As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 186

After regaining her senses, she almost instinctively shook her head repeatedly, like a rattle-drum, her face filled with resistance and fear.

"I... I really can't do anything! I'll only cause you trouble! And... and I have absolutely no talent for fighting." However, her tactful excuse didn't have the desired effect. "It's alright, it's just a basic, friendly exchange, I'll stop here." Lius still had that gentle, encouraging smile. "Just think of it as... experiencing something completely new, isn't that nice?"

“But,” Miss Sophia, please give it a try! “Helen, who had caught her breath, stood up with her sword hanging from her back and gave her an encouraging, cheerful smile. “Young Master Lius’s guidance is priceless! It’s just trying out a wooden sword; there’s no danger, and who knows… you might actually have a lot of talent!”

On one side was the gentle yet alluring invitation from the man I admired, a man as powerful as a god; on the other side was the heartfelt encouragement from the equally powerful and reliable bishop of the church, who had just fought against Lius.

More importantly... deep within Sophia's own heart, the excitement and longing ignited by watching that thrilling battle, which had not yet fully subsided, now burned fiercely once again, like dry tinder thrown into a spark.

How about we give it a try? Just once, it should be... okay, right?

Once this thought arises, it can never be controlled.

Finally, under the expectant gazes of Leus and Helen, Sophie's wavering heart slowly and gently settled on one side of the scale.

Looking at the two, the girl took a deep, deep breath, as if drawing all her courage into her chest. Then, under their smiling gazes, Sophia slowly bent down and awkwardly picked up the wooden sword from the ground—a sword that was both unfamiliar and strangely alluring to her—with her slender, fair hands, usually only accustomed to holding quill pens and ledgers.

"This is the feel of a sword."

The wooden sword felt rough and solid, completely different from what she had imagined. Its heavy weight made her feel as if she were holding the fate of the entire world in her hand.

She imitated Helen's posture from her memory, stiffly holding the wooden sword horizontally in front of her, her feet also somewhat unsure of their position, adopting a fighting stance that she herself thought was quite good, but which was full of flaws and extremely non-standard in the eyes of a real warrior.

After doing all this, she raised her head, her pretty face flushed red, filled with an unprecedented, desperate tension and seriousness. Looking at Lius before her, she used all her strength to clearly say:

"Then...please take good care of me, Young Master Lius."

Chapter 439 The Three of Us Together (Part 7)

"Then...please guide me, Young Master Leus!"

After taking a deep breath, Sofia's words, filled with tension and determination, spread like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating invisible ripples under the cool moonlight, yet brimming with a unique tension.

"Yes, please take care of me, Miss Sofia."

Lius smiled and nodded slightly at her. His calm and composed demeanor contrasted sharply with the girl opposite him, whose hand holding the sword was trembling slightly and whose muscles were taut like stone from excessive tension. It was a stark contrast, even somewhat comical.

"Well then. I'll go now, Miss Sophia."

Before she could dwell on her thoughts, Leus's voice, like the sharpest starting pistol, suddenly rang in Sophia's ears. Before the words were even finished, he had already moved.

It wasn't some sudden, lightning-fast attack that startled everyone; quite the opposite, his movements could even be described as...slow. He strolled leisurely towards Sophia, taking a step forward unhurriedly, while simultaneously, with textbook-perfect, clearly visible speed, he thrust his wooden sword straight and unadorned towards Sophia's unsuspecting right shoulder.

This sword strike carried no killing intent whatsoever; it was so gentle that it seemed less like an attack and more like a courteous invitation.

However, this attack, which seemed full of flaws and as slow as an old man's stroll to a true warrior, was nothing short of an inescapable thunderous judgment for Sofia, whose mind was blank at that moment.

"ah!"

Her pupils suddenly contracted, and the seemingly slowly thrusting wooden sword was magnified infinitely in her eyes, occupying her entire field of vision. Her brain screamed wildly, commanding her body to dodge and block, but her body, which had never undergone any combat training and was as stiff as a puppet, was simply unable to keep up with the speed of her thoughts.

In her panic, she could only rely on her most primal instincts. She closed her eyes and haphazardly held the wooden sword in her hand forward, trying to block what she thought was an unavoidable attack in the most clumsy way.

