the noble’s ribs.

Not hard.

Just enough to test.

The noble blinked.

Confused.

Lux stepped away again.

Still not attacking.

[Impact Test Registered.]

[Rib Density: High.]

[Breath Disruption Window: 0.4 Seconds Post-Impact.]

Lux’s eyes sharpened slightly.

’Left side blind. Breath delay. Overcommits when frustrated.’

The Wrath noble attacked again.

This time wilder.

Less clean.

More force.

Lux slipped around him.

Efficient.

Minimal wasted energy.

He could feel the Envy field trying to spike his competitive impulse, urging him to dominate visibly, to prove, to perform.

He didn’t.

He stayed quiet.