However, the expected crisp sound of wooden swords clashing together did not occur. One second, two seconds.

All around was still silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze and the frantic beating of my own heart.

"Miss Sofia," a gentle voice rang out, almost touching her, "closing your eyes during battle is the greatest taboo, you know?"

Upon hearing this, Sophia hesitated and cautiously opened her tightly closed eyes. The next moment, she froze completely.

Suddenly, Lius appeared beside her. The tip of his wooden sword was precisely positioned next to her unsuspecting neck, which was stiff with tension. The cold, unique touch of the weapon gave her the illusion that she would be pierced through at any moment.

She herself remained in that comical and ridiculous posture, with her eyes closed and the sword haphazardly held in front of her, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand after being startled.

“If I hadn’t stopped, your shoulder would be pierced by now.” Lius’s voice remained calm, like that of a patient mentor, analyzing the situation rationally. “Your reaction was too aggressive, and your posture was also problematic. Your feet were too far apart, making your center of gravity unstable and your lower body weak. You can’t generate any effective power like that.”

"My clear and incisive correction caused Sophia's cheeks to turn bright red, like a ripe tomato."

The shame stemming from her own clumsiness, and the frustration of being so easily defeated, surged wildly in her heart like two intertwined, scorching magma, making her wish she could immediately throw away the wooden sword in her hand and find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

But when she looked up, she saw Lius's gentle eyes, full of encouragement and patience, and Helen's kind smile, which was not far away, as she waved her fist vigorously and mouthed "Go for it!"

A strange, strong, and defiant emotion, like a tender sprout breaking through the soil, stubbornly emerged quietly from her heart, which was almost overwhelmed by shame.

She didn't want to give up just like that.

She didn't want to appear so... vulnerable in front of them. Taking a deep breath, Sophia bit her lower lip, and a faint but incredibly determined light rekindled in her eyes, which had been somewhat evasive due to shyness.

“I…I understand.” She looked at Lius and said solemnly, almost as if making a vow, “One more…one more time!” “Very good.”

Lius nodded approvingly, sheathed his wooden sword, and returned to his original position.

This time, he still didn't change his attack method. It was still a simple, slow, yet perfectly standard straight thrust. Sofia forced herself to widen her eyes, staring intently at the wooden sword that was attacking again. She tried to recall Lius's instructions and adjust her stance, moving her legs that felt like they were filled with lead.

clang!

This time, accompanied by a somewhat muffled yet incredibly realistic sound of wood clashing, her wooden sword finally made contact with the tip of Lius's sword, albeit by a narrow margin.

However, her fragile parry was like paper against Lius's seemingly casual sword strike. A subtle yet powerful force, completely beyond her resistance, traveled along the blade, causing her hand to go numb. The wooden sword in her hand almost flew out of her grasp, and she uncontrollably took two steps back before barely managing to regain her footing.

Although she still lost, this time... at least she managed to block it!

This realization was like a shot of adrenaline, forcefully injected into Sofia's heart!

"Again!" "Again!"

“Come again!!!”

For the rest of the training ground, only a monotonous yet strangely rhythmic sound could be heard... Sorius, like a tireless and sophisticated combat machine, repeated the most basic straight thrust over and over again, with the same speed, the same angle, and the same force.

Sofia, on the other hand, was like a piece of stubborn iron being forged and tempered, being repelled time and time again, running away again and again. Countless times, the wooden sword in her hand nearly slipped from her grasp, and the rough wooden handle had long since rubbed raw and painfully.

However, she never chose to give up.

Her gaze grew increasingly focused and sharp. From initial panic to a barely passable block, and then... a strange, profound feeling began to quietly sprout within her.

She found that her eyes were gradually no longer just fixed on the wooden sword that was thrust at her.

Her gaze began to unconsciously extend upwards, landing on Leus's steady and powerful wrist holding the sword, on his unmoving, mountain-like shoulders, and even on his deep, calm eyes.

She noticed that her body was also beginning to undergo subtle changes.

Her legs were no longer stiffly separated, but with each retreat and block, they instinctively and subconsciously adjusted to a distance and angle most suitable for exerting force and maintaining balance. Her hand holding the sword also changed from being tightly gripped at the beginning to being relaxed and measured. It tightened at the moment of blocking and relaxed at the moment of releasing force. A strange force, like flowing water, began to slowly dissipate between her arm and the sword.

At this moment, Sofia felt as if her body had its own will. Before her brain could fully react, she had instinctively and subconsciously made the most correct and effective response!

This feeling.

It's like... she was born to stand here.

It was as if... this cold wooden sword was an extension of her body! Under these circumstances, the flames within Sofia's heart burned even brighter...

Chapter 440: The Three of Us Together (Part 8)

clang! ! !

Another crisp clash resounded as the blades of their swords met, their wooden swords crisscrossing each other. But this time, Sophia was not repelled.

Her seemingly fragile wooden sword met Lius's sword tip with an extremely precise angle. With a subtle yet infinitely mysterious twist at her wrist, a skillful force that could "use four ounces to deflect a heavy weight" instantly erupted!

She actually managed to parry Lius's seemingly unstoppable sword strike steadily and without sustaining a scratch, even redirecting the powerful force to an empty space to the side. "Oh?"

For the first time, a genuine and undisguised look of surprise and admiration flashed in Lius's eyes. He stopped his attack and looked at the black-haired girl in front of him, who was still panting heavily but whose entire demeanor had undergone a complete transformation. A sincere smile appeared on his face.

“Remarkable.” He sighed, “Miss Sophia, it seems that even you yourself do not know what amazing talent lies dormant within you.”

Upon hearing this, Sophia lowered her head somewhat in surprise, looking at her hand, which was still slightly numb from the enormous recoil, and then at the wooden sword in her hand that seemed to have become one with her. Her eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion.

The feeling I had just experienced was... "Amazing! Miss Sophia!"

On the sidelines, Helen's excited cheers rang out at just the right moment, snapping her out of her reverie. "Your block just now was like that of a seasoned swordsman! So beautiful!" The undisputed praise from both of them made Sofia's cheeks blush again, but this time, the blush was not just shyness, but more of an irrepressible joy and excitement from discovering her unknown potential!

An unprecedented and powerful sense of self-confidence, like a bamboo shoot emerging from the soil, was growing and spreading wildly in her heart!

She raised her head, and in her beautiful eyes gleamed an almost greedy desire for "greater." "Young Master Leus looked at Leus," Sophia said, taking a deep breath, and speaking in a tone she herself had never imagined—firm yet full of challenge—word by word:

“Young Master Leus…please. There’s no need to hold back any longer. I want to see…” A fierce, fiery fighting spirit ignited in Sophia’s eyes. “I’m thinking…where exactly…my limits lie!”

"Oh?"

These words made the smile on Lius's face even brighter, and even more... full of appreciation. "Ha, as you wish."

As the words fell, the boy nodded heavily. The gentleness and patience on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a fierce aura of utmost seriousness and earnestness befitting a true warrior.

"Well then, don't cry now, Miss Sophia." Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly vanished from the spot.

In the next instant, a real, fierce, and torrential attack, like a flood bursting its banks, poured down on Sofia, whose fighting spirit had just been ignited, with madness and without reservation.

fast!

too fast!

The wooden sword in Lius's hand seemed to transform into thousands of deadly phantoms, attacking Sophia's vital points from all directions and from every unbelievable angle!

The most basic sword techniques—thrust, slash, sweep, parry, point, and strike—have evolved in his hands into endless, dazzling, and deadly variations! Every sword strike is as fast as lightning, and every blow is as heavy as a mountain!

"Well!"

Sofia was instantly plunged into an unprecedented and desperate situation, like a small boat adrift in a raging storm.

She had no time to think, no opportunity to think. She could only rely on her newly awakened, beast-like fighting instincts, grit her teeth, and wield her wooden sword into an impenetrable brown barrier, desperately trying to withstand the relentless, tidal wave of attacks.

A rapid, crisp clang, like a torrential downpour, echoed wildly across the training ground, the sounds of the impact almost reverberating throughout the night sky.

Sofia felt as if her arms were about to be broken. Every block brought waves of excruciating pain and numbness. Her lungs felt like they were about to explode, burning with pain with each movement. Sweat had already blurred her vision and was constantly sliding down her cheeks.

However, even so, she did not back down.

Her feet seemed rooted to the ground, firmly planted on the spot, her eyes growing increasingly frantic and focused. Under the immense, overwhelming pressure from Leus, Sophia's dormant, astonishing fighting talent was being frantically squeezed, stimulated, and awakened at an unprecedented speed. Her movements, including blocking, became faster and more precise, like a sponge being relentlessly forged by a massive hammer. Although each blow caused her excruciating pain, Sophia was also frantically absorbing nutrients in the process, growing and transforming at a visible pace!

"Go for it, Miss Sophia! That's it!" "Hold on! You can do it!"

On the sidelines, Helen's cheers grew increasingly excited. She clenched her fists tightly, her azure eyes filled with undisguised admiration for Sophia's indomitable will, and... a deeper level of worship and love for Lius's godlike, alchemical power.

She knew that anyone could shine brightest in the presence of Prince Lius, and she herself had to work even harder to be qualified to stand beside this man who was as radiant as the sun forever!

This intense conviction ultimately culminated in her powerful, resounding shout that echoed through the night: "Go for it!!!"

Amidst her shouts and Lius's relentless onslaught, Sophia bit her lip, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a diamond-like, indomitable spirit.

This insane trial for geniuses has reached its climax.

Chapter 441: The Three of Us Together (Part 9)

"clang--!"

With the final, somewhat muffled yet incredibly clear sound of wooden swords clashing, the battle—which was both Sophia's first experience and a mad trial—finally came to an end after lasting nearly half a magical hour.

The sound of the wooden pieces striking each other disappeared, and the wooden sword that had seemed to transform into hundreds of phantoms in Lius's hand suddenly stopped. Its tip, with an effortless ease, steadily and silently pressed against the blade of the wooden sword that Sophia had instinctively held across her chest as her last line of defense.

This time, there was no violent power, nor swift speed, only a pure suppression as steady and unshakeable as a mountain.

"Haa...haa...haa" The rapid and heavy breathing echoed in the training ground. Under this breathing, Sophia held the wooden sword that was almost within reach.

She could clearly feel a powerful yet restrained force emanating from the tip of the opponent's sword. This force did not attempt to defeat her, but it made it incredibly difficult for her to even move a finger, as if she were being pressed firmly to the spot by an invisible mountain.

As time went by, the girl's arm trembled more and more. Finally, a minute later, under the moonlight, the wooden sword in Sophia's hand could no longer withstand the continuous and enormous impact, and with a "crack," it broke in two.

Sophia, along with the broken wooden sword, felt as if all the bones in her body had been removed. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed completely onto the cold, sweat-soaked bluestone ground.

Her body had reached its limit. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Sophia cried out in pain as she stretched her body slightly. Her arms ached so much that they felt like they no longer belonged to her. Her vision blurred, and the world around her seemed to be spinning. Only the whirring sound in her ears proclaimed the extreme exhaustion of her body.

However, compared to the physical pain that almost made her faint, her spirit was unprecedentedly...exhilarated! An indescribable, exhilarating pleasure, like the finest wine, flowed through her limbs and bones, making her feel as if her whole body was on fire!

“Very well done, Miss Sophia.”

Just as Sofia was catching her breath, a gentle voice sounded above her head. Then, a warm yet strong hand gently reached out and, tenderly but firmly, helped her up from the ground.

Prince Sophia Lilius raised her head, and through her blurred vision, she saw the boy's gentle, approving smile.

His breathing remained steady, as if the trial that had been hellish for Sophia was nothing more than a relaxing after-dinner stroll for him.

"Your last combo just now... was truly amazing! Every strike was incredible!" Sophia said, somewhat incoherently, her voice hoarse from heavy breathing. But her beautiful eyes shone with an unprecedented, fiery light, and her face wore a radiant smile of relief, making the girl appear lively and excited.

She looked at her delicate hand, which was red and even blistered from gripping the wooden sword for a long time with intense force. Instead of feeling wronged or in pain, she felt an unprecedented and strong sense of accomplishment and... belonging. So this is what battle feels like.

So this is what it means to pour your heart and soul into something, to challenge your limits, to break through your own limitations—it's such a... captivating thing. "Thank you, Prince Leus!"